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It was a Friday night after another long week as I reached to top of the steps for my condo with my briefcase in one hand and a pizza in the other. My ex was sitting on the steps by my front door with a little girl sitting next to her. Amy wasn't really my ex, we were having serious discussions about getting married when she announced she was pregnant with her old boyfriend's child. That was five years ago I think and the pretty little thing must be their child, she looked like Amy's clone.
"Well hello Amy, and who might this little princess be?"
"I'm Jesse and I'm going to be five."
"Do you guys like pizza?"
"I love pizza, mom said your name is Brad and you use to be her boyfriend."
"That's right Jesse," I said as I was trying to navigate the door, briefcase and pizza in hand as Jesse darted between my legs.
"Let me take the pizza Brad and how are you doing?"
"Just another day in paradise Amy."
I went about setting up plates and drinks on the kitchen counter where I ate almost all my meals. I handed Amy the pizza cutter and asked her to serve the pizza while I got out some soft drinks. Jesse let me lift her up into the bar stool.
Jesse ate a whole slice and half another slice and never stopped talking. I found her simply amazing. After diner I set Jesse up in front of the Nintendo with some kid games some friend's kids left behind. As she was walking into the living room I noticed the limp, it was so obvious I was surprised I didn't notice it before.
Back at the counter with Amy I asked the question, "Why are you here Amy, it's been five years. How did you even know where I lived?"
"Your mother gave me your address. Jesse had an accident last year. I'm sure you noticed the limp. The doctors want to do surgery, they said the longer she limps, the more damage she is doing to her hips and muscles, damage that will be hard to undo. Even with insurance and savings, we're still $10,000 short. So I need ten grand."
I pulled my wallet out of my briefcase and handed her a credit card. "There's plenty of room on the card in case anything else comes up."
"You're just going to hand me your credit card even though I fucked you over?"
"I am handing you a credit card because your little girl needs it, our history should not impact her. She never hurt me. Is there anything else you need Amy?"
"The hospital would like to use what they call "trusted blood," or blood from a family member to support the surgery. Not only am I asking for ten grand, but I'm also asking for your blood."
"What's wrong with your blood, or her father's? Mark isn't it. And I'm not family."
"My blood isn't compatible and neither is Mark's because he's not the father."
I looked at Amy, I looked at Jesse and then back at Amy who was staring at her dirty plate like it was the most important thing in the world.
"Five years ago we were talking marriage Amy, after almost living together for the prior three years. And then you come over to my place, rip my heart out because you had been hooking up with an old boyfriend and were pregnant with his child. And now, you come here and tell me she's my child. Is this some kind of sick game, I gave you the money, no questions asked."
"I don't understand it Brad, I did the math, I added two plus two and came up with five. Telling you that I hooked up with old boyfriend five years ago was the hardest thing I ever did, hooking back up with Mark was the dumbest. By the time we were married I remembered all the reasons I hated him in the first place and we divorced a year later. He barely sees Jesse and that was before he found out he wasn't the father."
"When did he find out or how?"
"The blood test thing, he wanted to know how both of her parents blood could not be incompatible. I mean it is possible. Mark isn't that bright and a nurse spelled it out for him. His blood type and my blood type don't produce a baby with Jesse's blood type. It took him an embarrassingly long time to connect the dots and then he stormed out of the office. I haven't seen him since."
"Why Amy, you were the first woman I ever loved. You had mentioned one time what a dickhead Mark was, why crush me for a dickhead."
"Brad, it would be easier for me to tie myself into a pretzel than to explain that. My counselor thinks it was a case of pre-marriage jitters. I don't know, what I do know is I fucked you over for a dickhead and fucked over my little girl in more ways than you can imagine."
"So what happens now?"
"In the short term Brad I'm going to schedule the surgery and I'll give you the information to make the blood donation. Here's a form you can use to establish if you are truly Jesse's father."
"You mean there's doubt if I'm her father or not."
"I have no doubts Brad, it was either you or Mark and it certainly is not Mark so you're the only one left. The test is so you have no doubts. After which, all the choices are yours. I would love for you to be a part of her life, Mark certainly was not a father figure, but everything is up to you."
