Daddy?
By Amy
Howie sat in his dressing
room with his head in his hands. He had taken two Advil a half-hour ago to try
and get rid of this killer headache. He could hear the noise everyone else was
making backstage. In less than an hour, their concert at Chicago’s Allstate
Arena would begin. If it weren’t for this pain he was in, Howie would be
hanging out with the others. He prayed for the Advil to work. Just as he had
begun to achieve a meditative state, he heard a knock at the door. Assuming it
was someone connected with the show, he went to answer it without question. A
man in a dark suit stood at the door holding some papers.
"Mr.
Dorough?" he asked.
"Um,
yes?" replied Howie, not accustomed to being addressed so formally.
"I’m
with the Cook County Circuit Court and I’ve been ordered to serve you." He
handed Howie the papers. Before Howie could ask what he was talking about, the
man left. Howie read the first page.
CIRCUIT COURT OF
COOK COUNTY OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
The Plaintiff The
Defendant
Mary Margaret Coletti VS. Howard Dwaine Dorough
In the civil suit
for the establishment of paternity of Daniel Howard Coletti.
Howie
closed his eyes for a minute and took a deep breath. He tried to process what
he had just read. He didn’t know anyone named Mary Margaret, did he? Just then
his eyes flew open. Oh God…Maggie!
He
met Maggie about four years ago when the Backstreet Boys were filming the video
for "As Long As You Love Me". She played one of the girls in that
video. They had hit it off right away and became friends. After a year of being
friends, they began dating. Maggie was cast as a dancer in the "Everybody"
video and went on tour with the band. She spoke three languages, English,
Italian and Spanish. When the band toured South America, she gave Howie a
guided tour of Buenos Aires. She knew the city because she had been an exchange
student in Argentina. They had fun sightseeing, but it was what happened
afterward that Howie would never forget.
Howie
needed more time to think. This boy, Daniel, would be about three years old now
according to his calculations. Why didn’t Maggie contact him sooner? Why now?
Suddenly he became furious. He balled up the papers and threw them on the
floor. ‘How dare she!’ he thought, ‘now that I’ve got all this money, she’s
suing me. I bet the kid isn’t even mine!’ His headache wasn’t getting any
better.
He
went through the show as best he could under the circumstances. As much as he
tried, however, he couldn’t focus entirely on his performance. He kept thinking
about Maggie and her baby. After the show, A.J. came up to him.
"What
were you thinking out there? You missed a dozen cues and bumped into me
twice," he said.
"I
just got a lot on my mind," replied Howie. He stopped to look at A.J.,
trying to determine if he could trust him with his secret. He decided he could
confide in him better than anyone else. Brian and Kevin were too wrapped up in their
marriages and Nick would just make a joke about the whole thing. Besides, he’d
known A.J. the longest.
"Can
we go somewhere private?" he asked A.J.
"Sure,
this looks like a good place." A.J. opened the door to Howie’s dressing
room and the two men sat down.
"So,"
said A.J."what’s on your mind?"
"You
remember Maggie?"
"Yea,
that girl was fine!"
"Well,
that fine girl is trying to screw me over."
"What
do you mean?" asked A.J. Howie picked up the wad of paper from the floor,
smoothed out the top page and handed it to A.J. His eyes got big as he read.
"Man!
I didn’t know you had a kid."
"Neither
did I, until now. I doubt it’s even mine."
"Well,
don’t look at me, I didn’t touch that girl. I wanted to, though."
"A.J.
this isn’t funny!"
"Sorry.
Wow, what are you going to do."
"Well,
the court date’s been set for tomorrow morning. They must have kept the summons
until I came into town. She must have told them when I’d be here.."
"Well,
we’re not going to be in Milwaukee until Saturday so it’s not like it’ll interfere
with work."
"Even
if we had to be there tomorrow, A.J., I still would have to go to this.
Otherwise, I’d be thrown in jail."
"I’ll
come with if you want. You know, moral support?"
"Thanks,
but I think I should go alone."
"Without
your bodyguard?"
"With
my bodyguard, of course!"
"Well,
good luck, man."
"Promise
you won’t tell the others?"
"I
promise."
"Tell
everyone tomorrow that I went shopping for my mom."
"Okay,"
laughed A.J. That would be easy to pull off. Howie bought things for his family
in every city they visited.
Howie
lay awake thinking about Maggie and the baby. He got maybe a half-hour of
sleep, if he was lucky. He couldn’t eat anything for breakfast because of the
knots in his stomach. At about 8:00, he and his bodyguard hailed a cab. The
hearing was scheduled for 9:30. He gave the cabbie the address.
"5555
West Grand Avenue, please."
"That
near Grand and Central?"
"I
don’t know". Howie had no clue where this place was. The only parts of
Chicago he had ever seen were the area around O’Hare Airport, where the arena
was, and the River North area, where he liked to go clubbing.
The
courthouse was located in an area called West Town. Howie looked around at the
dilapidated buildings. He noticed that a lot of the signs were in Spanish. As he
and his bodyguard stepped out of the cab, people on the sidewalk stopped and
stared. If anyone recognized him nobody said anything. Howie noticed two
Hispanic girls standing near the door. As he went inside, he could hear them
squealing and giggling. He and his bodyguard passed through the metal detectors
and walked down a long corridor. Then he saw her.
Maggie
was standing near the entrance to the courtroom. She looked every bit as
gorgeous as Howie remembered. Her hair was longer than it used to be and, if he
hadn’t known she’d been pregnant, Howie would have never guessed. Then he
noticed the little boy she was holding. His head rested on his mom’s shoulder
and he was sleeping. Like Howie, he had curly black hair and olive skin. But
then again, Maggie had curly black hair and olive skin, too. Resisting the urge
to go over and say hello and get a better look at the boy, Howie walked right
past them into the courtroom.
Two
cases were heard before theirs. In both cases, the couples were very young, the
guys flat out denied paternity and the girls cried hysterically. In the second
case, the girl started punching the guy with one arm while holding a baby with
the other.
"You
liar! How could you do this to me? You were the only one, you know that!"
she screamed.
"That’s
what you say! Hey, get off me!" he yelled back. Howie prayed that his and
Maggie’s hearing wouldn’t turn out that ugly. The girl ran out of the courtroom
through the front entrance, followed by two other girls. The guy slipped out
through a back door the bailiff pointed out to him. Then it was Howie and
Maggie’s turn.
"Next
case, Mary Coletti versus Howard Dorough," the
bailiff announced. Howie waited for Maggie and the baby to get up to the front
before even leaving his seat. It was weird hearing her referred to as Mary,
especially since he had forgotten that was her first name. He took his place
next to her without even so much as a glance in her direction. He noticed the
little boy,however. He was awake and was staring at
Howie curiously with big brown eyes. Maggie was sworn in first, and then Howie.
"Miss
Coletti, what is your child’s date of birth?"
asked the judge.
