Accidentally Perfect (37 page)

It is taking all my strength not to come unglued. I want to pummel Michael for causing my wife all this distress. If this has any toll on my child, I will not be responsible for my actions. The frailness that is now Laney’s body is just one example of the damage all these lies are causing her. I try to get her to eat, but it’s an absolute task to get anything down her these days.  The girls are so
sad; they want to play, and right now their mommy doesn’t want to. I have tried everything that I can come up with to try to get their minds off of everything they are sensing in the house. It’s no longer a happy home. You can feel the sadness and stress when you walk in. It seems like for the past two weeks this entire household has been in mourning. I hear Natalie come into the house. “I’ll be right back.” Laney nods to me, and I go to greet my sister.

“How is she doing?” She puts her purse down on the couch.

“Not any better. I just want this day to be over with.”

“It will be. Don’t worry about it.”

“You remember what I want you to do, right?”

“Yes Nate, I’m quite smart, you know. I get what you want to happen. Have I ever let you down?”

“No, you haven’t. Thank you for this.”

“Don’t even mention it.”

We walk into the medical building and just as I thought, there were swarms of paparazzi and other news sources standing outside the offices. I have made sure there were guards lined up,
so they weren’t able to touch Laney in any capacity. Stella said she would meet us in the office. She insisted on being there for moral support. Once we enter the building the noise from outside quiets. “I’ve got you.” I squeeze Laney’s hand. 

We enter the doctor’s office, and I immediately see Michael sitting with none other than Diane.
Fuck me.
Of course, she was involved in this. I’m surprised my father isn’t sitting next to them, like one big happy family. “Of course you’re here. You didn’t get enough last time we were in the same room together. You think that starting all this shit is going to get you anything? You are out of your ever-loving mind, you crazy ass bitch.”

“I’ve done this for you Nathan, and one day you’ll thank me. One day when you get over whatever infatuation you have with her, I’ll be there waiting. I’m more than willing to give you a child that you are so blatantly fighting for. I will give you your child.”

“I am fighting for my child. My child with Laney.”

“You really need to stop thinking like that because it’s only going to hurt more once you are faced with the reality that she is not carrying your child.”

I look at Michael, and he doesn’t say anything. He isn’t looking too confident now. He actually looks like he would rather be anywhere else but here. Hmm, interesting. “Michael, are
you ready for this? If by some chance are you ready to be a father, a good and decent father to this innocent child?” He nods. “Are you ready to love this baby and be there no matter what?  For the dirty diapers, the spitting up, the sleepless nights? Is that how you see your life?
Twenty-five aren’t you? Man, your life is just beginning isn’t it? Now you may be saddled down with a kid.” I see the uncertainty flash through his eyes.

“He will do what he needs to do. He wants to be active in his child’s life. He wants to be the father he is meant to be.” Diane answers for him.

I look over to Laney, and she doesn’t make eye contact with me. I rub her arm trying to give her reassurance, but she isn’t acknowledging me. I hear the door open, and I see Stella walk out into the waiting area. “The doctor is ready.” She scans the room and sees Diane sitting next to Michael. Diane thinks she has won. She has the look of triumph plastered prominently on her Botox face. She pats Michael’s leg,
and they both get up. “I don’t fucking think so bitch.”  Stella gets in her face. “This is a private matter and there is no way you are going to be involved in it.”

“Stella, if you are going to be in the room then Diane can be. If it weren’t for her, I would have never known I was going to be a father.”

“That is such bullshit Michael and you know it.”

“I just want to make sure that someone is there when Nathan gets the news that he isn’t prepared for.” There she does again, demanding a fucking Oscar with her act of concern.

“It’s fine S, let’s just get this over with. I want to put all this shit behind us and move on.”  Laney walks into the doctor’s office with the rest of us following behind her. 

We file into the doctor’s office. Jesus, can there be any more people in here? I should have invited my mother along with our entire apartment building to witness this. Shortly after, Michael, Nathan and I are seated the doctor comes into the office. “Good afternoon, I’m Dr. Sams.” We all say our hellos. He looks up at Diane questionably.  “I am familiar with everyone present except for you miss. How does this concern you?”

“Watch your wallet, doctor. She’s a class ‘A’ gold digger.” Nathan says next to me.

“I’m a friend, doctor. I hope you don’t mind. But this affects all of us in some capacity.”

“If the patients are fine with it, then it doesn’t matter to me.”

“Thank you.” She says. If I never hear her voice after today, it will be too soon.

“Alright, well first let me say, Mrs. Whitmore. I must commend you. I have read every single allegation that has been thrown at you, and you have taken every insinuation and insult with so much strength; so much class. Looking at you now, I see how much all this has been affecting you. You need to remember that there is a life in the balance here. It’s your job to protect that life and make sure you give it a fair chance. That being said, whoever started this mess should be ashamed of themselves
.” He looks at Michael, “I’m not saying that you have been behind all of this unnecessary propaganda, but it is your job to protect Mrs. Whitmore as the possible mother of your child.” 

