A Halloween Nobody Will Forget

[Mrs. Angela Hubbard]

“But what Franklin? But you are still a wonderful mother. You still love us the same. No! Because if I was and did I wouldn’t have given my baby girl away!” Angie snapped as she jumped up and pointed to the hospital for effects. “I said I would never hurt my babies no matter what and in still I have. She’s been here a year and I couldn’t see she was my own. I couldn’t Frankie! I couldn’t and that makes me… That makes me the worlds worst parent.”

No more was said after that. Nobody spoke of it for 4weeks. Jesse and Angie hadn’t spoke much since it happened either. Sitting on the couch with her legs folded under her, Angie toyed with the phone. She dialed the number but never pressed talk. Each time her finger just froze and the number finally disappeared until she dialed it again. “Angie you have to do it.” she said trying to instill in herself that she needed to do this. She needed to make this call. If she didn’t her family would never be the same.

Finally… “Pine Valley Adoption Agency, Stacy speaking. How may I help you today.” the perky woman said.

Angie hesitated before finally speaking up. “Hello this is Angela Hubbard and I am calling for some information.”

“Is this for you or a family member.” She asked her finger’s going over the keyboard like so.

“This is for me… I was wondering do you all keep files from 20years ago?” Angie asked. She was sitting in Frankie’s apartment.

“Yes ma’am we do. Hold while I transfer you to our head director.” Stacy said cheery. Angie didn’t understand some people. Answering phones all day and still sound like nothing was wrong. She couldn’t do it. But she had to smile in people faces so that wasn’t much of a difference. “Mr. Kingston speaking. How may I help you today.”

“Hi I am Angela Hubbard and I am trying to access my files from 20years ago.”

“Angela Hubbard… Do you have the exact day you came to us?”

“December 15, 1988. Or something around that date.” Angie said nervously.

“Were you under the name Hubbard then?”

“Angela Baxter Hubbard.” she said taking her feet down and planting them flat on the floor. She was so tempting to hang up and never call back. But once again she needed to know and she needed this or it would drive her insane.

Marcus typed in the name and for sure Angie’s name popped up. “Ma’am you have a air tight adoption form. You said you didn’t want to know anything about your daughter. Nor did you want her adoptive parents to contact you for anything.”

“I… I know… but something has come up and I am in need of some answers.”

“I’m sorry Mrs. Hubbard but we can’t go beyond that. Your contract is legit. No matter what, you are not to be contacted about your daughter, Patricia Lesley Baxter Hubbard.”

“Listen please… I need to know if she is alive. I need to know.”

“Mrs. Hubbard you---”

“Mr. Kingston! I am very concerned about this young lady and I really need to know about her.”

“I understand but---”

“Ok let me explain this… I believe the young lady that is under my roof is my daughter! She has said she belongs to me and there was an incident where it proved we share the same DNA!” Angie explained at her wits end. “So please tell me!”

“I… Mrs. Hubbard… You will have to provide some ID for us to go further into detail.” he said with a loud gulp.

Angie looked through her purse on the counter and pulled out her ID. She called off her ID number and even her SCC number. “Is that enough ID for you.”

Marcus was to afraid to even answer. So to make the woman happy he put in her information and everything about the young woman popped up. “Your daughter was adopted by a Rebecca Fowler later on there was a man by the name of Jesse Grant that signed the birth certificate. Two weeks after she was born. She changed her name to Natalia Renee Fowler and they have been living in Denver for the past 20years. Ms. Fowler passed away this year in February.” he said not stopping to take a breath until now.

Angie fell on the couch with her head hanging low. “Jesse Grant…”

[Chief J. Hubbard]

Ok... Please stop doing cliffhangers. I want to know what is going to happen. I want to know if she is going to go off. Also Jesse couldn't have known the baby was his and Angie's baby. Please explain... Please put some pep into those fingers and give us more!!!

[Mrs. Angela Hubbard]

Jesse was sitting in the loft at the table. Frankie some kind of way found his way over and decided to cook for them. Well cook fast food. Preferably BJ’s.

“When is your mother coming home?” Jesse asked wondering why he hadn’t held his wife in his arms.

