Chapter 8
“I've been meaning to call you, but I didn't think you'd want to hear from me after the way I left,” Taylor said to Kayla.
They were having lunch outside a small restaurant and had just met up for the first time since Taylor’s abrupt departure. It was Kayla who had called her, which was a nice gesture. Taylor had been nervous at first, but after they had seen each other, the five years had melted into space.
Their warm embrace had almost broken Taylor; seeing a childhood friend after countless people who called themselves friends but were only associated to her by work tugged at something within her.
“You look so rich!” Kayla frankly said.
The words made Taylor feel like she was wearing a mask, but she couldn’t take it off now since it had permanently become part of her impenetrable posture.
“Jordan explained everything. I couldn't wait to see you,” Kayla said, without having taken her eyes off Taylor once since they met.
“I know I'm five years late to say this but I'm sorry for leaving without a word,” Taylor said.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. I was there, remember? I probably would have done the same thing,” Kayla said in understanding.
“What about the five years of silence?” Taylor asked.
“I was Jordan's best friend. I must have reminded you of her every time you saw me. I'm surprised you didn't end up resenting me too.”
She spoke so lightly about the issue that Taylor felt guilty.
“How could I?” she asked.
“I took Jordan's side without ever asking what had happened,” Kayla answered.
Taylor shrugged it off, not sure she wanted to talk about that. “You were her best friend and you were loyal. I didn't expect anything less. You were a good friend to me too. I think that's why we're here. Now, if you don't mind, I would really love to know how you've been.”
Kayla lit up and asked, “First of all, do you have a picture of Angie?”
“Jordan must have told you about her.”
“She doesn't shut up about her. Every time it's Angie this, Angie that. I felt bad that I haven't met the little angel.”
Touched, Taylor scrolled through her phone and handed it over to Kayla to see Angie’s pictures. “Angie doesn't stop talking about her either. They seem to have grown very close,” Taylor said.
“Oh my goodness! She is so cute. She has your eyes, your nose, your lips, your hair. I don't see any hints of Henry in her.” She was saying it so excitedly that she didn't realize she might have said something that could offend Taylor. “I'm sorry, that was insensitive,” she quickly apologized.
“It’s fine,” Taylor said.
Kayla smiled. “Can I meet her?”
“Of course you can,” Taylor said and watched as Kayla continued to scroll through the photos. “Can I ask for a favor?” she asked.
Kayla stopped for a second.
“Can what we talk about stay between us?”
Kayla nodded, “Yes, of course.”
She needed to unload and Kayla had once been her best friend, so trusting someone for the first time in what felt like eternity, Taylor opened up about her marriage and told Kayla about how she'd met Henry and to the last detail about Angie's conception.
It felt liberating to share it, to release the burden, to let go of her worries and fears but mostly, it felt good that she had a real friend she could talk to about it. Since she'd left, her entire life had come to lie around raising Angie and doing her job.
“Wow! I can’t believe it,” Kayla said after hearing the story.
Taylor did not talk about Jordan throughout the whole discussion because she did not want to open that can of worms. She was afraid that once she started, it would completely overwhelm her and she’d be unable to put the lid back on.
“I still can’t believe you’re here. Jordan said you were different but I honestly don’t see the change,” Kayla said.
“She looks like she’s doing well,” Taylor remarked.
“She is. She’s doing great. Her career picked up, she has her own place, a girlfriend of some sort…” she said, seeming a little confused, then continued, “But everything in her life is going well.”
“A girlfriend of some sort?” Taylor asked, not sure she understood what that meant, not sure she wanted to find out at all.
“Yeah, her name is Jenny. They have a complicated relationship. They are friends, but at times they behave as though they’re more and neither one of them is willing to admit whether they’re really together or not. It’s complicated.”
Taylor wondered if Kayla was being so generous with the information because she was playing along. The Kayla she’d known had been earnestly loyal. If she was offering the information, it was probably because she saw through Taylor’s demeanor.
“Tracy hates Jenny. She can’t stand her but lately she’s been acting weird,” Kayla continued.
Taylor proceeded cautiously. “I would assume she does, seeing as she has been intimate with Jordan.”
Kayla bit her lower lip. “I guess.”
She did not offer any more information after that so Taylor changed the subject. “Tell me how you’re doing.”
They spent the rest of the afternoon catching up. Neither one of them brought up Jordan again, which went on to prove that Kayla had volunteered the information in an attempt to bridge the gap between Taylor and Jordan.
**
“What are you doing here?” Taylor asked.
Her surprise was evident as Angie ran over to me and gave me a warm hug.
“I invited her,” Angie joyfully informed her mother.
We were at Angie’s school recital, which Angie had invited me to a couple of weeks earlier. “Uh, what she said,” I said, smiling widely at Angie whose arms were still clasped around my neck. “You were great. I didn’t even notice anyone else on stage,” I complimented her.
I had been unable to take my eyes off of Angie throughout the entire performance.
“Thank you,” Angie said.
“We were going to get something to eat. Would you like to join us?” Taylor asked.
I appreciated the invite, but I had to turn it down. “I actually have to get back to work.”
“Come on Jay-Jay, please,” Angie begged.
I closed my eyes and pretended I was about to bite Angie’s nose off and she screamed in a feigned scare, which made Taylor laugh.
“You know I can’t say no to you,” I said.
Angie laughed and tightly wrapped her arms around me again. It was impossible not to fall in love with the little girl.
We walked out of the school compound, Angie still in my arms and I wondered if it made Taylor uncomfortable.
“Mommy, can we take Jay-Jay’s jeep?” Angie asked once we were on the parking lot.
