The Ties That Bind

Chapter 14

I have been gone from Atlanta for months. Trying to stay away from Drew and keep my baby. I was almost due. I've been staying here in Louisiana with my pops and Jody. They were my only safe place. As much as I miss Ava. I couldn't be near nor around her because of Drew. She would question who the father is and why she didn't know. I didn't want to break her heart. But I came here to birth my baby in a safe place. I looked into adoption agencies to adopt my baby because I was dying. I also had HIV. I found out a while ago and it's progressing fast. I knew I got it from Drew but didn't understand how at first until I found out he was gay and fucking Ava's lover boy. I hired a private investigator months back and a hit man to get a hit out in Drew. He missed and ended up in Ava's apartment instead of Drews place. He snapped pictures before he did anything and caught them ducking in Drew's apartment one night. My hitman fucked up and missed. But he won't again. But who was he all fucking? Either way I couldn't change what's already been done. All I can do is fix the future and the future starts with my kid. It was best I do this because I didn't trust Drew either and I wouldn't be around much longer to protect baby Taylor. Yes, Its a girl and I'm excited. She's already 5 pounds. I was getting induced in a couple of days due to my condition and I have preeclampsia. So my doctor felt it was best to deliver earlier. I sat at my dads and prepped for the delivery of Taylor and decided to pack her bag. It was my first baby and I didn't know a thing to pack. I wish my mom was here to help me but she refused to speak to me when she found out I was pregnant by Drew. I felt everyone was tolerating me right now because I was having a baby. And not the fact that I am their blood. It didn't matter. I got used to being alone.
It was Tuesday and I was meeting with my caseworker to interview adoptive families. This was a tough decision but I had to do what's best for Taylor. I met her at the office downtown and I instantly got nervous. I was really doing this. I was running out of time because I was due in a couple of days. I needed to choose.
I sat with Tracy and I interviewed 4 families. They seemed very nice but they didn't hit home. This one gal did. Her name was Giselle.
She reminded me of Ava a lot and she gave me a sense of stability and a safe place which is why I chose her. After I made my decision . I decided to call her for lunch. She accepted my offer and we met up at the Pancake house. I arrived before she did and decided to order my food.
"Sorry I'm late, traffic was horrible. I traveled here from Atlanta. " she stated taking a seat. She was very pretty, prettier in person and reminded me so much of Ava.
"I didn't know you lived in Atlanta. " I stated.
"Yes. I'm born and raised there. I just separated from my husband a year ago and we are in the process of getting a divorce. " She was very open about her life and it made me trust her more and more.
"I live in Atlanta as well. I've just been down here to get away from the scenery. " I said.
"I didn't properly introduce myself I am Giselle Williams , Jackson is my married name. " she said and extended her hand.
"Lacy, Lacy Dubois. " I replied.
"I have a soon to be 6 year old daughter named Kasey. She's such a joy she's really smart too. " she showed me a picture of her daughter. She was beautiful as ever.
"She's beautiful. I chose you mainly because I feel like I can trust you, you've been open with me and you know my situation. You also remind me of my best friend Ava. So I sort of feel like you are my safe place. If I was able to speak to Ava I would have chose her but it's not possible. I read your background and looked into your occupation. It looks fantastic. " I said. She kind of shifted in her seat a little.
"Thank you, I am a RN, I've been for about a year now, I absolutely love it. If you don't mind me asking why didn't you choose your best friend Ava?" She asked curiously.
I sighed and decided what the hell I needed to tell someone. I was dying anyway.
"Because back in the day, I slept with her husband Drew and it put a dent in their marriage causing her to move away and be I'm hiding. She never exactly knew it was me, but she walked in on us in the dark and ran away. I thank GOD for that because I don't know what would have happened that night. All she knew was that he cheated on her for the third time and she was fed up. For years I kept this secret from her. It ate me up everyday. Until one day he contacted me via social media and I responded not thinking about no one but me, I slipped up and told Drew where she was and a month later he appeared. I didn't even realize what I had done because I was in love with him. But anyways, he popped up and shit went left. I started sleeping with him behind her back again and ended up pregnant by him for the second time. The first time he made me abort the baby. This time I ran away. I can't face her so I ran. Besides she has her knew guy Tremaine she's pregnant by with twins and she doesn't even know he's fucking her husband too. Now I am HIV positive and possibly them too. That's the story. " I said.
Giselle looked shocked as hell and looked like she saw a ghost.
Did I say something?
"Wow Lacy, I am not the one to judge. Because Tremaine is my soon to be ex husband. " she stated. She took out her phone again and showed a picture of him. I nodded and told her that was him.
"So Tremaine is gay? I mean I suspected it for a while but it was never confirmed. I just went to his office a while ago and seen Ava there huge. I didn't know she was pregnant by my husband. This is a small world and a shocker to me. I know Drew from back in the day from school. I know of Ava too, but don't know too much about her. We've crossed paths when we we're younger in school as well but didn't click. Ava is also my um, my sister. " she said.
My mouth fell the fuck open. Tre is her husband, Drew is an old friend, Ava is her long lost sister, her daughter aunt and she's also the mother and step mother to her babies as well wtf.
"Wait your sister? How do you know this? " I asked I wanted to fucking know what was going on.
"After I seen her at Tremaines office. I looked at her she reminded me, of me. My mother was a white woman God rest her soul who had an affair with her father, our father 29 years ago. I'm quite sure he mother doesn't know. But I would be younger then Hailey by a year but older then Ava. My mom sealed me away from him when I was younger. He paid her to do so and said he would kill her if she told his wife. So to protect me she ran just like you did. He did sign my birth certificate that's how I found out and she wrote in her will that I know who my father is. It took me a while to figure it out. I didn't know that Ava was sleeping with my husband I thought it was a random person until I saw her face that day and decided to read again my moms will. She had one older picture of him when he was younger and that was it. She left some other small details that I had to piece together. But I haven't actually met him yet. Ava doesn't know who I am either. She just knows I am his baby mother and his wife. " she said.
I didn't know what to say. We sat in silence for about 5 minutes. It was a lot to take in. Did I still want to choose her? Would drew get to my baby?
"I hope this doesn't affect anything Lacy. I don't talk to Drew at all and I would take very good care of your baby. I know what it's like to be in a position like this. I lived it." She said and touched my hand. I had no appetite to eat after all of this.
"It's not that. It's just I want Taylor to be safe. I don't want Drew finding out who she is and I feel he will because we are all connected. " I said.
"I didn't know you were her best friend. I thought you were actually from down here. But I can guarantee you that Drew won't know a thing about you. I can promise you that. " she said. I decided to still accept her and she included me in her scheme to everyone's attention. But I wasn't listening for real. All I was thinking that I wanted Drew dead and out of my way and I thought I made that happen but I guess I missed when my hit man got to Ava's apartment instead of Drews. The message was for Drew and not Ava. But she got caught in the crossfire. I won't make that mistake again. And I planned to use Giselle to help me. When I heard what happened to Ava I was devastated and I started ignoring her calls and text. Eventually getting my number changed. She couldn't know about any of this none of this. And she wouldn't.