The Turns Life Takes - Eve/Julian - Chapter 4
by yhh
Giving her hair a final stroke, Eve stared at herself in the mirror. She
couldn't delay this any longer. She had to tell TC the truth. Kay had given
her reprieve for the night, along with Endora's tiredness from the draining
day, but tomorrow she would be ready to start her new life. It was only
fair. "TC, honey," she said, in her sweetest voice as she made her way to
the bed.
"Yeah, hon?" he said, engrossed in Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.
"You remember how you were wondering why I was being asked to go back to
Tabitha's for the reading of the will?"
"Uh-huh," he replied, never taking his eyes off the TV.
"Well, it was because she gave me custody of Endora." Maybe she should
have said us.
"Oh, that's nice of her."
Climbing into the bed, she stayed on her side, knowing he would react when
what she said processed in his brain. "It shocked me. We weren't close."
"Yeah, well people do strange things all the time- - Babe, look at that
backhand. If Whit had that backhand- -" TC shook his head and whistled.
"That they do. So I'll bring her home tomorrow. The more I think about
it, the better I feel. I always wanted fo- - three kids, but it never happened.
Maybe this is why, this is the way God wanted it," Eve said, more to herself
than her husband.
"Yeah, maybe so."
They had tried for two years after Simone was born to have another child.
Boy or girl, it didn't matter. It didn't happen possibly because Endora
was meant to be her fourth child. And a Crane to boot. She felt a slight
pain at saying that. Part of her was overjoyed at the idea of finally raising
a child that was part-Julian. This was her opportunity to right the wrongs
she had done to her, their baby. The drugs, the drinking before she found
out she was pregnant. But the other part of her was upset that Julian had
a healthy, living child with someone who was not her. Another women he slept
with. How could she have ever fallen in love with such a whoremonger? As
much as she wanted to hate him, she knew the truth in his words, when he
said he slept around and drank to ease the pain of losing her and their son.
She wanted to tell him that but she feared it would make him more to determine
to harass her and she didn't need that. "I'll go into the office and take
a leave of absence- - can I take some sort of adoption or maternity leave?
I'll find out tomorrow. Then I'll pick Endora up from Tabi- - Kay's before
lunch."
"Sounds good."
Lying down and pulling the covers to her chin, Eve drifted off to sleep
to prepare for the battle that would come tomorrow when TC realized what he
had just agreed to.
"Pancakes, grits, bacon, eggs, freshly squeezed oj, apple juice, and milk.
Did someone die?" Simone asked, taking a seat at the table.
"Simone," Whitney reprimanded.
"Oops, I'm sorry," Simone replied, remembering Tabitha's death.
"No, no one else has died," Eve assured her youngest- - her used to be
youngest daughter. It would take some time to wrap her mind around that
one.
"Well, is it my birthday and I forgot?" TC inquired, walking to the head
of the table after kissing and greeting each of his girls.
"No, dear, it's not. I had to go into the hospital early and take care
of some business and I decided to wake my family with a smile."
"Well, baby you did a great job."
They said grace and dug into Eve's delicious breakfast.
"So there's no special occasion?" Whitney asked. Her mom only cooked like
this if there was a reason.
Sending up a silent prayer, Eve decided to jump in with both feet. "Well,
your dad and I do have something to tell you."
Whitney and Simone looked at each other, then at their parents, waiting
impatiently for their mother to continue.
"TC, do you want to tell them?"
Drinking his oj, TC shook his head. He quickly stuffed his mouth so as
to not verbally answer Eve's question. Damn, she had been talking about
something important last night. He thought she had just been blabbing about
some women and household related issues. If he admitted that he didn't remember
one iota of their conversation, she would start bringing up marriage counseling
again, as if they needed it. His parents had been married over twenty years
before his father died and they had never needed it and they were happy as
clams. If his parents could make it work without counseling, then so could
he and Eve.
She had been right, he hadn't heard a word she said. Well he admitted he
had by allowing her to tell the girls so maybe his pride would keep him
from getting too angry. "Endora is coming to live with us. You two are going
to be big sisters."
"What?! Really?!" the girls exclaimed, excited yet bewildered. The Russell
sisters silently communicated. This was weird. Mom and Tabitha weren't even
friends, but when it came to Tabitha they had learned to expect the unexpected.
TC let Eve's words sink in. She had told him this last night. No way. He
would have heard that. "What?" he roared. "We barely even knew that kooky
woman- -"
"Daddy, she's dead. Be nice," Whitney admonished.
"How could she leave us her kid? No," he said, shaking his head, "I'm not-
- we're not starting over again. If God had meant for us to have more kids
it would have happened when Sugar Bear was still in diapers. We're not taking
her- -"
"Daddy, we have to. Who else is there? According to Kay, Timmy was Tabitha's
last living relative. And can you imagine Kay raising two kids by herself?"
Simone said, interrupting her father's tirade.
TC paused. No, he couldn't imagine his Katie-Bug with two kids. She had
amazed him with how well she took care of Maria, but two kids. That would
be way too much for her. She was trying to get her life back together after
that punk left her high and dry to be with her cousin. Every time he saw that
kid he wanted to punch him. He didn't know how Sam kept himself from murdering
Miguel.
"TC?" Eve called to him.
Moving away from his murderous thoughts, he turned his attention back to
his family. "Eve, why us?"
His wife shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know- -" She had to do it. She
didn't want to, but she had to appeal to his prideful side. A side of her
husband she wasn't particularly fond of. "She lived down the street from
us for years, maybe she admired what a great father you are to Whit and Sim.
The girls' relationship with each other. The way their carry themselves.
How much our family loves each other. In a world, where it seems more and
more families are falling apart, we're still together." She prayed she hadn't
laid it on too thick.
Simone and Whitney had to bury their smirks. Their mom
had hit the right note. There was nothing their dad liked better than hearing
what a great job he was doing as a father and husband.
TC didn't know what to say. A thrill shot through his body at the idea
that Tabitha was watching and observing their family, wanting her little
girl to grow up in such a family. But the idea of rearing a child that wasn't
his own flesh and blood. He remembered how quickly he shot down Eve's suggestion
of adopting when she hadn't gotten pregnant after Simone was born. He knew
he was being contradictory being that he and Eve were listed as Noah's,
Katie-Bug's, and Jessie's guardians, but that was different. Sam was his
brother, in every way but blood. Those kids were his kids. But this. He
didn't know.
"Dad, she has no one else," Whitney added. "If we don't take her in, then
she'll be part of the system- -"
"And didn't you say, one of your players was a foster kid and how you felt
so bad for him that he was constantly bounced around. Well that would be
Endora's fate," Simone continued. "I, personally think Endora would be very
lucky to have you as a daddy."
TC looked at his youngest daughter and his heart melted. To have another
little girl look at him like this, maybe just maybe he could overlook where
she came from. Maybe he could make sure she wasn't as wacky as that mother
of hers had been. First off, he was banning her having any human looking
dolls.
Eve watched as TC's mind change. Next she would tell him about Julian,
but that was for another day. If Julian gave her that much time and she
prayed he did. Today she would savor this victory. This wonderful, wonderful
victory. She was a mom again.