Fort Lupton (17 page)

“
But LaTonya,
she . . .”

“
She’s not you,” Tanesha
said.

She looked down at the sheet of paper half
pulled out of the envelope.

“
You want to know what’s
on this paper or you want to stall some more?” Tanesha
asked.

“
Uh . . .”

He looked up at her and she pulled the sheet
out.

“
You read it,” he
said.

She read the form. Her face went blank and
she blinked a few times before folding it. She shoved the letter
into the back pocket of her jeans.

“
What are we going to do
about dinner?” Tanesha asked. “Every place is closed.”

“
Oh, sorry,” Jeraine
said.

“
Come on,” Tanesha said.
“I’ll make sandwiches.”

She left his office. He caught up with her
on the stairs. He tugged the letter out of her back pocket.
Stopping at the top of the stairs, he opened the letter.

He was Jabari’s father.

Annette was not Jabari’s mother.

He read it again.

Annette was not Jabari’s biological
mother.

“
Lucky you have good
lawyers!” Tanesha yelled from the kitchen.

At the sound of her voice, he looked up.
Looking down, he read it again.

Annette was not Jabari’s mother.

Who was?

~~~~~~~~

Thursday night — 9:30 p.m.

Valerie paced back and forth in the main
Castle kitchen. Everyone who lived here was either with Charlie or
with Blane or asleep. Of course, Valerie couldn’t go see Charlie or
Blane. No matter how much she cared, her appearance created crazy
crowds. Valerie was once again held hostage by the paparazzi.

“
And why is that?” she
asked her infant, Jackie, who was sleeping in her car seat on the
counter. “That’s right — another stranger made up something else
about me and my career.”

As if Jackie had responded, Valerie nodded.
She went back to pacing back and forth for a few minutes. Then she
walked to the back door and opened it.

Mike was in his studio just beyond the
garden. She peered out.

He should be here! He should help her! He
should . . .

She scowled at herself. It was very rare for
Mike to be caught up in a storm of inspiration. He needed her to be
stable and calm. He’d asked her to give him a tiny bit of stable
and calm time while he worked on this piece. Mike had given up a
lot to be her husband. When she went back to work, he’d have to
give up his studio.

He still came to bed every night, like he
promised.

He still ate breakfast with her every
morning, like he promised.

He still took care of Jackie in the
afternoon while Valerie worked out, like he promised.

He’d kept all of his promises. She needed to
keep hers.

Nodding to herself, she closed the door.

“
Feeling a little crazy?”
Jacob’s voice came from behind her.

She spun in place.

“
What’s it to you?”
Valerie asked.

“
No wonder Mike left you
for a younger woman,” Jacob said as he walked to the
cupboard.

“
Very funny,” Valerie
said.

He took out the Cap’n Crunch with Crunch
Berries. He held up the box to her.

“
Want some?” Jacob
asked.

“
No! I do not want some,”
Valerie’s voice rose with anger. “You
know
I’m dieting. I’ve got to get
ready for this part! I have to lose five more baby pounds. Jeez,
Jacob! Could you be less supportive?”

“
I could.” Jacob nodded.
“Sure. You want me to start now?”

“
I can’t believe you,
Jacob Marlowe.”

“
I thought you were fired
from that film,” Jacob said.

“
Fired?” Valerie gaped at
him.

“
That’s what they say on
the Internet,” Jacob said. “And that magazine whose editor wants in
your pants.”

He shook the box.

“
Cereal?”

Valerie picked up a kitchen towel and threw
it at him. He laughed. Setting the box down, he got out the milk
and a bowl. She went back to pacing, although now it was more like
stomping from one end of the kitchen to the other. Jacob watched
her for a moment before filling the bowl with cereal. He poured the
milk and turned to put it back in the refrigerator. When he turned
back, Valerie was mid-bite with his spoon. She smirked and put the
cereal in her mouth. He got out another spoon, and they shared the
bowl.

“
What’s got your goat?” he
asked between bites.

“
Goat?”

“
The tabloids have been
saying crap about you for years,” Jacob said. “Why’s this a big
deal?”

“
They said that Mike and I
are in a big fight,” Valerie said. “They said he won’t go with me
to film the movie. They said he’s leaving and taking
Jackie.”

His mouth full, Jacob wobbled his head back
and forth to indicate that this was a common theme.

“
I know,” Valerie said,
and took a bite of cereal. She chewed for a moment.

“
Did you and Mike get in a
big fight?” Jacob asked.

“
No.”

“
Why’s Mike sleeping in
his studio?” Jacob asked.

“
He’s not,” Valerie
said.

“
So Mike’s not sleeping in
his studio,” Jacob said. “You’re getting ready for the big romance
movie. ”

“
It’s delayed,” she
said.

“
So what?” Jacob asked.
“The bigger the movie, the more likely it’s going to be
delayed.”

“
Yeah, but the tabloids
said it was because of the big fight, you know, the one Mike and I
had,” Valerie said.

“
Did you have a big
fight?” Jacob asked.

“
No, I just told you
that.”

“
Didn’t you take another
part while you wait?” Jacob asked.

“
Elizabeth Proctor,
The
Crucible
,” Valerie said. “We’re
filming in Salem for the next few months.”

Jacob refilled the bowl to keep from asking
her again what her real problem was. She patted the cereal with her
spoon to get it wet in the milk. Unable to stand it anymore, he set
his spoon down.

“
Why does this make you so
mad?” Jacob asked. “These same websites and magazines have said you
were gay, having orgies right here in the Castle, abandoning your
family, anorexic, too fat to work . . . Mike’s