“I don’t know pops. Said she needed to be alone for awhile.” Frankie said sitting back down. “So naturally since she is my mother I told her she could stay at my place for as long as she wanted or needed.”

“What does your wife have to say about that?”

“Well my wife should understand that my mother is my mother and when she needs something I will be there to give it to her. So therefore if my mother needed a place to stay my door is opened. Whether she likes it or not.” Frankie said. (Ya’ll know I had to do it)

Natalia came out the back room and sat down. Her side still ached but that was from being shot. She been to therapy and they said she was progressing wonderfully. Her kidney was working fine. Everything about her was fine. Not fine enough for her to go to work though. Everyday Brot would come over and catch her up on the happenings at the station. Even brought of balloons and cards from fellow officers. “Frankie did I do it?” she asked reaching for her water.

Just as Frankie was about to answer, the door swung open and Angie pointed her finger at Jesse. “You knew! You knew she was mine and you didn’t say anything!” she said not giving a damn about how loud she was.

“What are you talking about?” Jesse asked standing up as Angie started coming towards him.

“You signed the papers… You signed them! You knew she was mine! You’ve been here a year! A god d*mn year! And you didn’t say anything!” Angie yelled.

Jesse didn’t know what was going on. Angie just charged him up and didn’t show any signs of backing down. “Angela I don’t know what the hell you are talking about. Why are acting like a----”

“Like a what? Say it!!! I’m acting like a what…” Angie challenged.

Jesse said looking down into her eyes. “I wouldn’t even dream of calling you that!”

“What the hell were you going to say?”

“I was going to say… Why are you acting like mad woman? Why are you treating me like this!… I don’t anything about this Angie, you were the one keeping a secret from me!”

“Really! You wanna play stupid! Play stupid with these.” Angie pushed the papers the man faxed over to the hospital, into Jesse chest. Once the phone call ended with Mr. Kingston she drove over to the hospital. “You signed those d*mn papers! That is your signature! That is your name!” Angie said breathing in and out. Hard. Frankie pulled his mother to the side and let Jesse look at the papers. Jesse looked at them and then back at Angela. “Angie I told you I was told she was pregnant. I was told that it was my baby. I was told she had the baby! HAD!”

“I don’t believe you! How do I know you didn’t do this on purpose! How do I know that! D*mn it Jesse the name is clear as day. Patricia Lesley Baxter Hubbard! How the hell did you miss that. My mother’s name, my daddy’s name with a ley, my maiden name and god d*mn it, your name!”

Jesse looked down at the paper again and saw the name. “I… Angie…”

Natalia stood up and went over to them. She snatched the papers from Jesse and looked over them. “This isn’t… No you can’t go off of this.”

“Wait you know?” Frankie asked glancing down at the papers in his blood sister’s hand.

“I know the whole story. This is true but mo…. Angie you can’t go off of this…You have to hear it from the beginning.”

“Wait… Natalia how do you know about all this?” Jesse asked still staring his wife down. Who showed no signs of backing down.

“I… I received a letter in August and it told me somebody knows… They know the whole story.”

“How did you know you were adopted, when did you find out?”

“There was another letter from mom that you all didn’t know about. The letter you read to me wasn’t the only thing she had sent over… She told me I was adopted and that she hated keeping it from me but she couldn’t tell me. She couldn’t bring herself to tell me face to face because she feared what I may have said.”

Angie finally softened her look and turned to Natalia. “Hold on… Your telling me Rebecca knew you belonged to me?”

Natalia dropped her head and sighed. “I…”

[Chief J. Hubbard]

Whoa!!! Angie is a loose canon...What is Natalia hiding? Did that woman know about Angie being her mother or what???

[Mrs. Angela Hubbard]

“You what Natalia?” Jesse asked getting frustrated.”

“Don’t do that Jesse…” Angie scolded. “Natalia honey… What were you going to say?” she asked moving her over to the couch. She looked at Angie and then up at Jesse. “I… I can’t…”

Frankie kneeled in front of his mother and sister. “Come on Natalia you can tell us.”

“No I can’t… I can’t explain it because… You have to talk to her… You have to go to her and hear the story.”

“Who? Who is this person?” Angie asked taking her hands.

