"You said a small shopping, why is the trunk filled with groceries?" Darrell asked Sandra as he greeted her.
"We needed more than I thought." she said handing a grocery bag to him. "Plus I bought some things to take to Gina." She continued to hand him grocery bags as Darrell just gazed at her with pure amazement and love in his eyes.
"What's that look all about?" she smiled up at him as she wondered what he was thinking about.
"Have I told you how much I love and appreciate you?"
"Not today." she laughed.
"I really mean it. You took Regina as your own, with no questions asked. You will never know how much that means to me."
"I couldn't ask for a better family" —she stood on the tip of her toes and kissed his lips—"now let's get these groceries in before you reduce me in to a puddle of tears." She said as she walked towards the stairs.
"Yes ma'am." Darrell chuckled as he started to follow behind her.
"Hello Darrell." a familiar voice greeted him stopping him in his tracks. Darrell turned around and it took everything within him not groan as he stared at his ex-wife. It had been years since they had last seen each other. Melanie still looked the same as the day she left him with the exception of a few age line around her eyes and forehead.
"Hello Melanie, what are you doing here?" he asked as he dropped the bags in his hands before approaching her. He had gotten over the hurt and anger he had for the woman years ago but it was never easy seeing her again.
"I'm apologize for dropping by unannounced I am just at my wits end about how to deal with our daughter."
"Darrell what's taking you so long honey, there's ice cream in—"Sandra stopped when she saw Melanie and immediately knew that their peaceful afternoon was over. "—Honey is everything alright?" she asked as she stood next to him.
"Yes sweetheart everything is fine. This is Melanie Hammond Regina's mother. Melanie allow me to introduce you to my wife Sandra."
"It's nice to meet you, I had heard you had remarried congratulations." Melanie said shaking Sandra's hand. "I apologize for stopping by like this I just needed to talk to Darrell for a moment."
"Would you like to come in for some tea while Darrell finishes bringing in the groceries?" Sandra asked shocking Darrell, before he could interject the women were heading towards the house.
After bring in the groceries Darrell found Sandra and Melanie chatting away in the living room.
"All finished honey?" Sandra asked as Darrell settled into the seat next to her.
"Yes ma'am" he said kissing her cheek.
"Melanie was just showing me pictures of her children, her daughter looks just like Regina." Sandra showed him the pictures in his hand and he was surprised by how much she really did look like Regina.
"She's beautiful," he said handing the picture back to her.
"Thank you, I really am sorry about popping up like this but I really don't know what to do about our girl. She refuses to listen to a thing I say." Melanie confessed. Sandra bit her tongue not wanting to exacerbate the situation by commenting that Regina wasn't her girl. Sandra felt like it was best if she removed herself from the situation using the excuse of preparing dinner to get away.
"I hope I'm not causing you any trouble showing up like this." Felicia said noticing how uncomfortable Sandra had become.
"Why are you here Melanie? You know Regina is just as stubborn as you are, once she makes up her mind there really is no changing it."
"I know, that's why I came to ask for your help. I just want to make things right between us and with Clarence gone I am finally free to do so."
"You abandoned her Melanie and made her feel like she wasn't good enough. Nothing I can say can fix that."
"You know that I didn't have a choice."
"You always had a choice, you chose to leave me and abandoned our child. It's as simple as that."
"No it's not. You know how Clarence was he wouldn't have just let me walk away from him so easily."
"Why can't you just be honest for once in your life Melanie?" Darrell said growing tired of Melanie trying to paint herself as the only victim. "I never once made it seem like you couldn't have come back home. You chose to divorce me and marry Clarence even though you knew what he was like; and do not tell me that his money had nothing to do with it."
For a while they sat in silence before Melanie spoke again.
"You're right," she said as her voice shook "I made my choice, one that was the biggest mistake of my life. But you raised Regina into the incredible woman she is today. I couldn't have done that."
Once again they sat in silence, Darrell could hear Sandra shuffling around in the kitchen. He knew that she was probably straining her ears in an attempt to hear what they were talking about.
"I just want her to know the truth, I at least owe her that much." Melanie said and Darrell knew that the woman would not rest until he agreed to help her. She was relentless just like Regina. Darrell excused himself and walked into the kitchen to find Sandra roughly chopping up an onion.
"Is she gone?"
"No not yet. Why did you leave dinner could have waited."
