"What do you mean it's her?" Nina asked, still half asleep, throwing Franco's arm off of her body as she sat up in their bed, suddenly more alert than she'd figured she would be when she got the call back from Spinelli, especially when you took into account it was almost 1 am.
" You had all the information in what you were given that Karlee was missing in her adoption records. Thanks to combining them both, " Maxie explained excitedly, "Spin was able to piece together what happened and how your mother managed to pull it off and get away with it.. But he turned it over to PCPD just an hour ago.. Your mother deserves to rot in jail for what she did to you." she stopped to breathe and Nina let it wash over her.
"And we're one hundred percent sure.. Right?"
"If she'll do a DNA test, that will completely confirm it, Nina.. Spinelli is going to approach her about doing one in the morning, he'll get Ellie to handle the results that way we know that no one tampered with them." Maxie explained, smiling as she asked, "So… you have a daughter AND a grand daughter now."
Nina smiled to herself a little, poking Franco awake. "What would you say if I told you I actually have a child?"
"I'm gonna take it to mean that was Spinelli, he was calling back to tell you that what your mother said was true… Right?" Franco asked, shocked when he didn't f eel the dread he thought he'd feel at everything being out but instead, he felt happy, he felt like maybe he'd finally get to kind of have a family.
"He's asking if she'll do a DNA test tomorrow but.. From what Maxie said, he's pretty much already proven it in theory.. And the strange part.. A little girl will be calling me grandma.. Or maybe Mimi, something like that.. I don't feel old enough to be a grandmother.."
"So your daughter.. She has a daughter of her own?"
"According to Maxie, Elena is 4 and she was named after Karina's favorite character in a book series." Nina answered, smiling a little to herself, her mind already going a thousand miles an hour at everything, anxious to what would happen after the DNA test, trying not to allow herself hope but also trying to be a little hopeful.
;-; CONTINUED;-;
He promised Joss he'd play 'chaperone' on her so called date with Cameron. And that's how he ran into Karlee and Elena for the fourth time in two weeks while roaming around the carnival being held downtown in the town square. Josslyn raised a brow when the little dark haired girl with purple and red climbed into her older brother's arms, but Morgan explained, "My friend Karlee's daughter. If I don't grab her now, she'll run off and scare the living hell out of Karlee." as he watched Karlee making her way over to them. Josslyn nudged her older brother and nodded at the pretty and petite girl about Morgan's age making her way over and she asked quietly, "That's Karlee? The girl you won't shut up about?"
"Yeah, why?"
"She's really pretty.. I mean I thought she'd be a barker like Kiki, but she's really pretty… she better be nice to you and take care of you though." Josslyn muttered with a bossy tone to her voice as she spotted Cameron coming towards her and then said "I'll be back in an hour.. Can Cam and I please go on the Ferris Wheel?"
"Yeah.. But one hour, Joss, I mean it." Morgan responded, laughing as his sister skipped away towards Cameron and his mother, Elizabeth. He gave a wave to Elizabeth and then smiled as Karlee nodded to Elena and said with a soft laugh and smile, "She saw you and before I knew it, she was running straight over.. Are you feeling any better tonight?"
"It's been a better day than the last one." Morgan answered quietly, his eyes fixed on her eyes, getting lost in them easily. He shifted Elena from one shoulder to the other and Elena told him, "I wanna ride rides but Mommy say I'm too small."
"You do, huh? What do you want to ride, pixie?" Morgan asked as Elena pointed to the Ferris Wheel. Morgan chuckled and grabbed hold of Karlee's hand, leading them towards the line formed at the ride, getting into line behind Cameron and Josslyn. Josslyn grumbled but smiled at Karlee and then asked, "How old is your daughter?"
"She's 4. and she thinks she's fearless.. Me on the other hand, not fond of heights.."
