Chapter 12: CHAPTER TWELVE

“Hey, you guys wanna go swimming?” She whispered into Jake’s ear. It had been two weeks since she had talked to Dwight. He hadn’t answered his phone at all and had not even bothered to respond to her text messages. The skin under her eyes was slightly darker and her face had more definition. She could not quite understand why he was so upset. Granted, it must have appeared to be something else when he saw her hugging Thomas, but that was all. He had not even given her a chance to explain. Not to mention that she had begun to feel alone. She had been back to the doctors with Kim as her support when the doctor needed to run more tests. And she did fine.

But late at night when her realities came crashing down on her, there was no one else to share the pain, to share the fear. Initially she had thought of backing out of the gathering at Mr. Clarke’s house, but eventually figured it to be something to take her mind off her health. And her love life.

“Hmmm?” Jake nodded sleepily and threw a foot out of bed.

Savannah went to Nicholas’ bed and pulled the covers back. She never understood how such a little kid could turn himself completely around to have his feet on his pillow and his head halfway down the bed. Picking him up, she ushered Jake into the bathroom and washed Nicholas up while Jake tried to hide himself from her. It took her no time at all to get them ready and she was sure that the universe was looking out for her considering the night she had had.

Last night, she had the dream. She was running down the hallway of this big, old house. The walls were dark and covered with portraits of faces with sunken eyes and sallow cheeks. She could hear her own breath, shallow, heavy, and sweat poured down her body as if she was caught in a rainstorm. The moaning pounded at her ear drums, driving her forward. Light from a room at the end of the hallway blinded her and she had to shield her eyes. The crying started then, loud shrieks and howling screams. She ran for what seemed like miles, the eyes of the portraits following her. Finally, winded and covered with sweat, she reached her hand out to touch the doorknob. Flinging the door open, she screamed as she saw her mother being eaten alive by some type of alien-like creature. Savannah lunges at the beast, only to slip on the floors covered with blood. Stretching her body as far as she could, she grabbed hold of her mother’s hand and squeezed tight. She looked back and saw Dwight standing there, looking at her with a blank expression on his face. She reached for him with her free hand, screaming his name. He turned slowly and walked away, and she screamed for him until the beast had consumed her mother and was using razor-like teeth to pull her own flesh from her bones. She had stayed up for the rest of the night, trying to ignore what her subconscious was telling her.

It was a warm Saturday afternoon, as she navigated her way to Duncan Clarke’s house. She had taken extra precautions to make sure that she didn’t look like she had been crying when in fact she had been. Savannah wore cucumber slices under her eyes for two hours and then applied her best, most natural looking concealer.

The Clarke house was immense. Savannah pulled into the driveway that started near the road and wound all the way up until it reached the door. Four massive columns lined the area in front of the door, two on each side. Large, immaculately trimmed bushes stood on either side of those columns. The massive wooden door looked more like it belonged on a castle and not a house. Though the house itself was large and seemed to overshadow the other properties near it, the landscaping softened the exterior. Hedges of various heights and assorted shades of green outlined the brick walkway. Other flowers, in different shades of blues, pinks, and purples lined the exterior of the house. She immediately felt under dressed and wiped her hands down the front of her jeans and black peasant top.

Savannah helped her boys out of the car, and they all stared at the house, tongues silenced. Nicholas pulled on a flower until it came out of the ground. Savannah snatched it and looked around nervously as she tried to stuff it back. Jake came over and tried to help her put it back but only managed to pull another one out.

“Ma’am. You can just leave that there.” An older black man approached her. He smiled at the boys and took the flowers from her hand. “You must be looking for the party. Right this way.”

Savannah flushed and followed him to a backyard. If it could be called that. There was a large, rectangular pool on the right side of the yard, surrounded by a small white gate. There was a deck set up near the pool and it was littered with people and children and floaty toys. Jake’s eyes lit up when he saw the pool. He loved the water.

To the left of the yard must have been set up for the people who had other ideas of entertainment. Several mini cabanas had been set up, white fabric serving as the roof to block the sun. An outdoor bar was nearby, and she could see a young woman making and serving drinks. There stood a massive grill surrounded by large trees and tall flowers. Duncan was standing behind it wearing khaki shorts and a ‘Kiss the Chef” apron. He was standing amongst a large crowd and waving his barbecue fork. Jake’s eyes were glued to the large moon bounce set up in the middle of the yard. There was also a swing set and slide nearby and a smaller pool off to the side. She picked Nicholas up and ushered Jake towards the grill.

