Twisted Fate by Summer Cooper
16
Keily
“They’re three months old today. I can’t believe it’s only been twelve weeks. Everything has changed so much.” Keily, in the nursery with her sister and best friend, looked down at little baby Zoe and felt her heart melt for the millionth time.
She’d been pregnant once before, far too soon to even know that she was pregnant really. It was another one of those things she’d forced herself to forget, mainly because the humiliation of Joe dropping his pants on live television for the entire viewing area to see had taken precedence. She remembered it now as she looked down into Zoe’s face.
The pregnancy hadn’t lasted long enough, hadn’t been in her mind long enough for her to do anything other than mourn it as it ended. The same day she found out she was pregnant was the same day she lost the pregnancy. The same day her marriage ended.
Joe hadn’t even known about the baby and probably wouldn’t have until she started to show. Even if she’d told him, he drank so much back then that she knew he’d completely forget what she’d said the day before. The news wouldn’t stick in his mind and that, even more than the humiliation he’d brought down on them both, was the real reason she’d left him. That was the day she knew, at last, that she could live without Joe, would be better off without him ruining everything.
It had been the right decision, whether she was now with Logan as his partner or not. She had three beautiful little girls to show for her decision, a home of her own, even if it was a trailer, and so much more. There was the relationship she now had with her sister, a female best friend that she adored, and pride in what she’d accomplished. Soon, she’d even get back into her classes and have a degree.
Yes, she thought as she stroked Zoe’s cheek while the baby fed from a bottle, leaving Joe had been the best decision she’d ever made. “Sorry, I zoned out.”
“It’s alright, it must be easy to do when you have something so precious to look at, Keily,” Rosa replied, her own arms filled with Zinnia.
“I can’t believe they’re my nieces.” Violet breathed with tears in her eyes, not for the first time. “You know I love Alice, I love her more than anything, but knowing these are your babies, Keily, that’s just, damn, I’m sorry for getting all up in my feelings but they’re just so precious.”
“I get that now,” Keily answered, her eyes on her sister’s. “I was so caught up in my own pain and self-pity when Alice came along that I didn’t get it then. I do now.”
“It’s about time,” Violet said bluntly but tempered it with a smile and a wink. “My baby’s awesome, you know?”
“She really is.” Keily couldn’t deny it. “Where is she?”
“I’ve started her at a Montessori day care,” Violet said with pride. “It’s costing me a fortune, but it’s worth it.”
“You’ll have to explain what that is to me when it’s time for the girls to start,” Keily said and sat back in the rocker a little straighter. “Or is it something you start now?”
“It’s just more educational than a regular daycare, they work with the children to start teaching them before other daycares would, and I guess it just depends on when you want to start them off with that sort of thing.” Violet moved Zinnia around to rub her back.
“I don’t want to part from them too soon, but I do need to get back to school and work eventually.” Keily frowned, the thought of leaving the girls with someone she didn’t know didn’t bring happiness at all.
“You’ve got me, Keily.” Avery reminded her and that brought a smile to Keily’s face.
“I do, yes. Do you know this Montessori whatever?” Keily really had no idea what it was but if Violet wanted it for Alice, then it was probably something the girls should experience too.
“It was part of my childcare training, yes.” Avery nodded and brushed red hair fading to gray behind her ears. “I’ve had a lot of training to qualify for this position and have a bachelor’s degree in child development.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.” Keily blinked at the older woman. “I guess I just left it all up to Logan and assumed he’d make the best decision. It seems he did.”
“Yes, the interview was very stringent, and I have to say, he’d done his homework because he knew all the right questions to ask me.” Avery cleared her throat a little with a whisper of a smile on her face. “He was most professional.”
“Good. Well, if you think you can handle all three then I guess I won’t have to hunt down a daycare. Or Logan won’t, that is.” Keily felt bad that she’d never thought to ask Avery anything about her life and decided she would, later, when Rosa and Violet left.
