Home Again

Chapter 13

Melanie was fresh from the shower, clothed and standing in the window when Dena and Faith entered the room. “So, what’s up?” Dena asked.

“First things first” Melanie had a crack to her voice. She had been crying Faith knew her to well. “What happened with the twins?”

“I didn’t know what to do Mel, but he was talking about custody and he was so angry. So, I used my judgement and thought you’d rather avoid a court battle...”

“It’s okay Faith. He deserves to know them. I just wanted to make the introductions myself. What happened?”

“Well, I went to your parent’s house. Your mom and I sat down with the kids. Your brother came over when I called him and told him what had happened. Both he and your dad wanted to be waiting with guns, but we talked them into going out to get away. Understanding that because of you, a physical threat wasn’t the way to handle it. We talk to them and tried to explain it the best way I knew how too…

Earlier

“So okay guys” Faith sat in the floor with the small blonde girl on her lap facing a broad-shouldered boy, “What has your mommy told you about your dad?”

The boy continued playing his game as if he didn’t hear her, but Regina answered, “Mom said that Dad didn’t know about us because they had broken up and she never could get a hold of him. And that she was trying to decide how to tell him, but she had been seeing him since she got to town.”

The little girl scooted off her lap “Why?”

“Well, we’ll get to that, now GiGi can you tell Nana what you know about him?”

“Mommy said he was the most handsome guy she had ever laid eyes on and she loved him very much. He was a hard worker, he was smart, caring and funny. They broke up because she wanted to be a musician and he wanted to be horse handling lawyer. She said once she managed to tell him he would love us very much.”

“Anything else honey do you know his name?” Faith urged her on.

“Why?” Snapped Ben slamming a can down on the table, “Why are you asking us this stuff about that man and where is my mommy?” He stood up throwing the controller down.

“Okay Ben, honey calm down.” Faith stood too partly because she didn’t want the nine-year-old having the upper ground and partly because she was so nervous to sit anymore.

“Mom has us stay here with Nana to keep us away from the cameras but if your here then she should be free to come over too. so, where is she? What does it have to do with our dad, Aunt Faith? She was here yesterday with Annie our so-called sister. So, what has happened?” The boy was taller than most nine-year old’s and so muscular if he could grow a beard he’d look like a small man, he used that to his advantage. I hate having to do this, he was right Mel should be here, but she was in no condition, what am I supposed to tell him.

Faith was looking straight down at the floor “Your mom finally got up with your dad.”

“Regina baby why are crying?” Faith ask reaching for her.

“It’s gonna be like Steph’s parents isn’t it? He is gonna try to take us away from mommy. I shouldn’t have said anything to Annie; Ben was right.”

“No, No!!! We wouldn’t let that happen. What do you mean? what did you tell Annie?”

“The truth.” The girl was crying.

“That had nothing to do with this sweetie. Annie hadn’t had a chance to say anything to him. He just wants to meet you guys and get to know you that’s all. He wants you both to come stay with him for a day or two then he’s going to bring you back here. Where your mommy and I will be waiting and were going to move on to Louisville and then on to vacation back to our beach house.” She hugged her.

“He wants to meet us, then what?” Ben shrugged

“Well, I’m sure they will talk, and you guys will get to visit him sometimes.” Faith rocked the little girl smoothing her hair.

“What if we don’t like it there?” The girl asks, “I don’t want to go.”

“Don’t worry about that because you’re going to love it, I know!!! Do you want to know how?” Faith pulled back to look her in the face.

“How?” Ben asked

“Well, he lives on a horse ranch that has beautiful views and all kinds of stuff to take pictures of Ben. You love to take pictures And You guys have already met your sister.”

“Yeah the sister, couldn’t have been a brother.” He rolled his eyes.

“Well I’m sure you will still have common interest Ben, you and GiGi get along.”

“Yeah, were twins, hello!!!” he flopped on the couch. “So, when do we leave.?”

“In just a few minutes he will be here.” Faith stood up “So get your bags together make sure you grab your toothbrush and under garments.” the two children ran to their room.

Once inside Ben sat on the bed “Regina what do you think?”

“I don’t know” She sat on the floor “Something must have happened that they are not saying, or mom would have been here or done some sort of restaurant or something. No way she just pushes us to him without us getting to know each other first.” She sat in the floor putting stuff in her bag.