"Tell me about the accident Amy." I wasn't looking at her when I asked the question, I was staring at Jesse in amazement. I had a little girl. My mom would be doing cartwheels.
I looked back at Amy, her dirty plate was filling with tears. "Mark came over supposedly to see Jesse, he had been drinking, I don't think it was Jesse he came to see. Anyway he started playing with Jesse, tossing her onto the couch. She was having a blast, he fucked up the toss and held onto Jesse's leg. There was a snapping sound. Mark didn't want to take her to the hospital because he was afraid of being charged with child abuse and at first we thought she was fine. The limp went from once in a while to all the time."
"God I let him convince me to get back together with him, I let him convince me not get my baby the medical care she needed. I wouldn't be here now if I took her to the ER and they fixed break in her leg then. I failed all the tests, girlfriend, fiancé, mother."
The thought of consoling Amy crossed my mind but I couldn't take my eyes off of Jesse.
"You know it Brad, you've known you're her father from the moment you picked her up. I saw it on your face. You have to tell me what you want. I could take her and you'll never have to see her again but I can see that's not what you want. I need to get her home and in bed. Maybe you can give me a call tomorrow and let me know what you're thinking or you could come for dinner. I know I dumped an earth shattering surprise on you."
Then Amy was off, trying to find Jesse's socks and shoes.
"Will I see you again," Jesse asked.
"I'm pretty sure you will Jesse." Amy gave me a kiss on the cheek and a thank you on the way out.
After she left I called my mom and invited her out for breakfast in the morning,
"What's going on Brad, I can make you breakfast and it'll be a lot cheaper."
"I'll pick you up at eight mom."
She started threatening me for making her wait all night but I ended the call. Graciousness was not one of my mother's strong points and she wouldn't hesitate to tell me I was being an idiot. Maybe that's why I valued her opinion that much.
Then I called Amy and said I would like to accept her invitation for dinner. We discussed details and I asked her to send me gift suggestions for Jesse. I mentioned that I was having breakfast with my mother in the morning. She joked about me being a momma's boy.
I went to bed with a strange smile on my face even though images of Amy telling me she was getting back together with her old boyfriend kept trying to peek in, I couldn't get Jesse out of my mind.
Amy fucked me up back then, I never loved a girl before Amy. I dated a lot and had sex with a lot of women before Amy but I never felt love for any woman. It concerned me so much that I asked my mother about it. She said I would fall in love when the right woman came along. It must have been two years later that Amy walked into my life. I was fucking giddy, almost as giddy as I was now with Jesse.
Before I picked up my mom I asked Amy to send me current pictures of her and Jesse.
Mom was all over me as we sat down to eat. I could tell she wanted to start as soon as she got in the car.
"Does this have anything to do with that Amy woman. She called me you know, wanted your address and phone number. I meant to call you and tell you about it but it slipped my mind. Weren't you going to propose to her?"
"Yes I was mom, but before I could she told me she had gotten back together with an old boyfriend and was pregnant with his child."
"I'm so sorry Brad, why didn't you tell me? So what did she want after all these years, that must have been five years ago."
"There were a bunch of things she wanted, most importantly she told me that she made a mistake and it was my baby she was carrying. Here's a picture of your granddaughter."
"God she's beautiful Brad, but Amy could be lying, wanting money or support or something."
"In my heart I know she's mine but I'm going to have the paternity test done to remove any doubt."
"Why did she come to you now?"
"Before she told me Jesse was mine, she told me Jesse needed surgery for her leg and she needed ten grand for the surgery and I gave it to her."
"You did that before you knew she was your daughter, even after Amy kicked your teeth in?"
"Amy kicked my teeth in, not Jesse. She has a limp from an accident she had a year ago, the limp was damaging her hips and muscles. There's no reason Jesse should suffer for the sins of her mother."
"What did you do to the boy I gave birth to?"
"Amy also needed my blood, something called trusted blood for transfusions during the surgery. Neither Amy or the man she thought were Jesse's father had compatible blood and that led to the discovery that he wasn't the real father."
"Are you the only other option?"