“There you are. So glad you could make it.” Duncan handed his grilling utensils to a younger man standing near him. He enveloped her in a warm embrace. “And these are your boys. They look just like you.” He shook their hands and made silly faces. Jake looked at the man as if he had lost his mind. Nicholas was completely amused.

“Your house is amazing!” She commented, still looking around the large space.

“Thanks. Can’t take credit for it. My late wife was the designer extraordinaire. Is it okay if he plays on the moon bounce with the other kids?”

“Yea. That’s fine. Be careful Jake.” After handing her his shoes, he took off across the yard and dove into the moon bounce. Nicholas started squirming in her arms and she struggled to keep a grip on him.

“My daughter is here. She loves kids. She can keep an eye on him for you while you relax. She has her own daycare.” Duncan called out to a pretty brown-skinned woman who was a spitting image of him. She wasn’t tall like him, but she had his nose and his big smile. She walked over with her hand extended. “This is Allison.”

“Nice to meet you.” Savannah grabbed her hand.

“He is so cute! Look at his little sandals!” Allison smiled. Nicholas reached out for her.

“I think he wants you.” Savannah nodded for Allison to take her son.

“Is it okay, really?” She asked, reaching for him. Savannah watched as her son giggled as Allison made faces and spoke in funny voices. Savannah knew that Nicholas was a great judge of character and refused to go to anyone he didn’t like. The fact that she was able to make him laugh assured Savannah that Allison’s daycare was probably successful. “Can I take him over to the moon bounce or the pool. He might have fun there.”

“Um. That’s fine. I should tell you that he has asthma. Here’s his bag. And I didn’t bring trunks for them.”

“Them?” Allison looked around.

“Yea. See that little guy there? With the brown shirt on? That’s Jake. Keep an eye out for him too if you don’t mind.” Her father responded, pointing in the direction of Jake, who was standing in line with some other boys at the moon bounce.

“Not at all. There may be some trunks around here.” With that, Allison and Nicholas disappeared.

“Poor thing. Loves kids. But there was an accident when she was younger and now, she can’t have any.” He paused. “I want to show you around, introduce you to some people.” Duncan placed his hand on her back and led her through the yard. He had quite a few employees there and lots of family. He introduced her by her name and her business title, which made her feel more accomplished. Everyone seemed nice and they loved her boys. She saw a few of the older women squeezing Jake’s cheeks and hugging all over him.

“I’m looking for my nephew and his crazy baby mother. I know he’s here. Between me and you, he can do so much better. His kid is around here somewhere too. But let’s get some meat on those bones first.”

Savannah was hardly thinking about men. Dwight still had not called her nor had he returned her calls. He was being totally unreasonable. But she knew all along that his true side would emerge. Even though he had been there for her initially, she knew it would all change. She felt a chill rush across her arms and was glad that she had decided to wear some dark blue jeans and her favorite black top. She would have felt out of place and been cold if she had worn the outfit her sister suggested. A black baby doll dress and wedge heels. Quite overdressed indeed.

Savannah sat around with Duncan and some members of his office and family for a while. She was thoroughly enjoying the conversation. It had been a while since she was able to talk about adult things to other people. She sipped her tea and occasionally peeked over at her boys. She watched in awe as Duncan regaled the crowd with stories of how he worked with his father making shirts by hand and how he inherited the small business and made it successful.

Moments later she was squirming in her seat, wishing she had drunk something other than tea. “Is there a bathroom near here?”

One of the women sitting near her pointed to the pool house. Savannah made her way over, waving to her sons as she passed them. Allison, who was sitting on the edge of the pool, was watching Jake like a hawk. Savannah sighed with relief. With so many crazy people in the world, it was comforting to know that there were still good people out there who were as vigilant about her children as she was.

The pool house looked more like a New York City apartment than a place to change for the pool. The walls were colored with a soft beige color. A large bed flanked one of the walls and was covered with what seemed like a hundred pillows. Chocolate chairs made up a sitting area in front of the bed. A large painting hung on the wall above the bed. The floor tiles were a smoky gray shade and looked cool. She fingered the trinkets on top of the dresser near the door. She found the door to the bathroom and closed it behind her. A few moments later, Savannah walked out and noticed Duncan lingering nearby. “Everything okay?”

“Sure.” She adjusted her tank top strapped.

“I’ve found my nephew.” He paused. “And his daughter’s mother is here. But I’m sure that when he sees you, he will forget all about her.”

“I appreciate it, but I don’t want to ruin someone’s relationship, even if you don’t think she’s right for him.”

