Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts) (31 page)

“
His name is Aiden, Amy, not daddy, okay?”

“
But he said, daddy, and I want him to come again.”

“
Want him? What does that mean?”

Amy glared. She stumped her foot ready to explode in tears. Daisy reminded herself she was talking to a four year-old; a confused four year-old. “Today, we’re going to the park. Isn’t that nice?”

Amy settled down.

“
You will meet someone else. His name is Pete. Do you remember him?”

“
Pete?” Amy repeated.

“
Come on.” She walked out of the kitchen, her robe flowing open. Leading Amy to the table, she set the bowl down in front of her favorite chair. Amy climbed up and Daisy pushed her chair in.

How far should she take this talk? It seemed the more she said the more she confused her with her selective information. She wanted to be honest, but she feared
honesty
. She feared it since she started living a lie.

Daisy glanced up at the patio door. It could be seen from the dinette table. Last night, she’d covered it with cut open garbage bags and electric tape. The ocean breeze in the morning, with the approaching tide, had it bubbling and puffing from the force of the winds. Here was the evidence of what telling these men selective truths could bring: destruction and pain. Everything was a mess, and it was her fault.

“
Mommy? Is Pete coming to my house again too?”

Daisy gently ran her finger through her daughter’s tangles. “I think so, baby. He really would like to meet you.”

“
Does he know magic?” Amy asked, spooning more cereal.

Daisy frowned. "Well, I guess we'll have to ask him."

When she turned to fix her plate of the breakfast cooling on the stove, there was knocking at the door.

“
Stay here,” Daisy ordered. Amy didn’t object, but her little eyes followed her mother as she left her side and disappeared through their home. The knocking was soft taps and not the angry pounds from earlier. Maybe that was a good sign. She opened the door preparing to face off with Aiden and refuse him entrance. She didn’t.
Couldn’t
. It wasn’t him.

“
Janette?”

Janette rushed her, throwing her arms around her neck. Intense astonishment gripped Daisy by the throat, rendering her speechless. She took a quick breath, her arms slowly lifting to return the hug.

“
How… why did you find me?”

“
Nina, she helped me. Look at you! Look at you!” Janette held her face firm. They stared into each other’s eyes. Daisy’s heart had all but stopped beating. She didn’t know what to make of the visit and how to feel about seeing her sister or her sister seeing her.

“
Mommy, who at the door?” Amy immediately latched to her mother’s legs, peeking around them at the visitor. Janette’s hands dropped away. She looked down at Amy, then back up to Daisy, then to Amy once more.

“
Mommy?” Janette repeated.

“
She’s my mommy. I’m Amy,” she answered. Daisy couldn’t read her sister in that moment. Her face was completely void of emotion, until their eyes met and all the questions passed between them unsaid. One thing was clear. A secret of this magnitude was the ultimate betrayal in their family. For her to have a child and not tell them, knowing how they felt about children, family, and the bonds they shared, was tantamount to committing a crime. They all knew what Daddy instilled in them and how much he doted on his grandkids. For her to do this was like turning her back on everything their family represented. And she wanted to sink through the floor at having been discovered this way.

“
Daisy, she’s yours?”

Daisy reached behind her and pulled Amy forth. She then swept her up into her arms, heaving her to her hip. “Yes, Janette. Meet Amy, my baby-girl.”

“
Well aren’t you the prettiest, sweetest little thing.”

Amy shyly dropped her head on her mother’s shoulder. Her small arm hooked around Daisy's neck to the point of near choking.

“
I know you’re not shy,” Daisy laughed. Amy turned her face away. Daisy released an awkward sigh. Fresh tears of shame and guilt shone in her eyes. She gently passed her daughter off to her sister. Amy went into her aunt's arms without complaint.

“
She’s beautiful… she’s wonderful," Janette’s voice faltered. “Oh my, Daisy. Oh my.”

“
Come inside,” Daisy said opening the door wider. “I think we should talk.”

****

The phone rang outside of the bathroom. Nina didn’t bother to go for it. Pete had resorted to calling her back to back. His tactic was working. She definitely was unable to keep him off her mind. But for the most part, she refused to act on those urges. There was no telling what message he wanted to deliver.

Nina, baby, I’m sorry. I tried to fight it. I just can’t. Daisy is the one I want and always has been. I mean we were okay, but you know I always loved Daisy. I’m sorry if I hurt you. I won’t be coming back to the Hollow. You take care of yourself. I care.

Nina closed her eyes and pushed the phantom goodbye from her thoughts. The only reason she didn’t turn off the ringer and lessen her torture was because she was on call with the hospital. The round the clock hours were breaking her down. But these days, work was all she had. It was a fair trade.

She faced the vanity in her bathroom, brushing hard, scrubbing her teeth and gums, and lathering her tongue with minty paste almost to the point of frenzy. The phone stopped ringing. Her heart always sank to the bottom of her stomach when it eventually did. Now it clenched so painfully tight.

After all, he was still in Mango Grove. Still there and she was here. If he’d met with Daisy, why did he stay?

Nina closed her eyes. She saw him and Daisy in her mind kissing and reconnecting. She could see him making love to her in the same sweet gentle manner that could reduce her to tears of joy and a jellied mess of emotion and love when he was done. She could see him spooning Daisy at night as he did her, whispering in her ear about things she’d take into her dreams: plans for them to have a bigger place and for his garage to get off the ground were not going to happen. Neither would their dream for her to work fewer hours form.