"Amy insists I am, but I'll get the paternity test done to remove any doubt like I said. Mom, when I held her for the first time, helping her into the stool in my kitchen, it was like an electrical shock went through me. The strangest sensation I ever felt."
"You father described that same feeling the first time he held you and your brother and sister. He told me once if we ever had another and he didn't get that feeling, we would have words."
"God she is beautiful, when will you see her again?"
"I'm going to Amy's for dinner tonight."
"I want to come, don't argue with me Brad, I find out I have a granddaughter and she's almost five. If I had my car we'd be driving over there right now."
"It's not my house mom, not my place to invite you to her house."
"Bradley, if you don't call her right now and tell her I'm coming I'll give you a tin ear."
When my mom called me Bradley I knew it was time to stop arguing with her. She threatened me, my brother, and sister with a tin ear our whole lives and we never knew what it meant.
I called Amy, "What's up Brad?" there was a sound of concern in her voice.
"I'm sitting in the restaurant with my mom and she is insisting on meeting her granddaughter. Her preference would be now but how about she join us for dinner?"
I was met with silence.
"Brad, I was sitting here regretting that I invited you to dinner in the first place. Mark is so behind in support payments he'll never catch up. As a result our living conditions are less than ideal. But I thought it would be good if you saw Jesse at her home. Besides, you mother can be pretty blunt sometimes."
I saw the reaction on my mother's face, "She heard you Amy."
"Oh god, tell her I'm sorry."
My mom pulled the phone from me, "No apologies needed Amy, when you get to my age you don't have time not to be blunt. Please tell me what size she wears, I know what dress I want to buy her."
Amy and my mother were discussing dress sizes and shoe sizes, what was Jesse's favorite colors while writing all of it down on a scrap of paper she pulled from her purse. My mom's face was glowing, she had been after me and my sibling for grandchildren since we graduated college and since I was the oldest, it was my job to be first. My mom handed me back my phone.
"I guess we'll see you at six," I said.
"Yes Brad, this is happening so fast, I guess I should have expected it. I'll see you at six." I ended the call.
"Finish up Brad, we have things to do."
"Like what mom?"
"Shopping of course, I can teach you some things about buying little girl clothes. Do you know how long I've been waiting to buy my grandchildren clothes? Plus I have way too much on my mind to drive myself. Come on let's go."
We went to six stores before I took her home. I don't know how much she spent but there were eight bags in my trunk from some high end stores.
My mom and I were driving to Amy's for dinner and I wasn't expecting Amy to be living upper class, but her neighborhood was a few steps below middle class. The clincher were the number of burnt out buildings. Compared to the rest of the neighborhood, Amy's building looked OK,
My mom grabbed my arm as I was gathering the bags. "My granddaughter can't live here Jack, I would be afraid to come here after dark."
"Mom, when was the last time you drove after dark besides Monday night Bingo?"
We rang the doorbell and could hear Jesse yelling the doorbell was ringing. Jesse opened the door for us, "Hi Brad," she said.
My mom reached for her hand, "And I'm Marge. I heard so much about you I had to come and see you."
"Great, come look at my room guys." We waved to Amy as Jesse dragged us to her room.
Amy's room was very nice, girly pink with stuffed animals everywhere. I left my mom and went to talk to Amy.
"I hope you're ok," I said.
"I know the neighborhood isn't the greatest, I'm sure your mother isn't happy that this is where her granddaughter lives."
"She is not happy Amy, my mom has her opinions and on somethings she's going to let you know. If she gets too strong let me know."
My mom was all smiles when her and Jesse joined us in the kitchen. "I love her room Amy, just perfect."
My mom picked up Jesse to help her into her chair, the lift turned into a hug. "Do you feel that Jesse, that's love."
She put Jesse into the chair and scurried off the bathroom. I'm certain there were tears in her eyes. Again, Jesse managed to clean her plate and never stopped talking. My mom hardly ate because she was 100% focused on Jesse. I have never seen my mother with such a grin on her face. Still, every so often a tear would leak out.
After dinner, my mother took Amy into her room and helped her try on all the clothes she bought. She would dress Jesse up and send the girl into the living room to model for me and Amy.
