I folded the notebook papers back up and put them in the top dresser drawer. I would make copies of them in Trey's office. I wanted my father to read them. I had to smile as I recalled that my father had left out one important part of the story: the part where my mom had awakened him during their only night together wanting more. Did he think my knowing that would somehow make me think less of her? Dad needed to understand how I rolled.
I finished up cleaning out all of the closets before Jean was ready to leave. I paid her and said that I would see her on Thursday.
Preston was ready to eat so I got some of the pureed food out to see how she did with it. I had made some banana mixed with rice cereal. The Baby M.D. website I visited said it would keep her bowel movements firm.
She loved the taste of it ready for more each time she took a spoonful. She even made the "Mmmm" sound. She finished a small jar and I cleaned her face up. I settled down the on couch in the living room with her and turned on the flat screen. I raised my shirt up as I hadn't put a bra on yet today and let her have at it.
Trey called while I was still nursing her. I grabbed my Blackberry from the coffee table.
"Hey you," he said, "I miss you."
My butterflies swirled as I smiled into the phone.
"I miss you too Trey."
We had spent a great week together under less than desirable circumstances. We always managed to get through it.
"What are you doing?"
"I just finished feeding Preston and now she's getting a little 'num-num' before I put her down for her afternoon nap. I've been cleaning out closets all morning."
"You didn't get rid of any of my stuff did you?"
"Of course not honey," I lied.
(I was beginning to see that Trey was a bit of a hoarder when it came to his clothes.)
"Trey I found something pretty interesting in my closet?"
"What? More of those damned sex toys that Gina bought for you?"
"How did you know that they were in there?"
(He obviously has snooped in my closet at some point in time!)
"What did you find?" he asked anxious to change the subject.
"One of those blue velvet jewelry boxes had a false bottom I discovered when I knocked it over. There were diary notes in it that my mother had written."
"Really?" he asked, genuinely interested.
"Yeah - it was kind of surreal reading them. They're about when she and my father had their night together; about being pregnant and about me being born."
"I'd like to read them," he said.
"I want you to read them. Hey, have you ever heard about babies being born under a veil?"
"That's a new one to me," he replied.
"Well apparently I was according to my mother's notes. At least that's what the mid-wife or witchdoctor told her at the time," I chuckled.
"I think I will look it up online."
"Okay baby. I will see you this evening then. What's for dinner?"
"Turkey croquets," I replied.
"Tylar next year can we please get a smaller turkey?"
CHAPTER 39
I had scanned my mother's handwritten notes and saved them as a .pdf file. I attached the file to an email and sent it to my father. I texted him that he had an email from me with an attachment that he needed to read. I asked him to call me after he had read it.
Our landline rang at 8:30 that evening. It was Dad.
"Tylar," he said his voice full of emotion. "Where did you find those notes?"
"There was a false bottom in one of those blue jewelry boxes you gave to Mom. I found it by accident the other day when I was cleaning my closet. I had no idea those were in there. They look to be particular pages she had torn out of a notebook."
I wondered if the notebook they originated from was still in existence. Perhaps she had always kept a diary. For some reason she may have wanted to hide those pages since they were rather explicit. Speaking of which -
"Dad it seems as if you left something out when you were relaying to me what happened the night that you met my mother."
He cleared his throat clearly uncomfortable that I had brought that up.
"Tylar," he said with a heavy sigh, "I just didn't want you to think that your mother was anything but a sweet and innocent girl who I violated that night. It was my fault."
"I don't think my mother felt violated for very long, Dad," I smiled. "You had to find some comfort in that right?"
"I did," he replied. "I also found comfort in the fact that she loved me. I am in despair however knowing this now and wondering why she wouldn't have come to me for help and protection. It's my fault she's gone," he said his voice breaking. "I'm the reason for everything bad that has ever happened to you my darling daughter."
"Dad - please."
It was upsetting to me to hear his self-loathing.
"I'm sorry Tylar," he said his composure having returned, "Is Trey home?"
"Yes he's right here why?"
"I need to speak with him about some matters. Can you put him on the phone?"
(What the hell could he tell Trey that he couldn't tell me?)
"Trey," I said taking the phone into the living room.
"It's Judge Tylar for you."
Trey gave me a strange look and took the phone.
"Your Honor?"
Trey was listening intently to everything my father was telling him. He occasionally nodded and gave an 'I see' or an 'I agree.' The conversation then shifted to something different. My father wanted me to visit him and bring Preston if Trey had no issues with it before Christmas.
"That is perfectly fine with me, sir," he said. "I will make their flight arrangements. There is a matter of accommodating the baby though."
My father must have said something in response.
"Yes that is wonderful. I'll have Tylar get back to you just as soon as the arrangements have been made. I will tell her sir. Good night."
