The Wide Receiver's Baby (29 page)

Chapter Forty One

Chase

I watched as she stood like a little child in the box.  She was nervous, avoiding everyone and anyone that spoke.  I wanted to go up in the box with her and tell her that it was okay.  But as the defense lawyer started to act as if Kayla was the bad guy in all of this, I had to leave.

I couldn’t sit and watch her be tormented.  It just wasn’t right or fair.  Part of me felt that, as a lawyer, that was what we had to do.  Prove our client was innocent, try and get them acquitted and, if we couldn’t do that, then at least get a reduced sentence.

But, seeing the one woman that I ever truly loved, the mother of my daughter, quiver like a leaf and burst into tears when she was made to identify her dad… I couldn’t watch.  I would do something stupid, which wouldn’t benefit us.

All I could do was wait for it to be over, and be strong for her.  Because, right now I felt weak. Seeing her feel even worse, just made me feel broken.

***

The verdict was out.  Kayla’s dad, Paul, was going to prison for a very long time.  So were all his friends that he had kept out of jail by working with prosecutors.  The case had leaked so many damn names.  The list of people going to jail as a result of it was as long as your arm.

No one, even I, believed that the law was exhaustive.

But this case had opened a can of worms, and I started to wonder if the one thing I had dreamed about – a career in law - was really the best move for my life.

“We really did it?” Kayla asked as we sat in the living room watching TV.  I wasn’t really watching it.  I was too busy thinking about yesterday.  The verdict came out.  The list of new arrests came out at the same time, and then to add to the madness, we flew back to Dallas. It had all happened so quickly.

I’d thought that Kayla would want to hang around and see her grandparents.  Then again, after the way Paul’s parents had been behaving, I didn’t blame her for not sticking around.

Instead of them admitting that they had done a crap job of raising their son, they had been hurling abuse at both Mary and Kayla, stating what they had done was wrong and that they would pay for it in hell.

“Yes, you really did it.”

I wasn’t going to take credit for something that she had achieved by herself.  I had one more year of law school and, the one profession that I had wanted to be in since I had learned to speak, had become something completely different.  Something I was beginning to reconsider.

I hesitated to share it with Kayla, because she had enough on her mind.

“So, why do you feel so sad?”

It seemed like I didn’t need to.

“Law.  The whole damn profession is just a fucking show,” I whispered, hoping that Sydney wouldn’t hear.  I could imagine her going to school tomorrow and just telling the teachers that.  I didn’t need to give them another reason to hate us.  The high profile case might have done that already.  Sometimes I wondered who the enemy was; us or Paul? People seemed to have mixed reactions about Kayla.

Some felt that she had exaggerated the abuse by her dad.  Teachers from her old school went to trial and said that yes, Kayla used to come in with black eyes.  But then she was just clumsy. 

James Smith, our lawyer, said that in these types of cases it was normal.  Teachers, and any profession, don’t like to admit that it was obvious there had been abuse because they hadn’t reported it at the time.  They needed to save face by coming up with other excuses for their negligence.  Either way, I hated the idea that they could get away with it.  I explained it all to her, the fact that everyone might as well have given her a slap, too, from doctors and teachers to the police who covered up Paul’s mess.

“You’re looking at my case and seeing only the negative parts.  What about the families we have helped? The children? Some lawyers did that too.” She nodded as she kissed me.

Kayla was right.  I was looking at only the negative parts of the case. 

“But it has gone on for so long!”

How many years did it take for justice to be served?

Nearly a decade.

In that time, Kayla had been on the run, and we’d had a daughter.  I had missed out on crucial parts of her life.  There was no escaping the fact that the law had clearly not worked in this case.  Not for a long time.

“Why are you timing it?  Imagine if my dad had got sent away straight away for hitting and abusing us.  Then, the other lawyers and police involved may not have been caught too!”

There had been positives too, and it was about consciousness.  Knowing the difference between right and wrong.  Those people knew it was wrong, and they were in their professions for the wrong reasons.  I had to look at it that way and ensure one thing: that I was in it for the right reason.

“You’re right.” I nodded as she put her head back on my shoulder.

“Mommy’s always right,” Sydney said as she sat on my lap.  I wondered what part of our conversation she had heard and then, as I stroked her hair, I realized that there was one thing I needed to do to make this all complete.

One part of the equation was missing.

Marriage.

The ring was in my pocket, I had bought it the day that I had watched her on trial.  I felt guilty for leaving her, a coward for going when she was the one that was reliving the pain that she had been through as a child.  I couldn’t face it.

This just felt like the right time.

I thought about flying her to the Bahamas, being on a boat and then getting down on one knee and asking her to be my wife.

Then, I debated going to Venice, the most romantic setting in Europe to do it.

There are so many ways to do it.

But, right now, being here with both my daughter and future wife in my presence, I realized that Kayla doesn't need all that or want all those things.  I couldn’t remember the last time I saw her smile and laugh like she does when she’s with Sydney and I.  She’s happy being a family.