supposedly left you a thousand times.”

“
At least,” Valerie
snorted.

“
So . . .?”
Jacob raised his spoon and shrugged.

She used the opportunity to eat a couple
quick bites of cereal.

“
Are you having your
period?” Jacob asked the question he knew would make her
mad.

Like she did when they were kids, Valerie
knuckle punched him three times fast in the arm.

“
Ow!” Jacob
said.

They ate cereal in guarded silence. After a
few minutes, he made a loud sigh.

“
There aren’t a lot of
parts for older actresses,” Valerie said. “If I have another baby,
I’ll lose my one chance, and I . . .”

“
Another baby?” Jacob
asked.

“
I was thinking
maybe . . .” Valerie nodded.

“
What about this movie you
crammed into your schedule?” Jacob asked. “What about the big
romance and the blockbuster and the movie after that?” Jacob asked.
“You’re booked out for the next three years!”

“
I know,” Valerie
said.

“
But?”

“
But what if I get too old
and can’t have babies?” Valerie asked. “I mean, you broke the curse
and everything. I could have a son
and . . .”

“
Mom wasn’t exactly young
when she had me,” Jacob said. “Or you.”

“
I know,” Valerie said.
“That’s why I should . . .”

“
Have you talked to Mike?”
Jacob cut her off.

“
Yes,” Valerie
nodded.

“
About this? Having a baby
right now?”

“
No,” Valerie
said.

Jacob gave a slight nod.

“
Want more?” he asked,
pointing to the empty bowl with his spoon. She shook her
head.

“
I know you’re thinking
something and just not saying,” Valerie said. “What are you
thinking?”

Jacob looked at her and sighed. To stall for
time, he turned around and put the cereal back into the cupboard.
She picked up the bowl so he couldn’t avoid her by putting it into
the dishwasher.

“
What?” she
asked.

“
I think you’re nervous
about leaving,” Jacob said. “It’s
been . . .”

“
A long time,” Valerie
said.

“
Since you worked,” Jacob
said.

“
I did that animated
movie,” Valerie said.

“
On camera. Worked on
camera,” Jacob said.

Valerie nodded.

“
Next week, you and Mike
will leave for LA again. You’ll stay with Seth, sure, but you won’t
be here. You won’t spend all day with Jackie. After a week or so,
it’s off to Salem, of all places.”

Thinking about what he’d said, Valerie
tapped her lips with the spoon.

“
Do you want to do this
new movie?” Jacob asked.

Valerie nodded.

“
It’s a good part,”
Valerie said. “I’ve never been tapped for this kind of serious
acting. It’s the kind of part that, if I’m able to do it, will
change my career. I’d never have been asked if the actress they
cast hadn’t been in a car accident. They only asked because the
romance was delayed and they were desperate. It’s kind of a movie
of a lifetime.”

“
And?”

“
I don’t want to leave,”
Valerie said.

“
Maybe they’d move the
film,” Jacob said.

“
Not a chance,” Valerie
said. “Historical accuracy.”

Jacob held his arms out to hug her. She
looked at him.

“
What?” Valerie
asked.

“
I love you, too,” Jacob
said. “We’ll miss you terribly.”

“
But I’ll miss the boys’
first steps,” Valerie said. “And Charlie — how can I help him if
I’m thousands of miles away? And Katy? Keenan and Ivy have been so
busy learning to read, buying clothing, and getting settled that I
have barely seen them. And Nash? I won’t be able to play video
games with him and MJ. And Maggie? She’s so perfect
and . . . Sissy’s positively freaked out about going
to the ballet company and . . . Mike’s going to miss
Noelle. Me too.
 I
mean, my best friend just had her first child!
What kind of a friend am I to just leave?
 
And . . . You
know, Dad’s not exactly a spring chicken.”

“
We’ll miss you too,”
Jacob said. “We’ll Skype every week at the very least, and you can
always come home when you have breaks.”

“
But?”

“
Your life is stagnant
here,” Jacob said. “You’ve participated in Lipson drama, but that’s
not enough for you. You need to do what you love.”

Jacob shrugged.

“
So do I,” Jacob said. “So
do Charlie and Nash and Katy and Keenan and Ivy and Noelle and
Sissy. We have to be role models for Maggie and Jackie and even my
boys.”

Valerie stepped close to him, and he hugged
her. She pressed her face against Jacob’s shoulder.

“
You can’t live your life
as half a person,” Jacob said.

“
It’s the things you are
passionate about that make you whole,” Valerie said. “Thanks
Mom.”

Laughing, Jacob stepped back. He put the
bowl in the dishwasher.

“
Will you bring the boys
and Katy to see me?” Valerie asked.

“
Sure,” Jacob said.
“Depending on finances, of course.”

Valerie nodded. Mike came through the
backdoor. He looked at Valerie and then at Jacob.

“
Hey,” Mike said to Jacob,
who raised a hand and left for the loft. “What’s going
on?”

“
Tabloid stuff,” Valerie
said.

“
Again?” Mike asked. “You
should have come to get me.”

“
I didn’t want to bother
you,” Valerie said.

“
Thanks,” He gave her a
peck on the lips. “Feeling better?”

She nodded. He grabbed the box of Cap’n
Crunch from the cupboard.

“
You wanna head up?” he
asked.

She nodded. He put the cereal down next to
Jackie and came around the counter. With ease, he lifted her into
his arms. He set the box of cereal on her lap and even managed to
grab the handle of Jackie’s car seat.

“
What’s all this?” she
asked.

“
Time for bed,” he
said.

He carried her upstairs to their
apartment.

Special

Friday morning — 7:25 am

Katy yanked on Jacob’s hand. They stood at
the entrance to the Denver Zoo, and she wanted to go ahead to see
the elephants. Jacob pulled her back to him and picked her up. The
zoo didn’t open for a couple of hours. They were there for a
special viewing.