Baby Love (61 page)

              "Yeah, Gina filled me in, so what?  You aren't seriously considering this are you?"

              "Why wouldn't I consider this?  Nigel is my brother.  He's asked something of both Tristan and I that we are equipped to give.  I love my brother."

              "Trey we're not talking about lending your brother your car or giving him money.  We are talking about you contributing your half of the DNA that is necessary to make their child.  It would be your child with Tess essentially.  I'm sorry.  I have a problem with that.  End of discussion."

              "No Tylar," he said shaking his head, "This is far from the end of the discussion.  I get that this came out of the blue for you.  It did me as well but this bears further consideration.  I am prepared to do this.  Tristan is as well.  You are hung over at the moment and require some rest and time to gain perspective.  I'm sure that once that has taken place you will be in a position to consider this a bit more objectively and less subjectively.  This is about caring and about family Tylar.  This in no way should make you feel threatened.  This has nothing to do with my love for you but has everything to do with my love for my brother.  We will talk about this once we return to Atlanta."

              "Trey," I said my voice quivering, "Don't patronize me by using my hangover as an excuse for my not agreeing with your decision to be a sperm donor to your ex-fiancé.  What you are essentially agreeing to do is to sire a child with another woman.  How well would that sit with you if I were the woman having another man's child?"

              "It is not the same thing dammit Tylar!  A surrogate will carry and deliver the child.  My God!  It's not as if Tristan or I will be having sex with Tess!"

              "Well why not?" I chided him, gaining my strength back.

              "After all, you've been there before haven't you?" 

              Trey looked at me as if I were being totally unreasonable in my distaste for the whole situation.

              "I am going to leave you so that you can rest up now.  We will discuss this when we are back home."

              I turned my back to him as he left the bed.  I didn't want to discuss this any further.  Several minutes had passed before my Blackberry chimed.  I reached for it on the nightstand.  It was my dad.

              "Happy New Year," he said cheerily as I answered the phone.

              "Yeah same to you, Dad."

              "Somebody sounds as if she partied too much last night.  Do you want me to let you go Tylar?"

              "I'm sorry Dad.  You're right. I overdid it last night but that's not what's bothering me at the moment."

              "Do you feel like talking about it with your old man?"

              I smiled when he said that.  It was if we had a history together; like I had always had the luxury of taking my problems to him for fatherly advice over the years.  It didn't matter.  I had that luxury now and I was going to take him up on it.

              "I'd like that Dad."

              I shared the details with him concerning Nigel and Tess and their 'situation’.  I included the fact that years ago Trey had been engaged to Tess and the details on her infidelity to Trey during their engagement and her subsequent accident.  I mentioned that as I had come to know Tess that I liked her as a person and sister-in-law, but that I had fundamental misgivings about having Trey potentially father her child.

              He listened intently over the phone letting me get it all out.  I dissolved into tears at the end where I shared with him that Trey intended to 'contribute' against my wishes.

              "Well I see your point Tylar; but I see Trey's as well.”

             
(Did men always stick together on stuff like this?)

             
He continued on explaining his position to me very patiently.

              “Darling you were an only child. It may be difficult for you to be totally objective to this because you have no point of reference. It is not something that I would have wished for you.  Had I known at the time I was to be a father, I assure you that I would have insisted on marrying Marley and we would have given you brothers and sisters.”

             
(God he was so much like Trey!)
 

“I realize that it’s water under the bridge now.  I can only share with you what I know.  I was one of four."

              "Really," I interrupted, "You mean I have aunts and uncles?"

              "You have one aunt in Texas; you have an uncle in Oregon and another one in Minnesota.  I was the youngest of the four.  You have cousins as well."

              There was so much about my dad and his family that I hadn't learned about yet.  There were so many things that I wanted to know. 

              "My point is this Tylar; siblings have each other from cradle to grave.  Parents die; spouses can leave you through death or divorce, but brothers and sisters are a gift from their parents to their children. They are there to love and support each other.  That's all Trey wants to do for Nigel darling."

              “I know Dad and if one of Trey’s brothers needed him for a blood transfusion or to donate a kidney I wouldn’t have an issue with that.  This just feels different.”

              “It’s probably because you are looking at it as a very intimate thing.  Traditionally babies are conceived in very sexual or intimate relationships.  Modern science has evolved to the extent that there are other options for those who have issues with conceiving in the traditional fashion.

Trey is not offering himself sexually or intimately to his brother and sister-in-law; it is really more akin to him donating blood.”

              “With the obvious exception Dad that a human being will be created as a result of this particular donation’; and what if it’s a boy?”

              “What if it is?” he asked.

              “Well it would kill me that I wasn’t able to give Trey a son, or at the very least, his first son.”

              “Tylar,” he said, “You and Trey plan to have more children right?’

              “Yes – as a matter of fact, we are going to start trying soon.”

              “Excellent,” he replied.

“Whether your sister-in-law gives birth to a boy or a girl; whether that child carries Trey or Tristan’s specific DNA it will not matter.  That child will be the product of Nigel and Tess.  You will give Trey his second child be it a boy or be it a girl.  It’s that simple.”

