I sat down in my desk chair and pulled up a window for Google to search for Jules’s mom. It wasn’t hard to find her, even though Smith was a common name.
How many Genevieve Smiths could there be in Ohio? Not many. In fact, there was only one, and when I found her number, I didn’t hesitate to dial it.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mrs. Smith, my name is Andrew King. I don’t know if you remember me, but I was Juliette’s coach at Hafton.”
“I know exactly who you are, Mr. King, and I most definitely remember you. In fact, every time I see a new picture of my granddaughter, I think of you.”
There you have it, folks. Jules’s mother knows I slept with her.
“Um ...”
“Did you know my daughter had a baby? I never understood why she didn’t want to tell you. Please tell me she finally did.”
“Yes, I know now. And I have to say, if I knew then, I would never have left.”
I was trying to talk a good game. This woman was my only resource in trying to find Jules until Russ called.
“Well, she was a stubborn one, leaving Ohio the way she did. She thought I didn’t know what was happening. She was always so naive. I guess not anymore with the whole single-mom thing.”
“Do you know where she might be? She left town for a few days, and I’m trying to connect with her.”
“Honey, I haven’t kept track of her since she gave up a tennis scholarship for your damn baby.”
Clearly, I wasn’t going to get anywhere with this woman.
“What is it that you want, Andrew? I don’t really understand.”
“I want to do right by my daughter, and yours.”
“Pretty sure that ship’s sailed.”
“All right, well, thanks. If you hear from her, can you tell her I called?”
“I won’t,” she said firmly, and the line went dead.
At least now I knew why Jules didn’t have her mom helping her.
Jules
“Mommy, tell me about when you were Jules,” Darla whispered into the night.
We arrived in Jacksonville last night. I’d rented a room for cash at a motel near the water. Today we spent some time in the sand and eating junk food. I’d even fooled myself into thinking it was a mini-vacation.
“I loved tennis. Like you, sweetie. And I was a good student. Like you too.”
We were snuggled in a king-sized bed, the TV glowing despite the volume being off.
“Tennis is fun.” Darla curled in closer to me. “And turtles and fish. Maybe we’ll see some dolphins in the ocean tomorrow?”
“Maybe in the morning. We have to go out early, because then we’re going to head on to our next stop.”
“Where?” Her tiny toes rubbed on my calf.
“It’ll be a surprise for you, baby girl.”
“I’m not a baby, Mom.”
