Shambles

Chapter 14: Gabe

"Hey everyone. Sorry, I'm late," She says like the perfect Southern Miss. She looks around the table but she stops when she spots Penelope and Bash. They are both sitting close to my father.

She slowly makes her way to the empty chair next to me. "Ummm Gabriel forgot to tell me about the dinner." She smiles at me. "Michael had to tell me."

"Well, what is a dinner if the whole family isn't here...right Gabe? This is a family dinner?" Michael smiles.

Staring at him with my famous smile, I look him straight in the eyes. "Right." And just to let him know that this is why I'm the fucking CFO and will be the next fucking CEO I stand. "Baby," I say grabbing her hand. "I want you to meet my son and daughter Sebastian and Penelope Stephens."

Everyone watches Savannah. I see when her smile fades. "Son and daughter? How? When?"

"Bash is five and will be six in a couple of months and Sweet Pea will be four on my birthday." I walk behind Michael and rest my hand on his shoulders. Everyone just watches me. See I've always been the wild card. Michael and David are very predictable. "Now we all know the how...but the when was at Michael's and my bachelor party. I didn't find out about them until a few weeks ago when you had your little accident. I ran into their mother on...accident."

I squeeze Michael's shoulders just a little while looking around the room at everyone. It feels like being in the boardroom. "After we did the DNA, that clearly you can see I didn't need, I've been getting them every other weekend to get to know them - since I've missed so much time. Is there something I've missed?"

David holds up his hand. "Their mother is black...don't forget that." Savannah's eyes grow bigger than I've ever seen.

"Yes Darling, their mother is black." I pat Michael's shoulder and round the table and sit next to Savannah. I can feel the heat coming off her. She's so pissed.

"Well now we can eat," my dad says. As everyone starts passing food around. My dad helps cut Pea's meat and Bash is already digging in.

"Can I talk to you," Savannah leans over and whispers in my ear.

Twisting toward her I look her in the eyes. "No."

"No? Are you expecting me to sit at this table and eat dinner?"

"You can either sit at this table and eat dinner or leave. This is my last day with my kids and I will not spend it arguing with you. Now once I get back to our house tomorrow then you can say whatever the fuck you want, but tonight you will sit there and smile."

Twisting back around I pick up my knife and fork and start cutting my meat. Everyone's eyes keep flickering over to us.

"So Sebastian, what is it that your mother does?" Savannah asks.

Bash looks up at her and then to me. "I don't know," he says shrugging.

"She does what you do...nothing," David says laughing.

Rolling her eyes she focuses her attention back on Bash. "So your mother doesn't work?"

"Nope. She wants to go to school to do hair, but Grady won't let her."

"Hair?" Savannah chuckles. "Who is Grady?"

"My mom's boyfriend," he says, taking a bite out of his roll. I'm going to have to talk with him about too much sharing.

Savannah's smile spreads across her face. Ember having a boyfriend lets her know that she has nothing to worry about.

"How are your grades in school?"

He shrugs. "I always get a one hundred on my papers. And my teacher Mrs. Rucker always draws a big red smiley face, but a few times I missed some of my sight words."