Fate does not ask you what you want, fate knows what is best for you even when you don’t. It determines what comes into your life, everything you need will come to you at the perfect time. Are you meant to lose people you love? I believe that things do not happen by accident but there is a reason for everything that is meant to be. Nothing is ever taken from your hands to punish you but it is only leaving your hands empty for something better to come, something like finding the ones you love.
We have just phoned Ava’s parents, after a few minutes with her father on the phone, she burst out crying. It’s up to me now to convince him that his daughter is alive and that she in front of me. But I need to calm her and baby down first.
Trayton ~”Mr Owens please give me a minute, I need to calm her down.”
Richard Owens ~”Sure not a problem.”
I take her hands into mine.
Trayton ~”Baby girl please breathe for me. You and baby must calm down.”
Ava ~”Baby I can’t, he does not know who I am.”
Trayton ~”Baby girl let me talk to him but you have to calm down for me. Can you do that for me?”
Ava ~”Baby I am going to try, okay.”
I turn back to the phone that is laying on the desk.
Trayton ~”Sorry about that Mr Owens.”
Richard Owens ~”Is your fiancé pregnant?”
Trayton ~”Yes she is twenty weeks now.”
Richard Owens ~”Must be very exciting for you both.”
Trayton ~”Yes sir it is. I think it is also why it is so important to her to find her family.”
Richard Owens ~”Son what makes you sure that you have my daughter?”
Trayton ~”I apologise for what I am about to say but it is the only way that you are going to believe me.”
Richard Owens ~”You are right, I don’t believe you.”
Trayton ~”I know what Seth Williams did to her. From the part where he had her tied up to a pole to the part where she did not have a blanket to cover herself up at night.”
Richard Owens ~”Who are you? How did you get that information? Those files are supposed to be sealed. What sick game are you playing?”
Trayton ~”Sir this is not a sick game. I promise you that this is for real. Ava is Madison.”
Richard Owens ~”I don’t believe you. Nobody was supposed to find Madison. We could not find Madison. How did you find Madison?”
Trayton ~”I met Ava at my club. I had a friend of mine look into her past and that is when I found out who she really was.”
Richard Owens ~”I don’t believe you. Nobody is supposed to find Madison. They told us that she will be in danger if we try to find her.”
Trayton ~”Seth Williams cannot find her. He is dead.”
Then there is silence again.
He does not speak for nearly five minutes and when he does, his voice has gone soft and trembling as if he is crying.
Richard Owens ~”Son I am going to need more than just your word for this. You must understand I can’t go to my wife and say to her that Madison is alive.”
Trayton ~”I understand Mr Owens, I have your number, I will get Ava to send you some pictures of her.”
Richard Owens ~”I really hope that it is our Madison, my wife was never the same after they took her.”
I take the phone off speaker and walk with it to the far side of the room where she cannot hear me speak.
Trayton ~”What about her sister and brother? Are they still alive?”
Richard Owens ~Yes they are still alive. Her brother blamed himself after it. His life is a complete mess in and out of rehab. Her sister has a family of her own, they just live here around the corner.”
Trayton ~”There is something else I need to tell you, not even Ava knows. It was something I found in her file that I took out before anyone could see it.”
But before I can say a word she comes walking up to me.
Ava ~”I am going to go lay down. Tell Mr Owens it was nice to speak to him.”
Then she leaves the room.
Richard Owens ~”I am sorry I did not give her what she was hoping for today. Please send me those pictures as soon as you can.”
Trayton ~”Sure, we will be in contact soon.”
I drop the call with a heavy heart. This is so not how I wanted her day to go. But it is understandable, we can’t expect him just to accept that Ava is his daughter. They both have suffered a lot, everyone needs to be sure.
When I get to the room, she is laying on the bed balancing a teddy bear on her tummy, clearly finding her own silliness amusing. I watch her as she sings to the baby. It brings tears to my eyes, she is going to be an amazing mom.
Ava ~”Rock-a-bye, baby, on the treetop. When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the bow breaks, the cradle will fall. Down will come baby, cradle and all. Rock-a-bye baby, gently you swing. Over the cradle, mother will sing. Sweet is the lullaby over your nest that tenderly sings my baby to rest.”
Trayton ~”You are going to have to teach me that song. I can’t say I know how to sing as well as you but I will try.”
Ava ~”How long have you been staring at me?”
Trayton ~”Long enough to know that I even love you more than five minutes ago.”
Ava ~”I can’t believe you still think that shit still works for you.”
Trayton ~”That is another ten bucks from you.”
Ava ~”Shit is not a swear word.”