I was glaring at Trey wanting him to spill the gist of the conversation.
"Don't give me the hateful look Tylar. Your dad wanted to talk to me. Must be a kind of old-fashioned guy who still thinks the man rules the roost."
"Don't worry. I will set him straight about our roost when I'm down there now what did he say."
"He has certainly moved quickly on all of this. Of course being a federal judge has its perks you know."
"Anyway search warrants are being served as we speak by federal authorities to search Matthew Renaud's home, vehicles, phone records, confiscate his hard drive and any other software communication device in his possession or in his name. Along with that, a search is being done on the vehicle that Maggie had and ditched which was impounded to find any traces of Matthew's involvement in Preston's abduction."
"Why couldn't Dad just tell
me
that?"
"Honey I think he also wanted to see if I had a real issue with parting with you and the baby for a few days to come and see him. It's actually kind of sweet. When I asked him about accommodating the baby he said that he had already had a room furnished as a nursery for her and his housekeeper would serve as a nanny at your whim."
"Really?" I asked.
"Sweetheart you do know that you father is a millionaire several times over right?"
"Do federal judges make all that?" I asked surprised.
"They make a nice living baby but your father's wealth also comes from the estate of his deceased wife. She came from a very prominent family. She was an only child so when her parents died, she inherited big time."
Something bothered me about all this. I had believed that my father had fallen in love with my mother. I also felt that the fact he had told her that he could not get out of his impending marriage pointed toward something else. I recalled her diary entry where a month or so before I was born he was appointed as a federal judge. I needed to understand the politics of this.
"Trey, can I ask you something?"
"Baby you don't need to ask me if you can ask me something. We're husband and wife so there are no secrets. Ask away."
"Well this is nothing personal about us. I just need to know something about how things work with appointments to federal judgeships, Supreme Court appointments that sort of thing?"
"I'll tell you what I know; the rest will be strictly my opinion on the matter."
"Did the fact that my father was engaged to a woman who came from an extremely wealthy family as you just indicated have helped him attain that appointment to the federal bench?"
"Honey it's a little more complicated than that. Federal Judges are appointed by the President as openings occur. Unlike Supreme Court justices they don't require approval by both parties. They are appointed for life. I guess my short answer is that it is possible if your father's wife's family had a lot of political clout that might have served your father well in getting that appointment. It doesn't mean that there were any payoffs or bribes. I would doubt that very much. His district isn't one that would have key legislation crossing it."
"I am looking forward to this trip to Baton Rouge Trey."
I needed to see how my father rolled.
Trey got on the phone making arrangements for next week. Gina was due to move in this coming weekend and I needed to be here to help her get settled and referee any arguments that might ensue between her and Trey.
It was if Gina was psychic. My Blackberry chimed right then and the caller i.d. showed it was her.
"Hey Girlfriend," I said when I answered.
"Tylar, I am so pissed!" she yelled into the phone.
"What's wrong?" I asked wondering what the hell was up.
"Tristan and I just had our first fight and it was a fucking doozy!"
"Is he down here?" I asked.
"Of course not," she snapped.
"We had a fucking argument on the phone. He is not 'allowing' me - did you catch the operative word there 'allowing'?"
"Yes," I replied rolling my eyes, "Please finish."
"He is not permitting me to rename my club 'The Shady Lady' just like I had planned for months!"
"Well did he give you a reason Gina?"
"Yeah. He said it wasn't fucking conducive to the type of atmosphere he was trying to portray with adding the dinner menu during the weeknights. I suppose he doesn't think it's classy enough."
"Well can't you two talk it out and come to some type of a compromise?"
"Compromise? Compromise? He is so freaking bull-headed Ty! He might have some of that Hot Nazi shit running through his bloodline as well!"
"Gina," I said with a hint of exasperation in my voice, "How did you leave it between you two?"
"He said that we would discuss it when he's back next week. Then - and listen to this girlfriend - he says 'end of conversation Gina'."
I got a smile on my face recognizing one of Trey's signature responses to me.
"I mean do you fucking believe that Ty?
Him
telling
me
it's the end of the conversation? Oh hell no!"
"Gina I am sure that everything will work out fine and that you and Tristan will reach some sort of a compromise when he is back here and you two are - - "
"Are
what
Ty?"
"Having a fuckfest," I said, barely getting the words out before I broke into laughter.
"Hmmph," she said haughtily.
"It will be a cold day in hell before he gets inside my knickers again!"
"Gina - take a bath and relax. It will be fine I promise you. Look I've got to go and get Preston ready for bed. I will talk to you tomorrow and let you know what’s been going on with me today. There have been all kinds of surprises."
"Ok - call me," she ordered before hanging up.