Page 48 of Beyond Reach

“I’ll give her a call,” Chanda told Garner. “If she makes us miss our flight, I’m going to tell her about her self. Matter of fact, I’m going to tell her off anyway.”

While she dialed Marcella, she walked up to the second floor of their house. All she needed was to forget something important, like her passport.

Marcella’s phone rang and rang. After the fourth ring, Chanda was about to give up, but the line connected. “Hello?”

“What do you mean ‘hello’? You’re supposed to be here to pick up the baby, Marcella.”

“I’m not coming.”

“Wait. What?” Chanda couldn’t believe her ears. “I must have heard you wrong.”

“You heard me right.” Marcella seemed to grow bolder since she’d gotten the initial words out. “I’m not coming. All of this—I didn’t sign up for it.”

“All of what exactly?” Chanda refused to jump to conclusions. She must be misunderstanding where Marcella was going with this mess. Ever since she showed up at Garner’s talking about she was having his baby, Marcella had been nothing but difficult. Chanda had put it down to pregnancy hormones. Regardless, the arguments were many. Today would be the same from the sound of it.

“This,” Marcella emphasized. “I’m tired all the time. I never get to sleep. Partying is out.”

“That’s what happens when you have a baby. They take all of your time.”

“Well I didn’t sign up for it!” Marcella was shouting now.

“Wrong. You did sign up for it when you decided to sleep with Garner without protection. And when you decided if only you had his baby you could hang on to him. It’s the age old trick from weak manipulative women like you.”

Marcella gasped, but she didn’t argue. That gave Chanda pause. They had argued time and again over the last months, and Marcella always gave as good as she got. She’d stood up to Chanda plenty of times and didn’t need Lanae to do it. Although that trifling woman having a few words to add had never been in question. She liked butting in where she didn’t belong.

Marcella said nothing.

“Marcella? You can’t be serious, right?” Chanda’s stomach clenched. “He’s your son. You love him. He’s the sweetest baby in the world.”

“You’re only saying that because he’s Garner’s.”

“And what?”

Marcella drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “I don’t want to admit it but you’ve been good with him. I’ve seen you changing his diapers, bathing him. You act like you love taking care of Oran.”

“And why is there resentment in your tone? One would think you’d be glad I love him. He’ll always be loved and cared for in this house. That’s a good thing, in case you’re confused about it.”

“I’m not confused. Not anymore.”

Chanda’s anger drained away. “I don’t like what you’re saying, Marcella. Let me go get Garner.”

“No don’t.”

Chanda had started to go back downstairs but stopped.

“Don’t get him. Just tell him I’m sorry.”

Panic set in. “Marcella, wait. Don’t hang up. Let’s meet. Just you and me, okay? We can talk this out. Don’t just walk away from your baby. I can help. We can keep him at our house more often. If you need a break—”

The line went silent.

Chanda choked. Even after all Marcella said, Chanda couldn’t quite believe it. There was no way she had abandoned her sweet son. How could any mother do it? Not to Oran.

As she stood there confused, sick, hurt for the baby’s sake, the little sweetheart’s cry reached her. She pressed a hand to her mouth to stem a sob. Oran didn’t deserve to have a mother like Marcella who thought only of herself. She’d used him as a pawn and failed to get what she wanted. Now she wasn’t interested in him.

Chanda thought about what she and Garner would tell Oran about his birth mom in the future. What could they say that wouldn’t cause him pain? Then again, what if next week or next month, Marcella changed her mind?

“Hey,” Garner called from the foot of the stairs. “Did she answer? I think he’s getting hungry. Maybe we should go ahead and feed him.”

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