Trayton ~”It is an ugly word. Baby is not allowed to learn any ugly words too.”
Ava ~”What did Mr Owens say?”
Trayton ~”He wants us to send him pictures. So if you up to it then we can look for some pictures?”
Ava ~”But then we will have to go get my stuff from the other place.”
Trayton ~”Just tell us where it is and we can pack up for you. You can have a nap or go watch cartoons.”
Ava ~”Are you sure? I can really come with.”
Trayton ~”I am sure. I will go get you some of that strawberry milkshake and go make you a bed in the lounge.”
Ava ~”Thanks baby, I am just going to put some sweats on.”
I head out the door with her favourite blanket and a pillow and make my way downstairs. In the lounge I find everyone but Dominic chatting and watching TV.
Mary ~”How did it go?”
Trayton ~”He spoke to us but he does not believe me.”
Mary ~”Did she speak to him?”
Trayton ~”No she just cried.”
Mary ~”Now what now?”
Trayton ~”I must send him photos. That is why we must move her stuff over. If you guys don’t mind in still helping out.”
Kenton ~”Of course. Dominic has gone out to meet up with a chick but I am sure we all will be enough.”
Mary ~”Is she going to be okay alone?”
Trayton ~”She will be fine, we not going to be long, the only thing that will take time is all that damn boxes of shoes though.”
Kenton ~”I am not packing that.”
Trayton ~”I am not moving them either.”
Kaylin ~”It’s only shoes.”
Trayton ~”A shitload of shoes.”
Ava ~”That is ten bucks for you, mister. And stop complaining about my shoes, it is the same as your stupid watch collection.”
Trayton ~”My watch collection is not so big.”
Ava ~”I have seen the poor cleaning lady move those things around every time she needs to dust off that chest of drawers.”
Trayton ~”You are just making it up.”
Mary ~”You forget I had to clean up after you as a teenager and your collection was twice as bad.”
Trayton ~”Those were a bunch of dinky toys, these can’t get full of dust.”
Ava ~”It’s the same with my shoes, it can’t get dust so I leave them in the boxes.”
Trayton ~”You are just too lazy to unpack them.”
Ava ~”Trayton DeCarlo did you just call me lazy?”
Trayton ~”I did not mean it that way baby.”
Ava ~”Then which way did you?”
Trayton ~”I am just saying that they would look nicer when they outside the box.”
Ava ~”Then build me a closet for my shoes then.”
Trayton ~”Now that you remind me, we have to start building the baby’s room.”
Ava ~”Maybe we can begin next week after we know what it will be.”
Trayton ~”We don’t have to wait because it is going to be a boy.”
Ava ~”Sorry for you but it really is a girl.”
Trayton ~”You are going to be very disappointed when you see it is a boy.”
Ava ~”You are going to be very surprised when it is a girl.”
Kenton ~”As much fun as it is watching you argue, we must get going.”
Trayton ~”I think we must get going. You going to phone me if something is wrong?”
Ava ~”Yes baby, I wrote the address on a piece of paper that I left by your phone. If you not sure if something is mine, just send me a picture and I can tell you.”
Trayton ~”Will see my babies just now. I love you both.”
Ava ~”We love you too.”
My mom and I take my double cab while Kenton and Kaylin take his. I somehow don’t think everything will fit in one go seeing that she has a whole new pregnant lady wardrobe.
Mary ~”How are you doing Trayton?”
Trayton ~”I am fine mom. I mean she is back and that is all that matters.”
Mary ~”You missed almost half of her pregnancy. Are you okay with that?”
Trayton ~”I am cross with myself for being so stupid but I am going to be there for the rest. I am ready to be a dad.”
Mary ~”Do you think her dad is going to accept her?”
Trayton ~”I can’t see why not. Why would a dad push his own daughter away?”
Mary ~”I just don’t want her to get hurt. She just got over your rejection, I don’t think she can take her dad’s.”
Trayton ~”Mom she has been through so much, things will go her way now.”
Mary ~”I can promise you one thing, if you hurt that girl again then I will cut your balls off.”
Trayton ~”Mom has been spending too much time between all the men.”
Mary ~”I don’t need to be between men to know that I am not going to take your bullshit this time.”
Trayton ~”That is twenty bucks in the jar.”
Mary ~”There is no baby around, there can’t be a jar.”
Trayton ~”The jar is everywhere.”
Mary ~”You are going to make a good father.”
Trayton ~”You really think so.”
Mary ~”I saw how you changed when you saw how big her tummy was the other night. You had that proud father look on your face and I have not seen you lose it since then.”