“I agree! He was probably mean to her.” Ben cracked his knuckles “That’s why pap suddenly left; I say we make him pay”

“but we don’t know that...”

“Come on Gi” He looked stern.

“Your right but what are we gonna do” she smiled.

“What we do best. Remember the pics of him he’s rich right and snobby?”

“Well, mommy never said a bad word about him, and she still loves him remember.”

“You read those letters from that old bat we found them in her satchel. She packs them ever where in case she was to run into him. I bet she showed them to him, and he still took that old hags side.”

The small girl put her head on her knees “Yeah, I overheard her and nana one night talking about it. Mommy was afraid he would hate her.” She looked up at her brother “Maybe your right we should make him pay but not the sister, Annie. Ben, we leave her alone.”

“OK, handshake” Ben got on his feet.

“Handshake” Regina nodded and stood extending her hand and they danced and shook hands in their special twin way they had done since there were very small.

The large truck pulled up into the driveway, it’s changed so much he thought. He saw Her mother and her best friend staring him down as he came to a stop. He took a deep breath and opened the door. To his surprise her mother was the first one to him. “Bradley dear” He expected hatred but the look in her eyes was one of compassion and love. “I’m glad your finally here.” She reached up and kissed his check.

“Well I for one do not think you deserve to be here.” Faith stammered.

“Well, it’s good it isn’t up to you then. Where’s Melanie?” He took a step back.

“She isn’t here and She’s going to kill me, but you know what, I for one think you need to know. She is back at the hotel incapacitated crying so hard she passed out. Your sister is with her and she is so bad that Richard summoned a doctor.” Faith hoped to see something move in him some sort of sign he loved her. However, she couldn’t tell if there was a change or not.

“Well I’m sorry for that but she did to me and my kids it was wrong by keeping us a part.” He adjusted his hat lower.

“No, she didn’t. she tried to contact you. Ask Dena she read the letters that was responded to her. I don’t know you, Mr. Singleton but I know Melanie and she was so happy when you showed up. She has never even so much as kissed another man. I joke her all the time that she is a country lovin’ nun. If you’re looking for a villain, Mr. Singleton look at your grandmother. She knew and has known since Mel found out she was pregnant.”

“My grandmother” He scoffed, “You all would steep low, wouldn’t you? That’s almost as bad as Melanie trying to buy off my cousin...”

At that moment the two children exited the house and Faith took a deep breath. There was so much she wanted to say to this stubborn ass; like what the hell did he mean by try to pay off his cousin?

“Children,” Faith stood with a hand on each of their shoulders, “This is Mr. Bradley Singleton, He’s you father. This handsome devil is Benjamin Bradley Michael.” She pinched his cheeks.

“Aunt Faith” The boy shook her hands off and she snickered.

“And This little angel is Regina Faith Michael, but we call her GiGi” She curtsied like a princess so well she didn’t even loose the blue tiara she had on her head.

“Very nice to meet you, sir” She starred at him with those big blue eyes, with Melanie’s eyes.

A lump rose in his throat Mel should be here making these introductions. He scanned the two children. The girl dressed up like a Fairy tale princess and the boy dressed like he just woke up even his hair was disarray. He wasn’t sure how to start but the word sir stuck out. He bent down in front of them both. “Now let’s have no more of this sir business, I’m your dad remember?”

“No offense, Sir” the boy put a little more emphasis on the word, sir than he probably needed to, “but we don’t know you and until my momma says otherwise you’re not my dad.” Ben looked at him with his own stern expression, taking a step back toward Faith.

Brad wondered if he looked that intimidating when he made that face, “Well I guess it’s true that you don’t know me but so is what I said about being your dad. Your middle name is Bradley, right?”

“Yeah so?” The boy scoffed.

“Well my first name is Bradley. Your name is Regina right” “Yeah but everyone calls me GiGi” she bounced.

“Well my mother’s name, your grandma’s name was Regina,”

“I know and he knew he was named after you too” She gave her brother a mean look, again so much like Melanie. “He is trying to be mean, sir, I mean dad I mean Mr. Singleton, I mean…” She looked up at her grandmother “Nana what do I mean?”

The older woman laughed, “I think you meant dad.”

“He is not our dad!!! I won’t call you sir, but I will call you mister or Brad.”

