Page 54 of Wifey
“Not in the way Alicia said it, though.” I ponder. Alicia made it clear she didn’t like me and Cameron together, and she wasn’t a fan of Laurie. But what did Alicia have against Gabe? “The accounting is correct and Gabe never stole anything from here. He has a clean record and there are no rumors of him doing shady ish. I never heard about him running with the wrong crowd. I don’t know what that means.”
“It means watch your back.” Hayley glanced down at her expensive watch. “It also means I need to know if you’re knocked up.”
“Shit!” I go back into the bathroom and look down at the test. It was clear as day with no squinting or faint lines.
Pregnant.
Hayley joined me in the bathroom and stared down at the test. “I’m about to be an auntie!” Hayley danced. “Woot, woot!”
“Shhh….” I stare down at the digital reading. Cameron said he was going to leave the game but I hope he’s serious as hell about it. I need to break it to him about our unexpected news. “I need time to process this.”
“Take all the time, Pooh.” Hayley cleans up her plate and heads out. “You have 40 weeks to do so.”
As the day went on, I thought about the tiny human inside of me. How was I going to break the news to Cameron about the pregnancy? Furthermore, would he be happy about it?
There was plenty of room in his home and money so convenience wasn’t a question. Was this the lifestyle change Cameron truly wanted? Giving up drug deals and murders for orange slices and Little League games?
I finish work and wait for Laurie and Alicia to return. 4 P.M. rolls around and Laurie is nowhere to be found. Several minutes turn into her being well over 2 hours late. I called Alicia several times and her phone went unanswered as well. Maybe she was with a client.
It didn’t take long for me to figure out what happened – Laurie once again took off. I allowed myself to be angry and butthurt. Laurie never saw herself as a mother and I don’t know why I felt losing my father would’ve made her become a parent finally. She loves her freedom too much to worry about me in Atlanta.
Typical Laurie. Comes in like hurricane and leaves destruction behind. This time she had a car to take with her and I don’t know why I was surprised by it. Cameron could afford to give me a new car without tracking Laurie down but it’s the principle.
My mother once again stood me up.
I was about to try Alicia for fifth time when I saw Ethan and two officers standing at the front door. I know he’d been working overtime and it was starting to catch up with him. Maybe I’ll give him a cup of coffee on the house.
“Hi Ethan!” I greeted him with a smile. “What brings you here?”
Ethan let out a small sigh and folded his lips. He looked like he would rather be anywhere than where he was. “Taylor, we received a call about gunshots at your father’s house.” He shook his head. “I’m…I’m sorry, Taylor.”
“What?” I question him and look at the other detectives. “What are you talking about? What’s going on here?”
“Laurie and Alicia.” Ethan swallowed. “They were murdered.”
Twenty-Three
It’d been a month since my mother’s death and it feels like life has gone on for everyone else but me.
I took a leave of absence from the coffee shop as I handed arrangements. Laurie wasn’t the type to have wanted a burial. She wanted to be free in death just as she was in life. I saved some of her ashes and turned them into multiple necklaces. The rest of her ashes were scattered in the ocean.
I arranged with Alicia’s son and paid for everything regarding her burial. I also gave him extra money for bills and whatever else he felt he might needed. It felt like part hush money and part taking care of him like she did with me.
Everyone loses both parents at some point in their lives but very few lose both of them within a short time. I even lost a surrogate mother in Alicia. Everyone that I was close to or in process of repairing my relationship with was gone.
Heather and Eric made public statements about Laurie, complete with pictures they had all taken on the night they met. I would’ve been happy with the acknowledgment if it wasn’t for Laurie warning me about the family.
Eric won re-election, though it was a very close race. His statement and picture with Laurie was a driving factor in some younger voters who viewed he and Heather as young and hip. They truly did care more about their reputation than anything else.
I can effectively say I helped him with re-election. That is not a win for me or for anyone in the state of Georgia. Daddy would be ashamed of my actions and contributions. I know I am.
I mostly stayed home and sequestered in our bedroom, completely devoid of any appetite. Hayley and Meadow stopped by to visit, forcing me to eat soup because of the baby. I had Que take over the shops until I was ready to come back and deal with reality.
When I didn’t want anything to do with anyone, Hayley broke the news to Cameron about the pregnancy. The security we usually had became tighter and it felt like Fort Knox. There was even a security guard outside the bedroom just in case.
Cameron arranged for my OB/GYN to make a house visit to confirm the pregnancy and start prenatal care. Now I have an extra reason to be worried about in addition to trying to save my life and my sanity.
Everything was ultimately my fault and I couldn’t shake the guilt.