Trayton ~”Of all the things that I have done in my life this is the only good thing I have ever done. Nothing else comes close to the feeling I feel knowing that I am going to be a father.”
Mary ~”I wish your father was here. He always thought you were going to stay a rebel and not grow up. He would have been so proud.”
Trayton ~”That is why I am hoping her father wants to be part of her life.”
Mary ~”Everything will work out.”
We stop in front of the building where she has been staying for the last couple of months. Of course Jackson will own such an extravagant place, at least I know she was living in a decent place and not some dingy shithole.
We pack everything she instructed us to pack, here and there not quite sure but the majority of stuff that looks like hers. Much to my surprise, it fits and that is with all the shoeboxes. Once we done, mom tidies up a bit before we go.
Half hour later we pulling back into our driveway. I rush through the front door so that I can check up on her if she is okay. She has that very same teddy bear as earlier on squashed in her arms as she is lying fast asleep on the couch.
We all unpack her stuff as neatly as we can so she does not need to worry about it later. I take her box with photos and go back down to the kitchen.
Trayton ~”Did we wake you up?”
Ava ~”No I am hungry, mom said she will make me some flapjacks.”
Trayton ~”Baby girl you had flapjacks for breakfast.”
Ava ~”I want flapjacks for lunch.”
Trayton ~”Okay just as long as you don’t eat it for supper too. You need to eat some healthy food like vegetables.”
Ava ~”The baby does not like vegetables.”
Trayton ~”Are you sure it is you and not the baby?”
Ava ~”It is definitely the baby.”
Trayton ~”No flapjacks for the baby if he does not eat his vegetables then.”
While mom makes her lunch, we go sit at the table with her box of photos.
Trayton ~”Are you ready for this?”
Ava ~”At least he won’t hear me crying this time.”
Trayton ~”Which photo do you want to send him?”
Ava ~”I want to send him a happy one. One where I don’t look too sad.”
Trayton ~”What about this one?”
Ava ~”Yes let send that one.”
I take a picture of her photo, I press to share and forward it to her father’s phone number. I can see both excitement but also nervousness on her face. We wait and check that the message has been delivered.
Trayton ~”Now we wait.”
We wait.
Five minutes pass.
We wait.
Another five minutes pass.
We wait.
And wait.
Half hour pass.
And we still waiting.
The excitement has completely drained from her face, all that is left is disappointment.
Then the phone rings.
Ava ~”I am not answering, please will you?”
I answer the phone.
Trayton ~”Hi Mr Owens.”
Richard Owens ~”Hi Trayton. Please call me Richard.”
Trayton ~”Hi Richard. Did you get our photo?”
Richard Owens ~”Yes I did.”
I can hear his voice tremble as he starts to cry.
Richard Owens ~”I had to show my wife because I thought I was imagining things.”
Trayton ~”I promise you that is Madison in that photo and that she is definitely standing right here next to me.”
Richard Owens ~”I believe you son, I believe that your fiancé is our baby girl. I believe that she is Madison. I have not been so certain about anything in a long time.”
Trayton ~”You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.”
Richard Owens ~”You have no idea how happy you have made us, how happy you made me but most of all her mother. I am so happy to have her back. I have not stopped crying so damn happy I am. Poor Teresa even passed out. She is standing right next to me now.”
I can hear a woman’s voice in the background as she too starts crying.
Trayton ~”I am glad I found you, I am glad that I could have done this for you, to bring you guys back together again.”
Richard Owens ~”I don’t know what to say. How can I ever repay you?”
Trayton ~”Please don’t push her away that is all I ask.”
Richard Owens ~”I will never push her away, not now, not ever. Do you think I can speak to her?”
Trayton ~”Just give me a second.”
I look at her sitting there with her eyes closed, holding her tummy begging her baby to let her be strong cause she wants her baby to have a grandpapa.
Trayton ~”Baby your dad wants to speak to you.”
Ava ~”Baby what if he calls me Madison?”
Trayton ~”Baby girl he will call you whatever you want him to.”
Ava ~”What do I call him?”
Trayton ~”Baby girl he is your dad but don’t call him dad if you don’t want to.”
I can see her hands shaking as I hand my phone to her. I want to move away but she pulls me closer to her. I wrap my arms around her.
Then she speaks.
Ava ~”Hi daddy.”
Richard Owens ~”Hey Maddie.”
The tears start building up in my eyes. I take it back, there are only two good things that I have done, and this is the second of them. After years and years apart I have united a lost child with her family. I have given her the greatest gift that I can ever give.