4Ever & a Day : The Next Generation of R5

Who Is Ansel's Daddy?

Ryland

I sat on my porch and stared at the for sale sign in the yard. So much had happened in the past few weeks in my life. I had lost my wife and my best friend. My daughter was living in San Francisco with her mother and it seemed like a thousand miles away. She cried on the phone and wanted to come home but I just didn't think it was a good idea right now. Everyone thought I should fight Bethenny for custody but I still wasn't sure I could handle being a single dad.

I watched the mailman come by and put mail in the mailbox. I walked slowly to the mailbox to retrieve the mail. I was expecting the paternity test on Ansel. I couldn't believe I had been put in this position. I went back to the porch with the mail in my hand and sat down on the steps. I found the piece of paper from the state of California and stared at it. This was it. This was the piece of paper that determined Ansel's future.

My hands shook as I opened it and unfolded the piece of paper. My eyes teared up as I read the results. There was a 99.97% chance I am Ansel's father. I had prepared myself for him to belong to Jacob but not for him to actually be mine. I wasn't sure what to do now. My thoughts were all jumbled together as my phone rang in my pocket.

I sighed as I saw Bethenny's name on the screen. I didn't want to answer it and I debated on letting it go to voicemail. I didn't want to talk to her right now. I knew why she was calling.

I swiped my finger across the phone and put it to my ear. "Hello."

"I got the paternity results in the mail," Bethenny said.

"Yeah me too," I said back.

She had been very bitter and snarky with me since that day in Jacob's kitchen. Truth be told I wanted to work on our marriage. I was willing to try and forgive her and move past all of this. She on the other hand had told me as soon as we found out who Ansel's father was she was filing for divorce. She said she was in love with Jacob. So I had no choice but to let her go even though it broke my heart to do it.

"So I'll send you the papers as soon as my lawyer draws them up," she said.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" I asked for probably the hundredth time.

"Yes regardless of what is going on between Bea and Jacob, you and I are through."

I sighed. "Fine whatever. I gotta go," I said as I hung up.

Jacob had been by a few weeks ago to try and explain everything. I wasn't ready to forgive him just yet. Sad thing was as in love with him Bethenny was he had chosen to work things out with Bea. He said he did love her but he loved Bea more and always would. I had to respect that they were at least trying to work things out. Bethenny wasn't even willing to sit down and talk to me.

I tried to think about something else to get my mind off all of this but I was drawing a blank. It consumed me and was all I thought about. Up until the day those pictures arrived on my doorstep I had thought I had a good marriage. Guess I was clueless as to what was really going on.

I got up and went into the kitchen. I glanced at the clock on the microwave and saw it was almost two o'clock. I knew I had to leave because there was someone coming by to look at the house at two. I didn't really want to sell this house but I didn't need it just for me. It had too many memories and reminded me of my failures as a husband.

I got in my car and left the house just as the realtor pulled up to the curb. She smiled and waved and I waved back. I didn't smile though because I just couldn't right now. My world was in shambles and I didn't know how to fix it.

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