“Secrets are lies by another name.” Michael Murpugo
Peyton spent hours online and, on the phone, talking to Adverse City’s most sought after party planner. Derek’s thirty-ninth birthday was in a few weeks. It may not have been a milestone birthday, but it was his birthday nonetheless, and she was going to make sure it was the best birthday bash in Adverse City.
Entertaining had never been quite her forte, but when she did entertain she pulled out all stops. Because Derek was more of a reserved type of man with a select number of what he considered true friends, she limited the ‘invitation only’ list to one hundred people consisting of family, friends, coworkers and a select number of his biggest bank customers.
“I will have everything just as you requested,” Lawrence Jakobe, the million dollar party planner assured her on video chat. “The invitations have gone out. You’ve tasted the cake and chosen it. You have all the decorations selected, and the color scheme is going to be perfect. Outside on the back lawn will be a huge decorated party tent. All you need to do now is finalize the food. You haven’t changed your mind about a sit down dinner have you? I know you were thinking of a buffet too,” Lawrence went on and on.
“I think it would be more sophisticated and more to Derek’s liking if we have a sit down dinner. However, I still want h'ordeuvres, finger foods, and a variety of desserts and beverages, but please, remember there is to be no liquor of any kind.”
“Are you sure? What’s a party without at least a little alcohol?” Lawrence said, raising a questioning eyebrow.
“A safe party and a fun party. I’m sure you can make it work. You can have all sorts of virgin drinks.”
“Oh, certainly. Do not worry. I’m on it,” Lawrence agreed.
“As you should. I’m paying you enough,” Peyton barked slightly, but reined her rising attitude back in. She had been doing most, if not all, of the planning while Derek was at the office since it was going to be a surprise. Liam was in on it and helped to keep his dad occupied on the occasions when Derek was at home and Peyton needed to handle something concerning the party.
The doorbell rang. “Okay, Lawrence, I promise to finalize the food choices later this evening or first thing tomorrow.”
“Yes, Mrs. Hudson. That will be fine.”
“Great. Well someone is at the door. We’ll chat later.”
“Yes, of course,” Lawrence replied and they disconnected from video chat.
Peyton’s personal assistant knocked on the door of the study.
“Come in.”
“Mrs. Hudson, Mrs. Stenberg is here.”
“Oh, great. Please show her in.”
“Of course.” The assistant disappeared and returned with Eva.
“Please bring the other ladies in here too when they arrive,” Peyton told the personal assistant.
“Yes, I sure will,” the assistant responded.
“Hey, girl. How are things going?”
“Good, I guess, considering the party is in a few weeks and I still have a ton of things I need to finish.”
“Everything is going to turn out just fine. Avery and Meesha should be here in a few minutes. We’re all going to sit down and together we’ll make sure everything is the way you want it to be. Derek is going to be so surprised and happy.”
“I sure hope so, Eva.”
The doorbell rang again and this time Meesha was led into the study.
“Hi, ladies,” Meesha said as she entered the room.
“Hi, Meesha,” Peyton and Eva said.
Eva’s text notifier chimed. She looked at the phone in her hand and read the message.
Sorry, I don’t feel up to coming. Need some me time. You girls go on without me.
“Avery just texted me. She’s not coming. Says she doesn’t feel up to it.”
“She’s still battling with PPD, huh?” Peyton acknowledged.
“Yes, she is. Some days are better than others for her,” Eva stated.
“I’m blessed and thankful that I didn’t go through it as tough as she’s experiencing. I mean I got the blues for a few days with the boys, but nothing like what poor Avery is experiencing,” Meesha said.
“Well, I don’t know a thing about it,” said Peyton. “And from the sound of it, I don’t want to ever know about it.”
“Neither do I,” Eva added.
“If you were just talking about depression, which I’ve heard PPD has similar symptoms, then I can identify with that,” Peyton chimed in.
“Yeah, it is similar,” Meesha agreed. “We have to continue to pray for her and be there for her as her friends.”
“Right, and she’ll be fine. She’s still seeing a therapist. I think because of that she’s getting better every day,” Eva said.
“I’d hate for her to try to kill herself like she tried before,” said Peyton.
