Love's Sacrifice (4 page)

“Oops. Sorry, Sir,” she said respectfully. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll come back, Mom.” She went to turn.

“Wait. You’re not interrupting.” Cody stood, moving closer to the child, staring into the strangest color eyes he’d ever seen. They were baby blue with streaks of brown.

She smiled, and Cody had to step back. His breath caught in his chest; no, it couldn’t be possible. Shon would never keep anything like that from him. Without thinking, he asked, “How old are you?”

Cody saw the panic in Shon’s eyes. She appeared at least fifteen.

“Twelve, Sir.”

“Twelve.” He started doing the math in his head. His heart began to race. His breathing was out of control, and he was having a panic attack. “What’s your name, sweet heart?”

“Cody, please.” Shon gazed at him. “Not now.”

“Your name?” he lovingly stared at the little girl.

She stared at her mother, confused. “Michele.”

His lips finally lifted, and he smiled. “Nice to meet you, Michele.” He extended his hand, and she gently shook it.

“Nice to meet you too, Sir,” she looked up. “How tall are you?”

She made him chuckle. “Six-foot-two”

“Michele, can you wait outside?” Shon spoke.

“But Mom, you wanted to see me,” she voiced.

“Michele, outside now!”

“Yeeks…” She gave her mom a weird face. “Okay, calm down. I’ll be down by the vending machines.” She twisted around and then back. “Can I have some change?”

Before Shon could get her purse, Cody dug in his pocket and handed her a twenty-dollar bill.

“I don’t think the machines take twenty’s.” Michele looked at the bill.

Cody laughed. “You’re right. Here, sweetheart.” He handed her four ones. “You can keep the twenty.”

Her face lit up. “Thank you, Sir.” She rushed out of the door, slamming it behind her.

Cody walked up to her desk, placing his hands on the wooden surface. “I’m going ask you once.”

Shon peered at him with a tear rolling down her cheek.

“Is Michele
my
daughter?”

“Yes…”

Chapter Four

Cody punched her desk, making the items on the surface shake and putting a dent in the mahogany. “Why?” was the only word he could manage.

“Cody…” she softly voiced, wiping her tears away.

He couldn’t think right. His throat became dry glaring at her. Cody was crushed. “Shon, how could you do this to me?” His body ached with hurt. Heartbroken again by the woman he would do anything for. His whole world crashed in a matter of seconds. He had a child and didn’t even know it. He missed out on her childhood. “You robbed me of twelve years with my daughter.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“What the fuck do you mean, you didn’t mean to hurt me?” Cody pushed off her desk. “You gave birth to my child, and you didn’t think I should know.”

“Please, calm down.” Shon rushed over to the door, making sure it was closed.

“You think I give a fuck who hears me and where we are?” He raised his voice. “You kept her from me.” He clenched his jaw. “Where you ever going to tell me?”

“Cody.” She held up her hands. “Yes… I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to hinder you with a baby.”

“
Hinder
me!”

“Yes, you had dreams.” She glanced at his collar. “And I knew the moment I told you I was pregnant, you would do everything possible to be with me, including getting out the Navy. You would have given up so much.”

“Shon, you should’ve left that up to me.” He combed his fingers through his hair. “You’re right. I would’ve moved mountains to be with you and Michele.” He spun around and leaned his hips on her desk.

“I’m sorry…”

“Your apologies won’t cut it this time, Shon.” Cody took a deep breath. “You took everything I wanted, without even knowing it.”

Shon wiped at her cheeks. “I wanted to tell you.” She swallowed. “I was going to tell you, but the time just flew by, and then it turned into years. I was afraid of the way you would react.” Tears ran down her face. “I was a coward.”

“You took our family…” He straightened. “We could’ve had everything.” He huffed. “Married, a house full of kids, and our careers.”

“I’m sorry…”

“I can’t be your inspector. I’ll have Lieutenant Barkley do the assessment.” He moved toward the door.

“Why can’t you do it?”

“Because if I pass your program or not, the command will question my intentions,” he spoke softly.

“No one knows.”

“They will now.” He grabbed the knob. “Shon, I loved you with all that I was, and you betrayed me.”

“I didn’t want to burden you.”

Cody glared back at her. “I will get to know my daughter. Don’t stand in my way.”

“Cody, she doesn’t know who you are.”

“I’m going change that.” He opened the door, and slammed it. Her junior sailors all looked at him with fear. They must have heard them yelling.

***

Cody searched for Michele, and found her in the break area, eating. She had a chocolate chip cookie in one hand, her cell phone in the other, and a milk container in front of her.

“Hey, beautiful.” He pointed at the chair beside her. “Do you mind if I sit with you?”

She placed her cell down and covered her mouth. “No.”

Cody sat, smiling when he could see himself in her. Her smile, dimples, and even her fingers, they were long like his.

“Is my mom calm now?” Michele asked, chewing on a piece of cookie.

“She needs some time alone, but she’ll be okay.” He studied his daughter.

“Work really gets to her.”

“Does it?” He was curious.

“Yes.” Michele watched him suspiciously. “Sometimes I wish my mom wasn’t in the military.” She bit her cookie.

“Why?”

“She works all the time, and when she was stationed on a ship, I hardly saw her. My grandma came down to live with us for three years.” She sighed. “My mom likes it though.”

“Have you told your mom how you feel?”

“Yes.” She took a gulp of her milk. “She says it’s what puts food on our table.”

“She’s right.” He touched her arm, and she pulled back. “Sorry.”