“Jenna… Jenna Fowler.”

“Your grandmother!!!” Jesse said not believing the old hag that never liked him and he never liked knew about this. Angie cut her eyes up at Jesse and frowned. “Will you shut-up!”

“Yes my grandmother… She knows.” Natalia stumbled. “She doesn’t know about you but she knows about me being adopted.”

Frankie looked up at his parents. Angie nodded. “Ok we’ll talk to Mrs. Fowler.” she said simply… … … …

Angie walked up the steps of the two story home, her hands shaking and her heart pound. “Angie it’s ok.” Natalia said taking her hand. “I…I know I’m just…”

“Your nervous.” Nat finished. “Don’t be… Grandma Jenna is a nice lady and she isn’t hard to talk to.”

Just as Natalia finished assuring Angie, the door opened and a salt and peppered hair woman stood on the porch with them. “Nattie is that you honey bun?” she asked her voice shaking.

“It’s me nanna.” Nat said as she went over and hugged her grandmother. The woman who was actually her mother in away. Rebecca said she took care of her but it was mostly Jenna that did all the work.

“Come here baby.” she said in a high pitch tone. Natalia went into her grandmother’s arms and laid her head on her shoulder. “Oh my goodness… look at you Chile… You have grown. All this hair…” she pulled Nat away and looked at her frame. “Your hips… They spreading.”

“Nanna… Your embarrassing me.” Nat replied gesturing towards Angie who giggling. Jenna looked at Angie and smiled.

“She a woman she know what I am talking about.” Jenna teased as she came out a little more and extended her hand. “I’m Jenna Fowler.”

Angie cleared her throat and took the older woman’s hand. “I’m Angela… Angela Hubbard.” Jenna stepped closer and put her hands on Angie’s cheeks. “Angie… Has anybody ever said you looked like an Angel… The dimples. Your smile. Your just beautiful.”

“Uh… Thank you…” Angie said truly flattered by the woman’s comments. She was already liking her.

“I knew it was only a matter of time before you came here…”

“huh?” Angie asked dumbfounded. “Come inside before you girls catch a cold.” Jenna walked to the door and they went inside the warm house.

After all of them got settled by the fireplace and Jenna had the coffee sitting on the coffee table. She smiled at Angie. “Natalia honey… Why don’t you go get the papers.”

“Yes ma’am.” Nat stood up and went up the stairs.

Jenna went over to Angie’s side and took her hand. “I am so glad she has found you… I prayed day and night that, she found her real mother.”

“How did you know that was my reason for coming?” Angie asked setting the coffee mug down.

“When I first laid eyes on you I could see it… Honey I need to know… Why?”

“I… I… I wasn’t ready. I’d just lost my husband and I… I needed to get my life back on track.

“Angie… Can I call you Angie?” Jenna asked being the polite old lady she always been. Angie smiled and nodded. “Be honest with me… I maybe old but I am not stupid.”

Angie dropped her head and nodded again. The woman was anything but stupid… “I… I was afraid… Afraid I wouldn’t be able to love her the same. Afraid I wouldn’t be able to look at her. Take care of her.”

“What did you feel when you held her? What was is like when you looked at her?”

She bit her lip. Jenna raise Angie’s head ever so gently and tears started to roll down her cheeks. “I… I didn’t hold her… I didn’t look at her.” she finally said. Nobody but Patricia knew Angie didn’t even want to see the baby. She told Jesse and Frankie she saw her one time and all she saw was Jesse. Truth was she didn’t look.

[Mrs. Angela Hubbard]

Jenna moved closer to Angie pulled her into her arms. “It’s ok baby… It’s ok.” she soothed in that motherly tone. Angie barely knew this woman but she reminded her so much of her own mother and Nancy. Nancy would have done the same exact thing. Angie pulled away from Jenna and looked at her. “How is that ok? What kind of mother would that?” she asked with the sniffles.

“A mother who was still grieving.” Jenna replied.

“But…”

“No buts honey. You were a young widow and mother. It was amazing that you even carried her to full term.”

Angie shook her head, “But that doesn’t give me the right to disown her and make it seem like she never existed.” Jenna once again to Angie’s hand and smiled. “Honey we do things for different reasons not all of them are smart. Some won’t even make sense to us in the end.” she spoke what truth. Natalia was coming downstairs when the doorbell rung.