"Morgan won't let anything happen to you." Josslyn gave a smile, winking at her brother.. Yes, she was going to do everything in her power to steer him safely the hell away from another mistake with Kiki. Besides, she'd seen the way Karlee was looking at Morgan just then, and she felt a similar way about Cameron.. So she was going with her gut.. Something told her that Karlee would not hurt her brother like Kiki unintentionally had.
"Yeah, I know, just… Never really got to come to carnivals when I was a kid." Karlee explained, making Josslyn gape at her. "You have to ride the Ferris Wheel then! It's like a thing you always do when you're at a carnival. Make her ride this, Morgan."
"Okay, shorty, alright." Morgan chuckled, giving Karlee a sheepish smile as he looked at her and then leaned in, whispering into her ear, "We don't have to.. I can just take Elena up.."
"I think I can do this."
"I won't rock the bucket." Morgan promised, chuckling when Karlee gave a wary raised brow and let out a long intake of breath and then said "Okay, alright.. Only because Elena wants to get on there so bad she's squirming."
"C'mon, it'll be fine." Morgan coaxed, holding out his free hand. From behind them, Carly cleared her throat and asked, "Morgan? I didn't know you were bringing someone with you tonight.."as she looked from Morgan to the dark haired girl, the miniature of the dark haired girl in his arms. He looked happier, but Carly wasn't about to roll out the welcome mat, either. She fixed eyes on the girl beside him and for a second, she wondered why the girl looked so familiar.
"Mom, you remember Karlee, right?"
"She was your girlfriend in 8th g rade, right?" Carly asked, looking at the girl a little closer now. Karlee gave the same stiff and wary smile she wore herself at the moment but corrected Morgan, "Karina.. People just started callin me Karlee in the fourth grade and I never corrected them.. Before long, even the teachers did it and assumed it was my name."
The cell phone in her hands rang and Karlee looked at Morgan and asked, "Can you hold our place in line? I can take Elena with me, I just... I need to take this call.. It's that Spinelli guy I got to look into finding my birth mother."
"I can handle Elena, you just go take your call." Morgan waved her off and turned to his mother as he said quietly, "Don't start, okay? Look.. I know that lately, I've been all over the place, I know they just diagnosed me with Bipolar Mom, but... Friends, okay? I do need friends, it will keep me from going insane about everything I wrecked."
"She has a little girl."
"And? You had Michael and went on the run with Jason... Who was what, Mom? A friend. We're just two friends who happened to be in the same place at the same time tonight. That's it."
"Does she even know about your bipolar?"
"If things ever go that direction, Mom, that's going to be the first thing I tell her.. Stop inventing reasons to hate people. I'm done with that, okay? I'm a grown man. I know I haven't acted like it lately, Mom, but" Morgan stopped to take a breath as he finished, "I am."
Across the midway, Karlee listened, jotting down a phone number... To the woman who just might be her birth mother. "Thank you so much, Spinelli, for doing this.. I'm paying you as soon as I can." Karlee told the man as she hung up the call, walking back towards where her daughter and Morgan stood in line, waiting on the Ferris wheel. She tapped Morgan and he asked with a concerned look, "Well?"
"Spinelli thinks he found my birth mother.. A woman who lives here in town, her name is Nina Clay? Where did your mom go?"
"She went to butt into Josslyn's business and ruin her little 'date'."
"Ouch.. Guessing she gave you the third an fourth degree about me an that she still thinks I'm not good enough like she did back then?"
"No, believe it or not, she was more worried about the damage I'd do this time.. I haven't... Lately, Karlee, I have been doing some bad things.." Morgan explained quietly, Karlee tilting her head to look up at him in confusion. "Everybody makes mistakes. It wasn't a reason for her to come down on you. Don't let her get to you."
"I'm not, actually.. And it's our turn to get on."
"I mean it, Morgan, you'd better not rock the bucket."
"I promise, Karlee."
NOTES:
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TWO REVIEWS AND ONE FAVORITE! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW! I HOPE THIS CHAPTER LIVES UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS TOO! IT TAKES PLACE TWO OR THREE WEEKS AFTER THE CHAPTER PREVIOUSLY POSTED.
