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“I want to warn you that my mom’s a strange person. Coralie has never been what we call “presentable,” so don’t be alarmed.”
I snort.
“Trust me, I can handle it.”
Kaylee merely shakes her head as we both get out of the car, and I can tell that she doesn’t believe me. However, the most important thing is for me to meet my son right now, and I won’t let anything stand in my way.
9
Elliot
To my surprise, Kaylee leads me around the back to a different trailer.
“Kaylee,” I warn. “I want to see Ezra now. No bullshit.”
She pins me with a look.
“I know, but I can’t leave Ezra with my mom. I leave him with Miss Ellie, our neighbor, who watches Ezra for me when I’m at work. She’s older and retired, and she’s raised six kids of her own. I trust her a hell of a lot more than I trust Coralie.”
I nod tightly.
“If you trust her, then I trust her, too.”
“Thank you.”
We walk to the next trailer over, and Kaylee knocks. My heart’s in my throat, and tears literally come to my eyes. I have a son. A little boy made of mine and Kaylee’s passion. I’m trembling a bit, and suddenly, my knees feel weak once again.
An older woman answers the door with a worn, wrinkled face and a kindly smile.
“Kaylee! You’re back early, honey. Ezra and I were just enjoying some tummy time. Look, Ezzie, it’s Mommy! Aren’t you excited to see Mommy?”
My heart leaps in my throat at the sight of the little boy in her arms. He’s my mirror image, down to the cleft in our chins and the wide tilt to our eyes.
“Goo!” he says in welcome, beaming at both of us. “Ga!”
“Oh, my little boy,” coos Kaylee, pulling him into her arms. “Mommy missed you,” she says, pressing a kiss to his downy head. “Any time away from Ezra is too long! Did you have a good day, sweet boy?”
He merely smiles at us toothlessly again.
“Goo-goo! Barr.”
We all laugh, and suddenly, I’m entranced by the vision before me. The woman I love stands here, with our baby in her arms. A shaft of light falls from the heavens to wreathe them in gold, and my heart contracts once, painfully. This is my family, and I have to do everything I can to protect them.
“Thank you, Miss Ellie,” Kaylee murmurs. “I appreciate you taking him on such short notice. Oh, and by the way … this is Ezra’s father.”
The old woman turns to look at me through narrowed eyes. Her gaze isn’t very kind, and I can imagine what she’s heard about me.
“I didn’t know,” I blurt out. “I had no idea I had a child, I swear. I came as soon as I could.”
Miss Ellie purses her lips and looks back at Kaylee.
“This true, child?”
Kaylee blushes and bounces Ezra up and down on her hip, making the baby coo once more.
“Yes, it seems that we had a misunderstanding that led to a lot of miscommunication. But we’re working on it, and it’ll get straightened out.”
Miss Ellie looks at me again, as if assessing my fitness to be a father and lover.
“Well then, we’ll be watching your next steps, young man,” she warns, stepping back into her trailer. “I love Kaylee and Ezra as if they’re my own, so you best beware.”
I nod respectfully.
“Of course, Miss Ellie. I absolutely understand, and thank you.”
The older woman steps back into her trailer, leaving us alone in the sunshine. I turn once again to look at my son, this miracle made of the love between me and Kaylee. She sees the astonished look on my face, and smiles gently.
“He’s wonderful, isn’t he?” she asks in a voice filled with emotion. “We made him, Elliot. You and I.”
Suddenly, I don’t care anymore. I don’t care about mixed messages, about pot dealing, about her crazy mother, or that crazy bitch Brina. All I care about is Kaylee and my son, and if this has to take place in the middle of a trailer park, then so be it.
“I love you,” I say in a low voice filled with emotion. “I need to be with you, Kaylee. I love you, and I love our son, and I don’t care about what’s happened in the past. I want you to come live with me, and for us to be a family.”
Kaylee doesn’t look at me at first.
“But why didn’t you answer the phone when I called?” she finally asks in a trembling voice, still refusing to look at me. Instead, she focuses her gaze on our son’s cherubic face, although I see her eyes are bright with unshed tears. “Why didn’t you pick up, even once?”
I take my cell phone out of my pocket.
“It’s new,” I say gently. “I accidentally ran over my old phone, and it was crushed. I had to get a new one, and in the meantime, I used a call-forwarding service.”
