Chapter •31•
《Rowan》Today is the day that myself, Jasmine, Peyton his daughters Josephine and Julie, Peyton's brother Leyton and Leyton's daughter Sapphire, my sister Carmen and Heaven are going to the zoo right now I'm just bathing Jasmine, are you excited about going the to zoo today?
《Jasmine》Yes I am but why did Peyton invite me to the zoo I'm not his daughter?
《Rowan》He invited you because he likes you and he wants to get to know you more and he really cares about you, now are you ready to get out of the bath?
《Jasmine》Yeah, hey mommy?
《Rowan》Yeah baby?
《Jasmine》Do you think one day I'll get a daddy?
《Rowan》Jasmine honey let's get you out of the bath and get you dressed for the day we have to be over at Peyton's house soon, she nods and I drain the bathtub and grab a towel and put it around her and pick her up out of the tub and take her to her room and sit her on her bed, OK baby what do you want to wear today?
《Jasmine》My purple pants and my purple flower shirt and my purple shoes please, my mommy nods and gets my clothing once my mommy has my clothing she comes back over to me and starts helping me get dressed, so today I take my wheelchair?
《Rowan》There you go your all dressed and yes you do baby, honey do you know how you asked mommy if you'll get a daddy?
《Jasmine》Yes
《Rowan》Well what I have to tell you, you might not like to hear it but you deserve to know
《Jasmine》What is it mommy?
《Rowan》Well you do have a daddy but he left before you were even born when him and I went to the doctor we found out that you were going to be born with spina bifida that was the day your daddy walked out on us
《Jasmine》So it's my fault if I wasn't born with this stupid disability I would have a daddy?
《Rowan》What no no no baby it's not your fault your daddy was a coward and he always will be
《Jasmine》I guess he didn't love me enough to stay
《Rowan》But just because your daddy isn't in your life doesn't mean that you don't have people that love you, you have me you have uncle Shane, you have aunt Carmen, you have your cousin Heaven, you have a grandma you have a grandpa and you have a aunt Sabrina that all love you very much, I hug her now come on let's get you in your wheelchair and head over to Peyton's house, she nods and I get her in her wheelchair and we leave her room do you want mommy to put your hair in a bun or just a simple pony?
《Jasmine》In a bun please
《Rowan》OK I'll get your hair brush and the stuff to do the hair bun, I walk to her room and get the brush and the things to do her hair bun once I have the stuff I walk back out to Jasmine and start on her hair when I get done with Jasmine's hair I look at her and say alright baby all done
《Jasmine》Thank you mommy, when is aunt Carmen and Heaven getting here? My mommy didn't have time to answer me because right after I asked her that the door bell rang so my mommy walked over to the door to open it and it was my aunt Carmen and my cousin Heaven, aunt Carmen, Heaven!
《Rowan》Hi come on in, I move out of the way to let Carmen and Heaven in when they come in Carmen looks at me and says
《Carmen》Why does Jasmine look so sad?
《Rowan》I told her about Grant and when him and I went to the doctor and we found out that Jasmine was going to be born with spina bifida he couldn't deal with the fact that is daughter is going to be born with spina bifida so he got up and left before she was born and now she's blaming herself saying if she wasn't born with stupid spina bifida she would have a daddy he would have stuck around
《Carmen》Oh my god did you tell her it wasn't her fault?
《Rowan》Yes I did but I think she still blames herself, do you think it was a bad idea that I told her about her father?
《Carmen》What no no no, it was the right thing to do she's old enough now to know why he left and she has absolutely no need to blame herself when it was not her fault at all
《Rowan》How is it going with writing the letters and putting them on Kevin's headstone?
《Carmen》It's great, but the weirdest thing happened
《Rowan》What's that?
《Carmen》Heaven and I would take the letters to Kevin's headstone but then when we went back the next day with a whole new set of letters the previous letters that we took there they were gone off the headstone
《Rowan》I'm sure they probably just blew away
《Carmen》Your probably right but it's weird
《Rowan》I know, I look at the time and it's time to go to Peyton's house, OK let's get going we have to go to Peyton's house we walk out the door and Carmen looks at me and says
《Carmen》Are we taking one car or are we taking separate cars?
《Rowan》Well it's up to you, what do you want to do?
《Carmen》Well I say we take separate cars because I want to take Heaven to the Cemetery after the zoo she's been really missing her daddy lately, Rowan nods and we hug and Heaven and I walk to our car and get in then we wait for Jasmine and Rowan to pull out of the driveway then we head to Peyton's house when we get there we see that every one is there but there is also another car there well more like a van, Heaven and I get out of the car and walk over to Rowan's car and I knock on the window Rowan why is there a van in Peyton's driveway?
