Baby Love(85)

"What are the odds of that Trey?"

It was a question that had to be asked.

"Not in her favor from what the doctor conveyed to Sandy Meyers, the chaplain."

I looked over at my husband knowing that he was waiting for me to say something.

"I don't feel anything at all. I mean I don't hate her as a person. I hate the things that she has done but I don't harbor any hate for her as a human being. I think I pity her and the wasted life that she's led."

"I suppose under the circumstances you are more compassionate than I would be," he replied, taking my hand into his and squeezing it gently.

"I'm glad that you will be with me there Trey."





CHAPTER 31



The ICU at St. Matthews allowed for each patient to have a private glass-walled room. There was a large triage in the center where nurses constantly monitored the screens overhead for the various patients' vital signs.

Sandy Meyers, the jail chaplain that had accompanied Maggie to the hospital met us in the waiting area just outside of the ICU. She introduced herself to me still referring to Maggie as my mother. I decided not to press the truth at the moment because I needed my ticket inside. Sandy told us which room she was in and said that my 'mother' was anxious to see me.

Trey held my hand as we went to Maggie's room. I went into the room first. Seeing her lying in the hospital bed looking frail and small, hooked up to IV's and monitors was surreal for me. She looked over as Trey and I got closer to her bed.

"Well now look at you Tylar. All grown up and married to such a fine looking man."

Maggie looked as if she had aged ten years since I had last seen her. I tried to fake a smile but it wasn't coming off very well.

"Hello Mom," I said.

"Oh I expect you know by this time that I am not your mother," she said with a slight twinge of a smile on her dry, cracked lips.

"Why don't you just call me 'Maggie? Where's your manners girl? Aren't you going to introduce me to your rich hubby?"

"Maggie this is Trey Sinclair my husband and the father of my baby girl Preston."

Trey nodded his head at her. He didn't want to touch her and neither did I.

"What a handsome man you've snagged baby girl. Come to think of it he looks much better than Daniel even. Oh I could have had such fun with you Trey," she giggled.

Her giggle was followed by a fit of coughing. She reached for her cup of water taking a long sip to quiet her hacking.

"How is Layla?" she asked.

Trey and I exchanged confused glances.

"I named the baby Layla once I got a hold of her. I can't believe you would name a baby girl your last name. You're so much like your mama."

"Preston is fine. No worse from what you obviously put her through when you had her," I snapped.

"I took good care of that baby just like I done you when you were a baby," she snorted.

"Really? Then why the bruises on her bottom?"

Maggie didn't even try to appear repentant.

"She constantly wanted to eat. You know I still had my milk from when I delivered that dead baby? Yep I kept pumping it so that I would have it for when I took that baby girl of yours."

My heart was racing, my adrenaline was pumping. We were getting down to it now. I needed to keep my calm no matter what.

"Yeah I figured I was owed a baby out of the whole deal. I had always wanted one you know? Raising you wasn't the same as having my own. The one that Matthew made me abort was a girl. I saw that when she came out of me all bloody."

I was starting to feel nauseous. I had presumed that if Maggie had undergone an abortion it had been done at a medical clinic. Her statement had the hint of some back alley job done with a coat hanger. I wasn't up for the details.

"I believe you were trying to explain the bruises on Preston?"

Maggie rolled her eyes as if she were already bored with the whole topic. It was reminiscent of how she had behaved whenever she was faced with explaining her unacceptable behavior while I was growing up.

"Oh yeah well she apparently wasn't satisfied with my milk supply. She fussed the whole time she nursed at my tit. Then five minutes after she would finish up she would puke it all back up. Then she'd want to latch back onto me. So yes, I smacked her bare ass a few times. I finally had to make up a sugar tit for her so she'd leave mine alone."

I felt Trey stiffen in anger; I felt the same way. Maggie was continuing to rant.

"Just like I had to smack your bare ass when you were a baby. Same damn thing. You kept trying to nurse from me thinking all tits had breast milk I suppose; always nuzzling against me and rooting for my tit like I was your mama."

That was my memory: skin slapping skin; sometimes it had brought me fear and pain; other times it had made me feel disgusted. Trey had his arm around me peering down at me.

"Who is Marley?" I asked her.

I finally saw some emotion cross over Maggie's pale, thin face at the mention of the name.

"That's what he called your mama; that was his pet name for Marla."

"Whose pet name?"

"Why your daddy's," she said as if it should have been so obvious to me.

"Preston Tylar," she stated.

I looked up at Trey; I knew that I had been right.