“My mom said no one should touch me,” she clarified in a stern voice. “And I shouldn’t be talking to you anyways.”

“She’s right, you should never let a stranger touch you.” He wanted to tell her,
I’m not a stranger. I’m your father.

She glared at him and tapped her chin. “Why are you asking me so many questions?”

“Just trying to get to know you.”

“Why?” She grabbed her gadget securely in her hand and moved back away from his reach. “Are you some kind of a child molester?”

“No!” Cody blurted.

Michele giggled, staring at him. “I don’t know, isn’t that what they all say?” She arched her brow.

“What would make you think that?”

“Well, you’re speaking to me, asking me personal questions. What am I to think?” She tilted her head to the side. “How well do you know my mom? Are you friends? I haven’t seen you before.”

“Yes, we go way back,” Cody responded. “We use to be best friends.”

“What’s her middle name?” Michele inquired.

“Nicole.”

“You could’ve looked that up.”

“You’re right.” Cody moved his chair back. “Your mom is an only child. She had a dog-named mickey; he died when she was fifteen. Yellow is her favorite color, and your grandma’s name is Irene.”

“So, you do know mom.” She smiled, showing her pearly whites. “Maybe you can make her relax and have fun.”

“Is your mom always like this, cranky?” he continued his questioning.

“No…” she blurted. “She’s the greatest mother. I couldn’t ask for a better mom. She raised me by herself.”

“Where’s your dad?” He knew he was asking too many questions. She already stated that, but she was willing to share.

“You mean my sperm donor?” Michele chuckled to herself.

“What!” he raised his voice.
Shon told her that shit?

“Just kidding.” She tickled herself. “That’s what grandma calls him.”

Cody couldn’t stop staring at her.

“He was my mom’s first love.” She looked away from him. “They went their separate ways, and she never told him I existed.”

“She told you that?” Shon told her the truth; he was a little surprised.

“No, my grandma did. I asked her, and she told me the truth. My mom was so angry at her.” Michele stood and threw the cookie wrapper in the trashcan.

“Don’t you want to meet your dad?”

“My mom asked me that question, and I said, no.” She drank the last sip of her milk.

“You never want to meet him?”

“Okay, here’s the truth. I told my mom no, because he doesn’t know he has a daughter. What if he’s married and has kids. What if he rejects me?” Her eyes filled with unshed tears.

“He would never reject you.” Cody stood in front of her.

“How would you know?” she softly asked.

His heart pounded against his chest. Should he tell her? “Because I’m your father.” The words left his mouth, and there was no taking them back. Michele eyes widened as she surveyed him, as if she saw him for the first time.

She read his nametag. “Mitchell.”

“Yes, doll, my name is Cody Mitchell.”

“Really!” A tear rolled down her beautiful cheeks. “My name is Michele Mitchell.”

Shon gave her his name. He wiped her tears away with his thumb. “Sorry, no touching.” He pulled his hand back.

In an unexpected moved, Michele jumped into his arms, making him kneel down. He didn’t know you could love someone so fast. She cried, and he felt the tears on his blouse.

“I’ve dreamed you would come find me,” Michele said against his shoulders, hugging him tight around his neck. “My dream came true.”

His eyes teared up.

Someone rushed into the break room. He glanced up; it was Shon.

“Michele are you okay?” She gently pulled her out of his embrace.

“Yes, Mom,” she hiccupped. “Is it true? Is he my dad?”

Shon glared at him and then back at their daughter. “Yes, baby.”

He stood, grabbed Michele’s phone, and entered his number. Cody strolled up to her, handed her the gadget, and wiped his little girl’s cheek.

“How could you?” Shon asked weakly.

“Michele, I want you to know,” he tipped her chin, “that I love you, and I will make this right.” He kissed her forehead. “You can call me anytime you want.” He ambled by her. “Shon, I’ll be over at your house tonight. I have to start the assessments.”

He could hear his little girl chuckling. “My dad is awesome. You didn’t tell me he was so nice and handsome. Why didn’t you tell him he had a daughter?”

              Cody smiled from ear to ear. Yep, she was her mother’s daughter. He pumped his fist in the air. He was a father. No matter what, he would leave a married man.

***

Shon left work early. She was an emotional wreak, and Michele just kept asking her questions. Cody was angry at her, and she didn’t blame him. However, she made the choice she though was right at the moment. Seeing them together almost broke her heart. She didn’t realize Michele longed for him. All Michele did on the way home was talk about Cody. In her eyes he was perfection, and now she was the bad guy.

Shon texted him her address. She wasn’t in the mood to listen to how wrong she was; she already knew that. Michele dressed while she cooked his favorite meal, spaghetti and meatballs. Why was she going through so much trouble for a man who hated her?
He doesn’t hate you. He’s just disappointed,
she reminded herself. The doorbell brought her out her thoughts.

She wiped her hands in the kitchen towel and hurried toward the door. She inhaled a deep breath, exhaled and pulled it open.

Cody stood there with two bouquets of roses in his hands, looking delicious in his washed out jeans and blue button down shirt, making his eyes stand out. “Good evening, Shony.” He leaned forward, giving her a kiss on the lips.

“Hi.” She arched an eyebrow. Where was the angry man she left at work today?

“These are for you.” He handed the red roses to her.

“Thank you.” She smelled them. “They’re beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you.” Cody sounded so sweet.

She eyed him, something was up. “Come in.” She stepped aside, allowing him to step into the house.

“Mr. Cody.” Michele ran from her room.

“You can call me Cody.” He handed her the other bouquet of pink roses, making her grin.