Redemption(45)

I got on the highway, but traffic was starting to build up. It took a bit longer than I thought, but I was outside her house at five-twenty. I didn’t know why I had to wait. It took everything in my willpower not to get out of the car and knock on her door. I trusted Jimmy, though, and had to find out for myself what the hell he was talking about. At a little after five-thirty, a car pulled up in front of the house. A woman got out, then I saw Tyler open the front door. She smiled, opened her arms, and knelt down. The other woman had the passenger door open and I was craning my neck, desperate to see who was going to emerge from the car.

And then it happened. A little boy, no more than about four-years-old, jumped from the car and leapt into Tyler’s arms. I gasped, unable to breathe. She had a son?

The confirmation came when the little boy shouted, “Mommy!” He hugged her neck tightly.

“How was the party, Jeremy?”

The little boy looked around to the lady who brought him home and smiled. “It was great! They had a clown and everything.”

Tyler gasped. “They did?”

The little boy nodded and Tyler looked at the other lady. She was talking to her, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

The little boy edged out of Tyler’s arms and came running to the letterbox. He stopped when he got there and looked over in my direction.

My heart stopped. The minute his eyes locked onto mine, I knew. He couldn’t possibly be anybody else’s son. He definitely had my eyes. He had Tyler’s hair, but there was no mistaking the signature blue eyes my family seemed to inherit. He was simply beautiful.

As my heart remained in my mouth, Jeremy smiled and pulled out a couple of items from the letterbox. He ran back up to Tyler just as she was saying goodbye to the other lady. Tyler went in, holding Jeremy’s hand, and the other lady drove off.

As they shut the door behind them, I was left with my mind completely fucking blown. I didn’t know what to do. I was stuck to the fucking seat like my life depended on it. She had a child and she never told me? Why? Why would she do something like that to me? I couldn’t fucking believe that shit. Why had I never seen Jeremy before? None of it really added up.

My phone rang. I picked it up, Jimmy sighing on the other end. “I guess you know by now?”

I buried my head in my hand. “How could she not tell me she had a kid?”

“It wasn’t just that, Dean. Have you seen him? He couldn’t look more like you if he tried. The only resemblance to Tyler is his hair.”

I knew it to be true, but hearing Jimmy confirm it undid me. “Fuck!” I slammed my hand onto the steering wheel.

“Don’t lose it, Dean. I know you’ve just had a major shock, but don’t do something you might regret.”

I shook my head, finding clarity in my thoughts. “I won’t, Jimmy. I won’t.”

He sighed. “Okay. I’ll leave you to it. Good luck, man. I’ll be waiting for you.”

I rubbed my hand over my face. “Thanks.”

He ended the call and I just sat there, feeling dizzy. How could she have had a kid and not told me? Where the hell was he the whole time I was pursuing Tyler? What the fuck am I going to do now?

Shit, I didn’t know. All I knew was I had to get out of this car and look that boy in the eyes. I had to be certain he was mine. Then, and only then, I could begin to ask the question why. The thought that she had my child all on her own, without my help or support, killed me. It actually hurt more than knowing she kept it from me. I always dreamt Tyler and I would have kids one day, but not like this. I had dreams of being there with her every step of the way. Through any sickness, any aches and pains and, most precious of all, our first scan together. I wanted to be there when Tyler squealed that the baby was kicking. I wanted to be able to place my hand on her belly and feel my son’s or daughter’s foot against my hand.

I wanted all those things. However, being without all of that was a punishment I deserved. Tyler, on the other hand, didn’t. Not one single fucking bit.

Closing my eyes, I sighed before opening my car door and stepping out. I knew I had to see him for myself. I had to know that he was definitely mine. If I was right about his age, it puts Tyler and me together when she conceived.

As I approached the door, I heard laughter coming from inside of the house. The sound was so hypnotic, it made me stop in my tracks and listen for a moment. It was the sound of Jeremy’s laughter.

As I neared the side of the house, I looked through the cracks of a dodgy-looking wooden fence. Jeremy was riding around in a toy car. It was a Ferrari, of course. It made me smile a little, but the wooden fence didn’t. That needed to be remedied as soon as possible.