"November
25th, 1998, Your Honor" she replied. She had broken up with
Howie in May of that year without an explanation. The Backstreet Boys were in
the middle of their 1998 North American Tour. Then she dropped out of the tour
and he never heard from her again. They performed in her hometown of Chicago in
early August. He had hoped she would be at the concert. He even put her name on
the guest list just in case she showed up. She never showed up.
"Is
the father of your child in the courtroom now?"
"Yes
he is, Your Honor."
"Can
you point him out please?" Maggie pointed sideways at Howie without
looking at him.
"And
you, Mr. Dorough, are you, indeed, the father of this child?"
"I
don’t know, Your Honor," Howie said in all honesty. The judge called for a
continuance the following Thursday. He and Maggie were then instructed to step
over to where the clerk was sitting. A DNA test was scheduled for the following
morning. Howie and his bodyguard hurried outside to hail a cab back to the
hotel. He could’ve sworn he heard Maggie call his name. He heard a baby crying
but wasn’t sure if it was Maggie’s baby.
When
Howie arrived at the hotel, he found his bandmates, along with Leighanne and
Kristen, waiting for him in his room. Instantly, he knew that A.J. had told.
"What
the –" he started with A.J.
"I
didn’t tell anyone, Kevin found the paper on the floor after the show. Don’t
blame me if you forgot to cover your tracks."
"How
come you never told us you had a kid Howie?" Kevin asked.
"I
didn’t know myself until last night." Leighanne glared at Howie with
disgust and stormed out of the room. Brian followed her.
"What’s
that all about?" Howie asked.
"They’ve
been trying to have a baby for a couple of months and they can’t. And now they
find out that you have child. They just don’t think it’s fair," Kevin
replied.
"No
way, man! What’s not fair is that this girl didn’t even tell Howie about the
kid until after we became hugely successful," said Nick. "Who’s Mary
Margaret, anyway?"
"It’s
Maggie," Howie said.
"Oh."
"Well,
are you sure it’s yours?" Kevin asked.
"I
don't know!" Howie screamed. "Now everybody just get out!" Nick,
Kristen and Kevin left without a word. A.J. stayed behind.
"That
means you, too, A.J."
"Kevin
found the paper before I had a chance to say anything. I don’t appreciate being
accused of going back on my word."
"I
apologize, now go!"
"Can’t
you at least tell me how it went?" Howie sighed and sat down on the bed.
He owed his friend an explanation.
"Sure,
sit down," said Howie. A.J. took a seat by the window.
"First
of all, Maggie looked so good it hurt to look at her. And that kid is just
adorable."
"Aww…."replied
A.J. Howie took a pillow and threw it at A.J.
"Sorry,
Howie. Continue."
"I
honestly told the judge I didn’t know if I was the father or not. She told the
judge the baby’s birthday was around Thanksgiving of ’98. A.J. she must have
already been pregnant when she broke up with me and left the ’98 tour."
"Wow,"
A.J. didn’t know what else to say.
"A
DNA test is scheduled for tomorrow morning."
"Are
you going to call your family?"
:"Not
until I find out for sure. Why worry them needlessly?"
Howie
stayed in his room all day channel surfing. Every time he came across a
commercial for diapers or any other baby stuff he stopped and watched. He began
to wonder whether Daniel wore Huggies or Pampers.
Then he realized that the boy was probably out of diapers by now.
He
couldn’t stop thinking about Daniel. He stared at Howie in the courtroom as if
he knew something Howie didn’t. Those eyes of his were so intense. Howie
wondered what Daniel would’ve done if he had approached him and tried to talk
to him. Would he smile or cry? Would he say something?
Howie
walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Did he look like a father?
What were fathers supposed to look like, anyway? He knew he didn’t look like
his dad, but that was his dad just the same. Daniel was the spitting image of
Howie, but what did that prove? Howie cleared his throat.
"I
have a son," he told his reflection. Did he sound believable?
"This
is my son, Daniel. He’s almost three. Yes, he’s my pride and joy. His mother
and I love him very much." Howie thought about what he had just said and
tried to decide whether or not he sounded corny. Someone knocked on the door.
"Howie,
we need to get on the bus and get to the arena," A.J.’s voice said from
behind the door.
Howie’s
performance, the band’s second of three in Chicago, was a lot better than it
was the night before. For some reason, his singing was more emotional than
usual. He scanned the audience to see if maybe Maggie was there. If she was,
maybe she brought Daniel. But there were too many people out there for him to
try and find her.
He
went straight to the hotel afterward. Everyone teased him saying that he lost
his "party boy" edge. He took it all in stride because he had a lot
of thinking to do. It was 3:00 a.m. when he entered his room. In six hours he
would learn the truth. He picked up the phone book to see if he could find
Maggie’s number. He knew it was crazy, but he didn’t care.
He
skimmed through all the Coletti listings until he
found the right address. He knew her address because he had sent her roses,
love letters and gifts while they were dating. Before Maggie broke up with him,
he was looking forward to meeting her family. He never got that chance.
When
his finger stopped on Taylor Street, he realized that he had stopped on Coletti’s Restaurant. One of the many restaurants Maggie’s
family owned. He moved his finger up a bit and came across an M. Coletti at the familiar address. It was Maggie’s private
number at her parents' house. He dialed the number and waited.
"Hello?"
said a familiar, sleepy voice. Howie hadn’t even thought about what he would
say to her. Even though she was raking him over the coals, it felt good to hear
her voice. Choking back tears, he hung up. Lying in bed, staring up at the
ceiling, he thought about Maggie. He remembered that time in Argentina in
February of ’98. Had he made the first move or had she? Closing his eyes, he
recalled the smell of her perfume and the touch of her skin. Her long curly
hair was so soft. Her big brown eyes were so trusting. She was so nervous and
shy and Howie found that adorable. That night he decided that he would be with
her forever. Neither of them thought of the possibility of Maggie getting
pregnant. Nor did they think the beautiful thing they had would soon end. He
drifted off to sleep, imagining him self again in her arms.
At
6:30, the front desk gave Howie a wake up call like he had requested. He
showered, dressed and drank some coffee before going downstairs with his
bodyguard. This time they needed to go to some laboratory near the University
of Illinois. This was another area he didn’t know. If it was determined he
wasn’t Daniel’s father, at least he got to explore the city.
He
arrived at the appointed address and walked into the building. Maggie was
sitting in the waiting room and Daniel was in the seat next to her. She had
been reading a book to him but they both looked up when they saw Howie. He
approached the front desk and signed his name on the clipboard. The
receptionist handed him another clipboard with some forms attached.
