Second Chances

Chapter Fifty four Stripper

                      

"Yow Tyler, where are you!" Caleb shouts from the second floor. "Up here!" Ty answers from the gym. "Working off some of your sexual frustration I see." Caleb said taking a seat next to Ty who was working out on the Bow flex. "You ready for tomorrow?" Caleb asks. "I have been ready to be a husband and a father since I was twenty, I think I'm passed ready right now but it's a bitter sweet moment for me right now." He replied between crunches.

"A part of me is very happy to be finally getting married but I'm also scared to death of losing my son, she's trying so hard to keep this child alive Caleb that it breaks my heart. She said that she wouldn't mind staying in the hospital until she gives birth if it means that she gets to have a healthy child." Ty said as he switches to his biceps.

"Well just know that everyone is here for you and her, whatever you need just ask." Caleb comments. "What is to be will be brother, I just pray that this wedding isn't too much stress for her and the baby." Ty said in a worried tone. "She want this wedding as much as you do so the both of you just stay calm and go as slow as possible and she doesn't even have to stand up to say her vows, she could remain in her wheelchair and your first dance as husband and wife could be a very short one but in the end you will still be married right."

"Right, on the other hand Fabian told me you are now refusing to attend church because of what I'm going through but you have to know that leaving church isn't going to help or change my situation." Ty said firmly. "I know but I can't just sit there and worship a God that would put you through all this but I tell you what; if and when Janice delivers a healthy baby boy I'll return to church but not a moment sooner."

"And what if she doesn't?" Ty asks. "Well then I guess I'll never enter heaven." Caleb chuckles. "Don't even joke about something like that." Ty scowls. "Who say's I'm joking, anyway I've to go but I will see you later at the hospital." Caleb said patting Ty's shoulder and ran from the gym.

*****

"Those kids are like a couple of energy bunnies but they are finally down." Martin states as he enters the bed room. "There is one in here too." Susan smiles while massaging her stomach. "Getting big, isn't she?" He said sitting next to her. "Bigger, and a lot more active." She adds. "Think you will be able to handle tomorrow?" He asks in concern.

"Sure, it's not like we will be moving around; everything is going to be done at the house and I still don't know how they plan on pulling that off." She laughs. "I'm not sure either but I spoke to Caleb earlier and he said that they will be having the reception on their lawn but first they will all be watching the wedding on a big screen because they can't all go to the hospital." He said taking his shirt off.

"I for one didn't think that it was possible but I think he's more in love with this girl than he was with Kayla, damn how she must be kicking herself right now to see how much she has lost." He adds. "She has lost a lot more than just Tyler; she has now lost what little dignity she had left." Susan said in disgust. "What do you mean?" He asks leaning back against his pillows.

"Oh you didn't hear, she is now a stripper at that club that Tina and Trish work at." "I don't believe it, of all the things, why on earth would she become a stripper." "By following the wrong company, that is how, and to think how much I tried to steer her in the right direction but I saw her mom and her son the other day and I think that her giving her mom that child was the best thing she could have ever done for him." Susan said cuddling closer to him.

"That maybe true but growing up without a mom or dad can't be good for him either." Martin states. "Ty is looking out for him so he will be fine." She comments. "That's all well and good but Ty isn't his father." "The boy thinks he is, so what's the harm?" Susan asks annoyed. "There's no harm but TJ has his soon to be wife and unborn child to think about so how much of a role can he possibly be playing in this child's life?" He asks with a deep sigh, then continues.

"I was thinking that we could probably make a bigger difference in his life." Martin said softly. "We could check up on him from time to time, take him for ice cream with our boys, you know like a father figure, so to speak." He said. "That's exactly what Ty is doing now and I thought you said you weren't going to compete with him anymore?" She asks with a deep scowl.

"I'm not; I was just thinking that he needs to be more focus on his own life right now, I mean his wife is in the hospital for God's sake." "Oh and you just can't pass up on the opportunity to play daddy to Kayla's son?" She asks angrily. "After all that witch has done to us, you couldn't have her so now you want her son? You still have feelings for her don't you?" She asks angrily punching his shoulder.

"No matter how hard I try, I'll never be enough for you; she will always be the one that got away." She said getting off the bed and walking over to the window. "Oh for Christ's sake Susan, you're my wife and I love you, you and my children are all I need." "But you still want her!" She shouts and jerks away from him as he tried to hug her. "No, I don't; now I will admit that I was attracted to her for a while but this has nothing to do with that, we are supposed to love our neighbors as we love ourselves and there is no way we can punish that little boy for what his mom did."

"I wasn't trying to but why her child? There are a lot of other children out there that we could help, so why her child?" She asks angrily. "No special reason, it was only a suggestion; I didn't mean to upset you." He said turning her to face him. 'So you don't still have feelings for her?" She asks with a pout. "No, I don't." He said firmly. "May I have some time to think about your idea?" She asks. "That's all I asks." He said kissing her passionately.

*****

Fabian, Jessica and Jason were about to enter Janice's room but pause when they notice Tyler on his knees at her bedside, they thought he and her were having a prayer session but soon realized that Ty was the only one praying and Janice was sound asleep. They stood quietly by the door unsure what to do next. It was as if he felt their presence because he lifts his head, dried his eyes and turn to face them.

"Hi, you must all be tired of seeing me like this." He said in a shaky tone. "You've our permission to deal with this however you need to bro." Fabian said. "Seeing as though it's your last night as a free man, we were thinking that you may want to do something but....." Jason didn't need to finish his sentence; the look on Ty's face says it all. "Thanks guys but no... I don't want to leave her right now." "Yeah, we should have thought about that before we came in here." Fabian said.

"She was in so much pain earlier and there was nothing I could do to help her, what's the point of being financially stable if it can't ensure your happiness?" Ty asks with tears in his eyes. "This is supposed to be the happiest night of my life but there is a pain inside me that is so raw and numbing that I want to scream and hit something, but I can't because I would black out and I need to be strong for her and my child." He said fighting his tears.

"Whatever you need, we're here for you." Jessica said wrapping her arms around his shoulder. "Thanks that means a lot to me." "Is there anything we can get for you right now?" Jason asks. "Yeah, something to eat would be nice." He replied forcing a smile. "On it," Jason said leaving the room before anyone could see the tears in his eyes but they weren't missed by Jessica's observant eyes and she follows him out the door.

"Stop trying to hide it, I know you're hurting." Jess said rubbing his shoulder. "I just wish there was something we could do to ease his pain, I mean damn it; why the hell does his life have to be so damn hard, there are hundreds of despicable people out there having babies they don't want." He said turning away from her.

"He was even willing to stay with that horrible woman, just because he thought that kid was his and if it was then he would have spend the rest of his life with her just to be the perfect father to that child." He said through gritted teeth.

"I really hate this Jessie." He fumes. I do too, I mean I know of men who walk away from their girls because they were pregnant and when I think of everything he went through because he wanted to be a father, it's just not fair." She states. "Anyway lets get him some food so he can eat something because no matter how strongly we feel about this all we can do is pray."

Thank you all for reading

Food for thought

To experience God's strength

We must first admit our weakness