Teacher's Crossroad

Opening the door, Tyson froze. He couldn't move, and he couldn't speak.

"Who is it, dear?" Ashley called out, and that seemed to break his paralysis.

"It's Christy, and..."

He stood back and gestured for the young woman to enter. She was doing her best to not cry, but it was touch and go.

Ashley joined them and gasped.

On Christy's hip was a young male child, perhaps eighteen-months-old. He had his mother's gorgeous blue eyes, but the rest of his features were Tyson's. He even had Tyson's densely curled hair worn loose and long.

"Is... is this why you didn't come to the wedding?" Tyson asked faintly.

Christy nodded shakily.

Ashley was the first to recover. "He's beautiful! What's his name?"

Christy smiled at her in relief. "Aiyden."

"May I hold him?" the older woman asked.

Christy nodded and moved the boy to Ashley's happy embrace. The older woman smiled at the child and got a beautiful one in return. "Oh my, he's a charmer like his daddy," Ashley said with a coy smile for Tyson, who remained frozen on the spot. "Perhaps you two can discuss this situation out on the patio while I entertain this little one?"

Tyson and Christy nodded shakily and headed out the back door while Ashley found some noisy measuring spoons.

They took seats, and Tyson spoke first. "How do you spell it?"

"A-I-Y-D-E-N," Christy blurted.

"So... my father's name," Tyson said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Christy looked down at her lap in shame. "When I came to see you that weekend, I was going through a hard time. I told you about my boyfriend, but the truth was, I'd dropped him months earlier. I wanted to be with you, but I also wanted my career. I was making bad decisions. I stopped taking my birth control after I broke up with him, so I-I was fertile that weekend. We made love so many times, and it was so good! Then we spoke, and you helped me get my head on straight. I knew I had to concentrate on my career."

She took some deep breaths as the words were rushing out. When she felt calmer, she continued.

"I was going to take the Day-After pill, but... I just couldn't. When I discovered I was pregnant, I knew I had to keep the baby. He's a piece of you I can have in my life. I couldn't love him more."

Tyson was stunned by the confession. "Why didn't you tell me?" he repeated.

Christy shook her head. "I... I didn't want you to feel like you owed me anything. You were very clear that you didn't want me—"

"I never said I didn't want you, but let's face facts. I'm in my sixties, and you're in your twenties. You need to find a partner who'll grow old with you. You're still very young, and you have so much life ahead of you. Be patient, and keep your heart open."

She nodded, but her bottom lip was trembling. His heart went out for her. He pushed his chair out and turned to face her with his arms open. She immediately moved to sit on his lap, and the tears came as he rocked her in his arms.

They sat that way for a while until Christy managed to stop crying.

"I always feel so much better when I'm in your arms," Christy said quietly.

"You will find arms out there, which will give you comfort and more. I'll always be your friend and will always be there to give you comfort. But the rest is reserved for Ashley now."

They sat quietly, enjoying the simple pleasure of holding and being held. Christy stood and moved back to her chair.

"My next question is, why now?" Tyson asked.

Christy smiled tremulously at him and lifted her chin. "Do you remember when I said my company was expanding into Europe?" He nodded. "I had to refuse the position because I was carrying Aiyden at the time." She paused to take a breath. "The position has come up again, and this time it's not only Europe. It's global. They want me, but it involves a lot of travel. I wouldn't be able to get back home for more than one week out of four. The pay is more than double what I'm making now, and the experience I'd get from this is enormous. I can't turn it down!"

"But, you have Aiyden."

"Yes. I can't take him with me, and I don't have a partner to watch over him. I came home to introduce him to my parents— they didn't know either."

Tyson's eyebrows rose. "You didn't tell your parents? How did it go over when you did?"

"Daddy's not talking to me, and Mom is angry she missed out on the beginning part of his life, but she's thrilled to have a grandson. Aiyden charmed her as well." She sighed. "Mom says Daddy just needs time. She said he'll come around, but I know he holds grudges."

Tyson nodded. "You were going to ask them to watch over him?"

"No. I wanted to ask if you could. Aiyden needs his daddy."

Tyson's eyes widened in surprise. "I've never been a dad before."

"I'd never been a mom before, and I had to do it without support." She held up her hands in surrender. "Yes, I know that was my decision. I-I need help now."

Tyson saw this wasn't an easy request for the independent young woman to make. "This isn't a decision I can make on my own. Ashley gets an equal say. Let's go inside."