“Peyton?” Meesha said.
“Well, I’m just saying. I hope she doesn’t try to take herself out. It would be a shame to leave those children motherless.”
“Let’s change the subject,” Eva said.
Meesha clapped her hands, laughed, and said, “Yes, you’re right. Enough of this Debbie Downer talk. Let’s get this show on the road. We have the best birthday party ever to pull off for your man.”
“Oh yeah, you got that right,” Peyton agreed and laughed and so did Eva.
“I still want to prepare a dish, something delectable, for the party,” Eva told Peyton.
“I appreciate the offer, but this is going to be a one hundred percent catered affair, and I already have the caterer. When you get your own restaurant, you already know you’ll have my business. Your food is delicious, at least the one dish I’ve tasted.” Peyton laughed.
“Don’t play,” Eva said and chuckled.
“Seriously, you can cook.”
“Thanks, Peyton. That’s the first time I’ve heard you give a compliment.”
Eva and Meesha laughed again.
“Don’t you all start,” Peyton said and laughed with them. “Okay, come over here. What I need from you ladies is help deciding on the food. Let me pull up the sample menus.”
At home, Avery hid away in her bedroom. She didn’t have to pick up the girls today. They had dance class after school, and Ryker offered to pick them up, which was fine by her. The nanny was tending to RJ.
Avery curled up in her bed where she’d been ever since the girls and Ryker left earlier that morning. At first, her intention was to go over to Peyton’s and help with the planning of Derek’s surprise birthday party but the more she thought about it, the less she wanted to go. She didn’t want to look into Meesha’s face and pretend that all was fine when she couldn’t stand Meesha right now.
Today was also the day she was supposed to be able to go online and view the results of the DNA test by using the preassigned password she received when she purchased the kit.
She channel surfed and stopped when she saw an episode of Paternity Court. Her eyes and ears became glued to the show. What was she going to do if RJ was Carlton’s kid? Better yet, what would Carlton do? Surely, he would leave Meesha then—he had to. Her mind felt all jumbled and confused. She really didn’t want to leave Ryker and chance losing her girls. What was she thinking? She shook her head from side to side as if she could shake some sense into her thoughts. She wanted to tell her therapist about what she was going through but she didn’t feel she could trust her like that. Not with a secret like this.
She stopped when she saw the woman on the TV screen start crying when the judge told her that the man she had accused was not her twins’ father. Avery watched the show often. She’d seen similar outcomes over and over again. How this show, like Maury, could still be on the air was a mystery, but she guessed it was people like her who fed its ratings.
On the bed next to her, Avery reached for her MacBook. She was nervous but she was ready to find out who RJ belonged to. She pushed the Power button on the laptop and while waiting on the screen to light up, she whispered a prayer. “God, if this baby is Carlton’s let him do right by me and by his son. If the DNA results show that RJ belongs to Ryker, help me to accept it and move on with my life. Amen.”
She went to the site, accessed the results, and read them carefully. When she read the results just like the woman on Paternity Court, Avery began sobbing and pounding the bed with her fists repeatedly. She could hear in her mind the judge telling her, “This man is not your baby’s father.”
“You have to be the father, Carlton. This can’t be right. This cannot be,” she screamed and cried. She and Ryker hadn’t had sex during that time. Had they? Obviously they had because the tests showed that Ryker was RJ’s daddy.
Avery cried on and off for hours. She finally stopped long enough to close down the DNA site before she powered off her Macbook. She curled up in a fetal position and remained in bed the rest of the day feeling sullen and lost.
When the nanny brought RJ in for his three o’clock feeding, she told her to get some of the stored breast milk to feed the crying baby. She didn’t want to be bothered, and the last thing she wanted to do was nurse. Not now. Her mind was still playing weird tricks on her and she needed time to soak in what the test revealed.
Somehow she had to move on with her life, just like she told God she would do. Now that she knew the truth, she would tell Carlton, or would she? Maybe she would let him remain in the dark. It would serve him right if she did. Yes, I think I just might let you stew in your own pot of soup for a while, Carlton Porter. It’ll serve you right for all you put me through.