Influenced by his conversation with Vanessa, Darryl pondered on sharing the news with Carolyn and Dawson. He stood at the window, his phone still clutched in his hand as he contemplated telling them that he had finally found Vanessa. He could have shared the news on the very first day, but he didn’t because he wanted time alone with Vanessa.
With a decisive nod, he sent a text to his friends, including the address where Vanessa was staying. Wasting no time, Carolyn and Dawson, who were eager to see Vanessa, arrived at the location the very next morning.
As early as possible, they pulled up to the address, waiting patiently for Darryl to meet them and escort them in, unknowing to them that Darryl had been watching their arrival from a distance.
A sly smile spread across his face as he imagined how surprised Vanessa would be when she came to know about Carolyn and Dawson’s arrival. He had kept their visit a secret from Vanessa to surprise her. Without drawing Vanessa’s attention, he slipped outside to meet his friends, careful not to raise any suspicion. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he got closer to them, greeting them with a simple hug.
“We came as soon as we could.” Carolyn stated, her eyes scanning the environment. “Where’s she?” She asked as she noticed Darryl was alone.
“I have an important confession to make before we proceed.” Darryl said, causing Dawson and Carolyn to stare at him in anticipation.
“I’ve been here for a while now, maybe a few days to be precise.” He confessed, hoping Carolyn wouldn’t tear him to pieces.
“You didn’t just find her? Is that what you are saying?” Carolyn asked in disbelief and her eyebrows furrowed in anger as she waited for his answer.
Darryl remained quiet as Carolyn lashed out at him. He knew that with Carolyn, no excuse could justify his action. Taking his silence as a positive answer, Dawson pouted his lips. “You’ve got to be kidding me man.” He whined.
“Can you guys calm down already? I had to settle a few things before inviting you over.” He explained. “I’m sorry,” he added as he raised his hands in the air, a gesture that he had surrendered to them.
“Get out of my way,” Carolyn said, her tone relaxed and playful. There was no point in holding grudges at Darryl again, she articulated, promoting her to let go of his wrongdoings.
“Your highest,” Darryl teased as he led both of them into the house.
As Darryl ushered Carolyn and Dawson into the house, a sense of excitement and nervousness filled the air. They moved quietly, trying not to alert Vanessa to their presence. But as they entered the living room, Vanessa suddenly appeared, unaware of the surprise that awaited her.
Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the sight of Carolyn, her best friend, standing before her. A loud scream of surprise escaped her lips, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.
Vanessa’s gaze remained locked on Carolyn, as if everyone else in the room had become invisible. Her face reflected the whirlwind of emotion brewing inside her. Also, Carolyn was surprised and pleased to see Vanessa again. A bright smile played on her face as she moved closer to Vanessa, closing the space between them.
“It is really you, Vani,” Carolyn said emotionally as she pulled Vanessa into a tight hug.
“Oh my God, Carolyn. You are here,” Vanessa cried out as she melted into the embrace.
“Yes, I’m here with you, Vani.” Carolyn replied, happiness laced in her voice.
“I’m sorry, Carolyn. I should have told you before leaving.” Vanessa apologized as she pulled out of Carolyn’s embrace.
“Yes, you should have, but you didn’t. It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t mad at you, but everything is fine now. You are fine, and I’m glad that you are.” Carolyn retorted, her gaze moved from Vanessa’s head to her feet, examining her.
“I’m glad to see you too, how are you and the baby?” Vanessa asked with concern, glancing at Carolyn’s stomach.
“I’m fine, my baby is fine. We are doing great.” Carolyn answered with a broad smile on her face.
“I’m really happy to see you,” Carolyn added.
“Same here, Vanessa. I’m also happy to see you again.” Dawson interjected after being in the shadows for too long. However, he was happy to witness the reunion between the two friends.
“Dawson,” Vanessa cried out in surprise, moving away from Carolyn to Dawson’s side. “I’m sorry for making you worry, that’s if you were.” She said, her tone goofy at the end.
“Of course, I was worried because my wife was worried about you. Thank God you are doing great. My wife can finally stop worrying about you.” Dawson said in a goofy manner, matching Vanessa’s energy.
Carolyn glared at him, a gesture to make him stop, but he ignored her as he continued to chat with Vanessa.
“I’m sorry for costing that much and I promise it won’t happen again.” Vanessa promised, her eyes flickered from Carolyn to Dawson before fixing on Darryl.
“I hope so too.” Darryl said, moving closer to Vanessa.
“Have a seat, please.” His hands pointed to the couch, but his hand moved to Vanessa’s shoulder, stopping her from getting a seat.
“How did you find her?” Dawson asked, interrupting Darryl and Vanessa’s romantic moment.
“Actually, Tania found her before I did. She came here with Emmy.” Darryl said, causing a frown to appear on Carolyn’s face.
“That bitch doesn’t know when to stop,” Carolyn spat, irritation laced in her voice.
“While we are on the topic, your mother called me because you refused to answer your phone,” Dawson explained.
“What does she want?” Darryl asked, his tone uninterested.
“She said, ‘Tania is in the hospital because Vanessa assaulted her.” Dawson quoted.
The sound of Vanessa’s gasp echoed through the house as she heard Dawson’s words.
“What did fuck did you just say?” Darryl snapped in anger.
“Chill man, you haven’t heard all of it.” Dawson said, causing silence to engulf them as they anticipated what he was about to say.
“She said Tania had a miscarriage after Vanessa assaulted her.”
Vanessa’s eyes widened in shock as she jerked her head towards Darryl. Darryl’s face went blank as he heard the revelation.
“It is time to make Tania pay for all her bullshit.” Darryl declared, gritting his teeth as his fist clenched tightly.
“I second that,” Carolyn glowered in anger as her lips curled up. “Tania has to be stopped before things get out of hands.” she added, firmly.