Taylor’s driver had already stopped the car in front of them. “If Jordan doesn’t mind,” Taylor said.
“She doesn’t,” Angie said quickly before I could respond.
“Hey! Maybe I do,” I said as we made our way over to my jeep.
Angie shook her head saying, “No, you don’t!”
“The princess has spoken,” I said and saw Taylor laughing at our fun exchange.
We went out for a late lunch and all through, Angie never left my side. At some point we started arguing about who had greener eyes between Angie and her mother.
“Come on, let’s ask mommy,” I said, trying to involve Taylor, since I had spent so much time playing with Angie.
“Mommy, what do you think? Between your eyes and mine, whose are greener?” Angie asked and we both looked at her waiting on her verdict on the matter.
“I think Angie’s eyes are greener,” Taylor said and Angie squealed with a bustling excitement.
“Okay, she’s right. Your eyes are greener,” I accepted in defeat. “Can I tell you a secret?” I asked Angie.
“Yes,” the little girl said.
“When I used to know your mommy, her eyes were a lighter shade of green but when she was happy and really excited, they would look like emeralds. I used to love looking at them. They were the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen,” I told Angie and my gaze met Taylor’s.
Her eyes had that shade of green in them now, but the type of green I was talking about had only always appeared when we had been making love. I knew that and so did Taylor.
“Can I have some ice cream?” Angie asked.
I looked away in shame, wishing I had not said that. When Taylor agreed to let Angie have some ice cream, I took her to the little ice cream shop and got her a cone of chocolate chip laced vanilla ice cream.
“I don’t know how to thank you for being here for her. I can’t remember seeing her this happy or this free with anyone else,” Taylor said a while later.
“I love being with her,” I said, turning to watch Angie as she ate her ice cream. “You want to sit down?” I asked Taylor, and took her hand in mine before she could respond. I led her to a chair a just a second away from Angie.
I let go of her hand and watched as Angie played on her own. “I wish she was ours,” I said absentmindedly, knowing I had no right, but not caring. “Yours and mine,” I waved at Angie as my heart ached for the two of them. “I should have been better for you, Taylor,” I said remorsefully, not sure why I was speaking out now.
“I know it’s too little too late, but I had to let you know that I deeply regret how things worked out between us,” After saying that, I got to my feet and went to Angie. I felt like she was going to be yanked out of my life in a matter of time and I just wanted to be around her. She had brought so much light into my life.
*
Taylor’s POV
Taylor felt that box she’d forced shut trying to reopen and watched as Jordan playfully ran after Angie. She turned to look away in an attempt to shut down the doorway to the surge of emotions that started to reawaken and in a moment of weakness, a tear fell from her eye.
It was too late, she told herself. Things had changed. Jordan had cheated. They had both moved on. The past was gone, it could never come back. She tried to remind her heart, but every reason only made her want to cry some more. She couldn’t believe the iceberg she'd frozen her heart in was starting to melt.
“Mommy, come play with us,” Angie invited.
She laughed, concealing her tears and said, “You two play, I want to watch.”
And that was what they did, they played, and as she watched, a part of her wished the same thing Jordan had. If only Angie had been their child together.
**
“I have a surprise for you, Angie.”
“What? I want to see,” Angie said in glee.
“First, since it’s a surprise. We have to blindfold you,” I told Angie as Taylor revealed the blindfold.
The joy in Angie was so infectious, I couldn’t wait to see her reaction at the surprise. Taylor gently blindfolded Angie and then picked her up. We went to the bedroom I had spent almost a month working on and waited for Taylor to reveal it to Angie.
“This is your new bedroom,” I told Angie as Taylor took off the blindfold.
“A unicorn!”
It was the first thing she saw, but there were other paintings of fairies, rainbows, princesses and of course, her crayon drawing. The walls were painted as clearly and carefully as Michelangelo’s painting on the Sistine chapel. Every creature, in its form was detailed and real-like in nature.
“Do you like it?” Taylor asked.
Angie happily nodded as she went and climbed atop the new bouncing bed, taking in everything else in the room. “I love it,” she said.
The joy radiating from Angie made me feel like someone had literally opened up my chest and touched my heart. I had gotten her a comfortable new bed to play on, built a book shelf for her many books, a small study desk and a playground beside the bed which was filled with toys. The floor was tiled and carpeted, giving the room an enchanted atmosphere. It resembled the warmth in Angie.
“I’m glad you do. Now we have to start working on Mommy’s bedroom and she’ll have to move into the bedroom you were sleeping in,” I informed her.
“You can come stay with me mommy.”
“Thank you, honey,” Taylor said.
She pulled me aside. “Can I ask you for a favor?”
“Anything?”
“I have this really important dinner party I’m supposed to attend with Henry but I don’t have anyone to take care of Angie.”
I was nodding before Taylor could even finish her statement. “I’ll take care of her.”
“Really? You don’t mind?” Taylor asked.
“Not at all,” I said, then got back to Angie’s bedroom.
We spent the evening together and I didn’t see Taylor again until she came to bid us goodnight. She was breathtaking in a long evening gown that flowed down her curves, perfectly exposing her figure.
“You look beautiful, mommy,” Angie said.
“Thanks, honey,” she said.
She pulled me aside again to confirm if I was certain I would be okay. After reassuring her, I asked, “Where is Henry?”
“He’s meeting me at the party. He’s on a plane, on his way here.”
“It’s his loss,” I said.
I couldn’t help thinking about how much I would have loved to be in the old man’s shoes, walking in to the party with such a stunning woman. “You do look beautiful,” I said, using Angie’s words.
Taylor nodded in appreciation. “I guess I’ll see you when I get back,” she said before she walked over to Angie, gave her a kiss and left.
**