The phone rang no more than an hour after she left Diosa.
"Gina Caralino." She said as she picked up her phone.
"This is Ally Lowen, attorney for Mr. Teller. He has signed the papers."
Gina smiled.
"Tell Mr. Teller to meet his sons at the park off the 192 off ramp in Lodi tomorrow. Tell him to be there no later than 2:30. If he is late or if any of the rules set forth in the documents he signed are not followed, we will rescind visitation and go straight for full custody. "
She heard Lowen breathe on the other end of the phone.
"He is aware. He will be there."
Gina hung up the phone and put it on the bathroom floor.
"He was fucking the whore wasn't he?" Tara said her head still in the toilet.
"Do you really want the details? I mean you are already puking."
Tara looked over at Gina.
"Well I did get the in person show, so…"
Before she could finish her sentence, she started throwing up again.
Gina got up and took a towel from the linen closet. She let the cold water from the faucet wet the towel and after ringing it out, she put it on the back of Tara's neck.
"Were you this sick with Thomas?" Gina asked rubbing her back.
Tara shook her head, while still throwing up.
"We got to get you to an OB."
Tara reached up and flushed the toilet.
"I made an appointment tomorrow, with that doctor in Stockton. " she said sitting back against the wall. " He is a good guy. He will keep this quiet."
"Let me know if he needs anything to help keep his mouth shut and make sure you send the bills to Dad's office. They will be taken care of."
Gina got the towel off Tara's neck and re-wet it. She handed it back to Tara so she could wipe her face.
"I will take the boys tomorrow. Don will follow you to the appointment. I will take Mickey with me and the boys."
Tara did not move or answer; scared anything would bring on another attack of nausea. She closed her eyes and started taking a few deep breaths.
There was a knock on the bathroom door.
"Mommy, it's time for my bedtime story," Abel said from the other side of the closed door. "Tommy is in my room too. He is waitin."
Tara gave a small smile
"Ok, baby. Get in bed and Mommy will be right there."
Gingerly, Tara got off the floor and used the counter to steady herself.
"Want me to read to them?" Gina asked.
"No, I can do it. I have been the world's worst mother for the past week. I need to read to my boys."
Tara steadied herself again, opened the bathroom door and went to put her boys to bed.
Jax did not sleep. He laid in their bed, willing for the clock to speed up to 2:00pm when he could leave to go see his boys. And maybe see his girl.
As he lay there, he thought about seeing her. How he would run up to her and tell her that he would do anything to get her back. That he would never sign divorce papers. That he would spend the rest of his life showing her how sorry he was. And the four of them would leave the park and never look back. Just the four of them.
In all his thoughts, he must have dozed off. Next thing he heard was the sound of bacon frying in the kitchen. He looked at the clock next to his bed. It was 9am.
He got dressed and made his way towards the kitchen.
Gemma was in the kitchen.
"Morning, " she said without turning around.
"Morning," he answered, going to the coffee pot and pouring himself a cup.
She turned around.
"So, when were you going to tell me?"
Jax leaned back against the counter.
"Well, I knew Collette would do it for me."
"This is not funny Jackson."
He took a sip of his coffee.
"It's not funny, Mom."
She turned back towards the stove and took the frying pan off the stove.
"So you agreed to her terms."
Jax continued to sip his coffee.
"So after everything she has done, you are giving in."
Jax slammed his mug down.
"Can you back off for a minute and let me handle this my way."
Gemma folded her arms.
"So I don't get to see my grandkids?"
"Let it go Mom."
Gemma banged her hand on the counter and looked at Jax.
"Why can't you see how she manipulates you?"
Jax let out a sarcastic laugh.
"You know what's funny?" He said slamming his mug down.
"How the two most important women in my life both say the other manipulates me. I am glad I never had a daughter, because she would probably do the same thing."
Jax walked out of the kitchen and turned towards Gemma.
"I made the decision to sign the custody agreement. I made the decision to go along with it. It is what is best for my boys. I am making the decisions in my life. Not you, not Tara. Me. And if you can't deal with it, then there's the door."
With that, Jax turned back around and made his way towards the bathroom.
Tara carried Thomas towards the car while Gina was belting Abel in.
"Mommy, where are we going?" Abel asked.
"Well, you guys are going to go see Daddy."
Abel's face lit up. Thomas started babbling dada dada dada.
Tara belted Thomas in his seat.
"Mommy, are you coming too?"
Tara snapped Thomas in and looked at Abel.
"No baby, Mommy is going to go to the doctor so her tummy gets better."
Abel seemed content with that answer, but Tara could see the wheels in his head turning. He was too smart for five years old.
Tara reached in the car and kissed both Abel and Thomas.
"Be good for Daddy, boys. I will see you in a few hours."
Tara shut the door and looked at Gina.
"Everything is in place, right?"
Gina nodded.
"A few of the friendlies are watching Jax and will watch him as we leave. If he even thinks of following us, we will know."
Tara still did not look convinced.
"You need to get going; you will be late for your appointment."
"Thanks again for doing this. I would of, but…"
"I would not have let you," Gina said, cutting her off. "You are way too vulnerable and needy right now to face Jax. One little smirk from him and you would be on your back faster than that hooker he is banging. And she is getting paid."
