CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Lisa pulled her board off its rack and set it on the grass and heard her mom walk out to the patio. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, baby.” Collapsing on the lounge, she swept her hair up. “You’ve spent a lot of time in the water lately.”
“August is one of the best months for south swells. Can’t leave all those good waves for the boys.”
“True, but I’m guessing you’re out there because there’s something that needs to be worked out.”
Shrugging, she bent down on the grass and started rubbing wax on her board. “Life is a little crazy right now and being out in the water is the only thing allowing me to stay sane.”
“Are you going to tell me what that means before you surf, or do I need to wait until later?”
Leaning back on her knees, she ran her hand over her board. “I still remember the first time Dad pushed me into a wave and how much I loved it. He let out that wild whoop that we all used to laugh at and, to this day, it’s still the purest form of joy I’ve ever heard.”
Gabriella closed her eyes and smiled. “I remember how much he enjoyed being out in the water with you. It meant the world to him that he could share one of his hobbies with you.”
“I can still hear his voice when I’m out there. He loved testing me on where the channels were, so he didn’t have to worry when I was out there with my friends.”
“He never wanted a sneaker set to come up and have you not prepared to handle it.”
“Those were the most fun and, if I got in trouble, there were always enough locals to pull me out.”
“Which gave us both a lot of peace.”
“You think men like Daddy still exist?”
“I’m not sure, but I’d like to think so since I want you and Carissa to find someone at least half as good as your father.”
“Me too.”
“What about Ace? I thought things were going well between you two.”
Standing, she threw her block of wax into a bucket and walked over, sitting down next to her mother. “Looks like he’s going to be a daddy and I’m trying not freak out.”
Gabriella took her daughter’s hand and squeezed. “I’m sorry. That is going to make things difficult.”
“Massive understatement, Mom.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I have no idea.”
“Do you think he could be the one you fall in love with?”
Looking up, she winced. “Seems I kind of already have.”
“Had a feeling that was the case.”
“How?”
“The way you looked at him during dinner.”
“There is a part of me that wishes I didn’t because then I could walk away from Ace, Victoria, and the baby they share.” Resting her head on her mom’s shoulder, she felt her smooth out her hair. “I don’t want to have to deal with someone else’s baby while I build a relationship with Ace.” She closed her eyes and twisted her hands together. “And, yes, I know how crappy that sounds. It’s selfish and makes me feel like a very small, closed-minded person.”
“It’s okay to admit how you feel because, once you get it out there, it’s easier to deal with.”
“This whole thing is making it very hard to hold on to my illusions that I’m a decent human being.”
“You are decent, and your feelings are completely understandable.”
“But the baby is innocent and doesn’t deserve to have someone in its life that is resentful.”
“Which is why facing those feelings now gives you plenty of time to accept and transform them into something positive. If you denied them, then they’d just come back that much stronger, and that wouldn’t be good for anyone.”
“Do you think I can, Mom?”
“Absolutely. You have the strength and capacity to do anything you set your mind to. If Ace is the man you’ve fallen in love with, then you have to find a way to come to peace with the baby.”
“I’m pissed that I have to and, again, I know that makes me sound very spoiled and immature.”
“It’s okay to be angry at the situation; just don’t stay there. And if you can’t find a way out, then you need to walk away from Ace. The only way this thing has a prayer of succeeding is if you enter it with an open heart and no expectations.”
“That’s very enlightened, Mom.”
Gabriella let out a laugh. “I’m trying, sweetie, because living without your father has made it necessary.”
Lifting her head, she kissed her mom’s cheek. “I wish you didn’t have to.”
“Me too, but there isn’t a choice, so I have to find a way to be as happy as I can until we’re reunited in the afterlife.”
“Do you think there is one?”
“I do. And if I find out there isn’t one, I’ll be pissed because I want to believe Daddy and I will be together again.”
“Me too, Mom.”
“Can you picture a life without Ace?”
“I’ve tried since he broke the news the other day, and as hard as I try, I can’t seem to.”
“Then you have your answer. Now, all you have to do is transform your frustration and fear into acceptance and begin to frame the situation differently.”
“Can I be mad for a little bit longer and pretend like I can walk away from Ace?”
“You can do whatever you want and, sweetie, you still have that as an option. It won’t make you a bad person if you decide this is something you can’t handle.”
“I don’t want to do that. I want to be a better more enlightened person who handles it with grace.”
“You can be either one, and the world will continue to spin.”
Lisa stood and looked out at the ocean. “I’m going down to the beach and pray I have some sort of revelation when I’m out there.”
Gabriella stood and brushed her hand over her daughter’s cheek. “I’ll see you when you get back. Do you want to stay for dinner?”
“What are you making?”
“Deliciousness.”