“Oh, you all knew. Okay, I can respect that Ben at least call me Brad then.” He was surprised

“We know you didn’t know about us because mommy couldn’t get up with you. I understand even if Ben doesn’t.” The small girl ran over and hugged him. “Mommy tried though I even helped her write a letter once and we all went to the post office together. Mommy is not here because Aunt Faith says she is busy with the contest, but…” The small girl looked at her feet.

“But what?” He removed his hat.

“But I think it’s because your mad at her.”

“Because he is!” The boy again looked at him sternly, “I could tell by the way Faith and he acted. I was watching through the window.”

Brad looked up into Faith’s teared up eyes, she truly hadn’t told them, and Melanie truly hadn’t kept them in the dark. They knew about him but how was that possible. Melanie made him out to be a good guy in all this, why would she do that just to take advantage of him?

“If aunt Faith told you she is busy with her music then she is busy with work. Aunt Faith and I did have a disagreement, but it was about something else.” HE stood and slapped his knees, “You know what, I have an idea! Why don’t we get going? We got to pick your little sister up from her other grandmas.” He stood and walked back toward the truck. “Your gonna love Annie.”

“We know.” Regina smiled. “We already met her.”

He stopped, “When”

“Yesterday we all went to the bumper cars,” She smiled.

Brad was taken by shock she hadn’t even hid the fact he had another child something clearly wasn’t right. “Well.” He began walking toward the truck.

“Aunt Faith when do we get to come home? We were supposed to get to go out to eat for family night with mom tomorrow night.” Ben asked

“And you will, Brad!” Faith ran up behind him “The children would like to come home tomorrow night. Its Melanie’s family night tradition.”

“We will see, they may get over there and decide they want to stay” He stopped and turned on her with a smirk.

“If we get over there and want to come home Aunt Faith, can we call mom to come and get us?” Ben ran up to her side.

Brad started to protest when Melanie’s dad stepped around the garage with her brother, wow had that kid gotten big. “You want to come home little man you call Pap and I will come get you.” He glared at him; the glare was a dare for him to object.

“See nothing to worry about guys,” He lifted Regina up into the back seat and turned to help Ben, but he was already in the passenger seat. He took a deep breath it was gonna be along night that boy already hated him and after what he did, he hated himself.

The drive was awkward all the way out. Ben never cracked a smile and Regina was playing with a doll in the back seat that continued to play the same princess song repeatedly. “So, we have like an hour before Annie gets back to her granny’s house, she went to a ball game with them. So, I was thinking that we could grab some grub.”

“Hey, I always say that” Ben slightly smiled.

So, there was a humorous side to this complicated little boy, “Good, see, Father like son.” Brad chuckled.

Ben cracked a small but quick smile at that but never said a word just went back to looking out the window.

Brad’s mind kept returning to Melanie, he was harsh, more than harsh, he should have never spoken to her like that. None of what he said was true and he was beginning to wonder how true any of the things he had been led to believe was. Was she really that upset, of course she was? He wanted to go straight to the hotel to apologize but how would he explain that to the kids. He knew her better than anyone she would never forgive him for this. I’m sorry Melanie...

He turned into a small hot dog stand; Annie loved this place so maybe it would be a good first impression. While they ate it appeared that the two of them were playing a game. He recognized it because him and Dena use to do something similar. He was the quiet manipulative one and Dena was the hyper distracting one. Ben sat chewing and scowling into his plate while Regina had barely touched a bite because she was asking a hundred and one questions like she had a time limit. He could barely make out her words. “So, since you know about us now are we gonna be spending more time with you? Are we gonna like alternate holidays because I don’t like that? When we have to go back and forth like a ping pong between you and mom can we take Annie with us? Is it true you live on a ranch that has real live horses? Can I have cow? Oh, what about a pig? I always wanted a pig? Do love mom? Can you and mom get married now? Will we have our rooms, or do we have to share? I don’t mind sharing but if one of us has to sleep on a couch, can it be Ben? If we have our own rooms can I decorate mine in zebra? Is it true you ride horses? Can you teach me to ride a horse? Is Annie gonna be your favorite cause you have always had her or will Ben be your favorite cause he is the only boy? Will I ever be your favorite? Who do you think looks more like you Ben or me?”