The
waiting room was small and there were no other people in there besides Maggie,
Daniel, Howie and the bodyguard. The bodyguard sat right in front of the T.V.
and proceeded to watch Oprah. Howie sat across from Maggie about three chairs
down. He pretended to be engrossed in the forms he needed to fill out, but
occasionally stole glances at her and the boy. Maggie pretended to be totally
into the Barney book she was reading just above a whisper, but she kept
stealing glances at Howie. A few times, their eyes met and they both looked
away. When Howie answered the question What is Your Blood Type? he almost wrote
down "dinosaur".
The
nurse called Maggie in first. She packed up her things and carried Daniel as
she followed the nurse. Howie finished his forms and gave them back to the
receptionist. As he walked away, she called him back.
"This
couldn’t possibly be your birthday," she said. She pointed to the form
where Howie had listed his date of birth as November 25th, 1998.
"Sorry,"
he said as he took a pen and corrected his mistake. The minute he sat down,
Maggie came back out with Daniel. Without so much as a glance in Howie’s
direction, Maggie left the clinic. Daniel was toddling behind her. He had
stopped and smiled at Howie.
"Hi!"
said the little boy. Howie couldn’t help but smile back.
"Hey,
little man," Howie whispered. Witnessing this, Maggie let out an
exasperated sigh.
"Come
on, Danny!" She picked him up and proceeded to carry him out, but not
before glaring at Howie. Embarrassed, Howie looked at the T.V. Oprah was
talking about the newest addition to her book club. The bodyguard turned and
looked at Howie.
"I
have got to read that book," he said. The nurse came out and looked around
the waiting room. Howie and the bodyguard were the only two people there.
"Howard
Dorough?" she asked. Howie got up and followed her down a corridor to a
little white room. The nurse told him to sit while she gathered cotton swabs,
tubes, a tourniquet, a syringe and Band-Aids. She avoided making eye contact
with Howie.
"Open
wide," she commanded. Howie opened his mouth and she scraped the lining of
his cheeks with a cotton swab.
She
turned her back to Howie as she smeared the samples onto a petri
dish. She picked up the tourniquet and turned back around to face him.
"Hold
out your left arm and make a fist." Howie did as he was told. She tied the
tourniquet around his bicep. He winced as she jabbed the needle into his vein
just a little to hard.
"Oh,
I’m sorry. Did that hurt?" she snapped. Howie almost said to her ‘Look,
Lady, I don’t appreciate your attitude." But he thought better of it. When
she had all the blood she needed, she told him he was free to go.
"You’ll
get your results in a week," she said.
"Do
you have a business card so I can call for them?" he asked.
"We
can’t give them out over the phone. You’ll get them in court." Howie
completely forgot the case had been continued until next Thursday.
"Well,
I don’t have that kind of time. I’m flying to Milwaukee tomorrow."
"That’s
not my problem," said the nurse. Frustrated, Howie stormed out of the room
and out of the clinic. His bodyguard jumped up and followed him. Howie couldn’t
believe the nerve of that woman. Under normal circumstances, he would have
filed a complaint. But these weren’t normal circumstances.
Back
at the hotel, Howie explained to management that he couldn’t go with the rest
of the band to Milwaukee. Legal problems were keeping him in Chicago for
another week. The managers demanded a specific explanation, and Howie had no
choice but to give it to them. They, in turn, got on the phone to the venue in
Milwaukee and pleaded with the promoters to postpone the Milwaukee show. To
Howie’s relief, they agreed without asking for specifics. The Milwaukee dates
would be added at the end of the tour before the band headed back to Orlando.
This meant a week’s vacation for the boys but not for Howie. This also meant
getting back home a week late.
Howie
went up to his room to get a bite to eat and to rest before the final show in
Chicago. Even though he told A.J. he wouldn’t contact his family about this
until he knew the truth, he decided to call them. He tried Pollyanna first.
When she answered, he just blurted out the news.
"So
do you even know the girl who’s suing you?" she asked.
"It’s
Maggie, " he said.
"Oh,
no," she moaned. Pollyanna never forgave Maggie for the callous way she
dumped Howie.
"I
took a DNA test today. I’ll find out the results in court Thursday."
"Do
you think the baby’s yours?"
"I
don’t know, we’ll have to see," he said.
"Well,
if it isn’t, she owes you a big apology."
"Now,
don’t start, please."
"Fine.
Have you told Mom?"
"Not
yet, I was hoping you could help me with that." Howie’s phone had
conference calling so the three of them could all talk.
"Oh
Howard," was all his mom could say when he told her the news. Tears stung
Howie’s eyes at the thought of hurting his mom. Maggie had been to their home
twice and Mrs. Dorough liked her. She was saddened when she found out she and
Howie broke up.
That
night’s performance seemed to fly by for Howie. He could barely remember how it
went. It must have gone all right since no one said anything to him afterwards.
When he got back to the hotel, he worked up the courage to call Maggie. This time
he would not chicken out. He wanted to ask her why she was doing this to him.
He dialed the number and waited.
"Hello?"
she answered.
"We
need to talk," Howie blurted out.
"Can’t
this wait until the morning? You woke up Danny." Howie could hear crying
in the background.
"I
don’t want to wait. Besides, it is morning," he said. He was surprised at
how rude he sounded.
"Well
can you wait while I get him back to sleep?" she snapped.
"Fine."
About five minutes later she was back on the phone.
"What
do you want from me?" she demanded.
"Shouldn’t
I be asking you that?"
"Look,
I never told you about the pregnancy because I didn’t want to ruin your
career."
"So
you decided to wait three years to do it?"
:"Look,
when I found out I was pregnant, things weren’t working out. I got tired of
competing with the kind of people that you guys let hang out backstage. I’m not
talking about the fans, I had no problem with them. I’m talking about the
models and other assorted phonies." She said the word ‘models’ like it was
a curse word.
Howie
recalled an incident when a model who was hanging out backstage planted a big
wet kiss on his lips. Maggie was standing right there. Howie pushed the girl
away, but Maggie must have seen the situation differently.
"I
don’t want your money, if that’s what you’re thinking," she said.
"Then
what do you want?"
"My
family’s been pressuring me to take action against you. I didn’t want to at
first but my dad threatened to disown me if I didn’t." Maggie’s family was
very high profile in Chicago. Howie wondered if the Coletti’s
had been able to hide the fact they had an illegitimate child in their family.
"So
your dad’s pretty, upset, huh?"
"Pretty
upset? He wanted to kill you when he found out."
"You
mean I was almost wearing cement shoes and lying at the bottom of Lake
Michigan?" Howie was surprised at his comment. It wasn’t like him to make
ethnic slurs. Before he could apologize, Maggie responded.
"You’ve
been watching too many episodes of the Sopranos. Not every Italian is in the
Mafia. Just like not every Puerto Rican is a gangbanger."
She was right. Howie suddenly recalled an incident when he and Maggie were
sightseeing in New York and a carload of guys fired shots at them. They mistook
Howie for the member of a rival gang. Maggie wanted to press charges, but Howie
decided not to since no one was hurt.
"Sorry,"
he said. She didn’t say anything. Finally, he asked the inevitable question..
