Out Of Bounds (Balls To The Walls) (12 page)

I pulled into my old driveway. I helped Kari out the Rover and I used my key to let myself in.

Tess appeared from the kitchen and her eyes bugged as soon as she saw my very pregnant wife.

“You’re early.”

“Yeah, I miscalculated the time.” A lie.

Tess moved to the staircase. “Hannah, Tim, Matt get your bags! Your father is here!” She yelled up the stairs while holding the bannister.

Tess rolled her eyes at me. Her thin lips were drawn in a hard line. I wanted to laugh because it was funny but I knew better.

“I will help the kids with there stuff.” I said as I moved to the stairs. I watched the ladies stare at each other. I went up the stairs far enough to listen but be out of sight.

I know this was childish and pity but it was payback. Kari was possibly pregnant with another man’s baby. I knew Kari was uncomfortable but I’m uncomfortable every time Jack’s name comes up.

“Do you have something to say Tess?” I overheard Kari speak first.

“You didn’t waste anytime getting knocked up?”

“No, I didn’t I like sex. I like Mason’s sex.”

“I hear you like many guys sex.”

Kari chuckled. “Huh. Maybe many guys like my sex.”

“Well I doubt that. I think you like to steal husbands.”

“I took your husband. That’s old news.”

“I can’t wait for the day someone comes in a wrecks your home. Don’t come crying to me.”

“That’s the difference between me and you. I would never let that happen. I wouldn’t sit at home and takes pills I would drive that other bitch so crazy. I would make it my life’s mission to ruin that bitch. She would leave my husband alone or die trying.”

There was a lapse in the conversation. Probably a stare down but I couldn’t see what was going on.

Then Kari spoke. “If you ever get another husband you might want to follow my advice.”

Everything got silent again and I decided to just help my kids pack their things up. I didn’t really think there would be any bloodshed in my absence.

After time minutes we were on our way. Kari was killing me with her eyes all the way home to plaza de Rizza. She was on ten. I held in my smirk. I wanted to fuck tonight. I knew how to pick my battles.

CHAPTER 10

KARI

Mason had his kids this weekend. They had warmed up to me and I’m sure Trey’s presence helped that to some degree. Mason had a minor emergency at one of his work sites and that meant I had to monitor four kids.

All the boys were playing video games in the basement when Hannah came into the kitchen.

“What are you cooking?”

“I’m making sandwiches for lunch.”

“Oh.” Her blues eyes moved down to my pregnant belly. “Is this baby going to be my sister?”

“Yeah this baby is your sister.” Didn’t Mason explain this to her?

“I thought so. My dad said yes but my mom says no. My mom doesn’t like you.”

“Do you like me?”

“Yeah but I don’t act like I do in front of my mom.”

Damn, what do I say to that? “Okay.”

“She calls you bad names.”

“Really.”

“Yeah and she always asks me a lot of questions when I get home.”

“What kind of questions?”

“Like, stuff like, where did you go? What did you eat? Who was there? Did dad kiss you? Weird questions. I don’t know.” Hannah shrugged just like her father and it was so Mason-like and so cute.

“Yeah those questions are weird.”

“I know right. I don’t want to tell my dad. I don’t want him to be mad at mom.”

“You don’t have to tell him if you don’t want to.”

“I like coming over here.”

“This is your house too. You guys have two houses now.”

“That’s what dad said.”

“Your father is really smart. You should listen to him. I do.”

Hannah was thinking about what I had said. “Yeah and he’s really strong.”

I smiled but I wanted to stick my size eight and a half foot in Tess’ skinny ass.

“I’m going to go play.” Hannah smiled.

“Okay I will call you guys when the food is ready.”

Hannah skipped away. I almost called Mason but I didn’t. I will give Tess a pass for now but once the baby is born I’m going to read that bitch if she continues to try to poison her kids against me.

***

Time went by quick. It was July before I knew it. I went into labor on the tenth of the month.

Mason rushed me to the Bolingcreek Hospital. Things between us were better than ever. Mason just seemed too gradually accept the situation. I knew it was hard for him but I loved him more and more as time went on even though I didn’t necessarily express it.

Being big and uncomfortable made me mean
sometimes. Tess had stopped her foolishness for the time being. Or maybe Hannah had stopped telling on her mom.

I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I didn’t want to feel the elation of thinking the baby was Mason’s only to be gravely disappointed later.

Mason was very prepared. He had fixed up the nursery for the baby a month before the due date.  He painted the baby’s room and built the cradle himself. Mason was good at building things.

To say my labor was a breeze is really an exaggeration. But compared to Trey’s birth, there really was no comparison. I pretty much sleep through the contractions. Mason was asleep in the huge lounge chair next to me. He didn’t bother to even wake up when the nurse came in to check the progr
ession of my dilation.

My Mama
came to the hospital. She spent all her time talking to Mason and ignoring me. Mason was too charming for his own good. Mason finally sent her home but he promised to call her as soon as it was time for the delivery.

She lived a few blocks from the hospital so I was sure she would make it in time. Why she wanted to see the delivery when she had already seen Trey’s was strange.
I wasn’t about to argue with her. I was too tired.

Every time the nurse entered I opened my eyes to Mason’s face smashed against the brown leather. Mason was a rumpled Irish Italian god. How could one man be so sexy while sleeping? He had a little drool leaking from the corner on his mouth and he still was fine. He has made me feel really beautiful throughout my pregnancy. He is a dream to me. I hope he accepts this baby whether it’s his or not.