“Okay little lady, your gonna run out of air if you don’t slow down? You ain’t even waiting on an answer.” He smiled and tapped her nose.

Ben smiled too “Are you gonna answer her?”

“Why do I feel like I am being put on trial?”

“I don’t know you’re the lawyer” Ben replied.

“Okay, fair enough. Hmm, let’s see if I remember how to answer any of that. No cow, maybe a pig. I do love your mom, but it is complicated. Rooms are a subject for later. No one will be sleeping on a couch. Yes, you can decorate in zebra. I can teach you to ride horses. Yes, we live on a ranch. You are all my favorite and l love you all the same. Now how about you answer some questions for me. That is how it works in a trial after all.” The small girl was glowing. Those eyes Mel’s eyes it’s like she is haunting me. “If you had a pig what would you name it?”

She giggled, “Wallace of course.”

“What if it’s a girl?” He asked

“Lily or jade” She laughed harder.

“Those are stupid names for pigs.” Ben exclaimed throwing a fry at her.

“They are not.”

“Are too”

“Are Not”

“Are too”

“Hang on now you two.” Brad threw out his hands up signaling a time out.

“I think they are nice names for a pig but since you seem to think differently Ben why don’t you tell us what you would name your pig if you had one.”

“I wouldn’t have a pig. A pig is a stupid pet.”

“Actually Ben, Pigs are intelligent animals but If you don’t want a pig what kind of pet would you want.”

“I don’t” He glowered

“That’s a lie. He has always wanted a dog.”

“How come you don’t have one.” Brad thought it was strange Melanie loved dogs.

“Mom wouldn’t let us have one, she said we were on the road to much and traveling was no life for a dog. Uncle Dill said that mom and you had one once and that she lost her right after she lost you. Mom hasn’t really wanted one ever since. He thought it brought back memories for her.”

“Trudy” He frowned.

“Who?” Ben turned.

“Her name was Trudy and she was a beagle.” He hadn’t thought about that little pup for a long time he like Melanie had a strong attachment to the dog. He had left her with Melanie because a dorm was no place for a pet…

Nashville

It was well past midnight and Trudy was throwing a fit. “Shhh.” She hammered through the door.

“Melanie not trying to be a bother dear I know you work long and hard but please quieten that dog down people do go to bed around here.” An old man leaned out the door across the hall.

“So sorry Mr. Webner.” She was rustling to get her key in the lock and struggling with the bags in her hand.

Her huge stomach and all this stuff was causing a problem. “Shhh Trudy please.” She begged. The lights started coming on all down the hall and the grumbling neighbors were getting louder and louder. She felt like the walls were closing in. Finally, she thought as the key slid into the lock. She leaned on the door as it closed behind her.

The little dog waged her tail and ran from the couch to the table and back then to her. “Okay… okay… shhh… Mommy’s home. You hungry?” She eased in a chair at the table and gave the little wiggle tail bones left over from the diner. “At least that’s one perk, the old man doesn’t mind me bringing home scrapes.” She rubbed her ears as the dog leaned up on her knees. “If it wasn’t for that we’d all starve.” She looked at down at her swollen abdomen. Pulling off the half-eaten parts of the sand which to the dog, then taking a bite herself. Eventually she would be able to afford food that someone else hadn’t paid for. The dog whined as if she knew what she was thinking, she thought, or maybe she was just sad too. “I miss him too” She said. Wonder what he is doing now?

“I’ve got some good news.” She stood up wobbling over to the refrigerator, “You remember Faith? Don’t you?” she asked the little dog that had her nose buried in the foam plate. “She was the nice lady that mommy met at the club where she was playing. Oh, come now!” The dog looked up with one ear on top of her head. “You know that isn’t lady like?” She reached down and adjusted the dog’s ears with a giggle. “She is going to go in with me for a band. That means we will have more money around here. She is also going to move in with us so we will be able to afford more things like maybe some real kibble.” The dog huffed happily and followed her to the small couch. “We will get through this you know.” She petted her the dogs head which was presently laid on her stomach. “I promise” The dog raised her head abruptly as the twins must have been fighting with each other or her spleen, she thought. “HAHHA!” She laughed “You have had your first battle scar.” The dog crocked her head to the side staring at her middle, “Next on to ear tugging and tail pulling.” Melanie laughed stroking her stomach as the little dog curled up by her feet…