In Her Eyes Only

"You're not wearing a bra," I noted.

"I can't," Janice replied. "My breasts are swelling and since they were tight before the bras were starting to leave red marks. Mom said her breasts acted the same when she became pregnant so with her second and third, she knew before it was confirmed."

"What are you hoping for if it is confirmed that you are?" I asked.

"Mom wants a girl since both of my brother's wives have boys," Janice said. "I don't care as long as it's healthy."

"We will have to decide what its last name will be before its born," I said.

"No, we won't because when I talked to my divorce lawyer, I learned I can legally change my last name to anything," She said. "So, I am going to change mine to Wright."

I smiled because I knew that she was not looking at marriage and for now neither was I. We both had a lot of things to sort out.

"Just between us the reason that Tara's daughter was spending so much time with me Friday night," I said. "Was because earlier that week Tara revealed that I am her father."

Janice paused for a few minutes as she digested the information and said, "If you had not gotten the proof of Adera's and Jesse's conduct you would never have known."

"True because it took Tara seeing that video to realize that she had been lied to by Adera back during our university days," I explained. "It led to us spending the day reviewing everything to reveal all her deceptions throughout the years."

"That explains the look I saw between you," Janice said. "Does that mean that Tara wants to reconnect after all these years?"

"Not sure yet," I said," because emotions are still too raw. Tara and I have a friendship still but not sure what it will be like until everything is settled."

"Where does that leave us? Janice asked.

"Right where we are," I said. "Our relationship was formed because of what Adera and Jesse were doing to us. Our love, friendship, and trust in each other is strong and gets stronger each day."

I guess I said the right thing because Janice got up off my lap and headed us towards our bedroom as she put it. Where she showed me my new closet and dresser for my clothes.

"Thanks to cable tv the social value's in American are changing," Janice pointed out. "Promise me that you will be opened minded when it comes to what both Tara and I want because we both want our children's father in their lives."

********

It had been a month since Adera was served and in the morning's paper, the announcement of the successful merger was published in the New York Times. What was noticeable to me was that Adera's and Jesses' names were not listed as being in the new management team.

When I called to congratulate my father-in-law, Richard told me that Adera and Jesse were still employed in the conglomerate but had been assigned to manage one of the subsidiaries. That told me that their careers and future had been dead-ended.

During this time, it had been confirmed that Janice was indeed carrying our first child. Tina and I were drawing closer and she was going to become an intern working in the local office over the summer. Tara had already figured out what was going on between Janice and me because Janice asking her about changing her last name.

Tara and I honestly tried to build a relationship but soon learned that we carried too much baggage from being involved with Adera for so long. She wanted another child, so she got impregnated through her doctor using my semen which pleased Janice very much because our relationship had become exclusive. It was during that process that she met her future husband. He was the single doctor that inseminated her.

As per state law, all my three children had been interviewed by state services. All three would be remaining with me. It had been during a family meeting that I revealed to my parents, the in-laws, and Adera's and my children that Tina was my daughter.

It led to me having to explain how it all came to be. It was hard for all of them to learn that Adera's deception had been going on for that long.

Richard and I were taking a walk on the estate. He wanted to learn what was happening with the divorce and if there was anything, he could do to get his daughter to speed it up. That was when he learned that there was a very strong possibility that my eldest Debbie was not my daughter.

It took three months for Janice's and my divorce to be completed I think Richard and Jesse's family stepped in. Both of us ended up with the advantage as a result we had put both of our estates up for sale. We both felt it was time for a fresh start. Thankfully, she was not showing because we were headed to Stockholm.

My in-laws would be watching the kids for a month while I oversaw the start of the construction on the museum. Mine was not the cheapest but it was chosen because the design complimented the city and less the least carbon imprint.

Richard promised to watch over the construction of our new home. Before starting on this trip, I had taken the kids aside to get their blessing. All three were thrilled to death with what I wanted to do.

We flew in and were met by Isobel and her two sons. We were there about a week before we got the chance to take a stroll down along the Crown princess Victoria's and Prins Daniel's karleksstig. It was a walking trail on the western part of Isbladskareet, between the Djurdardsbrunn Canal and the pump house at the south of Isbladskarret. As we were enjoying the afternoon, I got down on one knee and asked Janice to marry me.

Janice was not expecting this but thankfully she did not hesitate. I think it was less than ten seconds for her to scream yes. Let us be honest with her it was an emotional few moments. As soon as I slid the ring on her finger, she was smothering me in kisses.

At seven that night local time using my cellphone we called the kids in front of Janice's parents. The way we broke the news to them all was perfect.

Debbie had put the speaker on so we could talk to all three of them like I had on my end.

"Your dad and I were wondering Debbie and Deanna if you would honor us," Janice said. "by agreeing to be my bride maids."

Isobel and Swen were caught so off guard that Isobel started to cry. Of course, it led to a thousand questions from all that we had no answer to so we had to promise that we would inform them once we had decided on a few things.

After things had calmed down Janice told Isobel that she was getting the granddaughter she always wanted.

It was while we were in Stockholm that we learned that Adera Wright, Jasmine, and Jesse Yelland were lost at sea and that the authorities were looking for their plane. I was reminded of Isobel's promise to me.

We would learn that Adera survived but had ended up spending a month on a local fishing boat. We don't know what happened, but she came back a broken person and retired to live life quietly in the keys in Florida.

It was fall in the last half of September when Janice and I wed. Tina, Debbie, and Deanne were her bride's maids. David my son and two of my brother's sons both a little older stood at my side.

Isobel, Swen, and all of her side of the family were in attendance. Isobel held Issi her month old granddaughter the whole time. The marriage took place on a section of the lawn on our new estate. Adera attended. I overhead Debbie and Denna talking about their mother who now had to regularly use a cane.

"Mom made decisions in her life, figuring she could have it all," Deanna said. "She never thought that karma would have its say."

"True but when you compare both our parents," Debbie replied. "Karma gave back to them what they both deserved."