Eighteen: Fall Out

Three weeks after they arrived Cadence and Greg made daily visits and took Liam on many outings. By the fourth week Liam hit five months old and was already trying to crawl. Greg had taken it upon himself to capture Liam’s scooting on camera and played it for me one evening, I cried.

With Greg being so active I finally made time for business involving The Crew. I hadn’t forgotten about the diary Eliza’s cousin Eddie had given me for safe keeping. Something in her writing was a clue to her past that might just help us understand Eliza better and help us find her killer or killers.

By this time Violetta and Sonny had reconciled after Violetta spent a few days with friends of her family to cool off. I didn’t know where their relationship was headed, but Violetta seemed alright at the moment.

“Do you plan on going back to school? We can find you somewhere that has a free full time daycare while you go to class?” Mom suggested and at this time it was early August and everyone was excited to go back.

“No, I’m booked up with Miss Pearl for modeling gigs all month. Stockton went so well it looks like they want to keep me. If I go back to school I’ll lose money,” I pouted and mom looked angry.

“You know there’s more to life than just modeling!” Mom exclaimed,

“doesn’t Greg give you enough money to stay at home?”

“We’re still coming to a deal about how much he needs to pay, but in the meantime he’s taking Liam off my hands so I can breathe a little bit,” I explained as calmly as I could.

Mom and I were sitting outside in the backyard under the patio deck Arthur had installed shortly a week ago. The construction was loud and Liam often had naps interrupted while the saw’s and hammers were going off in the afternoon.

“I think you’re wasting your youth and what will you do about college? You need to start preparing because in three years you’ll be eighteen and on your own,” Mom said and sipped her Sangria.

“I know what I’m doing and I know what’s best for myself,” I said wanting desperately to change the subject.

“Myra, you got a letter in the mail!” Celia called from the sliding glass doors, “who in the world do you know in Iraq?”

It was Eddie’s first letter to me. I couldn’t believe he had actually written me.

“None of your business now hand the letter over,” I said to her getting up so quickly I almost knocked my glass over.

“Here, I don’t need to read it! I have my own love life to worry about,” Celia said with no sign of a grin on her face.

I hadn’t seen David around here in over a week. I wanted to know if the two of them were on the skids, but giving Celia the satisfaction of thinking I was interested in her life was too much for me.

I took my letter from Celia who immediately went back inside and sat back down at the table to read it.

“And may I ask whom the sender of the letter is?” Mom asked and I gave in.

“The guy who took me out to dinner last month, he’s in the army and is back in Iraq and promised to write me,” I explained and read the first line uninterrupted and my heart melted.

Eddie’s letter read:

Hello beautiful,

I arrived safely back at my station and immediately composed this letter. I loved our time together and I hope you stay strong for that little boy of yours.

In our letters we can get to know one another without holding back. I feel when both people let their true colors show that’s how true love develops and I do hope you’re interested in pursuing something more than just casual with me. If I’m being too forward let me know and I’ll scale back a little bit.

In your first letter tell me your hopes and dreams and then I’ll tell you mine.

With much love,

Edward.

By this time the excitement on my face was too much for my mom.

“He wants us to be pen pals!” I squealed and folded his letter neatly back into the envelope.

“If he’s military and you marry him you’ll get all types of benefits and money,” Mom nodded and took another sip of her drink.

“I’m not looking for any benefits or money. Liam’s father can continue to support him just fine. Why should he be let off the hook?” I asked and immediately regretted letting mom in on my friendship with Eddie.

“Myra, you move so fast with these boys I just want you to open your eyes to the ones who are available and winners,” Mom said which was enough for me.

“I need to go do some laundry and wait for Liam to come home,” I said before I excused myself from the table.

It did hurt that Greg wanted to spend time with Liam alone with Cadence. Liam like both of them so much it was hard to say no and the Finster’s didn’t seem opposed to having Liam around and watching him grow.

All seemed calm on that front until my phone rang and after I answered it felt like I'd walked straight into the lion's mouth.