"Are
you sure Danny’s my son?"
"Howie,
you were my first, last and only." He hadn’t known she was a virgin. She
didn’t bother telling him and he didn’t bother to ask. He had mistaken her
inexperience for nerves.
"You
never told me," he said.
"You
never asked," she replied.
"Look,
I better let you get your sleep. But can I take you and Danny out to breakfast
tomorrow?"
"Why?"
"I
just think it would be easier to talk in person, that’s all."
"Well,
okay. I guess we really do need to talk."
The
next morning, just as Howie finished getting dressed, Nick and A.J. came into
his room.
"Ever
hear of knocking?" He asked them.
"Door
was open," Nick said.
"So
what do you guys want?" asked Howie.
"We’re
trying to figure out what we’re going to do today. Help us plan how to spend
our week off," said A.J.
"No
can do. I’m meeting someone for breakfast," said Howie.
"Oh
yea? Who?" asked Nick.
"Maggie
and the baby."
"Uh
oh, not good," said A.J.
"Why
not?" asked Howie.
"You’re
going to get too attached. What if the kid isn’t yours?"
"I’m
pretty sure he’s mine."
"How?"
Nick wanted to know.
"I
was her first."
"Sure,
that’s what they all say," Nick laughed. Howie glared at Nick.
"I
believe her, Nick. Why shouldn’t I?"
"I
speak from experience when I say that girls are full of it," said Nick.
Nick’s had two girls claim he was the father of their babies but neither of
them took him to court.
"Nick,
this is Maggie we’re talking about. She’s not some one night stand, she was my
girlfriend."
"She
just wants your money."
"It’s
not an issue of money, Nick, it’s an issue of honor." Nick stared at
Howie.
"Okay,
sorry man."
"So
all she wants is a name on the baby’s birth certificate and a name to go by if
people ask questions?" asked A.J.
"Right,"
said Howie.
"You
have to be careful, man. If this gets out, it could hurt your career,"
A.J. cautioned.
"Not
if I’m up front and honest about it. Besides, I don’t owe any nosy reporters
any detailed explanations."
"But
they’re just going to make stuff up," said Nick.
"Then
I’ll just have to issue a statement if things get out of hand!" Howie
snapped. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to finish getting ready."
A.J.
and Nick left the room. About five minutes later, the front desk rang up to
Howie’s room, announcing that Maggie and Danny were downstairs waiting for him.
Howie and his bodyguard took the elevator down meet them.
Howie,
Maggie and Danny shared a table in one of the hotel restaurants. The bodyguard
sat one table over. He read the newspaper while Howie and Maggie talked.
Danny looked content in his booster seat. The waitress had brought him some
crayons so he could color on his placemat. He hummed to himself as he kept
busy. Howie smiled at him. It took a while for them to place their order.
Maggie was a vegetarian and she asked the waitress a lot of questions about how
the food was cooked. Howie was patient since he respected Maggie’s lifestyle
choice. Finally, Maggie settled on a bowl of oatmeal for herself and one for
Danny. Howie wondered if Danny was a vegetarian too. Although he really wanted
an omelet or some French toast, he settled on oatmeal, too. He didn’t feel
right eating eggs in front of Maggie. She used to lecture him about it when
they were together. Not knowing where else to begin, he asked Maggie about
Danny’s birth.
"Who
was in the delivery room with you?"
"My
mom," she said. A wave of jealousy came over Howie. He would have liked to
be there had he known about it.
"So,
how did the family react when you told them you were pregnant?" Howie felt
just like the nosy reporters he despised.
"My
mom cried and my dad put his fist through a wall. But as you can see, we were able
to deal," she laughed.
"Well,
that’s good…." Howie’s voice trailed off. Maggie took a deep breath before
speaking again.
"Anyway,
Danny spent the first six months of his life in Sicily."
"Wow,
I’m impressed," said Howie, casting a smile in Danny’s direction. Danny
smiled back and continued drawing.
"Well,
we went there with my parents to make funeral arrangements for my nona." Howie looked at her, puzzled. Maggie had taught
him some words in Italian, but he forgot what that one meant.
"My
grandmother," Maggie explained.
"Oh.
I’m sorry to hear she passed away."
"Thanks."
They
were interrupted when the waitress brought their order. Howie looked over at
the bodyguard who now had two full plates of food in front of him. He rolled
his eyes. He took a sip of coffee and directed his attention back to Maggie.
"So,
what have you been doing with yourself? Still dancing?"
"No
time. This one keeps me busy." She nodded at Danny who was happily digging
into his oatmeal. He was nearly finished.
"I’d
like to get back into it, though," she continued.
"And
there’s no reason why you shouldn’t." Howie always thought Maggie was a
talented dancer.
"If
you need help with contacts, I’d be more than happy," he said. Maggie
paused before answering.
"Thanks,"
she said quietly, looking down at the table.
"Have
your parents been supporting you all this time?" Howie soon regretted
asking such an insensitive question.
"No,"
said Maggie adamantly, "I’ve been pulling my weight. I’m a hostess at my
family’s place on Rush Street." Her voice quivered with embarrassment.
"That’s
nothing to be ashamed of," Howie said, and he meant it. "At least
you’re not sponging off your parents or taking handouts from the
government."
"Well,
it’s a step down from where I used to be, " she sighed. "Don’t get me
wrong, I love Danny with all my heart. But having a kid changes your
life." Howie was beginning to understand that. Maggie moved Danny’s empty
bowl out of the way. She gave him back his crayons so he could continue
drawing. Danny wasn’t interested and began to whine.
"We
better get back. I have to go to work soon," she said.
"Who
watches him while you’re at work?"
"My
mom. She works at home so she it’s no trouble for her."
"Does
she know you came to see me today?"
"Yea,
she’s the one who dropped us off."
"So,
she doesn’t hate me?"
"No,
she just thinks we should talk."
"Well,
I’m glad we got the chance."
"Me
too."
"You
know, I’d like to see you again."
"I’ll
call you after work tonight and we’ll plan something. I get off at
eleven." Howie was a little surprised that she agreed so quickly. He
glanced at the bodyguard who was already on his fourth tall glass of orange
juice. When the check came, he wished he hadn’t agreed to pick up his tab as
well. Nonetheless, he paid for everything.
Maggie,
Danny and Howie stepped out into the lobby followed by the bodyguard. Maggie
and Howie stared at each other for a moment.
"Can
I hold him, please? Just for a little while," asked Howie. Maggie handed
the baby to him.
Holding
Danny felt strange but good. He and Danny stared at each other and then they
both smiled. Not knowing what else to do, Howie handed Danny back to Maggie.
"So,
I’ll see you tonight?"
"Yes,"
she said, smiling. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. It felt awkward.
She smelled so good it made him dizzy. He waited with them until a cab pulled
up in front of the hotel. Both Maggie and Danny waved at him before the cab
took off.
