Taking One for the Team (The Team #1)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Renee

I. Am. So. Tired.

The babies are exactly six weeks old today and they still have developed the art of sleeping for a full night. Rae has been an angel. She's adjusting well to being an older sister and has been helping out the most she can. The real blessing is that those creepy phone calls have stopped.

"Baby, it came." Alex announces.

"Shh, they finally went to sleep." I scold. "What came." I ask.

On the bed, Tonio starts to whine. I quickly pick him up before the cycle completes itself. The cycle is that anything the babies do, Tonio starts it. If he needs a diaper change, August needs a diaper change after, the Angie needs her diaper changed too. Same with their hunger and crying. I guess I should count myself lucky they don't do it at the same time.

"The DNA results."

"Open it." I say.

"It says there's a 99.9% probability that Matthew is the father."

I nodd. "Good t know I didn't lie."

Seven weeks later, an unexpected visitor knocked on our door. Ale and I were sitting in the living room watching a movie, enjoying the silence of our sleeping children, while Rae was having a slumber party of her own with Aunt Carmell.

"Whta do you want, Matthew." Alex said.

"I-I took your advice and did a DNA test."

"Come in." I said, leading the way to the kitchen.

"What happened." Alex asked.

"Um, the baby, she's, um, she's not mi-mine." He struggled to say. "When I got the results some guy named Rick Anderson showed up and said Sarah was his. I've lost my baby girl, Alex."

I gasp, covering my mouth with my hands while Alex pat Matthew's back in comfort.

"I-I'm so sorry." I said sincerely.

He was crying. I heard from the gossip shows about his and Ashley's split. Perez Hilton was the first to break the news claiming they split due to Matthew's cheating. Months ago he was caught on camera leaving a bar and going into his house with a red head. After that, Ashley was reported packing her things and leaving him.

In reality, Alex and I took pity on her and put Ashley up in a hotel. We told her she had a few weeks after her baby was born and then we'd stop paying for her room.

"I came here to tell you that but also to ask a favor." Matthew's tears had dried up. "I wanted to know if I could see them?"

"...what!?" I jumped from my seat. My yelp woke the babies, who simultaniously started to cry. "No!" I shouted at Matthew and then headed upstairs.

Alexander

I stood up and waited for Matthew to do the same. "It's time for you to leave."

"Wait, why I can't I see them? They're my kids too!"

"Actually, they're not." I calmly explained. "My name is on their birth certificates and as of last week, I've officially adopted them, they are no longer your kids."

"Have a heart, after everything I've been through, you'd deny me this!" He shouted.

"Shut your damn mouth and listen to me. You. Did. This. To. Yourself. You had every chance in the world to be a father to the kids and you threw every single one away. You wanna be mad at someone, be mad at yourself." I shoved Matthew to the door, opened it, and watched him walk through it. "Don't come back." And I slammed the door.