"Brad, that's at least $1,000 of clothes she bought."
"I wasn't going to stop her, she scares me when she's in that zone.
It was getting late, Jesse gave my mom and me a kiss goodnight and Amy joined us after.
"I know you don't like where I live Marge but it's what we can afford."
"Your right Amy, I don't like where you live, but that's a need. I look in your daughter's room and I see love. Ain't nothing more important than that. But now with her real father in the picture, with our help, you have more options. I'll give you a call tomorrow evening and we can discuss what's feasible."
My mom kissed Amy good night and the meeting was adjourned. My mom was always headstrong which is why my father never said no to her. But I not sure how Amy was going to react. Amy asked me to call her when I got home.
"Your mom is pretty, I don't know, strong willed?"
"Yes she is, but if you tell her no firmly, she'll cave. She has money Amy, she was shocked how much my father had saved when he passed and she lives a simple life. So she has the money and I know she'll want to help her granddaughter. If you think she's being to overpowering just tell her you'll discuss it with me or say goodbye and hang up, that's what I do."
"It's supposed to be nice tomorrow, would you like to join us at the park? I don't mean to be throwing her at you but you certainly look happy when she's in eyesight."
"Certainly, give me a time and place. Don't forget my mother's call tomorrow."
Sunday was a beautiful afternoon. I played with Jesse on the swings and on the slide. We fed the ducks and ate hot dogs. The girl was amazing. I was in heaven. After I wore Jesse out, we headed back to my place so she could take a nap.
"I love watching her with you Brad. Mark never connected with her like that maybe that should have been the first clue."
"Are you going to ask about 'us' Amy?"
"Not now, my focus has to be on Amy right now and the surgery. I want you to get the paternity test done and remove any doubt. After the surgery, we can discuss if there can be an 'us' again. And there doesn't have to be an 'us' for you to have any kind of relationship with Jesse that you choose."
My mother was calling Amy at about the time Jesse was waking up from her nap. Jesse and I played video games while Amy and my mother chatted. After which we went out to dinner. I had thought that Amy and I could discuss how it went with my mother but Jesse occupied the conversation.
"I'm sorry Brad, it's just been Jesse and me for a long time and like you, I fall under her spell when she starts talking. But we need to discuss my conversation with your mother. Can you follow us home and we can talk when Jesse is in bed?"
Amy poured us a couple of glasses of wine, "Your mom was pretty much all over the place, just throwing out ideas. I gave her the address of Jesse's preschool and the office where I work. She's searching for something between us that will work. She even offered to buy me a house, or Jesse a house. I can't let her do that. She suggested that Jesse and I move in with her and she could provide daycare to Jesse. My commute to work would be a bitch. She didn't say it out loud but what she really wants is for Jesse and me to move in here with you, she said you have three bedrooms so why not, according to your mother."
"What about the logistics to your office and the daycare center?"
"The difference would be insignificant."
"But you have some reservations Amy?"
"Right now I need to be focused on Jesse as I said. And maybe afterwards we can see what happens between us. Moving in with you seems like pushing it too hard."
"I think getting past the surgery is a good plan." Amy gave me a kiss on the cheek before I left but not before I spent fifteen minutes watching Jesse sleep.
We had a plan and god laughed. That night there was a gang shootout a few houses away from Amy's. The police said hundreds of bullets were fired, two men were dead and seven more were wounded. My mom was livid that gangs were shooting each other outside her granddaughter's bedroom window. Amy had no choice but to fold and the following weekend my brother and sister were helping us move Amy and Jesse into my condo. Amy had her own room and Jesse loved her new room. My brother and sister immediately fell in love with Jesse.
Jesse's surgery was scheduled for the following Monday, I had scheduled the day off and my mother planned to be there. Jesse would be in overnight. It would be a week before she could return to the daycare center and my mother insisted she would watch Jesse so Amy could go back to work.
The week before was hard on me. I didn't do a lot of dating after Amy left me and it had been a year since I had gotten laid. And Amy was right there, the more time we spent together, the more I was reminded of why I wanted to marry her in the first place. And then I would remember those words, "I've been hooking up with my old boyfriend and I'm pregnant with his child." There wasn't any conversation after that, she got up and left.