“How’s Zara doing over there, Rosa?” Keily darted her eyes over to see Rosa seemed relaxed, but there was tension around her eyes and in the set of her mouth. Her mouth always flattened out when she was thinking about something that upset her, Keily had learned. “What’s wrong?”
“Just a little trouble in paradise.” Rosa dismissed her own problems and cleared her face before she looked up at Keily. “Nothing to worry about.”
“You’re my BFF, Rosa, of course I’m worried.” Keily stood up to go and sit on the floor with Zoe in her arms. “What’s wrong?”
“Just a disagreement about vacation plans and things like that,” Rosa sighed. “I don’t want to go to Mexico. I’ve been. It’s hot. I want to go somewhere cool, before the weather turns South Carolina into a humid oven.” She rolled her eyes and looked down at her friend. “Does that make sense?”
“It does. But compromise is important.” Keily said thoughtfully, remembering her marriage and how she’d always been the one to compromise. “Just so long as you aren’t always the one giving in. It has to be fair.”
“You’re right. I can take a vacation on my own to somewhere cooler, later in the summer.”
“Logan will give you more time off if you need it.” Keily volunteered, knowing she’d glare him into submission if she had to do it. She’d do anything for her best friend.
“I love how much you two love each other. I never thought I’d see the day when you had a best friend, Keily. And a female best friend at that.” Violet stared at them in awe, her eyes big and round.
“It’s gross isn’t it?” Keily asked in a stage-whisper. “I mean, women are horrible creatures.”
“And they’re always trying to butt in,” Rosa responded immediately.
“Always trying to outdo each other.” Keily went on but leaned her head towards Rosa, as if to draw her closer.
“Women are horrible creatures,” Rosa repeated and put one hand out to stroke Keily’s hair before she put the hand back on Zara’s head.
“You two are silly,” Violet answered them both, but she couldn’t hide how pleased she was. “Anyway, I have to get to work, so I’m off.”
“You’re on evening shifts again?” Keily frowned, knowing her sister hated that shift.
“Yes, and it’s killing me, but it’s only for this week. That’s another good thing about Alice’s daycare, they work with our schedules. I would be out of luck if it wasn’t for that.” Violet handed Zinnia off to Avery and stroked her face before she turned away. “I’ll see you two tomorrow?”
“You will.” Keily agreed and looked over at Rosa who nodded in agreement. Keily wasn’t sure if Rosa and Violet were close but they did seem to get along well.
“See you then.” Violet left with a wave and Avery followed her to leave for an appointment she had.
“We’re alone at last,” Rosa whispered with a grin.
“I know.” Keily waggled her eyebrows and stood up to put Zoe in her crib. “Are you going to tell me about what’s wrong or are you going to make me talk about myself?”
“I think your problems are bigger than mine, don’t you?” Rosa continued to rock Zinnia, content to talk about Keily and her life. Keily got the hint that Rosa didn’t want to talk about her own problems and let it go.
“I think I’m going to give Logan another chance. I know he broke my heart, before you say anything, but I can’t ask people to accept that I’ve changed if I don’t give Logan that same chance. I’m not the Keily that walked into his office all those months ago. I’m a totally different person now. And I think he is too.”
“I think you’re right.” Rosa conceded after a moment’s hesitation. “I’ve seen him with the babies, and you, and how he is at the office now, for that matter. When he’s there.”
“That’s something else, isn’t it? He spends more time here than he does at the office.” Keily made the point and then went quiet. She wanted to know what Rosa thought.
“I think parenthood has made you both see the world differently. If you’re both on the same page about things, then I guess it’s not a bad idea to give it a chance. It’s obvious he cares about you.” She paused, her eyes on the wall beyond her before she looked back up at Keily. “I just don’t want to see you broken like you were before ever again. I worry about that.”
“I know, I do too, but I don’t think it will happen again. He’s so…different. He even talks now. He never really did that before.” Keily knew the house was empty now except for her, the babies, and Rosa, and the babies weren’t talking so it was safe for her to discuss these things. “He’s not an open book like I am with you, but he’s trying.”
