the woman today shows up, and a quick glance across the room tells me that Joey has made her day even brighter.
“That was nice of you.” I kiss her on her forehead instead of the lips. As much as I want to do the latter I don’t want that picture out there.
Joey shrugs. “She wanted me in her photo, it’s the least I could do.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, if you’ll follow me.”
Joey and I wave at our fan and head through the door, following our attorney’s secretary. She shows us into his office where we take a seat, joining hands immediately. Regardless of the outcome, we’re in this together. And if the baby is mine, we’re filing for custody and asking the judge to take into consideration Jules’ mental state and her actions inside our home.
“I bet you’re anxious.” Dan Woodstock came highly recommended by Blaze, making my decision to sign with him easy. Since then, Joey and I have changed all of my necessary paperwork and added her name. Before, my estate—for it’s worth—was going to my parents and the community center. Now everything will go to Joey. The community center will still benefit, but it will be at her discretion in the event she’s supporting our children. I’m planning ahead, even if she isn’t yet.
Dan opens the large manila envelope, causing my heart to start racing. I’ve never been more nervous than I am now. Even when I married Joey my body didn’t shake with anticipation like this.
“I feel like I should be on the Maury Povich show,” I blurt out, squeezing Joey’s hand. Both she and Dan laugh, but I don’t find it funny. My life hangs in the balance of what that piece of paper says.
“The alleged father, Joshua Wilson, can be excluded as the biological father of the fetus here by referred to as Baby Maxwell.”
“Holy shit, she is pregnant,” Joey says.
“I’m sorry, what?” I ask, swallowing hard. I don’t think I heard him correctly.
“You’re not the father, Josh,” Joey says with tears in her eyes.
“I’m not?”
She shakes her head, biting her lower lip. “You’re not.”
I sit back in the chair, letting the words sink in.
“Holy shit.”
“Yeah, your wife already said that. I think this is cause for celebration?” Dan asks.
“Fuck yeah it is.”
We both stand and I shake his hand, probably too aggressively, but I don’t care. I’m fucking happy. And before I leave the room, I pick Joey up and spin her around.
“The baby … it’s not mine.”
“I know.” I gently let her down, and she cups my face with her hands, smiling. “No lies here, Josh, but I’m really happy.”
“Me too, babe. Now we can make our own.”
There’s a sparkle in her eye telling me that yes, we’re going to start trying. Not that we haven’t been trying this whole time, but she’s still on the pill. Maybe when we get home we can have a ceremony for getting rid of those tiny pills that keep blocking my sperm from knocking her up.
I’m giddy, yet saddened by the desperate attempts Jules has made in her efforts to keep Josh away from me. To use an innocent baby is deplorable in my mind, yet I know it happens all the time.
Inside our home, I breathe a sigh of relief. The nightmare is over, although I don’t expect Jules to go away anytime soon. They’re still in the same social circle and will be at the same industry events. It’s too much to wish that we’d never run into her. Except when we do, I hope that she saves face and avoids us. Lying for months about who the father of your baby is … I can’t even.
“Who do you think the father is?” I ask Josh, who is busy trying to pick up our house. The cleaning lady doesn’t come until tomorrow and he’s invited Rob over, which subsequently lead to us inviting Rebekah and Bronx over as well. After a stop at the grocery store to pick up food and beverages, we’re home and scrambling to be ready for our company.
“Matt,” he replies, shocking me. My mouth drops open and he uses his finger to push it closed.
“What, why?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs and proceeds to load the dishwasher with our mugs from this morning. “The whole mess in Alabama has never sat well with me. Why betray me for her, ya know?”
“I don’t know, babe. I mean, there seems to be a lot of that going on in the industry, right?”