JACE
Everybody had fallen asleep. Well everybody besides Catarina and me. Today had been exhausting, to say the least. I was hoping she’d get some rest, but burning the midnight oil has turned into the 1:00 am oil and she was still going at it. After going through everything with Granger and Asher, she was a bit shaken up. I didn’t know the specifics yet, but I knew what happened in that office couldn’t have been good.
Grandma and her daughters got to work making everybody dinner and we tried to make the night seem normal, even though we knew that it was anything but. The only comfort I had was that according to the sheriff, most of the media trucks had left for the evening and although they seemed annoying, only the one ever seemed invasive and harassing.
To be on the safe side, everybody stayed in the lake houses with their respective parents. Nola and Dante were sleeping in the guest bedroom here at my mom’s place and Deacon was crashed on the couch in the living room. Asher was sleeping on the couch in the basement and Catarina and I were in Granger’s office. I sat on the couch with my feet propped up on the ottoman while she typed away, her fingers going one million miles a minute.
Under the advisement of Sadie, Granger’s cousin, Cat had decided that the best way to counter this act of media terrorism from her parents was to take away every single piece of ammo they could use against her. Originally she wanted to just go yell out to the cameras and have them record her, but Asher suggested that perhaps writing something down would make more sense. The plan was hatched. Cat was going to write an open letter that would be anonymously sent to various radio stations around the state.
For added measure and a final nail in the coffin a few days after the letters are released, a different source will be dropping the email conversations and pictures with Melrose and Margot in which the affair….shudder....between Larry Hutchinson and Randall Bell will be exposed. A little harsh? Maybe, but Margot doesn’t do anything without Larry knowing, so he had to know what was going on there. Tabby isn’t exactly an innocent party in any of this either. She treated her sister like shit too. Asher was all for it, I think his exact words were, “burn that fucking house down.” Pretty sure he meant just metaphorically.
“Jace?” He sweet, but tired voice pulled my attention away from my phone. She stood up from the computer and stretched her arms over her head in a yawn. Her tank top rose slightly as well, showing off her swollen belly and a cute belly button that was getting ready to pop.
“Yeah, baby? What do you need?” I moved to the edge of the couch, reaching out to grab her arms, moving her body closer to me.
She sat down on my lap and cuddled her head into the crook of my neck. “I think I’m done now.”
I kissed her temple and left my lips there for a moment to rest. “How are you feeling?”
“You know, kind of cathartic. You remember how I told you that I used to cut because I felt the need to just get that release out and feel the pressure leave my body?”
“Yeah.”
“It kind of felt like that, but on a bigger scale. I’ve hidden so many parts of my life for the sake of my family’s image that it took such a toll on me. Even things that weren’t directly about me, it was the facade and the fakeness, ya know?”
“I can’t even begin to imagine.”
“Not to sound dark or anything, but in a way, I feel like I just wrote my obituary. I put Catarina Hutchinson to rest and the only person left to live in Catarina Alexander.”
“Between you and me, I kind of love Catarina Alexander the most.”
She giggles into my body and I press another kiss against the top of her head. “I’m sure you do.”
“Why don’t you lay down now?” I move my body so that I can lay Catarina down on the chaise lounge part of the couch. Mom had brought in some pillows and blankets earlier. It wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep, but Cat insisted that she didn’t want to put anybody else out. I got her settled on a pillow and cover her with the blanket. I flip off the light switch, leaving only the soft glow of the hallway light to guide my way back to the couch and lay down next to her. I can’t technically fit next to her, but I put my pillow next to her head and lay perpendicular to her. The soft snores coming from her nose tell me that she is asleep and the comfort of that allows my own eyes to finally close and chase sleep myself.
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“Our return email has received five requests for interviews, Catarina, what did you want me to do with those?” The day after the letter was published for all to see, we find ourselves on the phone with Sadie, she’s doing her best to guide us through the process. We didn’t want communication to come to us, so she set up an email and voicemail number and is acting as our manager for this situation.
“What types of interviews?” Cat bites on her thumbnail, her tell that she’s considering the interviews. I don’t agree with the interviews, but she is her own person and I will support her in whatever she wants to do.
“Four of the requests are from local news stations. I’m guessing they just want more information, maybe more dirt on why you came forward, but this fifth one, it is from Texas Teen Magazine and I’d like to take a look into this a bit more.”
Cat’s interest is peaked similarly to mine, “Why is that, Sadie?” She finally asks.
“In the email, the editor said that they include a focus on positive mental health for their readers. They were impressed with your willingness to share your struggles and how you’ve grown from that. They think a lot of young girls may be able to relate to your story.”
“What about the other stuff?”
“I think your dad being a state politician will be brought into the story, clearly that is a part of your story too, but this seems positive. It may even feel good to share how you have overcome your demons and how you’re living a positive, adult life now.”
“You don’t think it is a set up at all, Sadie?” I ask for clarification.
“I don’t think so, Jace. Once again, I’d want to look into this editor and the publication more before I let you move forward, but I just wanted to bring it to your attention, something to think over. “
“Thanks, Sadie. I will be sure to.” Cat leans forward and presses the call end button and then falls back onto the bed. I follow suit, laying next to her, and link my fingers in hers.
“What do you think?”
“I’ll wait to see if Sadie finds anything questionable, but I kind of like the idea of it, Jace. I just think about other young girls and boys out there that were like me. Maybe they can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. If my words could provide just one of them with hope, that would be worth it.” I turn my head to look at her and she giggles, “What?”
“You continue to amaze me, Cat. Just when I think I’ve seen all of you, you surprise me with something else.” My hand reaches over and rests on her stomach and our baby girl kicks. It takes me by surprise at first, but then I lay my hand flat so I can feel her moving around. “She’s active.”
“She’s been doing somersaults in there lately, it’s insane.”
I scoot down the bed a few feet until I’m face to face, well face to stomach. I pull her shirt up so I can see her stomach and press my hand against her once again. “Hey, there sweet girl. I’m so happy that you chose your mommy and me to be your parents. Can you keep a secret? I think your mom is going to totally rock this parenting thing. I’m going to do okay, but Mom? She’s going to have this shit down.”
“Jace! Do not cuss when you’re talking to our baby!”
“Oops, see I’m only going to do okay.” I kiss her bare belly. “You are so loved, little girl….so damn loved.”
“Jace?”
“Yeah, beautiful?”
“Can we talk names?”
“Sure, but I still think Jace Junior is going to be better for a boy.” She shoves against my shoulder, but I crawl back up the bed and lay down with her again. “Okay, I’m being serious now.”
“What do you think of Aubree?”
“Aubree Alexander. Hmm, I kind of like it. I have the perfect middle name.”
“Oh yeah, what is that?”
“Hope. Aubree Hope Alexander, because you gave me hope and now she’s giving me hope, it’s just perfect.”
“Aubree Hope,” she repeats as she rubs her hand over her stomach, “It’s so pretty.”
“So is that it?”
“Yeah, our Aubree Hope.”
After laying in bed quietly, those soft snores that signified Catarina had fallen asleep on me began to sound. I placed a soft kiss on her cheek and slowly snuck out of our bedroom. She needed the rest, but with two and a half months or less until Aubree Hope joins our family, I knew we had things that needed to get done and I knew just the two soon-to-be-uncles to ask for help from.