It had been a long time since Diane had spent some time alone with both of her daughters. Before the divorce, she used to spend a lot of time with them because she didn’t have to work as much. Working double shifts and having a second job left her with little time to spend with her children, but she was determined to continue working as much as she possibly could.
Now she had another reason to because she had a grandchild on the way. She wanted to be able to spend as much time as she could with her two daughters before the baby came. She peeped into Kaci’s bedroom but she was already asleep and she knew that Cami was still awake because she could hear her laughing.
Upon seeing her mother enter her room Cami thought she would lecture her about teen pregnancy or something but she didn’t. Instead she just sat on her bed, ate popcorn, and watched movies with her. They chatted about school, the baby, and their plans for the future. She told her that she had been researching colleges and scholarships and applying for a part-time job. Her mother assured her that she was proud of her and that everything was going to work itself out. Their conversation seemed to be going fine until she told Cami that she had an interesting conversation with River.
She lowered the volume of the television with the remote control. Then she laid down on her right side facing Cami. “River called today…,” she started.
“I’ve been home all afternoon. I didn’t hear my cell phone ring,” Cami interrupted.
“That’s because he called my cell phone.”
He told her, didn’t he?
“So what did he say?”
Diane paused for a moment before continuing. “That you wanted to give the baby up for adoption.” She waited for Cami to say something but she didn’t since she was at a loss for words. She’d noticed that her mother didn’t look angry but she didn’t look too pleased either.
“You are not going to give up my first grandchild!” Cami was shocked. She thought that her mother would be thrilled if she gave the baby up because of their finances; however, it didn’t seem to her that her mother was thinking about their finances at all.
This made her feel relieved. So maybe she could keep this baby without her mother hating her. But is this what’s best for the baby?
“So you don’t want me to give up this baby?”
“No.”
A huge smile spread across her face and she wrapped her arms around her mother. “I’m so glad that you want me to keep the baby,” she said, with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Because lately I’ve been having second thoughts about the adoption.”
Her mother planted a kiss on her forehead and wiped her tear stained face with Kleenex.
Without a word Diane once again wrapped her arms around Cami. She had matured so much in such a short period of time, and she was very proud of her. However, a part of her did feel sadness for her daughter because her life is going to be changed forever. The carefree, baby free life that she used to live will no longer be hers.
It was at that moment that Cami felt something warm fall onto her arm. She pulled away from her mother and saw tears on her beautiful face.
Around 1:30 a.m., the doorbell rang. They normally didn’t have visitors this time of night so Cami’s suspicious nature was on high alert. She heard Kaci yell that she would get the door. She was curious to see who this could possibly be so she followed her little sister downstairs.
Diane was in the shower so she knew that she probably didn’t hear anything.
When Kaci answered the door, she frowned when she saw who was standing in front of them. They didn’t speak and neither did he. Cami was too in shock to speak. Kaci tried to slam the door in his face, but he pushed it open.
“You’re not welcome here,” she said sternly.
He ignored her statement and asked, “Where is your mother?”
“It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t need or want you...”
“Who’s at the door?” Diane asked, as she made her way downstairs in her bath robe.
A look of anger came across her face when she saw her ex-husband standing at the door. “Rob, what are you doing here?” she asked angrily.
He looked at the ground before replying, “I wanted to talk to you.”
“You haven’t talked to her in three years and you’re not going to,” Kaci said.
“That’s her decision,” he retorted.
“Who are you to tell me that it’s her decision? You’re not the man of the house. You haven’t been around for three years and now all of a sudden you want to talk. Talk to your whore you left Mom, Cami, and me for!”
Cami noticed that he was eyeing her stomach. He must have heard the rumors, she thought to herself. She wouldn’t be surprised. Everyone else in town knew and he probably knew too before even coming here.
“The rumors are true. You are pregnant,” he said, with his eyes glued to her stomach.
“That’s none of your business!” Kaci exclaimed.
“Girls, go upstairs. I have something I need to say to this stranger,” Diane said.
“Yeah and I got a whole lot more to...”
“Kaci, go upstairs. Cami, you too,” she ordered.
“Mom, don’t get soft. Don’t let that piece of trash back into our home. He deserted us once and he can do it again,” Kaci said. “The more you do it the easier it becomes, right stranger?”
Diane had always admired Kaci’s strength and outspoken nature. Perhaps if she was more like her she wouldn’t be willing to listen to whatever garbage her ex-husband was about to feed her. Although he hurt her deeply, a part of her still loved him. He was her first love and the father (although he didn’t act much like one since their divorce) of their two daughters.
Her mother’s instinct told her that Cami and Kaci were upstairs in their rooms eavesdropping while her woman’s intuition told her that listening to Rob was going to be a waste of time.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Talk,” she ordered him.
He lowered his voice as low as he could. He tried to sound apologetic hoping that maybe she would forgive him, but sometimes hoping just isn’t enough. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m…sorry, and I didn’t mean to hurt you and the girls.”
“Yes, you did. You wanted to hurt us. You knew how much we loved you. You knew that but you didn’t care...”
“I didn’t care then, but I care now.”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t. You don’t care. If you cared, you wouldn’t have left us. Getting between another woman’s legs was more important to you than your wife and your two kids. You made the choice to leave and you’re going to stay out.”
“I’ve changed…”
“I don’t care.”
“Diane, you and the girls need me.”
That statement made her angry. She had accomplished a lot since the divorce. She was still working two jobs (and overtime whenever she could). Although there were times when she wasn’t sure how she and the kids were going to get by, they did. They had managed to get by just fine without him and they would continue doing so. “Have I called you? No, I have not. You wanted to be with her so go and don’t ever come back.”
“Wait… I don’t have a place to stay. Sh—she kicked me out.”
“Not my problem,” Diane said and then slammed the door in his face.
Cami and Kaci watched out of Cami’s bedroom window as he walked to his car with his head hung low. Now he knows how it feels to have loved and lost.
Chapter 21