"It was either I cook dinner or I slap that woman. I couldn't take the way she kept calling Gina her girl as if she's done something to claim her." she hissed and Darrell couldn't help but smile at her.
"Alright mama bear calm down. I think it would be best if you stayed in here. I am going to have Regina come over, it's time we had a family meeting. "
"Don't, they're starting the Babymoon today." Sandra pleaded.
"They can start it afterwards, Lord knows she'll need it." Darrell said as he walked away to go call Regina.
****
"Don't drop me," Regina fussed as Christian carried her up a flight of stairs. He had picked her up from work declaring that their Babymoon had officially begun. Christian had blindfolded her and drove around for what felt like hours. When the car finally came to a stop Christian insisted that he carried her.
"Can I take these off now?" she asked as she pulled at the blindfold covering her eyes.
Go ahead, take them off," he said as he placed Regina down on what felt like a bed. She pulled the blindfold from her eyes and took a moment to take in their surroundings.
"We're home?" she asked with a laugh.
"I know." Christian laughed at the perplexed look on Regina's face. "I picked up on the fact that you weren't too happy going away for our Babymoon. I decided that the best place for us to be was at our home."
"Aww Christian, this is so sweet of you."
"How about showing me a little gratitude," he said as he wiggled his eyebrows making Regina laugh as she kissed him when her cell phone rang.
"Let me check my phone,"
"No, our vacation has officially started no cell phones." Christian said pulling her cell phone from her bag.
"It's Capitan Washington." he said handing the phone over to her.
"You know since we're getting married, and you are the father of his only grandchild you can probably call him by his first name." she said with a laugh as she answered the call. "Hi daddy, what's up?"
Christian watched as Regina's smile dropped as she listened to her father speak.
"No, I don't-.....but—"Regina let out a long sigh as the color drained from her face "—okay fine. We'll be there in thirty minutes." She said before ending the call.
"What happened?"
"Dad wants me to come over to the house so we can talk ...Melanie is there." She said sliding off of the bed.
"Are you sure you want to go?"
"If it will get this woman out of my life, yes I want to go." She said as she held his hand. "I'm sorry babe we have to put our Babymoon on hold just a little while longer." She said looking up at him with apologetic eyes, she knew how much this little getaway meant to him.
"It's fine baby doll," he said as he kissed her cheek.
When they arrived at the house Christian could feel Regina's mood worsening, she had grown quiet and distant. He knew that she had retreated into her thoughts.
"Gina if you don't want to do this I will go in a tell them and we can go home." He said as he cut the car off.
"No, I need to talk to her." she said before getting out of the car.
*****
Regina stared at Melanie waiting for her to speak. Everyone had been sitting in silence since Regina had arrived. It seemed as if Melanie had lost all capability to speak. She knew that she was the bad guy in this situation and had come to accept it, but her heart would not be able to stand anymore rejection from Regina. Melanie hoped that something she said would somehow open up Regina to her so that she could try to build a meaningful relationship between them. She noticed the way Regina held on to Sandra's hand and knew that she meant a lot to Regina. It was too late to try and be a mother so could only hope that she could at least be a friend.
"I know I am the last person that you want to see, but I feel like you should know everything." She said before taking a sip from her glass of water.
"What is there to know? You left us because you wanted someone with money, I don't need any more explanation than that."
"I did leave you Regina but I always planned to come back for you." Melanie said, she could tell by the look on Regina's face that she didn't believe a word she said. "Please just listen to what I have to say. I just want you to know the whole story." The room fell silent as everyone's attention was on Regina, waiting to see what her next move would be. Regina nodded reluctantly.
"Thank you," she said letting out a shaky breath as she searched for the right words. It seemed like no matter what she said it would never be enough to plead her case. She looked to Darrell for help.
"I know I just told you that your mother left us and never really gave an explanation. I let you come to your own conclusions and I should have never allowed that. I am sorry to you and Melanie." Darrell said as he took Regina's hand into his. "You had just turned two when we found out that we were going to have another baby. The timing was the worst, I was leaving for active duty in two months and your maternal grandmother was sick. We were under a lot of stress in every way possible." He said.
"I was five and a half months pregnant when I had a routine doctor's visit and there was no heartbeat. I had to deliver a baby that I would have to take home in an urn."