Her hand went flat to her belly until she heard a knock at the door.

At nine in the morning, who would come knocking? She walked out of the bathroom, toothbrush tightly gripped in her hand. The person knocked again. Their apartment complex was relatively safe even though Andy McQueen moved in downstairs and decided to have
Ozzie Fest
every night around ten o’clock.

When Pete was there and she was trying to sleep, he’d go downstairs and threaten to kick Andy’s ass if he didn’t turn it off. He’d then come back and tuck her in under the covers before crashing with a beer on the sofa in the living room. Pete was so tender and loving.

The knocking again
. Nina's confusion flipped to curiosity. She licked the paste off her lips and ran her hand through her short-cropped curls. “Uh, who is it?”

“
Nina Stevens?”

“
Who is it?”

“
My name is Donovan McBride.”

The name meant nothing, but the voice sounded so strong and official. She immediately took a step back. Turning, she hurried to the bathroom, tossing the toothbrush in the sink and wiping the excess from her mouth.

She returned to the living area and checked her place before opening the door. A man in his mid sixties with a cane stood before her. He was sharply dressed. With a fedora hat on his head and a tailored suit, he was definitely
not
from the Hollow.

“
What do you want?”

“
Aiden Keane sent me. May I come in?”

Nina narrowed her eyes on him. She had heard enough stories on Aiden Keane to be weary of the visitor. She’d seen the man himself with his arrogant smugness as he looked down on her Pete. “I don’t want anything to do with Aiden Keane,” she said, closing the door.

The stranger was quick, placing his cane in between to block it from shutting. “Go away!” Nina reopened it and glared at him. “I have nothing to say.”

“
That’s fine, Ms. Stevens. I have something to say to you. If you care at all for Peter Doyle, you will afford me five minutes. His future and yours depend on it.”

There was such a nonchalant off-handed way of speaking about Pete that it chilled Nina. She stepped back and this man before her walked in as if invited, dragging his foot of led in a balanced limp thanks to his silver tipped cane. He didn’t look around her place or make any move to make himself comfortable. He just stepped in and waited for her to close the door.

“
Is Pete in trouble?”

Donovan nodded, leading her to his greater purpose she couldn’t quite glean.

“
Were you aware that he’s in the middle of a paternity suit?”

“
Paternity?”

“
To decide if Daisy Johnson’s little girl, Amy Locke, is his daughter?”

And then the bottom fell out of her world.

****

“
How old are you?”

Amy put up three fingers. “Four,” she said grinning.

Janette grazed Amy’s cheek with the back of her hand. She drew her in closer and pinched her chin lightly to lift her little face. Daisy observed them both in silence. Her sister kissed her daughter's brow and Amy frowned but endured the unwanted affection. A new daddy had Amy all smiles and giggles, but a strange aunt wasn’t something she was taking to as easily.

“
Why? Why didn’t you tell me? Us? Daisy?” Janette asked once Amy broke free and ran for the protection of her mother.

“
Sweetheart, go finish your cereal. ” She patted her on the bottom. Amy gave Janette another curious look, possibly confused by the resemblance and unsure how to accept it.

“
Okay, mommy,” she said.

“
Wait a second. Can I have another kiss?” Janette asked.

“
I already gave you one,” Amy said, shaking her head no.

“
Go ahead, sweetie.” Daisy gave her a gentle push. Amy frowned, but she gave her aunt a quick peck and then took off. Janette laughed until her eyes sparkled with tears. Daisy moved from the sofa chair over to her sister’s side, and Janette opened her arm to her.

“
Girl, I cannot believe this. You’re a mommy! Wait until I tell Denise, Sandra and… oh sweet merciful God… does mama know?”

“
No,” Daisy said sadly.

“
What's going on with you? I ought to kick a hole in your tail for scaring me the way you have.”

Daisy tried to respond but the tears came instead. They flowed with such force it shocked her. She hugged her sister, unable to utter a word. And to her relief, Janette hugged her back.

“
Okay, it’s okay… hey, stop. It’s okay, seriously,” Janette whispered, rubbing her back. She forced Daisy to look into her eyes. “Baby-girl, I went to that fancy place, Jahi. I told them I was Danielle Locke’s sister. You chose Danielle Locke? At first the name didn’t make any sense… then I remembered that woman from church. She was the fancy rich one from New York that visited when we were kids. The lady that took you shopping in Louisville. You think I forgot? No, I remember when you got your nails and toes done. Danielle Locke was her name. What are you doing here, living like this with that ladies name and keeping my niece away from us like she’s some bad secret? Daisy Marie Johnson, stop crying and talk to me. Those people gave me all kinds of trouble finding you… I had to drive in circles around this beach looking for you. But here you are… here you are… look at you. I've missed you so much.”

“
I’m so sorry, so sorry,” Daisy wept.

“
Hush! Stop crying. It’s me, Daisy. Talk to me. What happened to you? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

To this and the other questions Daisy withdrew. Her arms dropped from Janette and her back straightened as she tugged at the front of her robe, closing it tightly. She wiped at her eyes but looked away. “It’s a long story. First tell me about home. How is mama? Everybody? My nephews. Can you tell me?”