And now the questions were running through my head, how long had she been hooking up with her old boyfriend, was it weeks or months? Was I completely oblivious that she was fucking someone else while she was fucking me? Like Amy said, Jesse first.
Jesse's hospital room looked amazing, a dozen balloons and more stuffed animals. My mother, my sister, my brother and his girlfriend all showered her with gifts. My mom being the observant one, noticed there was nothing from Amy's family.
"Amy told me once that she was the product of her mother's second marriage. She has two half siblings from the mother's first marriage but they lived with their father and she never met them. The thinking was she cheated on him. Her birth father caught her mother cheating on him and left when she was in college but he still covered all her college expenses. While she was away her mother's boyfriend moved in. She was home for spring break, taking a shower and the boyfriend tried the join her. She sprayed shampoo into his eyes to escape. Amy's mother would not believe her, telling her she was only trying to get revenge for fucking over her father. Amy hasn't spoken to her since."
"I wondered if that had anything to do with why she dumped you for dickhead or whatever she called him. And what about you and Amy, any chance about getting back together?"
"I don't know mom, we agreed that we would put off those discussions until after the surgery. Having Amy live in the next room brings back the memories of why I fell in love with her. It also brings back the memories of the night she dumped me. And how long was she cheating on me with dickhead before she told me?"
"I'll refocus my efforts on finding somewhere else for her to live. There was an apartment building not too far from here."
Jesse came back to my house, Amy and I both took that first day off and waited on Jesse. My mother came over before Amy and I left for work the next day. My mom said Amy called her hourly to see how Jesse was doing. There were a few days of PT for Jesse but she was walking fine by the end of the week.
And then our life returned to a new normal, Amy took Jesse to daycare on her way to work and picked her up afterwards. My mother and I were put on the list as people authorized to pick her up. And the results of the paternity test came back, I was Jesse's father.
And then it was time for the big 'what about us' conversation. We sat on opposite sides of the counter, a glass of wine in our hands. I let Amy begin.
"I told you before Brad, getting back together with Mark is the dumbest thing I ever did. But the worst part was I saw myself as my mother's daughter."
"I need to know Amy, how long were you hooking up with Mark before you told me, I'm assuming it was weeks before you realized you were pregnant."
Amy was staring at her wine glass, I knew her answer was going to hurt. She started crying.
"Never mind Amy, I can see I'm not going to like your answer. My mom has found a nice apartment for you and Jesse to live in. I'll give her the go ahead in the morning. Once we have a move in date my family will help you move. We can set up some visitation schedule so I can maintain my relationship with Jesse."
Sleep was eluding me, I was laying in my bed and couldn't keep my eyes shut. I had my back to the door when I heard it open and then felt Amy climb in bed.
"Brad, I'm begging you to forgive me. I fucked up, I know it. I'm not my mother's daughter, I will never do anything like that again. I promise you Brad, I'm begging you to give me another chance. I am not the same person I was then. Motherhood changes a person, changes their priorities. This isn't about Jesse, I know you and your family will always stand by her and support her whatever happens to us. But I want there to be an 'us' Brad."
"I know what I said or didn't say tonight must sting. Please, just think about forgiving me, think about giving me a second chance. I am not my mother's daughter and never will be."
Jesse continued to cry next to me and I finally fell asleep. She was gone in the morning when I got up. Normally we would be getting ready for work at the same time. In a panic I ran to Jesse's room, I thought all her stuff was there and then realized stuff was missing. Both of their toothbrushes were missing from the bathroom
There was a note on the counter: "Brad, it breaks my heart to be only a few feet away from you and that's as close as I'll get and its all my fault. I'm going to stay at your mom's until we can set up a new place to live. She's going to watch Jesse during the day so I won't have to worry about getting her to daycare. I hope you come see Jesse frequently."
What does any good boy do when he's troubled, he calls his mom. Actually, I called her and told her I was on my way over and then called my office and told them I wasn't coming in.