              When my father explained it to me in those terms it didn’t seem nearly as complicated or threatening as I had   initially felt.  I didn’t understand a brother-sister bond because he was right; I had no point of reference on that.  I had to trust that he was right. 

              “Thanks Dad,” I said smiling into the phone.

              “I love you Tylar,” he said simply.

              “I love you too, Dad.” 

CHAPTER 54

              The four of us had returned home to Atlanta after another 'fucked-up' holiday at the Sinclair's.  I had told Gina that she needed to get used to it.  I was starting to.

              Gina and I had talked at length once we were back at the apartment.  Trey and Tristan had gone out to the new house.  Tristan had agreed to get Derringer and the other two horses Trey had selected transported to our new home.  They were going to the feed store in DeKalb County to get the supplies ordered and delivered for the horses.

              Gina and I were in the laundry room folding clean clothes and sorting them into piles.

              "So Gina tell me; how do you
really
feel about Tristan's going along with Nigel's request for his 'DNA' for lack of a better term?"

              "Truthfully Ty - I guess I don't feel nearly as emotional as you feel about it.  Probably because Tristan was never engaged to Tess, but maybe the other reason is that in some way it sort of relieves my guilt for not telling Tristan that there is a miniscule chance that the baby I'm carrying could be Ian's."

              I looked at Gina and apparently she read the expression I thought I had hidden.

              "Okay I can tell you are disappointed in my decision Tylar; but it is my decision to make."

              "I didn't say a word Gina."

              "You didn't have to girlfriend.  You think that I can't read your silence?  I'm sorry if you don't approve but my decision is final."

              "You don't owe me an apology," I replied, folding Trey's tee shirt.

              "It is your decision to make and as your friend I support whatever you choose to do."             

              I turned to look at her and saw that she was surprised by my attitude. 

              She had expected me to press her to change her mind about it.  That wasn't how I rolled - at least anymore.

              "What has gotten into you these days?" she asked.

              "I just had time to think about the things that my father and I discussed on New Year's morning.  I guess I learned that everything isn't always black and white.  There are shades of grey," I replied.

              "Yeah," she giggled, "Like about fifty of them?"

              I rolled my eyes at her as we continued with our folding.

              "What about you Ty?  How are you dealing with Trey's decision to donate to the cause?"

              "I guess I put it in perspective.  I realized that I could make it a major issue between us; throw out an ultimatum and likely get my way.  All that would have done though was put a little bit of distance between us that doesn't exist now.  I don't want that for us.  I love Trey too much to allow my selfishness to get into the way of that.  Plus I would like to think if the tables were turned a relative of mine would come to my aid."

              "I think that's a very healthy attitude," Gina replied thoughtfully.

              Our landline rang then and I went to the kitchen to grab the phone before the one in Trey's office woke Preston who was napping.  It was my father.

              "Tylar," he said, his voice had urgency to it not familiar to me.

              "What is it Dad?"

              "You and Trey need to get to Baton Rouge tomorrow.  Matthew Renaud is to be arraigned tomorrow morning.  The grand jury has recommended two counts of premeditated murder; one count of attempted murder.  If convicted on just one of the murder one charges it is enough for the jury to recommend the death penalty." 

              "Did the results come back from my mother's autopsy?"

              "Yes," he replied, "I am not privy to the details; but apparently it was enough to convince the grand jury."

              "I'm glad," I said, "I want him to burn in hell."

              "That's why I thought you might like to be present when he is formally charged."

              "I will be there, Dad.  I'm curious about the 'attempted murder' charge you mentioned.  Did Matthew try to murder someone else?"

              "Yes though I think that charge was brought about as an offshoot of one of the 'murder one' charges."

              "I don't understand," I replied, "Who was the victim on that charge?"

              "That would have been you Tylar.  The tainted breast milk resulting from the poisoning of your mother I presume.  Had she not switched you to formula when she did there was the possibility it could have proven fatal to you.  That's how the grand jury sees it at any rate."

              "What time is his arraignment Dad?"

              "It's at 10 a.m. in the superior court in Baton Rouge.  I'm going to arrange for a charter flight for you and Trey.  Edie is here to care for Preston if you want to stay over darling."

              "Thanks Dad.  Call me later when you have made the arrangements.  Trey is not home but I will contact him on his Blackberry now to see if he plans on accompanying me tomorrow."

              I wasn't sure what Trey's schedule was since he was back to work.  I was okay with going by myself.  My dad would be there with me.

              I got off the phone and immediately called Trey to let him know what my father had told me. He said that he and Tristan were on their way back and he would see me in a few. 

              I filled Gina in when I located her in Preston's room changing her diaper.  She had awakened while I was on the phone with my father.

              "Do you want me to stay with Preston tomorrow Ty?"

              "That would be great Gina.  I don't think Trey and I will stay over since Dad is chartering a flight for us."

              "I would love the opportunity of being with my god-daughter all day," she replied pulling her pink sweat pants up.