No longer scared.

No longer on the run.

All her questions had been answered, and they gave her the comfort that I needed.  I knew that if I asked her to be my wife she would say yes.  I was confident about that part, but as I got down on one knee, and reached for the remote, I decided that I would keep it simple.

We were all at home, there was no violinist playing in the background.

I would make up for the simplicity of the proposal by giving her the most extravagant wedding in the world.  Right now, this ring had been in my pocket for the best part of over a year.  It needed to come out and be placed on that finger. 

I held out her hand but, before I could even open my mouth, Sydney cried, “Daddy, why did you turn it off?”

I ignored her as I opened the box and said, “Kayla would you do me the honor of being my wife?”

She cried as she lifted her hand up, first looking at the ring, and then me.  Then at Sydney.  She began opening and closing her mouth, but the only things that came out were little screams. 

She dropped on her knees too and took my hand. 

“What you doing?” I asked, completely confused. 

“Give me your hand.”

Sydney started laughing, “Mommy and Daddy are so silly.  Give her your hand, Daddy.”

I gave it to her and, just as I had done, Kayla took a ring from a box and put it on my finger.  “Chase Logan, would you do me the honor of being my husband?”

She’d proposed to me.  I couldn’t believe it. 

“Why did you have to ask me first?” She sighed as she gave me a hug.  “I’ve had the ring on me for so long…” Kayla trailed off.

We both looked at each other as I pushed her back, “But, I just didn’t know how to do it.” I continued.  We were both thinking the same thing.  Hugging and kissing each other. 

Then there was a scream from the sofa.  Sydney was jumping up and down crying, “Can we please put the telly back on now!”

Kayla said, “We’re getting married!”

Sydney replied, “I know, but not now.  My show will finish soon and then I can cry and laugh with you. Please, Mommy.”

She reminded me of myself as a child, and Kayla put on the TV so that she could watch Animal Planet. It was her favorite show and, as much as she bored me with her talks about the different animals, it did fascinate me that a four year old was interested in the world and all its natural resources.

I loved my family.

I loved Kayla.

Most of all, I loved what we would become - a stronger unit as time went by.

Epilogue

Chase

“Shit, man.  The bride is the one who is supposed to be late.  Not the damn groom.”  Reg patted me on the back.  I was lost in my thoughts, looking out on the beach.

The sun was beating down like there was no tomorrow.  It felt romantic getting married on the beach of Ocho Rios, in Jamaica.  Dad and Grace - that was Mary’s real name - were watching from inside.  It made me realize that it wasn’t such a good idea after all. 

I wanted today to be romantic.

Kayla deserved everything.

“Reg, they’re all sweating.”

He laughed.  “Just like sinners in church.  I thought they had the outside air conditioners going?”

I had visions of Kayla seeing them and thinking that this was some kind of omen or something.  Today had to be perfect.

Reg looked good in his white suit and the dark tan that he had picked up in the last few days of being here before the wedding with Lisa.

“Chase, that isn’t a problem.  Everyone’s just happy to be here.  Everyone just wants to see you get married.  Stop worrying and get out there.  Your bride awaits.”  I nodded as I walked out with my little cousin, who was taking out the ring on a pillow. 

Dad was giving Kayla away.  As soon as the violinist started playing ‘Thinking Out Loud’ by Ed Sheeran, I knew that it was time for her to walk up the aisle.  The groom is not supposed to look back, but I had that nagging feeling inside of me. 

The one that made me think, Kayla would look at the crowd, see them sweating, and all her insecurities would come back again.

I couldn’t let that happen.

I looked back and decided to jog lightly down the aisle.

I wanted her to know that this would be it.  Everything would be perfect from now on.  I got to her and moved her veil.  She gasped, “Have you changed your mind?” 

I kissed her and said, “This is the last time I will kiss you as ‘Sadie Nelson’. The next time, you will be Kayla Logan.”

She smiled for a minute, and I was going to do it again, but Dad pushed me back and said, “Son, get back there and get married.”

I smiled like a little boy in a candy store.  The violinist stopped, and everyone was confused by what I had just done.

I reassured them and said, “Let the violinist play.  Let the wedding begin.  Today, I’m going to get myself a bride.”

Reg screamed out, “Hell yeah!”  I laughed as I hugged him.  I had a strong suspicion that he would be following in my footsteps real soon as he winked at Lisa in the crowd.

I smiled at my beautiful daughter as she walked in front of her mom, wondering when the next one would come along.  One thing for sure.  I wanted Kayla to have loads of babies.  I wanted us to have a large family and for everything to be perfect.

She was to me.

I wanted to be that to her.

Perfect.

###The End###

About the Author

Jessica is a mother-of-three and has spent many years working in the IT industry. She has left the computers behind and taken up her passion of writing. She loves to write romance and still believes in fairy-tales.  She lives in sunny Spain, but was born in London.

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***My Stepbrother’s Baby***