One Time Only

Chapter 49

"Daddy, I got you something." Genna yells as she runs into the tattoo shop.

Harry looks up from the tattoo he's working on, puts the tattoo gun down and catches Genna as she runs up to him. "You did? What did you get me?" He asks, hugging her to him.

"Hi Jake." Genna smiles. "Mommy has it, she helped me pick it out. It's really from bubby and me, it's your daddy's day gift." Genna says as she wraps her arms around Harry's neck.

"Daddy's day? Huh." Harry chuckles as he turns his head and kisses Jerica. "So what's this special gift my amazing kids got me?" He asks.

Timmy drops a box in his dad's lap with a smile. "Gen picked it out, so blame her on the color." He laughs.

Harry kisses Genna's cheek. "I'm sure I'll love it baby." He says as he sees Louis, Andi, Addy and Louis and Andi's son Scott walk in. Harry then opens the gift, what he sees brings tears to his eyes. In the box is a beautiful pink gold tattoo gun with Genna and Timmy's names etched on it.

"Do you like it daddy?" Genna asks, kissing Harry's cheek.

"I absolutely love it. It's the best gift, beside you and your brother, I've ever gotten." Harry says, hugging Genna to him.

"Hey, munchkin, come sit in Uncle Jake's lap so daddy can finish my tattoo." Jake says. "And you can tell me where you found that amazing gift." Genna jumps into Jake's lap and does just that while Harry finishes up.

Jerica leaves Harry to finish what he's doing, while she goes to her studio to clean it up a little. She hasn't been in there since she's been back so as far as she knows the place has been closed up for over five years.

"Things going okay with you and Harry?" Andi asks from the doorway.

"Yeah, he's back to acting like he did when we first met, and the kids love having him around." Jerica says.

"Jeri, don't you think you jumped the gun marrying him so quickly?" Andi whispers. "After all he's done, aren't you afraid he'll do that again?"

Jerica looks at her best friend, crosses her arms and leans against the table behind her. "Actually no, I'm not. Andi, Timmy will be thirteen soon, Genna will be six. If I can't start trusting the father of my kids by now then what's the point?"

"That's what I'm asking." Andi says, not realizing Harry and Louis is standing behind her hearing every word. "After everything he's done, all the lies, the cheating, how can you trust him? How could you just up and marry him the way you did without questioning him to make sure he really was divorced?"

Jerica looks at her friend. "When has Harry ever really cheated on me? Andi, from what I understand he's never been with anyone except me since we've met." She says. "Is there something you know I don't?"

Andi looks at her friend, she doesn't want her to be hurt by Harry again. So not thinking about what she's about to say can do to, not only Jerica's family, but her own, she lies. "Harry slept with me the first night we got back from Maine. He was so upset about you having cancer he came to our house, cried on my shoulder. Louis was sleeping and one thing led to another, we ended up in the spare room. He left before Louis woke up the next morning." Andi says.

Jerica sees the total look of shock on Harry's face, and one of disappointment and sadness on Louis' after Andi says what she did. Of course she knew it wasn't true. Harry had told her he'd taken the kids home, to her place, so Timmy could show Genna where they'd be living. "I'm so disappointed in you." Jerica says as tears comes to her eyes. "You, my closest friend, someone I've leaned on during my weakest moments. To lie to my face like that, about my husband. Someone you've claimed to love like a brother. Is this your way of tell me, after all these years, you're in love with Harry Andi? Why wait until I marry him to finally speak up, why not all those years I was gone? When you had plenty of time to make your move? There had to have been plenty of times when you two were alone here in the shop, Louis at home with your kids, on food runs? Why now Andi?"

"Because you were gone." Andi snaps. "You weren't here to get in the way. I had my eye on Harry the moment he stepped into the coffee shop, all those years ago. But the moment he lays his eyes on you, no one else mattered. So yeah, I went for the friend. Just to get close to Harry, to be able to be around him, spend time with him. You have no idea how happy I was every time you two would split up, hoping he'd come to me for comfort. But he never did, he'd go into some deep funk and spend all his time giving tattoos and looking for you.
You have no idea how happy I was when I found out you had cancer." Andi laughs. "Thinking just maybe I was finally going to be able to get rid of you for good this time." She snaps, causing Harry and Louis to gasp and her to spin and pale, realizing they heard everything she'd said.

"I'll be out of the house tonight, and I'm taking our kids." Louis says. "Don't even try fighting me on this subject Andi, you won't win, I have millions. You have nothing. Expect divorce papers soon." He says as he turns to walk out.

"You disgust me. You're fired, don't come back here. Leave us alone." Harry snaps as he walks to Jerica and wraps his arms around her.

Andi looks at Harry and Jerica, then turns and walks away. She had hoped her lie would have worked, but Jeri just love Harry to much, she just hopes he doesn't hurt her again. Or she's lost everything she loves for nothing.