“I got it.” she said going to the door.

Minutes later Jesse and Natalia walked into the room. Jenna looked up and rolled her eyes. “You have some nerves bringing your behind in here.”

“Don’t start Jenna.” Jesse said softly. Jenna stood up, “What are you doing here?” she asked putting her hands on her hips. “I am here for my wife and child.”

“Wait! Your… Angie this is your… Jesse?”

“Yes Jenna this is my Angie. The one I told you about. The one I---”

“The one you ran from because somebody was chasing after you.” Jenna said plain and simple. “That is why I didn’t like you. You ran from one family because somebody was after you. How would you like it if somebody was after this woman and she left you. Faked her death. How would you feel!”

Angie stood up and stood between them. “Angie I told you this was a bad idea. She doesn’t like me as it is.”

“I don’t like you because of what you did.”

“I was protecting my family.”

“You left them.”

“Ok… Can we calm down… Please.” Angie chimed in.

“Jesse you know I didn’t condone of what you did. You know I hated it. I know my daughter loved you but how could you leave this woman for another woman. Who cares if somebody was after you. Your love and faith is what should have brought you through it. That is why I couldn’t stand the sight of you!”

“Jenna I told you if I could have went back I would have.”

“Why couldn’t you?”

“Because somebody---”

“Somebody was after you… I have heard it all before. Because of you and your fear of not going back, this woman missed out on her daughter’s life. She missed out on the joys of her holding her baby the first time she came into this world.”

[Chief J. Hubbard]

WOW!!! Grandma Jenna is harsh but she is speaking the truth.

[Mrs. Angela Hubbard]

“Ok!” Angie said covering her ears and shedding tears. “Please… Jenna we are here for answers… I need to know what happened after she was born… please.” she cried.

Jesse took her hand and kissed it. “She’s right Jenna. Can we set aside our differences and give her some answers.” Jesse begged rubbing his wife’s back. Jenna nodded and gestured to the couch. Natalia sat next to Jenna and laid her head on her shoulder.

Jenna took a deep breath and began to tell the story.

~~Flashback~~

Rebecca was sitting in her mother’s living room rubbing her stomach. “Momma I love him and I want us to be a family but I… The only way I can get him back is to…”

“Rebecca he is emotionally unstable.”

“No he’s not I helped him. I helped him and he is fine… I just want us to be happy.”

“He is not fine. He has been asking for one woman and one woman only. You and I both know that!”

“I don’t care about that woman! I want my man and I will do whatever, to keep him.”

“Even have a baby with a man who doesn’t love you… Who can’t stand you. Who forgets your name. Who forgets who you are when he looks at you.”

“He loves me!” Rebecca yelled. Jenna stood up and pointed at Rebecca. “No he does not. That man is miserable! That man is not a man because he isn’t free. You are holding him. Turning him into your pet. The man has a story and you are making him keep it in when letting it out could set him free.”

Rebecca stood up and scoffed at her mother. “I am going to get what I want. Whether you like it or not.” She picked up her purse and walked to the door. “I gotta go.”

“Rebecca!” she called getting up and going after her.

~~End Of Flashback~~

“She tried with all her might to get Jesse to have sex with her… but he wouldn’t budge… Anyway she gave up on that and Jesse fell back into another depression stage. Around the beginning of December Rebecca left and near the end of the month she came back with a baby. Natalia.”

“But she…”

“Jesse was in and out of it he didn’t know what he was doing. She had him under her nail.”

Angie sniffled and looked up. “How did she get Natalia?”

“She adopted her. That was legit… Jesse was in that depression stage once again. He could have signed over his life and not have known it.”

“Why didn’t you turn her in… Or… Why didn’t you talk to her?”

“Because you didn’t want her. You said you didn’t want anybody to contact you. Those were your words. You didn’t even want you name on anything… Plus I was afraid that once I went back to the people they would have taken her… Taken her and placed her in the system.”

Jesse held Angie’s hand. “But she never took care of her.”