"Melanie called me, I was stationed in Japan at the time she was crying hysterically and told me about the baby. I felt so helpless, I was so far away and couldn't do a thing to comfort her. I suggested that she went to go see her parents in Florida. I didn't want her to be alone while she was grieving. You stayed with Nana and Pop-pop until I could get my leave approved."
Regina could not remember spending time with her grandparents and her father was not around. "When I left I was in a very fragile state. Clarence and I had reconnected through my mother and he became a huge source of support for me. He visited me and made me leave the house; he even paid for counseling sessions. I eventually developed feelings for him and we started having an affair." Melanie looked at Regina the entire time she spoke hoping for some change in her facial expression, it was as if she had heard it all before and nothing was a surprise to her.
"A few months in to the affair I became pregnant with your brother Quincy. I felt so guilty and ashamed for the pain that I had caused your father. Darrell had been nothing but good to me and all I did was hurt him. I filed for a divorce. I knew that it would be best for you to stay with Darrell since I was still going through therapy," Melanie studied Regina's face but she could not get a read from her expression.
"A year after I had Quincy the divorce was finalized and Clarence and I had gotten married. I came up for your fourth birthday, you probably don't remember this but I gave you a little Minnie mouse charm bracelet—"
"I remember, I never took it off. I was devastated when I lost it."
"You remember that?" Melanie asked presently surprised.
"Yeah I also remember the last time you paid me a visit. I was eight and you said I 'You're nothing but a useless and ugly child. You will never amount to anything because I wanted to go home."
Regina's words felt like a slap to Melanie's face, she remembered spending the afternoon trying to get Regina to stop crying for her father. She remember feeling despondent and rejected. Melanie's eyes turned glassy with tears. Darrell's eyes grew wide with surprise and Melanie knew that Regina had never told him what she had said. Melanie had immediately regretted her words when she said them; she had spoken from a place of frustration and took it out on Regina.
"I didn't mean that Regina. I was angry—"
"Why? I didn't do anything."
"—I wasn't upset with you, I was upset with myself. You were growing up without me and there was no way for me to insert myself into your life. I tried—"
"That's a lie, you didn't even try. Two visits and the occasional Christmas card does not count as trying."
"Clarence was very controlling he wouldn't let me leave to see you. You didn't need me or want me in your life. What was I supposed to do Regina?"
"So it's my fault?"
"No, that's not what I meant... I just—"
"It doesn't matter." Regina said as she stood up. "The only reason you're doing all of this is because you feel guilty, and you think somehow getting my forgiveness will absolve you of your sins. I told you I don't want anything to do with you. I've listened to your excuses now leave me and my family alone." Regina walked out of the living room before anyone could say anything else.
****
"She honestly does not believe that she did anything wrong." Regina scoffed as she paced back and forth the living room floor as Christian watched.
"Gina please have a seat before you wear out the carpet." He said as he reached out for her. Regina took his hand and sat down next to him.
"It's over now, can you try to relax?" he said as he began to massage her tense shoulders.
"I'm trying but this whole situation is just so ridiculous. She knew exactly what she was getting in to, how can she try to act like she is such a victim? She is sick!"
"I know every time you've dealt with her you've been hurt but now she's trying to reach out to you."
"It's a little too late for that—" She said turning around to face him "—and since when did you became Mr. Fix It?"
"I'm not trying to fix anything, I am just saying all of the things you're too stubborn to say."
"Excuse me?"
"You know what I mean, she is your mother Regina, and no matter how much you fight it a part of you wants to get to know her." he said as he wrapped his arms around her. "No one is saying that you two have to be the best of friends, but I think opening up a line of communication will allow the both of you to heal." Christian ran his finger along her cheek, his touch soothing her. "I don't like seeing you so angry unless it's directed at me, then it's sexy."
"Can we stop talking about this now?" Regina asked with a sigh.
"Sure, we have to go upstairs anyway so I can start your massage."
"What! I get a massage without even asking...amazing." Regina said with a laugh.
"I learned pre-natal massage techniques just for you."
"I'm beginning to really like this Babymoon thing." She said as she followed him up the stairs.
Than night Regina sat up in bed while Christian snored as if his life depended on it. He was just as tired as she was but for some reason she could not sleep. Her mind kept replaying the conversation with Melanie, but it did nothing to quell the animosity she had for the woman. Regina looked down at Christian. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest; maybe he was right ignoring and giving Melanie the silent treatment wasn't making her feel any better. She would give his suggestion some thought but for now she would focus on preparing for the birth of their daughter.