My mom was doing watercolors with Jesse, it was hard to determine whether there was more paint on Jesse, or my mom, or the kitchen table or the floor. My mother was in her glory. Jesse gave me her masterpiece to hang in my house. My mother washed her off and asked her to watch a movie. At some point, my mother had purchased every Disney movie available on DVD.
"Come have coffee with me Brad." We sat down in the kitchen. "Amy told me about last night and this has to be your decision but I'll help you talk through it."
"Amy cheated on me for weeks or months, she wouldn't put it in words. She cheated on me all that time and I was completely oblivious about it."
"What hurts the most, that she cheated on you or that you didn't realize it?"
"I'm not sure they are too separate things."
"If she cheated on you once and you realized it right away, would that make it easier to forgive her? Really, this whole conversation is whether you can forgive her or not and if you can, do you want to restart your relationship. So if she cheated on you once and you realized it right away, would that make it easier to forgive her?"
"It would be easier if it happened once and she came to me and admitted it happened and ask for forgiveness."
"But she did come to you and told you it happened. She could have just as easily ended the relationship with you for some bullshit reason, gone on to marry dickhead and have the baby. Or she could have never admitted the relationship and pretended it was your baby all along."
"Does it really matter whether it was once or twice, or how many times. This shit is never easy Brad, and really I don't think the past matters that much. Obviously you still love her or you wouldn't be here talking to me about it."
"What do you think I should do mom?"
"Do you think Amy is truly sorry for what happened?"
"I do, she said what she did reminded her of her mother and she did not want to be her mother's daughter."
"Do you think she would cheat on you again?"
"I don't think so because it's not just about her, she has to consider Jesse too. As I said before, the problem I have is that it gets back to the how long question. I never noticed anything during the weeks or months she was with Mark. You would expect a compassionate human being to show some hints of remorse. Or maybe I was just stupefied by love and didn't see the clues."
"You're in a loop, maybe you should sit down and look at the positives and negatives of your choices. The past doesn't matter. Do you think your life would be better with or without Amy, and it may be a shot below the belt but what would be better for Jesse? The answer to the last question is obvious and when you're a parent you have to consider the children."
"So you're telling me it would be better to reconcile for Jesse."
"The world ain't that easy, if you did get back with Amy, but maybe you couldn't get over what she did, then you would grow to hate Amy and Jesse would grow up in a house of hate. I do not want that for her."
"So the world is not black and white Bradley. Like your choices, you see two choices, to reconcile or not. But you should also consider trying it, maybe a month or more and evaluate whether you feel loved or betrayed."
"Thanks mom for adding another option and stop calling me Bradley."
"Honey, I've been trying to help you look at this logically, but there's nothing logical about love. You see the way I look at Jesse, that's the same way you look at her because when you do, your heart fills with love, and that's the same way you look at Amy. You're in love with her, you have been since you first met her. Like I said, you wouldn't be here if you didn't love her."
I needed a break and laid down on the couch to watch Disney with Jesse. She laid on top of me. I was in heaven.
"Mommy said you are my real daddy Brad, does that mean I should call you daddy."
"I would love for you to call me daddy and my mother would love you to call her grandma, I think. But we should ask her."
"I'm so glad I finally have a daddy."
"What about Mark, I thought you called him daddy."
"No, he was mommy's boyfriend, he was never nice to me. He called me the bastarchile or something like that. Mommy said it was a bad word and I wasn't allowed to say it. He hurt my leg and wouldn't let my mom take me to the doctor. But you got my leg fixed."
I knew I shouldn't ask but the words were coming out of my mouth before I can stop myself.
"How often do you see Mark?"
"Almost every day, he still lives in our old apartment and mommy likes to stop there on our way to here or your house so she can take a nap with Mark. But I already had my nap at daycare so I watch TV. It's really boring."
"What's Mark look like?"
"He's pretty big and he's black and he scares me."
"Why does he scare you."
"He's really strong and when he spanks me it really hurts. And he always spanks me on my bare bottom."
I caught a reflection of my mother in the TV and turned to look at her. She was crying and had her phone out.
"Let daddy up for a bit Jesse, and you can call me grandma or whatever you wish. Why don't you go wash your hands and we'll have some cookies and milk but you have to promise me you'll eat all your dinner."