Tara gave her a dirty look.
"What, "Gina said. "Too soon?"
Jax pulled into the parking lot at 2:25pm. He did not see anywhere there. He got off his bike and went and sat on the picnic tables by the swings. Five minutes later, a black SUV pulled up. The butterflies overtook his stomach and he jumped up and ran over to it.
"DADDY!" he heard through the closed door and windows.
Gina and a guy that Jax recognized from his house the day they all left got out of the front.
"Mr. Teller."
Jax nodded at her as she opened the back door.
Abel would have sprung out of his seat if the seat belts did not hold him back. As soon as Gina unbuckled him, he leaped into Jax's arms.
Thomas was still babbling Dada Dada.
"I missed you so much, Son!"
Gina could not help but notice the pure happiness on Jax's face. He looked so happy holding his son. Gina got Thomas out of his seat and handed him to Jax. Jax juggled both boys in his arms.
"Daddy, we missed you!" Abel said.
Jax looked around.
"Tara?" he said, disappointed.
"Mommy had to go to the doctor. She is sick."
Jax looked at Gina.
"Stomach flu. Luckily the boys have not gotten it. But be careful, if they start puking…"
"Is she ok? Does she need anything?" he asked. He sounded legitimately concerned.
"She is ok. I have been helping out."
"Aunt GiGi takes us to the park while Mommy throws up."
Jax looked at Abel.
"Aunt GiGi?" he said sarcastically.
"Problem, Mr. Teller?" Gina asked.
"I just find it so funny that in all the time I have been with Tara, she never mentioned you. And now she and my sons are living with you and my son calls you Aunt. It's funny the things Tara leaves out "
Gina smiled.
"It's funny, in all the times I knew Tara, she kept telling me about her one true love. The one man who was so warped between family honor and loyalty to a club that he let the one woman he loved more than anything out of his life. Not once, but twice. It's funny the things that Tara is right about. "
Jax felt the sting of her words.
"Now, you could spend this precious time either taking a walk down memory lane with me or spending time with your sons. "
"Daddy, I want to go on the swings." Abel said.
Gina handed Jax the diaper bag.
"We will be here in the car watching. We will let you know when time is up. And don't pull any of this I need to leave club business crap. That was something that really pissed off your soon to be ex- wife."
Gina and Mickey made their way back to the car.
"Ms. Knowles?" Dr. Lowes said. "Are you listening?"
"Eight weeks pregnant. Baby looks healthy. Have to get my nausea under control. Gotcha."
Tara was barely listening. She had been through this drill before. All she could think of were the three couples in the waiting room. All excited moms and dads. She was the only single parent there. She never felt more alone.
"Would you like an ultrasound picture?"
Tara nodded.
Dr. Lowes printed out a picture.
"One more question. Will the father be present through this?"
Tara looked at the doctor.
"No," she said. "I will be doing this on my own."
It was a little after 5 and Gina knew it was time to get the boys home.
She had been watching Jax with his sons. He was running around with Abel, pushing Thomas on swings. He looked like a happy father.
Gina got out of the car.
"Ok, boys. Time to get home to Mommy." She called out to them.
Abel looked disappointed as he made his way towards the car. Jax was carrying a very tired Thomas in his arms.
"Daddy, I want you to come with us." Abel said as the approached the car.
Jax looked like he was lost for words. He looked up at Gina.
"Hey Abel," Gina said. " Two sleeps and two wakes and you will see Daddy again. This time we are going to go to a really cool place."
Abel smiled.
"Aunt GiGi, if Mommy is feeling better, do you think she can come too?"
Gina looked at Jax. He seemed anxiously awaiting her response.
"I am not sure Abel. Mommy needs to get better."
"OK, well we need to get her orange juice and popsicles. That makes my tummy better."
It's not going to take care of this, buddy, Gina thought.
"Ok, we will stop on the way home."
Abel hugged Jax and let Mickey put him in his car seat.
Jax walked around to the other side and put Thomas in his seat. He kissed him on the head and closed the door.
"I have a request." He said to Gina.
"Yes?"
"I would like to bring one of my guys with me. Chibbs. I would feel better knowing I have someone here watching my back. You have your guy, let me have mine."
Gina nodded.
"I will discuss with Tara. If it is ok with her, I will reach out to Lowen and let her know."
Gina opened up the passenger door.
"Can you just…" Jax started saying.
She turned around.
"Just what?"
Jax stopped for a moment and closed his eyes, like he was looking for the courage to say what he wanted to say.
"Just tell her I love her."
Gina let out a long sigh.
"If you love her, why is your dick still falling in used up pussy?"
Jax's expressions tighten.
"For a man who supposedly loves his family so much, you make really shitty choices. "
Gina got in the car.
"I will let you lawyer know the next place to meet. See you in two days."
With that she closed the door and Jax watched again, as his sons drove off without him.
No sooner had the dust settled from the SUV driving away, Jax's phone rang.
"Yea," he said sitting on his bike.
"You need to get back to Redwoody. We found out who Ms. Caralino is. Jackie-boy, you are not going to believe this."