Howie
and his bodyguard went back upstairs. He wondered what the three of them would
do so late in the evening. They would probably hang out in the hotel room and
that was fine with him. He and Maggie would have privacy to talk and he could
get to know Danny better. They could all watch a movie on cable and order room
service. When he got to his room, Kevin was coming down the hall.
"Howie,
I want to talk to you," he said.
"Sure,
Kev, come on in," said Howie as he let them both into his room. They both
sat down and were quiet for a moment. Kevin looked very serious
"So,
what’s up?" Howie asked.
"Howie,
is it true you might be the father of Maggie’s baby?"
"Yes,
I might be."
"Don’t
you think it’s a little suspicious that she hits you with a paternity suit
after not speaking to you for three years?" asked Kevin.
"She
had her reasons," Howie said softly.
"I’m
sure she did. Look, I saw you two downstairs in the lobby. Do you think it’s a
good idea to be associating with her?"
"I
don’t see anything wrong with it."
"Howie,
any bad decision you make is going to reflect on the band. If you get too close
to this girl, there’s no telling what she’s going to do. What if she goes to
the press? What if the kid isn’t even yours."
"She
would never go to the press and I have a strong feeling the kid is mine."
"Yea,
A.J. told me all she wanted was your name on a piece of paper. Once she had
that she was going to leave you alone."
"That’s
right." Howie made a mental note to talk to A.J. about his big mouth.
"Man,
you’re so gullible. She’s telling you what she thinks you want to hear."
"You
got it all wrong, this is Maggie."
"And
what makes Maggie any better than Erika or Gabriela?" said Kevin, naming
two of Howie’s other former girlfriends.
"Maggie
didn’t cheat on me like Erika did or try and get me to marry her so she could
stay in the country like Gabriela did."
"Well,
you don’t know for sure if Maggie didn’t cheat and it looks like she’s trying
to find a daddy for her baby. That sort of thing usually involves a wedding if
the girl is lucky. Your problem is that you’re a sucker for pretty girls. The
prettier she is, the more trouble you get into."
"Mind
your own business, Kevin. This is my life."
"Well,
the band doesn’t need the negative publicity if this gets out. Personally, I
don’t need anything jeopardizing my career. I just got married –"
"Oh,
I see, you don’t care about me at all. This is all about you."
"I’m
looking out for the best interest of all of us."
"I
don’t believe this! First Leighanne and Brian are pissed that I would get
someone pregnant because they’re jealous. Now, you’re worried about how bad I
might make you look to Kristen."
"It’s
not like that, Howie, and I do care about you. Don’t you know that your actions
affect other people?"
"Kevin,
I’ve been reminded of that ever since we first arrived in this city. Right now,
there’s a little kid who’s growing up without a father and I just might be able
to change that!"
"That’s
very noble of you. But who’s going to take care of you after the kid’s mom
burns you?"
"I
can take care of myself, thank you. Now can I have some time alone,
please?"
"Fine.
Just think about what I said, okay?"
"I’ll
try not to."
"Okay,
Howie, you win. You’re just as stubborn as you ever were. But if she burns you,
don’t come crying to me."
"Don’t
worry, I won’t," Howie snapped. Kevin left the room without saying a word.
Howie stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes. The phone rang and he
picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Howard
Dorough, please."
"This
is he."
"Hello,
Howard, my name is Mario Coletti. I’m Mary Margaret’s
father."
"Oh,
hello, sir." Howie’s stomach was in knots.
"I
understand you’ve made contact with my daughter."
"Yes,
sir." What did this guy want?
"I
think it should stop."
"But
sir, she contacted me first," Howie said.
"She
contacted you by subpoena, not directly. You’re the one who called her in the
middle of the night. You’re the one who persuaded her to bring my grandson to
see you."
"Well,
sir, your grandson may very well be my son."
"We
don’t know that for sure and until then, you need to stay away."
"So
you think the father might be someone else?"
"I’m
not saying that. All I’m saying is that nothing is official yet, and until
then, you keep your distance."
"And
what if it’s determined that I am the baby’s father?"
"Then
your name will go on the birth certificate, nothing more. Your name will not be
mentioned and you will not have to worry about Mary Margaret or Daniel
again."
"What
if the court orders me to pay child support?"
"Not
to worry, we won’t hold you to it. We don’t need your money."
"But
what if Mag – I mean, Mary Margaret, wants to see
me?"
"That
girl doesn’t know what she wants. She never has. I never wanted her to be in
show business. As you can see, her dancing career has been nothing but trouble
for her."
"Thank
you for calling, sir." Howie hung up the phone. He really felt sorry for
Maggie, now. Her father didn’t even trust her. He actually thought Danny’s
father might be someone else. Maybe he was just hoping it wasn’t Howie. Maybe
he didn’t think Howie was good enough for his daughter. He didn’t have time to
really think about it, because the phone rang again. It was Maggie.
"Hey
there," she said, "I’m on break, so I decided to call you about
tonight."
"Listen,
Maggie, I don’t think it’s such a good idea after all."
"Why
not?" she asked. "Wait, my dad…"
"I
just got off the phone with him."
"Boy,
he’s quick."
"You
mean, you’re not upset or worried?"
"Howie,
my dad is full of hot air. My mom has more power in the family business because
my uncles trust her judgment more than his. She also runs our house. If it
weren’t for her, I would never have become a dancer, for one thing. I would’ve
either had an abortion or given Danny away if my dad were running things. My
mom has good business sense, but she’s not a tyrant. She’s got a heart. That’s
why people listen to her and not to him."
"But
you said your dad would disown you if you didn’t take me to court."
"Well,
my dad does have the power to cut me off because he’s a Coletti.
My mom just married him. The reason it took so long for me to take you to court
is because my mom agreed that we should just leave you alone. She caved when my
dad threatened to disown me because she was looking out for my future as well
as Danny’s."
"So,
your mom’s okay with you seeing me again?"
"She
told me to be careful and not read too much into the situation, but other than
that, she’s glad you’re taking an interest in Danny. She wants to meet you
someday."
"I’d
like to meet her, too," said Howie honestly. He began to imagine Mrs. Coletti as an independent woman. Maggie obviously inherited
that quality. He wasn’t interested in meeting Mr. Coletti,
however. The conversation continued as they planned their evening. Maggie had
permission from her brother get off work early. She and Danny would be at the
hotel by eight and they would spend the weekend with Howie.
As
much as Howie was looking forward to seeing Maggie and Danny again, he was
still bothered by what Kevin and Mr. Coletti had said
to him. Things like ‘she’s gonna burn you’ and ‘stay away’ kept playing over
and over in his head. He decided that a good workout would help put his
thoughts in order.