"I recorded it all Brad, I thought I was going to record the first time she called you daddy but never stopped. I'll send it to you. What are you going to do?"
"I'm going over to Amy's old apartment and having a confrontation she can't lie her way out of."
"No violence Bradley!"
Amy's car was parked in her normal parking spot. She had given me a spare key once to pick up some clean clothes for Jesse once. I walked in and heard the sound of fucking from her bedroom. I started recording a video as I entered her room. I expected to find her fucking Mark but instead she was getting spit roasted by two black guys. There was another huge black guy sitting in the chair, stroking his cock while operating a video camera.
"I assume you're Bradley, I'm Mark and I'll also assume you don't want to shake my hand. You must have some pretty powerful swimmers because despite all the black cock she was taking, she still had a white baby. Do you want to join in, she said you never had her ass yet, I was just getting ready to fuck it but I'll let you go first. Or would you like to watch her getting fucked by three black cocks."
"I'll think I'll pass."
"Here's a card with a link to her website in case you change your mind. This video will be posted at midnight."
Amy must have heard the conversation because she pulled off the cock she was sucking and turned to Mark, then she turned to where Mark was looking and we made eye contact.
"I'm sorry," she said. The guy she was sucking was pulling her hair, trying to get her mouth back on his cock.
"I guess you are your mothers daughter." I turned and walked out as Amy was yelling no.
On my way back to my mother's I felt incredibly calm. The anguish I had been feeling was gone, the decision was simple. I called my mother and told her what I found. She said she knew what to do.
When I arrived at my mother's there were several cars out front including a police car. In a panic I went running in, Jesse was sitting at the table talking to two women, another woman took my elbow and led me into the living room where the police officer was standing.
The woman who had taken my elbow introduced herself, "I'm Greta Goldsmith, I'm from family services, your mother Marge has reported potential child abuse inflicted on Jesse by her mother and her mother's boyfriend. This is what we call a crisis intervention. I understand that you are Jesse's birthfather, is that correct and if so, can you prove it."
"Yes I'm her birth father which I recently learned, I have a copy of the paternity test in my briefcase in my car I can give you or I can show you one on my phone."
"We would prefer the one in your briefcase but that can wait right now. Marge also told us that you discovered Amy in a threesome at her old apartment."
"Yes, I can show you the video. And I was told she has a website where she posts similar videos. Her boyfriend gave me this card with the link."
Greta took the card and I sent her the video, "Let me go outside and watch these, not that I want to watch these but... I could have been a school counselor with summers off, instead I'm watching interracial porn."
While she was outside, I was trying to hear what Jesse was saying when there was a big commotion outside. The police officer flew by me heading outside, don't come out he shouted to all of us.
I watched from the doorway as Amy was struggling with Greta and the police officer grabbed Amy. Greta was telling Amy that they had received a report of child abuse involving Jesse and they were placing Jesse in protective custody. Amy had fallen to her knees, her face planted in the grass, moaning loudly.
Greta was still talking, "The police officer is going to hand you a restraining order, you are not allowed within 100 yards of Jesse, her daycare or her father's home or her grandmother's home. Any violation of the restraining order requires mandatory jail time. Do you understand me?"
Amy was still face planted on the lawn, still moaning loudly with her arms wrapped around herself. One of the women from inside came out and helped Amy standup and led her over to Amy's car. Amy sat down on the hood of her car, her face now buried in her hands. Amy's clothes were all askew, she must have dressed in a hurry. The policeman handed Amy what I assumed was the restraining order and went over the details with her. He also told Amy she needed to leave the premise.
"Officer," I said, "she's in no condition to drive. I'll drive her home." The officer looked at me for a long minute and said fine. Greta wanted the paternity test before I left. I went in and told my mother I was taking Amy home. She was sitting on the couch, Jesse sitting on her lap facing her. They both were crying.
We got Amy into the passenger seat of her car and I got behind the wheel.
"Where do you want to go Amy?"
"I'm so sorry Brad"
"Please stop Amy, I don't want to hear it, just stop. Tell me where you want to go, Mark's place?"