“She gave up on that family when you left. You were gone around February. Just up and disappeared. She stopped being that perfect mother and started slacking. I picked up until you returned. When you returned you were yourself I suppose. You opened up to me about a woman named Angela and a young man named Frankie. How you missed them and how you were protecting them.”

Angie sat back and looked at Jesse. “Angie I am sorry… it’s all my fault. I should have stood up for us and came home. You shouldn’t have went through that alone.” he said holding her hand.

“Jesse you didn’t… You took care of her… You took care of your… our baby.”

“She didn’t know she belonged to you Jesse… All she knew was she had a baby and that she could pull it off to belong to you. That was her way of trying to make her family.” Jenna finished kissing Natalia’s forehead.

[Mrs. Angela Hubbard]

Later on that night Angie, Jesse and Natalia walked into the loft. Natalia turned to Jesse and Angie, “I’m about to shut it down for the night.” she said softly as she put her coat on the coat hanger. She began to walk to the back when Angie caught her hand. She turned around and looked at her.

“Natalia… I… I’m sorry.”

“For what?” she asked with a chuckle.

“For abandoning you the way I did. I am so sorry for that… I understand if you are mad at me. You should be.” Angie said as she looked down to the floor and sighed. Exhaling shakily. Natalia let go of Angie’s hand and pulled her into a hug. “I love you…” she said softly. Angie took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around Natalia. She cried before they parted. “Night you guys.” Nat said as she hugged them both and walked to her room.

Angie turned away from Jesse and started removing her earrings. “I’m going to follow her lead and go to bed… Good night.” Angie said as Jesse did the same move she did to Nat. He caught her arm and pulled her close to him. Close to his chest. She looked up into his eyes with questionable eyes of her own. Jesse let her hands go. “Jesse… I…”

“I want you to tell me what happened that day.” he said in a low tone. Angie gulped before a tear fell down her cheek. “I want to know everything… You owe me that much.”

Angie dropped her head. She remembered everything from that night. Every waken detail she knew. She knew she had to tell him now because if she waited it would never happen.

~~Flashback~~

“Get it out!!!! Please! Get it out!” She screamed squeezing down on the nurse’s hand.

“Angie deep breaths… In and out. Slowly.”

“I… I can’t!!! It’s hurts… OH MY GOD!!!” she cried as Nancy walked in and jumped into action.

“Come baby I need you to breathe. Can you breathe for me.” Nancy coached as she demonstrated how she wanted her to breathe. “Slowly.”

Angie started doing the breathing exercises before she threw her head back screamed. “Where is Jesse! I need Jesse! Please!”

Nancy looked at Angie with fear in her eyes. “Angie… Jesse’s… Jesse’s…”

“I can’t do this without him… I need him!” she cried out as the doctor.

“Angie I need you to push.”

Shaking her head vigorously, she started coughing. “Je… Jesse! I have to wait on Jesse!”

“Mrs. Grant we need her to push.” The doctor said watching the monitor like it was his life. Nancy started panicking. “Angie you have to push. If you don’t…”

“I need Jesse.” she whined letting go of their hands and laying back. Just like that, “He’s… He’s gone… He promised me he would be here. He promised me.” she punched the bed with her first. “He lied to me!” she cried out of breath. Nancy shook her head and looked at Angie real good.

“Look at me! You have to push. You have to! Do you think Jesse would have wanted you to do this? Huh?” Nancy asked using tough love. Acting as if she was her mother. Angie sweating bullets, breathing fast, she shook her head no. “Right… Now you need to push… Do this for Jesse.”

Angie sat back up with as much strength she had left ad began to push. Half an hour later she was the mother of a beautiful baby girl. “Congratulation’s Mrs. Hubbard. You have a beautiful healthy baby girl.” the doctor gushed happily as they cut the cord and stood up to give Angie the baby.

“No…”

“Angie hold your baby.” he said trying again.

Angie started crying. Bottom lip quivering. “I don’t want her!” she fussed as the baby cried and everybody stood silent. “Get her away from me.” she cried shaking her head.

“Angie…” Nancy started. She shook her head no and covered her face. “I don’t want to see her… please.” she cried again. She then covered her ears when the baby’s cry began to annoy her. “Leave!”