At
the hotel gym, Howie was getting ready to do some bench presses. The memory of
the time Maggie tried to spot him came into his head. This was one of Howie’s
fondest memories of that ’98. There were in a hotel gym in Dallas that was a
lot like this one. He never needed anyone to spot him while he lifted weights,
but Maggie insisted. He decided to humor her let her do it anyway.. She looked
gorgeous stand over him in light blue spandex. Howie was lucky he didn’t drop
the bar on his neck, he was so distracted. How he wished to God there was no
one else in the gym that day. The memory didn’t make him horny, though, it made
him hopeful. Could he and Maggie have a second chance? Could they recreate
those happier times?
Howie
went back to his room and showered. He ordered lunch from room service. A.J.
and Nick tried to get Howie to go to Navy Pier with them but he declined. He
told them he didn’t feel well. He didn’t want to tell them Maggie was coming
because he was afraid they’d get on his case about it. He took a long nap after
lunch and dreamed that he, Maggie and Danny were a family.
He
had no idea he had dozed off for so long when the front desk called to tell him
Maggie and Danny were here. He told the clerk to send them upstairs with their
bags. About ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Howie opened it
and in walked Maggie carrying Danny. A bellboy brought in two suitcases and
Howie tipped him. He then put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door.
They
ordered from room service and watched a movie on the Disney Channel. Howie felt
at home lying on the bed with Maggie and Danny. It felt as though they had
always been together. He couldn’t help but notice things about Danny that
reminded him of himself. Like the way his brown eyes got big during an intense
moment in the movie. Maggie even commented on the fact that Danny’s laugh
sounded a lot like Howie’s. When the movie ended, Danny yawned and rubbed his
eyes.
"Uh,
oh, looks like someone’s ready for bed," said Howie. He sounded like such
a dad. Howie had asked to have a small cot brought up to the room for Danny.
Maggie got Danny into his pajamas while Howie turned back the covers.
Maggie
put him in the bed and Howie covered him up. He was already asleep. They
watched him sleep for a while.
"You’re
doing a good job with him," Howie said.
"Thanks,"
said Maggie. She sat down on the other bed and Howie sat next to her. She was
still in her work clothes. Before the movie started, she had untucked her white silk blouse from the waistband of her
long black skirt and taken off her shoes. She still had her hair up and was
starting to take it down. Howie couldn’t take his eyes off her as she shook out
her hair. She set her hair clip on the nightstand and looked at him.
"You’re
beautiful, " he said to her as he moved closer. He put his arms around her
waist and kissed her. Slowly, he lowered her down on the bed. Then he
remembered something.
"Maybe
we better not do this. I don’t have any condoms."
"It’s
okay, I’m on the pill. Besides, condoms break, remember?" Howie laughed.
He was in too good a mood to think about why she said that.
"We
don’t have to do this if you don’t want to," he said.
"I
want to." She pulled his head down they kissed again.
She
didn’t resist as he unbuttoned her blouse. Soon they got lost in each other.
While they made love, he whispered endearments to her.
"You’re
all I’ve ever wanted, Maggie, " he said. "I want to be with you
always. We have a beautiful son together. Never leave me again, honey,
promise?"
"I
promise, Howie," she said, breathlessly. After they finished, they took a
shower together. Howie put on boxers and Maggie put on a nightgown. They
crawled under the covers and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Howie
was awakened by thunder. Maggie was awake, too, and so was Danny. He was
crying. Howie got out of bed and went to him.
"Let
me, Howie," said Maggie.
"Naw,
it’s okay, I got him," he said as he picked Danny up.
"I
want my mommy," he said.
"Shh,
it’s okay, I’m here," said Howie. He patted Danny’s back and he quieted
down. Howie carried him to the bed and laid him down next to Maggie. Danny
slept between them. Howie didn’t fall asleep right away. He watched Maggie and
the baby sleep. Would he ever be a part of their lives? He silently prayed that
he would be.
Howie
was the first to wake up in the morning. He folded the cot and wheeled it into
the hallway. Then he sat on the bed next to Maggie and Danny, watched the news
and drank coffee. He felt Danny stirring and looked down at him. The boy opened
his eyes, looked at Howie and smiled.
"Cartoons!"
he said as he sat up. Howie flipped through the channels until he found the
cartoon Danny wanted to watch. Howie ordered breakfast for the three of them from
room service. He and Danny had been watching T.V. had just started eating when
Maggie quickly sat up.
"What
time is it?" she asked. She looked worried. Howie picked up the clock on
the nightstand and looked at it.
"It’s
10:00," he said. Maggie jumped out of bed, ran to her suitcase and opened
it. She pulled out a white blouse and black skirt and began to get dressed.
"What’s
your hurry?"
"I
have to be at work in an hour," she said as she pulled on her black
stockings. They agreed last night that Howie would watch Danny while Maggie was
at work. It took Howie a while when to convince her to leave Danny with him.
She finally caved when Howie told her that he had taken care of his nieces and
nephews.
"I
can’t find my shoes!" Howie reached under the bed, pulled out her black
pumps and handed them to her.
"Thanks!"
Maggie slipped them on and went into the bathroom. Howie could hear her
gargling mouthwash. She came out of the bathroom, grabbed her purse and hair
clip and headed for the door.
"Are
you going to have breakfast?"
"I
don’t have time. I’ll just grab something when I get there." She walked
back to her suitcase, grabbed some makeup and threw it in her purse.
"I’ll
just put on my stupid make up on the stupid bus," she said, putting her
hand on the doorknob.
"Don’t
take the bus, I’ll give you cab fare."
"I’ll
take the bus!" She opened the door and walked out. Howie picked up Danny
and followed her.
"Well,
go on ahead to work. We’ll be fine." Maggie was already by the elevators
when she waved at them. She put her hair up while she waited. Howie and Danny
waved back. When she stepped onto the elevator, Howie took Danny back inside.
Maggie
had to work a double shift to make up for getting off early last night. That
was fine with Howie since he had the whole day planned. He and Danny had just
finished getting dressed when there was a knock at the door. Howie opened it to
see A.J. standing there holding the plastic Do Not Disturb sign.
"You
know you left this on the door?" he said.
"But
you knocked anyway?" Howie said, laughing.
"Well,
you know me. I couldn’t help but notice the sound of cartoons. So, is it all
right if I disturb you?"
"Now
it is." Howie opened the door wider to let A.J. in. A.J. noticed the
little boy sitting on the bed.
"My
God, he looks just like you! What’s his name, Howie Jr.?"
"You
know his name is Daniel."
"Just
kidding." He sat down on the bed next to Daniel. The boy looked like he
was about to cry when he saw A.J.
"It’s
okay, little man, I just look scary," he told Daniel, who then smiled at
him.
"So
what are you two doing today?" he asked.
"Well,
I thought we’d do a little sight seeing. Maybe go to F.A.O. Schwartz,"
replied Howie. A.J.’s eyes got big at the mention of that huge toy store.
"You
have got to take me with you!"
"I
don’t know…"
"Please!"