They re-entered the home and heard the joyful giggles of the young boy. They found him playing on the living room floor with Ashley, who beamed them a joyous smile. "He's such a smart little man!" She lifted a hand to get Tyson to sit on the floor next to her. He did as Christy sat on his other side. Aiyden immediately crawled onto Tyson's legs and reached up. He helped the boy stand, and little hands gripped his hair. He chattered excitedly as he examined the hair. He looked over to his mom and grabbed a fistful of his own.

Christy had happy tears in her eyes as she nodded to her son. "Yes, he has the same hair as you. He's your daddy."

"Da?" Aiyden asked.

Christy hiccupped in surprise at Aiyden's response, and happy tears continued to fall. "Yes, Daddy!"

Tyson was awestruck at the idea that this sharp little fellow was a child of his. He never expected to have children, never mind one this beautiful and smart. But then, maybe he was biased.

He looked over at Ashley. "Christy has an opportunity at work she can't afford to miss. She's asking if we could watch over Aiyden while she's traveling."

"Yes!" Ashley immediately gushed.

Tyson blinked in surprise at his wife. "It means a lot of time out of our schedules." He looked to Christy. "How long would you be in this new role?"

She held his eyes with hers. "Two to five years, but if it's as successful as we think it might be, it could be longer. All of my free time will be spent with Aiyden between trips."

Tyson nodded and looked to Ashley. "This house isn't really set up for another occupant—"

Ashley snorted. "That's the easiest adjustment. The spare bedroom we cleared out to turn into my writing studio can easily be converted back into a bedroom. We could do it in a few hours. Where are you staying tonight?" she asked Christy.

"I was going to get a hotel room in town," she replied.

"No! You can stay here!" Ashley gushed. She looked to Tyson. "Christy and I will go into town and pick up a bed and have it delivered this afternoon. Oh, what about a crib for Aiyden?"

"I have his crib in my minivan. All of his stuff actually," Christy said sheepishly. Tyson's eyebrows rose in surprise, and Aiyden's hands went after them. That was a little painful.

Ashley's face lit up once more. "Excellent!"

"Are you sure I'm not imposing too much on you? I-I mean, you only recently got married, and now here I am asking you to take care of my child," Christy said.

Ashley reached across Tyson to take Christy's hand. "I was never able to have my own children. That didn't mean I didn't want them. Now that I'm married to the man I should have been with all along, it's too late. Aiyden's arrival is perfect timing!" Seeing the concern on the younger woman's face, she moved to ease it. "Please don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to be his mother. That's always going to be you. I just have a lot of maternal love I've never had a chance to express."

Christy had happy tears in her eyes again. "Thank you!"

The two women stood and hugged, then rushed over to the spare bedroom to begin planning its conversion back to a bedroom. Tyson and Aiyden were left in the living room staring at each other, ignored by the lady folk.

Tyson grinned at his son, who still has his little fists in his dad's hair. Aiyden giggled at his grin and bounced happily on his chubby little legs. "Da! Da! Da!"

The oddest sensation rushed through him. It felt like nothing he'd ever felt before. When it passed, he suddenly knew he would protect this young man with his very life, and he'd do anything to ensure he was happy.

He pulled Aiyden into a hug and sniffed his neck and ear like a dog. The boy burst into giggles. He kissed the boy's cheeks. Little arms wrapped around his neck, and he got a kiss on his cheek, too.

Sensing he was being watched, he glanced toward the spare bedroom and saw Ashley and Christy standing there watching him play with his son. They both had hungry expressions on their faces.

Tyson raised an eyebrow as he looked into Ashley's eyes and subtly tilted his head. She picked up on the cue and glanced over at Christy to catch the tail end of the younger woman's lusty look. Christy turned to look at Ashley as her face went a fetching shade of pink.

"Let's go look at what's in your minivan," Ashley said, taking the other woman's hand to lead her to the front door. "As you're allowing me to be so intimately involved in the upbringing of your son, we should negotiate the terms." Then they were outside and beyond Tyson's incredulous ears.

He looked back at Aiyden, who tried to match Tyson's shocked expression.

"My first lesson to you. Always leave the negotiating to the womenfolk."

Aiyden burst into giggles at Tyson's serious expression.

"Too soon for those lessons?" Tyson asked as he nodded, and Aiyden nodded, too.

"Happy wife, happy life?" Tyson asked, and Aiyden nodded.

Tyson laughed delightedly. "Son, I think this is the start of something truly beautiful."