“Hi, my name is Melanie Turner and I’m a legal aid to Mr. Goldstein who’s representing Gregory and Cadence Finster, is this Myra?” Melanie said on the phone in a voice so inviting I didn’t know where this was going.

“Yes, I’m Myra,” I answered treapedly as I climbed the stairs.

“We’re a family law attorney and while Mr. and Mrs. Finster would love to settle this out of court I’m afraid things have become a little confusing. A DNA test was performed on a male child about six months old using DNA from you, Mr. Finster, and said child. We just received the results today and it’s ninety-nine point nine, nine percent that Mr. Finster isn’t the father. We’re willing to retest him, but at this point some troubling words have been exchanged between you and Mr. Finster and he’s been advised to no longer speak with you about paying child support until the second paternity test is done or else we’ll be filing extortion charges against you,” Melanie said in one long swoop and my world felt like it was crimbling.

“How was a DNA test run on my child without my consent?” I asked with tears falling down my face.

“Mr. Finster brought the boy into a DNA testing center under the premise that he was the father. He provided us with a sample of your hair, which matched the little boy’s, however on his end we didn’t determine that Mr. Finster fathered the child,” Melanie said and at this point her voice began sounding so mechanical like she was reading from a script.

“Greg is Liam’s father there aren’t really any other possibilities!” I exclaimed and by this time I was sitting on the chair nearest to my bedroom door almost doubled over in shock.

“As stated Mr. Finster will resubmit the test, but until then we’re asking you to cease and desist from asking and/or receiving any monetary funds for the child in question,” Melanie said however I was quckly becoming angry.

“No, I want all of us to go down to a DNA center of my choice and take the test will all parties aware of what’s going on! No more behind my back sneakiness. If your office doesn’t agree then I’ll be calling my attorney,” I shouted as bravely as I could however my nerve was wavering.

“I’ll speak with Mr. Goldstein and we’ll give you a call back,” Melanie said and the call ended.

I thought we were on good term, how could Greg go behind my back and DNA test Liam using samples of my hair he obtained without my consent? Something wasn’t right, but before I could dive any further into the mess that had become my life I heard Cadence downstairs talking to Celia. I flew out of my room and down the stairs.

Liam was inside his car seat. Cadence was quietly telling Celia some news and Greg stood behind them far enough to watch me like a hawk going in for the rodent he’d been tracking.

“How could you test my son without my permission using samples of my hair that you got only God knows how?” I screamed in a full rage.

“I told my mom to never believe a liar!” Greg rebutted and it took all my strength not to knock him over.

“I’m not a liar! You’re a sneaky rat! Why didn’t you come to me for the DNA test I would’ve been more than happy to provide anything that was needed so Liam can be taken care of properly,” I said with more tears streaming down my face.

“All you ever wanted out of me was a quick buck. You just can’t let me go,” Greg said and headed for the door.

“When your lawyer calls me back I’m having him speak to my lawyer if that’s the game you want to play!” I screamed.

“This isn’t a game Greg started, Myra, we genuinely believe Liam was his, but the DNA test doesn’t lie,” Cadence jumped in which was the wrong thing to do.

“You’re getting in the middle of this because your eggs are rotten and you can’t have babies,” I said pointing my finger dead in her face, “you can’t stand that Greg had a child out of wedlock and you’ll be damned if he supports his seed.”

“Oh, you little w***e!” Greg coming back from the door, charging towards me, and grabbing my hand out of Cadence’s face then twisting it, “we’re doing the test over and if this child is mine I’m filing for sole custody. You have no job, you sleep with anything that walks, and you have a mouth filthier than a sailor’s. You’re an unfit, idiotic, s**t of a mother and I’ll be damned if you keep this child any living inside of this whorehouse!”

I was floored. I had nothing to respond with.

“We’re going and Celia I’ll call you later,” Cadence said to Celia who stood back smirking.

By this time Liam had woken up shrieking in terror. Greg’s voiced echoed

loudly off the high ceiling where the living room and entrance way met. I’d never seen him like this.

Celia turned to go up the stairs and before she reached the top I heard, "I guess this means war."

In all honesty I believe it did.

Author's Note

More chapters coming soon and sorry for the long hiatus!