A.J. got down on his knees and begged Howie. Danny laughed.
"Oh,
okay," said Howie, rolling his eyes.
"But
first, we need to eat."
"McDonald’s!"
shouted Danny.
"McDonald’s!"
repeated A.J.
"Okay,
McDonald’s it is," laughed Howie.
So,
with two bodyguards in tow, the men took the little boy to the nearest
McDonald’s. Heads turned as they entered and they were allowed to cut in line.
People sitting in a corner booth even moved so the five of them could have it.
Danny got upset about all the people staring and began fussing. They finished
their food quickly and headed for the toy store. Howie called Maggie on his
cell phone to let her know where they were going. That was one of the
conditions for Howie to be able to take Danny out for the afternoon. When they
got to F.A.O. Schwartz, A.J. went crazy.
"Can
you believe this? Three floors of nothing but toys!"
"It’s
just like the one in Orlando, A.J." A.J wasn’t listening as he ran up the
escalator. Howie, Danny and the bodyguards followed him. When he saw the look
on Danny’s face, it was Howie’s turn to go crazy. He bought the boy a toy car
that he could drive, a Gameboy, a basketball, a
soccer ball, a ball and bat, a teddy bear large enough for Danny to sit on like
a chair and finally, a little toy guitar that reminded Howie of the one he used
to serenade his Grandma when he was Danny’s age.
After
he, A.J and Danny danced on the giant piano on the second floor, Howie paid for
the toys and arranged to have them delivered to the hotel. They left the store
and when to DisneyQuest and ESPNZone,
but not without touching base with Maggie first. Howie couldn’t take his eyes
off Danny. He loved watching the boy’s excitement and hearing his laughter. He
was now beginning to accept the fact that this was his kid. After a couple of
hours, Danny started getting tired. On the way back to the hotel, Howie stopped
somewhere to buy something nice for Maggie.
When
they arrived back at the hotel, they saw Brian, Leighanne, Kevin and Kristen in
the lobby. It looked like they were coming back from somewhere. Howie tried to
get to the elevators unnoticed when Brian spotted him.
"Hey,
is this the kid? He looks just like you," said Brian.
"Yes,
this is Danny," Howie said, pushing the button. He really didn’t feel
comfortable talking to Brian. They had barely spoken since the day Howie went
to court. Brian touched Danny’s cheek.
"Hey
there," he said. Danny buried his face into Howie’s neck.
"Look,
he’s pretty tired, I need to get him upstairs," Howie said. He stepped
onto the elevator without another word to Brian. When he opened the door,
Maggie was standing in the middle of the room surrounded by boxes from F.A.O.
Schwartz.
"Maggie!"
"What
are you doing, Howie?"
"I
just bought some stuff for Danny."
"Yea,
and I looked in these boxes. Why are you doing this?"
"Why
am I doing what? Being nice?"
"I
certainly didn’t expect this."
"Maggie
why are you so upset? And how did you get in here, anyway?"
"You
paid for the extra key, remember?"
"Yea,
I forgot. But why aren’t you still at work?"
"I
asked my brother if I could leave early again. I told him I’d make it up the
hours."
"But
why’d you leave work?"
"Call
it mother’s intuition, but I was afraid you weren’t going to take good care of
Danny. I was afraid you’d leave him somewhere, or…something." Maggie
looked down at the floor.
"I
would never do that."
"I
know, Howie. But something certainly didn’t feel right, that’s why I came back.
Now, I’ve got something else to worry about."
"What’s
that?" Howie racked his brain trying to figure out what Maggie was getting
at.
"I
told you we didn’t need your charity."
"It’s
not charity."
"You
think my family doesn’t have the means to give Danny expensive things? Howie,
he has a lion as big as that damn bear!"
"I
didn’t mean to offend you, I’m sorry."
"Then
what do you mean by buying my son presents? By inviting us to stay with
you?" her voice lowered to almost a whisper, "or by sleeping with
me?"
"I
never stopped loving you Maggie. You walked out on me, remember." Just
then Danny began to cry. Maggie picked him up. They had been so caught up in
their argument that they forgot about him. Howie felt awful.
"Hey,
it’s okay, little man, we were just having a loud discussion," he said,
patting Danny’s shoulder.
"I
should have never agreed to come see you. My dad was right, this is more
trouble than it’s worth."
"Then
why did you come? Tell the truth, Maggie." She held Danny close and
stroked his hair, then took a deep breath.
"Because
a part of me really wanted something to happen between us."
"Something
did happen between us," Howie took a ringbox out
of his pocket. "By the way, I have something for you, too." He held
it out to Maggie, but she refused to take it. He opened it to show her the ring
inside. Maggie rolled her eyes.
"Are
you sure you know what you’re doing?" she asked.
"Yes!"
"Put
that thing away, you’re crazy!" Danny had fallen asleep on Maggie’s
shoulder, so she laid him down on the bed. While her back was still to him,
Howie came up behind her and put his arms around her waist. She took his arms
off her and turned to face him.
"Howie,
if it weren’t for Danny, would you still want to marry me?" Howie looked
at the floor and was silent.
"I
didn’t think so," she said as she packed hers and Danny’s suitcases.
"Carry these suitcases downstairs while I get Danny, please." She
picked Danny up and walked to the door. Howie picked up the suitcases and
followed her down the hall to the elevators.
"I
don’t want you to leave. We still need to talk." Howie pushed the button.
"We’ve
talked, Howie." And elevator door opened.
"No,
not really, Maggie," he said as they stepped onto the elevator.
"I’ve
said all I needed to say. Do you want a recap? Okay, I don’t need a husband or
a handout. All I need is for my son to have a legal father so my family would
get off my back."
"You
keep talking about what your family wants. What do you want, Maggie?"
"I
don’t know," she said. Her voice cracked. "I guess I just want to
raise my son without anyone telling me how to do it." A tear rolled down
her cheek and she sniffed.
"And
I can help you with that."
"You
don’t know how to be a father."
"Did
you know how to be a mother when Danny was born? Besides, you never gave me a
chance to try and be a father."
"Well,
you got enough of a chance today."
"I
had to plead with you to give it to me. Look, I want to be a part of Danny’s
life, he’s a great kid –"
"—No,
to you he’s not a great kid, he’s just a cute kid. You hardly know him."
"And
it looks like I never will." The elevator reached the first floor and they
stepped out. Carrying the suitcases, Howie followed Maggie and Danny outside.
Lucky for Howie, the lobby was practically empty. He didn’t want to make a
scene, especially in front of any fans. A cab was already outside. Howie put
the suitcases into the trunk and opened the passenger door so Maggie and Danny
could get in. She didn’t even say thank you.
"Goodbye,
Howie," she said before he closed the door," I’ll see you in
court." Howie closed the door and the cab drove off. When he got back to
his room, Howie looked at all the boxes thought about what he was going to do
with all these toys. He called the toy store and asked to have them returned.
