Her Keeper

Chapter 18

--Elise Baxter--

"She doesn't know you, Lillet." I snapped at my daughter. "It's best if you just stay out of her life."

Scoffing at me, she crossed her arms over her chest. "She's my daughter too you know, mother!" She yelled.

"You should've known that when you decided to run off with William." I retorted.

"So that's it?" She asked. "You're just going to side with Janvier?"

"I'm not siding with anyone. This is what's best for Julliet." I informed her. "Where's your boyfriend anyway?" I rubbed in her face.

"None of your business." She mumbled.

"You know, Lilly, that make up isn't fooling me and I know damn sure it's not fooling anyone else." I challenged.

Subconsciously, she pressed her hand to her skillfully hidden black eye, she muttered a foolish excuse on the behalf her sorry excuse of a boyfriend. "I made him angry."

"Jan may not have been very affectionate, but I can't ever remember you having to hide signs of him beating on you." I scoffed. "I hope Julliet doesn't choose to walk your path. I hope that she realizes that she's with a man that truly loves her." I spat.

"Man?" She asked in an appalled manner. "She has a boyfriend?" Her eyes widened in shock.

"Yes, Geovanni." I proudly informed her.

"Marie and Joseph's son?" She questioned in awe once more.

"Yes, that's him. And looks at her as though the tides move with every sway of her hips, the sun shines from her eyes and he's tasted heaven's promised milk and honey on her lips." I added. "Sounds familiar?" I smirked.

"Sounds like the way Jan used to look at me." A small reminiscent smile played on her lips.

"It's ok to miss him." I patted her shoulder.

"I miss him everyday, Mom." She pouted. "But I've made my choices. I now have to sleep in the bed I've made."

--Julliet Morrison--

I quietly entered my Dad's house after Geovanni dropped me off, saying he'll be back.

I was making my way across the foyer, when my Dad called from the kitchen.

"Julliet, is that you?" Cursing under my breath, I turned and walked toward the kitchen where he was.

"Yes Daddy." I announced as I made my entry. He was sitting at the island on a stool, reading a book and sipping on a glass of whiskey.

I shifted my overnight bag to the side and gave him a side hug.

"You smell like Geovanni." He commented, causing me to blush. "Where is he?" He asked.

"He left to come back." Nodding in acknowledgement, he returned his gaze to the book.

"You're growing up to be a wonderful woman, Julliet." He complimented. "I know that Geo will care for you as best as he can. Just give him your patience." He advised. I sat beside him after realizing he had more to say. "He's not perfect and very rough around the edges as we all know, but he loves you more than his pride and ego." He looked me in the eyes. "If it ever seems that he isn't being the affectionate man you need him to be, give him time and communication. Give him patience. No one else will love you like he does."

I nodded in acknowledgement.

"Ok Daddy." I whispered.

"Did you two use condoms this time?" My breath became hitched in my throat, because the truth is, we didn't.

"No Daddy, we didn't." I began picking at my nails.

"Do you think that you and Geovanni are ready for children?" He questioned.

"I'm not sure about him, but I know that I'm not." I confessed.

"And what if you get pregnant and he'd like for the both of you to keep it?" He further inquired.

"Then, I'd keep it." I decided.

"Why?"

"I don't know, Daddy. I love him. Naturally, I'll want him to be happy and if keeping the baby makes him happy, then I'd do that." I explained.

"Listen to me, Julliet, if you decide that you wouldn't want to keep the child, but Geovanni does, he wouldn't force you to. Just like you'd keep it to make him happy, he'd reasonably allow you to get rid of it to make you happy." He explained. "Always be honest with Geovanni about what you want." He advised. "Never make decisions to please him and especially don't blame him for them when you resent them." My father paused for a brief moment. "He wouldn't want you compromising your joy for his own."

"Are you proud of Geo?" I asked

He smiled widely. "I am."

"Daddy, we've had fights." I admitted. "One of them got a bit physical." I hesitated. "I slapped him and he choked me, but he stopped himself just as quickly." Daddy didn't seem the least bit surprised.

"Julliet, you do realize that Geovanni has never lied to me, right?" I was a bit confused by the question.

"He told me he's put his hands on you, but he didn't tell me that you did it first." He shrugged. "If it happens again, let me know. I'd deal with him, like I promised him." My eyes buldged.

"You threatened him?" I exclaimed.

"Promised, darling." He casually stated as he took another sip of his whiskey.

"Daddy, you can't just threaten him!"

"And you keep your hands to yourself as well." He simply stated as he ignored my previous statement. "So now, I'm threatening you too." He flashed me a coy smile.

The front door opened and closed, causing me to immediately blush. Moments later, his tall, slender figure confidently strided into the room.

"Wassup Unc'?" He threw the deuces up to my Dad.

"Goodnight Geovanni." My dad returned with a slight nod of the head.

"Hey baybeh." He walked over to me, wrapped his arms around me and pecked my forehead repeatedly.

"Do you want babies, Geo?" My Dad interrupted our brief moment.

"Uh, yeah. I do." Geovanni admitted, causing me to look down at my pink, manicured toenails. "But, not anytime soon." He added.

"Do you want kids, darling?" I shot my Dad a quick glare.

How dare he throw me under the bus like that!

"Uhm, not currently." I bit my lips from the anxiety which was now twisting knots in my stomach.

"You don't want kids, Julliet?" Geo questioned.

"I'm not sure I do, Geo." I restructured my answer. "Maybe later on."

"Why'd you never tell me that?" He raised a brow at me.

"You never asked." I defended.

"You didn't think I'd want a family?" He interrogated even further.

"You have one; you have me, Daddy and Miss Elise." I reasoned.

"I mean children of my own, Julliet." He argued. "With a wife, in a house we call home together." He elaborated.

"We could always adopt." I suggested.

"I want biological children, Julliet."

"Well, I'm not sure if I do." I retorted.

Huffing, Geo left the room. The front door opened and closed shortly after, announcing his departure.

"Thanks a lot, Daddy." I snarled, before storming off to my room.

😶😶😶😶😶😶😶😶😶😶😶😶😶😶😶

And that's that.

~Dolly