Whoa Baby

Chapter 53- The Devoncourts

Whoa Baby

Chapter 53- The Devoncourts

"Keeping secrets will always lead to unhappiness, and communication is the key to love." – Laura Esquivel

*Two Weeks Pass*

As I sat alone at the kitchen table, reading through, yet, another Motherhood magazine, my mother walks through the kitchen. Almost not realizing I was there, watching her move from one end to the other making herself a cup of coffee before leaving- or so it seemed as if she were leaving the house. She turned around, startled that I was suddenly there.

"Didn't know you were there." She chuckles, grabbing a mug from the cabinet. "Colton down for a nap already?" She wonders.

"Yeah, I just put him down a few minutes ago." I tell her, my eyes flickering down to my magazine. "Where are you off to next?"

"Nowhere yet. I was with grandma earlier doing some shopping." She tells me with a sigh, pushing her hair away from her face. "I almost bought Colton this cute little hat I saw. He would have looked for adorable in it. Ugh, I'm going to regret it now that I didn't get it." She says, shaking her head. "I saw Carrie there too. Isn't that something?" She brings up.

I raise my eye brows, a little surprised as well. I never thought I'd ever see Carrie at the mall. Grandma must have had a conniption seeing her there as well when my mother, of course, had to say hello. Knowing her I'm sure she stopped Carrie to say hello and ask her how she was.

"So mom, remember when you told me that one day after Colton is born you'd tell me what the feud was between you and Carrie? Or at least the hostility between the Devoncourts and the Aces." I question her, she presses her lips together while wiping down the counter, "Can I know the story now?"

She sighs, pushing her hair back, "I don't know if today is the day to tell that story." She whispers.

"It'll never be a good day." I argue with her, shrugging my shoulders.

She grabs her mug and walked over to the table. I follow, sitting across from her, setting the baby monitor on the table. "Paisley what I'm telling you is not for you to share with JC. If he wants to know then he should hear it from Carrie, but who knows, he might know some of it already." She shrugged her shoulders, taking a sip of her tea.

"I don't think he knows anything." I tell her shaking my head. "So what happened?" I ask, getting myself comfortable on an uncomfortable wooden chair..

She stares off in space for a while, moments passing through her mind. Flash backs and memories, some dark, some surprising, some delightful. "Jim wasn't always an alcoholic believe it or not. He actually could have made something of himself, he had potential."

"Your right that does sound unbelievable." I scoff at the so-called facts of Jim Ace. Like he was really not a terrible person to begin with.

"It's true. He was really good in baseball. Could have been eligible for a scholarship if he kept his grades up." My mom mentions, nodding her head. "Senior year I dated James for five months. My mother never knew." I gawk at the newly told information. Did I just hear that right?

"James? Jim Ace? As in the alcoholic psycho in jail for child abuse, Jim Ace?" I clarify, earning a head nod.

"In order to think clearly, Paisley, you have to understand this was almost over twenty years ago. James wasn't the person he is today. This was back when we were teenagers." She explains to me shaking her head. "I haven't even told you the rest of the story yet."

"Oh gosh there's more?" I gasp looking shocked.

"Shh. So we dated. My mother never knew because she didn't want me to date in High School, never mind a non-Christian boy, and believe it or not I wasn't always a good girl. Just because I'm a pastor doesn't mean I don't have a past." She reminds me, shaking her head. Come to think of it I never really heard a lot of stories about my mom in High School.