~~End Of Flashback~~

Jesse sat there in silence. Angie finally looked up and looked over at him. Her eyes were puffy and red. Cheeks red. "I..." Angie started but stopped as the tears began to betray her and she broke down. Jesse moved over and pulled Angie into his arms. He thought Angie endured alot of pain before but this... This was something new to him. "Angie... I'm sorry... I'm sorry you had to go through that... All that because of me. Angie I'm sorry."

[Mrs. Angela Hubbard]

Weeks after the confrontation and the truth being told, the Hubbard’s were doing fine. Angie and Natalia went shopping almost every weekend. Talked about any and everything. A few nights they fell asleep on the couch, catching up. Frankie and Natalia were better than ever. He loved her like he loved Cass. Promised to protect her no matter what. Cass had yet to meet her but it was coming up. They talked on the phone and had a lot of stuff in common. Turns out Natalia had a knack for poetry. She was deep just like Cass.

Anyway Brot and Natalia were sitting in his apartment. “Brot thank you for this.” she said. He just took her to one of her favorite restaurant. Price was no problem.

“Anything for you.” he said taking a seat on the couch beside her.

“Brot… Can I ask you a question?”

“You just did.” he joked.

Natalia punched his arm and they fell out laughing. “I’m serious.” Brot became serious and looked at her. “What happens to us now?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean we have been dating for awhile and I just wonder… Are we… Are we a together, together or are we friends who enjoy each other‘s company?”

Brot took the drink out of her hand and set it on the coffee table. He moved closer to her and pulled her into a soft, slow, passionate kiss. Moments later they pulled apart and she looked into his eyes dazed. “Does that answer your question?” he asked caressing her cheek. Nat leaned in for another kiss and pulled him with her. He stopped them and looked down at her. “Once we do this there is no turning back.”

“I don’t want to turn back.” she whispered feeling him break through the walls she put up. “I want this… I want you.” Brot smile and went back down to kiss her.

Back at the loft Angie was laying in the bed when Jesse walked in.

“Hey Angel! What you doing?” he asked closing the door behind him.

“I’m making moonshine. What does it look like.” Angie rolled her eyes and laid her head back down. “Oh you got jokes!” he said crawling into the bed with her.

Angie looked at him and started laughing. “Well you walked right into it… Where did you go earlier?” she asked turning onto her back and looking up at him.

“I went to get something for you.”

“Really! What!? Whoo Jesse let me see! Please!” Angie popped up and got on her knees in the bed. Jesse pulled a envelope from behind him and reached it to her. She looked at it. It wasn’t what she was expecting but oh well. When she opened it she started to cry. “Jesse…”

“She is your daughter and I felt you deserved it.” he said handing her a pen. Angie looked at the papers. It was Natalia birth certificate, Jesse’s signature was there all left was for Angie to sign.

“Jesse… I… I can’t do this.”

“Angela, she is your daughter. You gave birth to her.”

“But I didn’t raise her.”

“Rebecca didn‘t raise her.” he said sitting up. Jesse set the papers down and held Angie’s hands. “No matter who raised her… You are her mother. She came from you. She came from us… Our love is what got her here.”

Angie looked into his eyes with that shy, kiddy like face. She then signed the papers and smiled. “She’s mine.”

“I have something else for you.” he said. Jesse went out the bedroom and returned with another envelope. “Open it.”

She did.

She cried. Again.

It was a baby picture of Natalia. “That was taken when she was 4months.” he said. Angie began to trace the picture before she put it down and threw herself into Jesse’s arms.

“I love you!”

“I love you too!” he said before kissing her cheek. “Can you handle the truth?”

“I can.”

“Truth here is, I wanna try for another one.”

“What!?”

“Well I would like to do something that in a way may give us another one.”

“Jesse I don’t know… There is so much.”

“All we need is me, you and….” Jesse whispered the rest into her ear and she pulled back blushing.

“Well how on earth can I say no to that.” she smiled before they began to kiss and he gently laid her on the bed. Slowly undressing her. Kissing every part of her until she was unclothed.

The END!!!

[candi]

If only this could be true! I think Natalia could be Angie and Jesse's daughter. I mean she has Angie's spunk, mentality and curly hair.