Letting out a laugh, she nodded. “So, the same thing you’ve been making my whole life.”
“Pretty much.”
“I’d love to stay and eat.”
“Have fun, and I’ll have dinner ready around seven.”
“Okay, I’ll be back in plenty of time.” Walking over to the basket that held her wetsuit, she grabbed it along with her board and headed for the gate, hoping she found the peace she so badly needed.
***
Ace walked into Kevin’s office and shook hands with the lawyer. “Thanks for taking the time to meet with me.”
“No problem,” Kevin replied. “I know how hard this situation is, and I could easily be in your shoes.”
Ace took a seat and crossed his leg over his knee. “As I told you over the phone, Victoria has informed me that I’m the father, and I need to see what my rights are and what the best course of action is.”
Kevin pulled out a yellow legal pad of paper and sat forward. “First thing we do is get a paternity test since we know Victoria has a loose relationship with the truth. I was never convinced that the three of us were the only candidates, but we were the ones with the solid careers.”
“You’re probably right.” Crossing his arms, he looked out the window. “Would you recommend the lab you used as the best option?”
“I would definitely recommend them, and they got the results back to me in three days.”
“Then that’s who I’ll use. There’s a part of me that still doesn’t believe it’s me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“She was happy as shit when she made the announcement and talking as though the two of us being together was an option. Which doesn’t make any sense since I’ve never suggested it was. In fact, I’ve been a complete hardass and made sure there was no ambiguity.”
“She hears what she wants and ignores anything that doesn’t fit the narrative.”
“I agree, but I’m hoping that she heard some part of the speech I gave her after she gave me the news. I told her that I would be asking for shared custody and thought Lisa and I would be great parents.”
“Bet she loved that.”
“Yeah, especially when I told her that I was going to marry Lisa as soon as possible and she’d make an incredible step-mother.”
“Is that a possibility?”
“I hope so.”
Kevin wrote down a few notes and then looked up. “Let me give you the rundown on how this is going to work.”
“Okay, I’m ready.”
“Like I said earlier, we start with a paternity test and, if you’re the father, then we move to establish your rights.”
“Does the test do that, or do we have to go to court?”
“Unfortunately, we’ll likely end up in court. If you can be present at the birth of the child and be there when the birth certificate is being filled out, then legal paternity will be established, and all we’ll have to do is negotiate custody.”
“What’s likely to happen when I request joint custody?”
“You will certainly get joint legal custody and likely physical as well, but the visitation schedule will not reflect that while you are an active SEAL.”
“Because I’m gone for months at a time?”
“Exactly.”
“But when I retire from the Teams, and I’m home and have a regular schedule, then it could happen, right?”
“Absolutely. The good news is that in California both parents begin with equal rights to custody and a judge is not permitted to give preference to either parent based on gender. It’s about the child’s best interest and having access to both parents.”
“I guess that’s good news for down the road.”
“Definitely, because I think if you are, in fact, the father, then you’re going to want to have as much influence on the child as possible.”
“Absolutely.”
“How is your girlfriend taking the news?”
“About as well as you’d imagine. We’ve only got three months together, so this is a lot to handle.”
“Went through the same thing and the one good thing to come out of the whole situation was that I found out my girl can stick. Had a couple of tough moments before it happened but she told me that no matter what she wasn’t going to get rid of me.”
“I’ve got to make sure the same thing happens with Lisa.”
“How did you two meet?”
“Met her in Yemen, she’s a journalist and was there reporting on the conflict.”
“So, not a shrinking violet.”
“No, not in the least.”
“That’s going to be important, especially if the two of you end up dealing with Victoria for the rest of your lives.”
Shuddering, he uncrossed his legs and sat forward. “I’m hoping there is a miracle in my future and that won’t happen.”
“Me too, man.” Looking down at the legal pad, Kevin nodded. “I’ll have my assistant send you the information on the paternity test, so you can get on it right away. Once it comes back, we’ll talk and plan our next move.”
“Sounds good.” He pulled his checkbook out of his pocket and opened it. “What do I owe you?”
“Nothing, man. If we get into this and have to go to court, you can settle with me then.”
“Your time is important, and I don’t want to shaft you.”
Kevin held up his hands and grinned. “Happy to help you out. Just take me out for beers sometime, and we’re good.”
Ace stood and leaned over the desk and put out his hand. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll be in touch.” Stepping out of the office, he made his way down the long corridor and thought about what his life was going to look like with a kid in it and wished like hell it didn’t have to happen with Victoria.
Lisa, on the other hand, was a whole different story and he hoped that he’d be as lucky as Kevin and have Lisa stand by him no matter what. It was a hell of a thing to ask a person, but he didn’t have a choice because, one way or another, he saw his future with her.