《Rowan》I don't know, but can you get Jasmine's wheelchair out of the trunk please? She nods and walks to the back and gets Jasmine's wheelchair out of the trunk then she brings the wheelchair to the side of the car where Jasmine is then I get Jasmine out of the car and get her in her wheelchair, I look at Carmen wait here with Heaven and Jasmine while I go tell Peyton we are here, she nods and I walk up to Peyton's door and knock when the door opens I thought I was going to be met by Peyton but I was met by the adorable Sapphire, hi honey is your uncle Peyton here?
《Sapphire》Hi yes he is I'll get him, she nods and I walk to where my uncle Peyton is uncle Peyton your girlfriend is here
《Peyton》Thank you sweetheart, I get up and walk to the door and see Rowan standing there, I smile at her hi honey
《Rowan》Hey um why is there a van in your driveway? He didn't say anything all he did was smile at me Peyton Meyer why is there a van in your driveway?
《Peyton》Well you see I see how you struggle with getting Jasmine in and out of your car so I took it on myself to buy you a wheelchair van to get Jasmine around town easier, she didn't say anything all she did was start to cry, I pull her into a hug it's OK baby don't cry, if you don't like it I can take it back, right after I said that she pulled back and gave me a serious look and she said
《Rowan》You will not take that van back I love it and I love you, but how am I going to get it home and also my car?
《Peyton》You can keep your car in my garage until we get back from the zoo and then you give me your keys to your car and I will follow you home in your car
《Rowan》OK but what about you how are you going to get home from my house?
《Peyton》I don't know I'll probably just take a cab home
《Rowan》Actually no you won't when you drop my car off at my house I'll take you home in the van, but seriously Peyton thank you
《Peyton》Your welcome baby, now come on and I'll show you the van, she nods and I take her hand in mine and we walk over to the van and I unlock the van, look inside there's enough room for her wheelchair and for you to walk around and hook her wheelchair in, and look at this I walk to the driver side of the van and press the button there's also a built in DVD player for when your on long road trips
《Rowan》Peyton this is amazing thank you, I look at him and say I don't know how to thank you enough
《Peyton》Go get Jasmine so we can get ready to leave, she nods and walks over to Jasmine, as she's walking away I stand there watching her thinking god she's so beautiful, as I'm standing there I see them coming and I can't help but notice the look on Jasmine's face once they get to me I get down to Jasmine's level, Jasmine honey are you OK?
《Jasmine》My mommy told me you bought me a wheelchair van?
《Peyton》I nod and smile I did I pull her in for a hug, you like it honey?
《Jasmine》Peyton and I are still hugging when I say I love it thank you daddy, after I said that I can feel Peyton stiffen in the hug then I hear my mommy say
《Rowan》Peyton are you OK? He didn't say anything all he did was look at me with a teary eye shocked face OK Peyton I'm going to ask you one more time, are you OK?
《Peyton》Yeah, yeah I'm fine it's just that Jasmine called me daddy, I look back at Jasmine and say your welcome honey now who's ready for the zoo?
《Everyone》We are
《Peyton》Alright everyone get in your cars and we will leave, everyone yells and runs to there cars and I help Rowan get Jasmine in the van and strapped in once Jasmine's strapped in before I climb out of the van I kiss the top of Jasmine's head I'll see you at the zoo sweetheart then I climb out of the van and close the door and walk over to Rowan and kiss her drive safe and I'll see you both there I love you both, I walk to my car and get in and wait until everyone else pulls away from the house and then Rowan pulls out of the driveway and then I pull out of the driveway and we all finally head to the zoo when we get to the zoo we park our vehicles and we all get out of our vehicles I look at Josephine and Julie and say, hey girls why don't you both go over with uncle Leyton while I help Rowan with Jasmine OK? They nod and walk over to Leyton and I walk over to Rowan's van and help her get Jasmine out of the van I open the back door and see that Rowan is already unhooking Jasmine so I get the lift ready for her and when Rowan's done she pushes Jasmine onto the lift and I bring Jasmine down when Jasmine is on the ground Rowan takes her and I put the lift back in the place where is goes and close the door and walk over to Rowan and Jasmine and then I say well let's go into the zoo
《Everyone》Yay let's go
《Peyton》Alright where to first?
《Sapphire》Uncle Peyton can we go see the flamingos please?
《Peyton》I look at Sapphire then I look at everyone else for confirmation about going to see the flamingos first and they nod so I look at Sapphire and say sure sweetie as we are walking to the flamingos I hear Leyton say to Sapphire
《Leyton》I thought you liked turtles?
《Sapphire》I do but I want to see the flamingos and anyway I don't think they have any turtles here
《Leyton》Alright, I look at Peyton let's go to the flamingos, he nods and we all walk to see the flamingos when we get to the flamingos Sapphire has the biggest smile on her face
《Sapphire》Daddy look
《Leyton》I know they are beautiful aren't they? She nods, then I hear her cry so I bend down to her level baby doll what's wrong?