"No, can you take me to your condo and I'll pack my stuff. I'll be gone in the morning. Or could I stay there for a bit, until I figure things out."
I dropped her off and took a ride share back to my mother's. The world had calmed down by the time I got back and all the guests were gone. My mother and Jesse were in the same spot but Jesse was sleeping. My mother nodded to some papers on the coffee table.
The state was awarding me temporary custody of Jesse until a formal hearing could be held.
When Amy first appeared on my doorstep, I installed some cameras in my condo, the front door, the kitchen, the living room and the hallway showing the bedrooms. I couldn't trust Amy. She fell into a pretty set routine, work, home, sleep and repeat. The only variation was what room she slept in. Usually it was Jesse's room or my room. Most of the time she cried, whether she was watching TV or eating. There was never any sign of Mark.
It was six weeks since the crisis intervention until the formal custody hearing. My mom had hired a lawyer to represent us. Both my mother and I had put in a request for custody, so had Amy.
The lawyer my mother hired was brutal, I thought he was too brutal. The hearing wasn't like you see on TV, me, my mother and the lawyer sat at one table. Amy sat at another table, maybe 20 ft away. No one was called to the witness stand. By the time our lawyer was done with Amy it would be a miracle if she was granted custody of a pet hamster.
Amy was sitting there, her face buried in her hands, sobbing. I went over and held her, she buried her face in my shoulder. "I have become my mother," she said.
Everybody was looking at me including the judge. "She's still a human being," I said.
The judge granted me primary custody along with my mother. Jesse was granted court supervised visitation once a month.
Jesse was missing her mother terribly, I arranged with Greta from Family Services that Jesse could video conference with her mother and either me or my mother would be in the room with Jesse. Greta seemed to be a reasonable person. She ok'd Amy joining us for Jesse's first day of kindergarten. Together, the three of us watched Jesse get on the bus and then we drove over to the school and watched her get off the bus and made sure she got on the right line for her teacher. Both my mother and Amy cried all the way back to my mother's.
We sat around the kitchen table drinking tea, my mother was telling Amy how much she cried on my first day of school, not so much for my brother who was next but it was worse when my sister started school because then she was alone.
Amy started talking about a counselor she was seeing at Greta's recommendation. With the counselor's help, she hoped to renew her relationship with Jesse. She assured us that she would never challenge the custody ruling.
And then it was time to race over to the school and watch Jesse get on the bus. Then we raced back to her bus stop and watched her get off the bus. She was a big girl now she said. My mother invited Amy to stay for dinner and the three adults sat there watching Jesse tell us all about her day. Again, she cleared her plate and never stopped talking.
I walked Amy out to her car, "How long are you going to let me stay at the condo Brad?"
"There's no hurry Amy, I'm staying here with my mother and I don't want to give up the condo so as long as you find it helpful."
"I do Brad, I'm going to send you a file. I've lied to you so many times I don't expect you to ever believe me again. I went to a forensic guy and sat down for an interview with a lie detector expert. I hope you watch it, I fucked up and lied and fucked up some more and lied about that. There was nothing malicious about what I did although I wouldn't believe me if I were you. But watch the interview please." Amy reached up and kissed my cheek.
The interviewer asked Amy a series of questions, basically Amy said she had a sexual relationship with Mark but ended it months before she met me. Mark saw her out with me one day and threatened that he would send me a video of Amy sucking his cock. Amy relented not realizing that Mark would never stop blackmailing her. Somehow he found out that she was seeing me again and the blackmail started again but worse. Once I caught her with Mark and the other guys, Mark no longer had any hold on her and she was able to break free.
I played the recording for my mother, "Bradley, it looks like you're facing the same questions you were asking yourself months ago."
"Do you think Greta would object if we allowed Amy more liberal visitation with Jesse? And please stop calling me Bradley."
"I'll have my lawyer work on it, and as far as Greta is concerned, you earned hero status when you comforted Amy during the hearing."
Two months later I took Amy out to dinner although the four of us had shared many meals at my mother's table. Amy and I agreed that we would look at this as our first date. I picked her up and the condo with a bouquet of flowers. Eight dates after that she invited me in and we spent the first of many nights together.
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