The charges were taken off his credit card and a pickup was scheduled for the
next morning.
Howie
had no trouble sleeping that night and he slept for most of the next day. He
lay in bed with the covers over his head when he heard a loud knock at the
door. Slowly he got up out bed and answered it. A.J., Nick, Brian and Kevin
stood in the hallway. Howie said nothing, he just stared at them.
"Aren’t
you going to invite us in?" asked A.J. Howie stepped aside and let them
all come in. He didn’t have the strength to argue with them.
"Look,
Howie, I want to apologize," said Kevin.
"No
need, you were right all along. I should have listened to you."
"We
heard you and Maggie arguing last night." Kevin and Kristen’s room was
right next to Howie’s. "I know I said some harsh things, but I really do
feel bad for you."
"Thanks,"
said Howie.
"So
what are you going to do now?" asked Nick.
"I’ll
go to court on Thursday and if the judge orders me to pay child support, I’ll
pay."
"But
what if the kid’s not yours?"
"It’s
mine, Nick, I told you."
"But
she dumped you a second time, why give her money?"
"The
money would be for Danny, not her." Just then, Brian cleared his throat.
They all turned to look at him.
"On
a lighter note, I have an announcement to make. This morning, Leighanne took a
pregnancy test. We’re going to have a baby." Kevin, A.J. and Nick slapped
Brian on the back and congratulated him. Howie sat and watched, then he gave
Brian a hug.
"Congratulations,
man. I’m serious, " he said.
"Wanna
come celebrate with us?" asked Brian.
"Naw,
I’m still a little depressed."
"Well,
you’re spending the day with us tomorrow and we’re not taking no for an
answer!" said A.J. pointing his finger in Howie’s face. Howie laughed.
"Okay,
now get the hell out of here." The guys said goodnight to Howie and left
the room. Howie heard Nick mention Excalibur Nightclub. That was one of his
favorite nightclubs in Chicago. He considered changing his mind and going with
the guys after all. Then he remembered he had promised Maggie he’d take her
there when the ’98 tour reached Chicago. He never had that chance.
When
Howie went back to sleep, he had an upsetting dream. Danny was crawling on the
ledge of a tall building. Howie was crawling after him, trying to catch up with
him. Suddenly, Danny fell off the ledge and disappeared. Howie sat straight up,
breathing heavily. He decided not to go back to sleep but to watch T.V.
instead. He flipped through the channels until he got to tired to stay awake.
When he woke up the next morning, the T.V. was still on and the remote was
still in his hand.
After
the delivery guys from the toy store picked up the toys, Howie went to
breakfast with the guys. They took Howie sightseeing since he didn’t have the
opportunity earlier. They spent the next three days trying to take in all the
sights they could. Then Thursday came. The guys took an early flight to Detroit
but Howie had to go to court so he would fly to Detroit later that afternoon.
He put his luggage in the trunk of the cab so he could go straight to the
airport. He didn’t want to hang around the hotel.
Howie’s
stomach was in knots as he rode to the courthouse with his bodyguard. The cab
waited out front with the meter running. Howie figured it wouldn’t cost too
much. He just didn’t want to drag his suitcases into the courtroom. He sat near
the back of the courtroom and tried not to look at Maggie who was sitting two
rows ahead of him. He didn’t see Danny but assumed he was sitting in her lap.
This time their case would be the second one heard. The first case was that of
the couple that was there last time. The girl who hit and cussed out her
ex-boyfriend and then ran out of the court room. When the judge ordered the
ex-boyfriend to pay $400 a month in child support, he cursed under his breath.
Howie wanted to walk up to him, smack him in the head and tell him to be a man.
After the judge gave his closing statement, the guy walked out of the courtroom
still cursing. The girl followed about six paces behind him crying softly. Her
baby was asleep in her arms.
Maggie
and Howie were called next. Maggie was balancing Danny on her hip just as Howie
passed her row. She accidentally bumped into him as she was getting out. They
stared at each other for about two seconds and then walked to the front of the
room.
"Howard
Dorough, the DNA and blood tests determine that you are, in fact, the father of
Daniel Coletti." Howie wasn’t surprised.
"You
are hereby ordered to pay $1200 a month starting next month." The amount
seemed fine to Howie. The judge made his closing statements and then Howie
walked out. He thought he heard Maggie calling him and Danny crying. He and his
bodyguard got into the cab. Howie didn’t bother to look at the meter.
"O’Hare,
please," he told the driver. Howie tried not to think about Maggie and
Danny, but their images kept popping into his mind. He was shaken out of his
daze by the driver’s cursing.
"This
guy won’t get off my tail," he said. Howie looked out the back window and
saw another cab directly behind them. Unfazed, he turned back around and stared
straight ahead. When they got to the airport, Howie and his bodyguard checked
their luggage and proceeded to the departure gate. Howie thought he heard
someone calling him again. He figured he must be imagining it and kept walking.
Maggie would never swallow her pride and show up at the airport. He reached the
gift shop when he finally heard the voice clearly. It was two voices saying his
name, actually. A woman’s and a little kid’s. He turned around and saw Maggie
standing there with Danny. The bodyguard went into the gift shop and looked
through magazines. Occasionally, he glanced over his shoulder at Howie and
Maggie.
"We
followed you the whole way. We were in the cab right behind you," she said
breathlessly.
"What
do you want?"
"I
want to apologize. I want Danny to know his father."
"I’m
paying that child support whether you like it or not."
"Okay,
but I’m putting it in a trust fund for him."
"Fair
enough." Howie reached out to Danny.
"May
I?" he asked.
"Of
course, you’re his father." Maggie handed Danny to Howie. Danny rested his
head on Howie’s shoulder.
"Hey,
son," said Howie. Danny played with the buttons on Howie’s shirt and Howie
kissed him on the forehead. Howie continued walking, still carrying Danny, with
Maggie alongside him. The bodyguard followed closely behind them.
"I
called my family’s lawyer on my cell phone and gave him your home phone number.
He said he’d contact you to work out visitation. I hope you don’t mind."
"No,
that sounds good." They walked for a while without saying anything.
"I’m
really glad you came around, Maggie."
"So
am I. I know I was being selfish." They finally reached the gate and just
stood there looking at each other for a moment.
"You
know, I sent back the toys but I kept the ring. I’m going to ask you again
someday and I hope you’ll say yes."
"We’ll
see," she laughed. Impulsively, Howie kissed her on the mouth and she
kissed him back. Then he handed Danny back to her. Danny started to cry when
Howie let go.
"Hey,
don’t cry. You’ll see me again." The final call for the flight to Detroit
was announced. Howie waved to Maggie and Danny and they waved back. He and his
bodyguard gave the flight attendant their boarding passes and walked through
the tunnel into the plane. Howie couldn’t stop smiling. He was happy with the way
things turned out.
Check out the sequel, Mary Calzone.