Returning Hearts

Chapter 14: Is He Mine

Jackson is sitting on his couch remembering seeing August at the park. That baby seemed big for being five or six months. He tries to remember when Zuri started walking by just holding on with one hand. His phone buzzing breaks him momentarily from his thoughts. He picks up his phone from the coffee table and sees a message from Isabelle.

6:32 pm

I enjoyed the races. Thank you for the fun weekend.

The anger and pain he had toward August's betrayal drove him to endure the remainder of the afternoon with Isabelle. The races were a good distraction.

He thinks again about Zuri walking and remembers she was close to one years old. He frantically moves over to the stack of home movies next to his TV. He quickly shuffles through the disks until he finds one that reads Zuri's First Steps. Quickly shoving the disk into his player, he finds the remote to press play. August appears on the screen holding one of Zuri's hands. "Look at your big girl daddy. She will be twelve months old in two weeks." Zuri takes a few steps holding August's hand and August lets go as Zuri takes two more steps alone. "YAY!" Jackson hears himself cheering behind the camera and August clapping as Zuri smiles and claps too.

Jackson turns away from the TV screen as he calculates in his head the last time he and August had slept together before the accident. He knows it has been around nineteen months as he realizes that the baby August had at the park had to be around a year old. He runs over grabbing his coat and keys before running out of the door.

After a short drive, Jackson is beating frantically on the front door at Tommy's apartment. "Tommy! I know you are here I see your car." He yells as he continues to beat on the door.

Tommy finally opens the door in his underwear and an unbuttoned shirt. Before Tommy can say anything, Jackson grabs his shirt pushing Tommy so that he slams up against the wall of the entrance way. "What is going on man?" Tommy tries to pry Jackson's hands off of him.

"You said the baby was five months old." Jackson's rage shows in his eyes as he pushes harder against Tommy's chest still gripping his shirt.

"Yeah four or five months."

"How old was the picture Tommy?" Jackson notices a woman enter the room in the corner of his eye wrapped in a white sheet and it causes him to release his grip on Tommy and take a step back running his fingers through his hair. "Is that my kid?"

"No way. That kid is too little to be yours Jackson."

"I saw him today Tommy. He was practically walking." Jackson's anger rages in his voice as he fights to not beat Tommy.

"No. Sydney said she had just had him."

"What have I done?" Jackson feels sick as he thinks about sleeping with Isabelle and the look on August's face as she saw them together in the park.

"Look man, I swear..." Jackson stops Tommy's words as he uses both hands to slam him up against the wall again.

"Stop it Tommy!" Jackson throws his hands in the air as he moves back from Tommy again and slowly leaves the silent room.

Jackson doesn't know where August is staying or why she is in town right now but he knows he has to find her and find out the truth. She had said something about staying at his parents' house but he knows with a baby she would probably be at her parents instead. As he arrives at August's parents' house, it is already dark outside and he tries to calm his nerves as he approaches the door. Knocking softly, he waits impatiently as he sees movement inside the house.

"Jackson!" Tammy seems surprised by him at the door.

"Hi Tammy. I am looking for August. Is she here?" Jackson tries to tame his nerves as he talks.