“I know. And I hate to put you in this situation. But just meet him for me, okay?” He smiled. She noticed how handsome of a man he was. Salt and pepper hair trimmed neatly to his head, a small moustache curving around his lips. And he smelled good. There was nothing like a man that smelled good. Yet something about his face seemed familiar and she couldn’t place it. “He’s a good guy. Taking good care of his little girl. He has custody. He works hard. He’s wanted a boy so he should be happy with the fact that you have two. This woman is bad for him even if she is the mother of his kid.” Duncan turned to walk away, and she figured that he wanted her to follow him.

“Duncan, I—” She stammered, as she walked quickly behind him. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

“I’m just stating some facts.” He paused and looked straight ahead. “Here they are now.”

Savannah looked up and saw a couple with their backs turned to her. The woman was a few feet shorter than the man. Her short bob shone in the sun. She was wearing a very nice turquoise track suit and white tennis shoes. The man wore khakis and a tee shirt. From behind, they looked like a nice couple.

“Savannah, I want you to meet my nephew, Dwight.”

The figure turned and Savannah was staring into familiar eyes. It hit her then why Duncan’s eyes were so familiar. The same set were in Dwight’s head. When he saw her, he dropped the cup to the ground, splashing its contents on Sandra, who was standing next to him. Sandra’s expression turned sinister when she locked eyes with Savannah and looped her arm through his. Dwight struggled to free his arm, but she had a grip on it. Duncan looked from his nephew to Savannah.

Dwight could not believe his eyes. But he knew for sure what her expression meant. He grabbed Sandra’s fingers and peeled them back as he snatched his arm from her. God, Savannah looked good. He loved women who dressed simply, and her blue jeans fit her perfectly. But he didn’t even want to risk telling her so. The murderous gleam in her eye confirmed that he had made the right choice to refrain from compliments.

“Savannah? Are you okay?” Duncan put his hand on her shoulder.

“Yes. Dwight and I have met before. Small world, isn’t it Dwight? “The words hardly escaped through her clenched teeth.

“Sav. “.

Duncan, clearly not missing the tension in the air, took Savannah by the shoulder. “I’d love to show you a few of the new suit designs I’ve been working on. This way.” He ushered her towards the house but not before tossing a frown back towards his nephew.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Sandra reached for his hand.

Dwight turned to face her. “I know I said that you could come here, but I said that so you could spend time with Izzy. You and I are through. That’s it.”

Sandra tossed her drink on him and stormed away. Dwight wiped his face with his free hand and scanned the yard looking for his daughter. It wasn’t beyond Sandra to snatch her and hold her as some type of collateral until she got what she wanted. She had done it before. He tried to pretend that he didn’t notice the eyes glaring at him as he stalked around the yard, Sandra’s drink running down his face and onto his shirt. He spotted Izzy playing in the moon bounce and he walked over to her.

“Daddy, you made a mess.” She said, pointing to the stain on his shirt.

“Yeah.” He said absently, pulling her from the moon bounce. She chatted wildly as she walked beside him, unaware of the conflict between him and her mother. He had to find Savannah.

Savannah had followed Duncan, her chest heaving as she thought back to seeing Dwight with Sandra. Once inside his home office, Duncan handed her a glass of cold water. Savannah tried to force the clear liquid down her tight throat but only managed to take in a few drops. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” He said apologetically.

“It’s okay. Not your fault.”

“So just how long have you known my nephew? “

“Just briefly. A few months.”

“I see. Well, we can still have a nice time here. You don’t have to leave.”

Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him. “I’m sorry but I have to go. I just can’t pretend that he isn’t out there. The party was lovely.” She smiled up at him.

“Well, I’ll just have to have you over again. I am really sorry about all this.”

“Thank you.” She waved to him and headed to the pool to look for her boys. She thanked Allison and reached for Nicholas. Allison smiled weakly at her as Savannah grabbed Jake’s hand leading him towards their car. She could feel the eyes on her, and she held her head high as she stormed off the property. Dwight jogged up to her, handing Izzy off to someone standing nearby.

“Don’t do this. Let me talk to you.” Savannah rolled her eyes. “Savannah,” Dwight called to her. Jake had fastened himself in. She fumbled with the seatbelt for Nicholas until Jake took it and fastened it with ease. When she closed the door, Dwight was standing in front of her. Sandra was a few feet away and Duncan was just rounding the corner.

“Savannah. I know what this looks like.” He said, reaching for her hand.

“Let her go baby. She’s not good enough for you anyway.” Sandra appeared at her side, brushing up against her. Savannah balled her fist up and swung, landing a fist right in the center of Sandra’s eye. Sandra screamed and grabbed her face. Dwight lunged forward, trying to grab Savannah by the arm but Savannah had hopped in her car and backed out of the driveway. She refused to rub her hand even though it was throbbing with pain.