When the doctor showed me the head at the opening of my vagina I thought it was kind of gross. My eight pound ten ounce baby girl was born with Mason and my mother at my side. I named her Karson, which was Kari and Mason mixed into one name. Her middle name was Simone after singer Nina Simone. Karson’s last name was Fenderson and I got Mason and Jack to agree to a hyphenated last name depending on the paternity test results.

I spent a few days in the hospital and I had already told Jack not to come. I wanted him to come to the house and see the baby. The drama of two guys trying to be the father in front of the hospital staff would have been too embarrassing for me to handle.

When I got home from the hospital my cell would vibrate like crazy. My friends called but for the most part it was Jack. He wanted an update every second of the day. Well it felt that way and I made sure Mason didn’t know how much Jack was texting and calling me.

Mason had gone back to work and it was like Jack had ESP because he started blowing up my phone.

“Hello.” I finally got fed up.

“Kari.” Jack voice was cool but frantic, if that makes any sense.

“Jack I’m tired.”

“Why?”

Did he really just ask me that? “Because I have a brand new baby.”

“Oh. What is she doing?”

“She’s sleeping Jack.” I groaned. I would like to get some sleep but some German is all on my phone.

“
Send me a picture.”

“Seriously, I sent you a picture yesterday.”

“I want another one.”

“Karson looks the same. She hasn’t changed from yesterday. You can’t stare at her pictures and figure out her paternity.”

“She looks like me.”

“Jack, please. She looks like a baldheaded blue-eyed pale white baby.”

“When are we taking the test?”

“Very soon. I already found a place. Give me a minute. I have a baby.”

“Please don’t make me get a lawyer.”

“Stop threatening me. Calm the fuck down. We will get the test.”

“Kari, don’t fuck with me.”

“I’m not. Just give me a minute to heal and adjust.”

“I want to see the baby.”

“Fine, call me in a few days.”

“I will call you tomorrow.”

Dang! “Whatever.”  I hung up.

He works my nerves.

***

Jack was kind enough to let me have two weeks with the baby. He came over to the house and I watched him and Mason looked completely agitated with one another.

“Where is she?” Jack asked. He was too eager and that scared me.

“She’s sleeping upstairs.” I answered.

Mason was paler than I ever remembering seeing him. I wanted to give my husband a hug but I steered away from touching him. It wasn’t because of Jack’s presence. It was because I didn’t want him to crack or breakdown in front of Jack. Mason and I were a team. We were a united front. No matter what the results of the future paternity test, it was us against him.

I knew in my heart that Mason had serious doubts about baby Karson. He stared at her but he barely touched her in the two weeks she has been born. I thought the name would soften him up but Mason is so closed off and stoic. At least he consented to Jack coming over today.

Jack followed me up to the nursery and Mason stayed downstairs
fretting I’m sure. Jack was in our house and Mason was being real mature about it. I love my husband.

Jack held Karson but she didn’t even wake up. I hoped to get this test over with as soon as possible but it turned out that it took us a month to get in to see someone. Karson caught an infection and that pushed back the paternity situation.

A little over five weeks after her birth we all went into a DNA testing laboratory accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks.

We arrived with one
purpose. We all would be taking part in the paternity test. Baby Karson was first. She was cradled in my arms and as they swabbed the inside of her cheek I stared down and tried to figure out if she looked like Jack or Mason. It was a mystery that would soon be solved. My pale blue-eyed baby looked like any other pale blue-eyed baby. She didn’t really look mixed but I was sure she would darken up.

I hated not knowing the truth. I hated that baby Karson just didn’t give me any clue to who her father could be. I was getting use to things not going my way. Why would this be any different than all the other times? Pessimistic much?

One week later it was judgment day. It was the day Maury Povich did his big reveal but there was no studio audience. There was no Maury Povich. It was just me, Mason and Jack. 

My mother had Trey and the baby. I was happy to leave Karson with my mother. I felt bad about feeling that way but this news was big, huge and alarming. I needed the time and space to break down. I also may need to break up a fight and I can’t do that with a baby in my arms. This news would change my life.

I tried to focus on stupid things to take my mind off the paternity results. It was odd how Mason and Jack were practically dressed alike. They were both in dark denim blue jeans and light blue polo shirts. Their eyes were hidden behind sunglasses. I couldn’t tell what they were thinking or who they were looking at.

It was so quiet. I mean both Mason and Jack could talk forever and a day but today they were silent.

I’m nervous. I’m not in the habit of hurting anyone. I think Jack wants the baby more than I ever could have dreamed. I know Mason wants the baby to be his. He has his doubts. He always has. Why do I think he’s going to leave me? He made it clear that we are forever but I’m still scared.

My palms were sweaty. My underarms were wet. I know I want and love this baby. I know how badly I hurt Jack but I don’t want this baby to be his. I’ve had enough of this unconventional love triangle gone awry. I’ve had nine months
, no actually ten months of not knowing and this is not the life I see for myself.

We didn’t have to wait long for the doctor to enter the small confe
rence room with an eight by ten manila folder. The doctor was an average looking man with graying brown hair and thin lips. He was wrinkled around his eyes but you could see he was once very attractive.

Dr. Myer placed the folder on top of the desk and took a seat at the head of the table.
He flipped over the folder and opened it. Inside was a sealed plain white envelope. These were the results of the paternity test. We all were so quiet and resigned. Mason and I were on one side of the table and Jack was alone on the other side.