“Then it sounds like he really wants a relationship and not whatever the hell you were before.” Rosa nodded in satisfaction. “It sounds like maybe you have a chance at real happiness, Keily, you should take that chance.”
“I hope so. I don’t want to fail the girls, or him, or me. I just want what everyone else seems to have so easily.”
“I don’t think it’s as easy as it looks.” Rosa contradicted her. “I think people just hide how hard they work at it. Or hide the fact that one is giving up more than the other. It’s supposed to be a two-way street, this relationship stuff, but it’s still hard to navigate.”
“Especially when there’s three streets, I guess?” Keily broached the subject Rosa seemed most intent on avoiding.
“Grrr,” Rosa growled at her, but gave in. “It’s just a bump in the road, to continue the traffic euphemisms. As I said earlier, they want Mexico, I don’t. There’s also the fact that they don’t seem to get that my family is from there and why I’m here, why I was born here. Why my family left Mexico to begin with.”
“Oh, there’s a whole lot more there than you were letting on?” Keily said with a lifted eyebrow. “Are you saying they don’t respect who you are?”
“Kind of.” Rose cringed and then frowned. “Not really, but sometimes, I think they forget I’m different to them.”
“I see.” Keily knew she was probably guilty of the same thing but had to use what she knew to help Rosa. “Maybe you need to tell them that? Not bite their heads off or anything, but maybe just kind of be yourself and tell them that shit’s not cool?”
“Maybe.” She looked doubtful. “You’re probably right.”
“I probably am. I’m not saying they’re right, but maybe give them the benefit of the doubt?”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. And don’t think I didn’t notice how you changed the subject this time.” Rosa tsked at her friend and got up. “I have to go, my couple are both off this weekend and I need to get ready for a grownup talk, don’t I?”
“Or you could stay and tell me more of your exploits?” Keily stood, a hopeful look plastered on her face, but Rosa shook her head.
“No more stories for you until you’ve got new stories of your own, woman.” Rosa bared her straight teeth at her friend then smiled. “Good luck with whatever you decide.”
“Thanks, I think I’ll need it.” Keily shrugged and followed her friend to the door. “See you next time.”
“Probably tomorrow, but maybe later tomorrow?” Rosa made it a question, in case Keily had plans.
“I’ll be here. I’m always here. At least until the girls get big enough to go outside when it’s warmer.”
“Good grief, if it gets any warmer, they’ll bake out there.”
“I’ll have Logan hook up an air conditioner out there for us.” Keily laughed but the smile faded as Rosa left with a wave.
She’d tried to get Logan to come back to her bed not long ago, had made it obvious what she’d wanted, but Zinnia had a fever that worried Avery and the nanny interrupted her attempt at seduction. Keily was up most of the night checking on all the babies after that and she’d sent Logan to bed, alone.
Sex was all but a distant memory for her but now that her body was healed from the pregnancy, birth, and emergency surgery, she was coming back to life. Even the sex dreams had started back up and those didn’t help when she lived with the most attractive man she’d ever laid eyes on. A man that slept feet away from her, only a few torturous feet away. So close, she could touch him, if she was brave enough. It was hard to be brave after what they’d been through.
After all, he’d walked out on her for a reason. Had he really forgiven her, or would that crop up again later, when she least expected it? After she’d put her heart and soul into a relationship he’d just walk away from it again?
Hours later her phone buzzed, breaking her train of thought. It was Logan’s PA. Why was she calling?
“Hi, Keily? I’m sorry to disturb you. I know the hospital probably won’t call you, so I am.” The woman said, immediately causing Keily’s stomach and heart to lurch into hard knots.
“Excuse me? What’s going on?” Keily forced out from taut vocal cords.
“There’s been an accident.”
Keily’s fingers went slack and the phone fell to the floor.