《Sapphire》I'm just happy that I finally got to go to the zoo
《Leyton》Aww baby doll, I hug her and as I'm hugging her Peyton comes over to me and he says
《Peyton》Is she OK?
《Leyton》Yeah this is just her first time coming to the zoo, I look at Sapphire, Sapphire baby doll why don't you run and catch up with Rowan her sister your friends and your cousins while I talk to your uncle Peyton OK? She nods and runs up to Rowan and the rest when I know she's in good hands with the group I look at Peyton, so your probably wondering what I mean by this is Sapphire's first time coming to the zoo?
《Peyton》Yeah
《Leyton》OK well when she was at the orphanage they were going to the zoo and Sapphire was really excited but on the day of the zoo trip the mean staff members told Sapphire she wasn't invited to go on the trip so Sapphire was really upset but this really nice staff member her name is Jewel stayed with Sapphire and they made their own little makeshift zoo
《Peyton》Oh my god is there anything else that Sapphire wasn't allowed to do when she was in the orphanage?
《Leyton》I don't know Peyton but when I started volunteering at the orphanage she was sitting in the corner all by herself looking so sad and then when Jewel told me Sapphire's back story it broke my heart she was abused by her biological parents they would throw her in the walls they would burn her and Jewel even told me when Sapphire came to the orphanage she was so malnourished and none of the other kids wanted to be friends with her, I look at Sapphire laughing and playing with her friends and cousins, then I look back at Peyton you know I love Sapphire she's my everything but sometimes it's so hard being a single dad
《Peyton》I know what that's like when Marcy abandoned Josephine and Julie when they were first born I had a tough time raising them myself but then mom stepped into help me and now look at how much they have grown up I don't know what I would do without my daughters as I'mtalking to Leyton my phone rings and I look at it and it's Cole so I look back at Leyton and say I'm sorry I have to take this it's Cole
《Leyton》It's OK take it I'm going to catch up with the rest of the group, he nods and I walk away to catch up with the rest of the group
Back with Peyton
《Peyton》When Leyton walks away I answer my phone
Phone call (Cole and Peyton)
《Peyton》Hello Cole what can I do for you?
《Cole》Peyton I need your help please
《Peyton》Cole what's going on?
《Cole》I'm in jail
《Peyton》What how the hell did you end up in jail?
《Cole》Someone by the name of Jonathan came to my house looking for his daughter Carla and I said I have a daughter named Carla then he started asking me where my wife Carol was so Carol came to the door and her eyes went as wide as saucers and I put two and two together did you know that Carol was cheating on me and that the little girl that I thought was my daughter is not my daughter?
《Peyton》Yeah I'm sorry man I saw her and that Jonathan guy when she was 5 month pregnant they were kissing so I confronted her about what she was doing to you but what she didn't know is I recorded my conversation with her on my phone the whole time when I walked away from her I pretended to call you I've never seen her move so fast in my life she came up to me and asked me not to tell you anything so I said hey Cole can you hang on a minute then I looked at her and said why shouldn't I tell Cole that you have been cheating on him then I said is this baby even my brother's baby and she said no it's not please don't tell him that it's not his then she said I love Cole and I said if you love my brother Cole then you break up with Jonathan and you tell Jonathan to never ever ever to associate with you again but I guess she didn't did she?
《Cole》No she didn't, so before the cops showed up to take me to jail I looked at Carol told her to pack up her shit take her baby and get the fuck out of my house and I told her that I'll be filing for a divorce, so all in all I'm in jail can you come and get me?
《Peyton》Well I'm at the zoo with my girlfriend Rowan her daughter Jasmine and my daughters Josephine and Julie Rowan's sister Carmen and Carmen's daughter Heaven and Leyton and Leyton's daughter Sapphire, but I'll be there
《Cole》Thanks man I really appreciate it
《Peyton》Your my brother and if there was one thing that mom and dad ever taught us was to be there for family I'll be right there bye
《Cole》Thank you bye
End of call
《Peyton》When I get off the phone I walk back to the group, ah guys I have to go but I'll be right back
《Josephine and Julie》What's going on daddy do we have to come with you?
《Peyton》No you can stay with Rowan and your cousin and your friends and your uncle Leyton they nod and walk over to Rowan and Jasmine and take each side of Jasmine's wheelchair, I look at Rowan and say I'll be back as soon as I can she nods and I kiss her and run to the entrance of the zoo and get my hand stamped indicating that I will be back in the zoo when I get back once I get my hand stamped I run to my car and get in and drive to the police station to pick up my brother Cole