Hearing those words makes my stomach drop. I begin to shake uncontrollably. I can hear Diane clear her throat directly behind me. I know she is jumping at the chance to say she was right, and I have been wrong. I’m sure Nathan is so close to her grasp that she can just about taste him. “Mr. Whitmore, from what I have seen in the news and what I have read, you have been nothing but supportive of your wife. Even when the possibility of the child not being yours is at the forefront of your mind, I’m sure. The chance that the child may not be yours hasn’t seem to hinder your ability to be a loving and supportive husband and step-father to Mrs. Whitmore’s daughters from her previous marriage.”

I watch the doctor take the results out of the manila
envelope. “I hope these results allow everyone concerned to move on with their lives.” He looks down at the results. ‘With ninety-nine point nine percent accuracy the father to Mrs. Whitmore’s child is Mr. Nathaniel Joseph Whitmore.” 

The air that I have been holding since Michael pushed the subject two weeks ago expels from my body. I let out a shuddered breath, and the tears come full force. I feel hands on my shoulders, and I know they belong to Stella. Nathan pulls me to his side and presses his lips to my temple. “I told you, baby; I told you.” His voice is soft, just loud enough for me to hear.

I look over to see Michael there. The look on his face isn’t one of defeat, but one of relief.  He didn’t want this baby to be his, I bet he never did. “Laney.” His voice breaks through my thoughts. “I’m sorry about all this. They told me that you were lying to me. They pushed me to get to the bottom of it. I should have listened to you. I should have believed you.”

“I am assuming by ‘they,' you mean Diane and my father?” Nathan asks.

“Yeah.”
 

I didn’t have anything else to say to him. But to the bitch who has grown oddly quiet, I have more than enough to say to her. “Are you happy now?” I turn to Diane, wiping away the tears. “Will this help you get it through your fucked up head that Nathan is not yours? He was never yours, and he will never be yours. He. Is.
Mine. He is my husband and the father of my child. In years, he will be the father of my children because I have no desire to stop fucking him. I have no desire to stop making love to him. I have no desire to stop having his children.  You have never been anything to
him,
and you will never be anything to him. Now get the fuck away from me and my husband. If I so much as smell you around us, I will hunt you down and bury you so far in the Ozarks no one will ever be able to find you.  The mountain lions will feast on your skinny ass. Now get the fuck out!”

I watch as Diane pulls at Michael’s shirt, and they both exit the office. I send Natalie a text informing her of the results. She knows what she’s supposed to do. Her jobs over the next hour or so, is to confirm with every news outlet that I am the father of the baby. Just so there aren’t any speculations, and hopefully this story will finally be laid to rest, so my wife will be able to enjoy the rest of her pregnancy. “Congrats you guys, I’m going to get going so I can head back to the office for a little while.”

“Thank you Stella.” Laney gives her a small smile.

“Girl, you do not ever have to thank me. I will do anything for you.” She gives her a kiss on the cheek and walks out.

“Thank you, doctor for your time. I do appreciate you taking on such a highly publicized situation.”

“I admire your relationship, Mr. Whitmore. My wife is sort of a gossip monger. I have to admit, when she first started talking to me about your marriage and the suddenness of it, I was not impressed. But after everything I’ve read, I knew that you two are meant to be. It didn’t matter the time that may have elapsed
, or in your case that didn’t lapse. You two are soulmates.  How you have handled
everything; it’s inspiring. You have stood next to each other. You have never wavered from your convictions.”

“Thank you.” I hear Laney say.

“Well, as you know when doing the procedure Mrs. Whitmore underwent we are able to find out several different aspects beyond paternity. We can also determine the sex of the baby. I have your child’s gender if you would like to know.

I look at Laney. Do I want to know? Do I want to be surprised when she finally gives birth or do I want to know now? “What do you think, love?” I ask her.

“I’m not sure, what do you think? I figured I had another month or so to think about it. Do you want to know?”

“I think I do.  But if you don’t want to then I’m fine with waiting.”

“No, let’s do it.” 

We turn to Dr. Sams and both nod in approval.

“Congratulations, you’re having a boy.” 

“A boy.” Laney turns to me and places her hands on the sides of my face. Her eyes are liquid chocolate as the tears pool in her eyes. “You’re going to have a son.”

“We are going to have a son.”

“A son.
  Anthony Nathaniel Whitmore.”

I nod at the sound of my son’s name, “Anthony Nathaniel Whitmore.”

“I love you, Nathan.”

“I love you, Laney Bear.”