TOBY.
I trailed her to her apartment building and parked opposite the building where I had parked earlier. I let her go in before following her inside. Before I could knock on the door it swung open to reveal a barefoot Yasmin.
"So you're a stalker now," she said, throwing me off. She moved aside and let me into the house.
"Hi," I said lamely. All the things I had planned to say had deserted me from that moment. We just stood in her hallway awkwardly for a moment.
"Have a seat," she said walking further into the room."I guess you'd like to see our son, I'll go get him."
She dashed out of the room and came back with a baby in her arms, a blanket wrapped around his form. She handed him over to me and I received him on reflex. I looked down at his sleeping form. I didn't feel the wealth of emotion that overwhelmed me the first time I carried Jeremy and then I instantly felt guilty. Maybe it's because this was my second time being a father. I brought him up and kissed him on the forehead, overcompensating for my lack of affection.
"Who was with him while you were out?"
"You sound like you think I'd leave him alone, he was with my mother."
"Oh, How is she?," I said for lack of a reply.
"She's inside and she doesn't want to see you." I raised a brow at her statement.
"I think we should let the little one sleep, we need to talk," I said trying to take control of the situation. I couldn't have the conversation with him in the room so I handed the baby over to her. She rose to her feet and took him back inside.
"Let's talk," she said when she re-entered the room. She took a seat opposite me, crossed her arms and looked me squarely in the eyes.
"I thought we had an agreement," I said.
"What agreement?"
"Don't play clueless with me, I spent months feeling guilty that I made you go through with an abortion. All for what? For you to show up now with a baby."
"I changed my mind, is that now a crime?"
"You should have told me."
"What does it matter, if I told you or didn't tell you, the results are all the same."
"I don't know what you're playing at but you need to stop. What the hell was that stunt you pulled this morning," I said rising to my feet in anger.
"I'm not playing any games but even if I am, it's all fair in love and war, isn't that right darling?"
"What the hell does that even mean? You know that telling the whole world your son just happens to have the same name as I could raise rumours that could ruin me and any chance my father has at winning the election," I said pacing the room.
"I decided to name my son after his father so I did, I knew you could deal with whatever comes out of the announcement. You are Toby Daniel."
"You can't keep giving me heart attacks like this, just keep my son out of the media and our secret under wraps."
"What if I don't want to then what, huh?" She stood up and asked, getting in my face. Was this woman sent to infuriate me?
"What do you want?" I asked, taking a step away from her.
"If you dance to my tune then I'll dance to yours."
"What do you want?" I repeated, getting impatient.
"You know what I want, I want you to divorce Ruby and marry me, make my son your heir."
"You know I can't do that," I blurted out. "At least not now," l hurriedly added.
"Then I'll just have to announce my son's paternity."
"You can't do that either."
"Watch me," she threatened.
"If you make any sudden moves our son won't have anything to inherit because my father will dis-inherit me."
"If you want all this to remain between us still the elections then you must provide all my son and I desire both materially and emotionally in the meantime and divorce Ruby after the elections."
"I can do that."
"Good!"
"It'll be nice if you can keep your end of the bargain this time around," I said turning to leave.
"You're leaving?"
"Yeah, we've discussed everything that needs to be discussed," I said, I continued to advance toward the door.
"Won't you see little Toby first," she said causing me to pause with my hand on the doorknob. I turned to face her after sliding a hand across my face in exhaustion.
"Look, I'm tired but I'll come back to see him sometime next week. I'll get someone to send you funds for him from Monday. Is that okay?" She nodded with a sad look on her face. What did she want from me? I sighed then turned toward the door after giving her a little wave. I left her apartment without another word.
I drove home with my thoughts all over the place and only the voices on the radio to keep me company. When I returned the only sound I could hear from the door was the television running. I came fully into the living room to see Ruby passed out on the couch with Jeremy beside her. I just stood there watching them, this was what I always wanted to come home to and the thought scared the shit out of me.
Ruby's eyes fluttered open and she said, "you're back?"
"Obviously," I chuckled. Her brain must still be asleep to have her asking questions like this.
"How is little Toby?" She asked, shocking me.
"I'm not stupid, I figured that's where you were headed," she said, replying to my shock.
"He's fine, I guess?"
"You guess? How crazy is Yasmin?"
"He looked fine and Yasmin is as crazy as ever." She laughed deeply at my words waking Jeremy up. She tapped his back and tried everything to get him to fall back asleep so I suggested we change his diapers. When that didn't work we bathed him. We worked well together as a team. She was in charge while I mostly just passed her the things she needed. I watched as she worked with a sureness that surprised me. It almost looked like it was not her first child.
After he was dressed I watched as she fed a restless Jeremy. I was jealous of their bond. Motherhood came so naturally to most mothers.
"Something is wrong," she said to me without taking her eyes off Jeremy.