Chapter 361: Amber
*There’s more to being a mother than giving birth. – Shiloh*
The last day of school came with the annual party out at Molly’s compound. The next night, Priscilla graduated from high school. Her best friend, Camille, had flown in for the weekend. With Camille back in town, Ashlyn and Alyssa were hanging out with their former babysitter and friend.
Pagan was glad that they were not at the house Saturday morning, when their mother showed up at the funeral home. He was down in the shops helping to stock the bags and tissue paper. It had become a standard thing for him to do since he did not want his very pregnant wife doing it.
He was on his hands and knees behind the counter of New Moon when he heard that voice that haunted his nightmares.
“Excuse me.” Amber said to the clerk, Bonnie. “Where is the owner?”
Pagan stood up and looked at his ex. The shock on her face was clearly evident. “What do you need with her?” he demanded and the look on Amber’s face changed to smug.
“So, you *are* seeing her.”
“No, I’m married to her.” He corrected. “Bonnie, will you please go get my wife?”
Sensing the tension between them, the teen quickly made her escape.
“I hear that you live here with *our* daughters.”
“I live here with *my* family.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Shiloh walked over and smiled at her husband. He knew the instant that it registered who this other woman was. The slight change in her demeanor told him that she shifted to her other personality. The one that wouldn’t give a damn about hurting this woman’s feelings.
“Why don’t we go get something to eat?” Shiloh suggested and Pagan knew where she wanted to go.
“Sure thing, babe.” He smiled as he placed an arm around her shoulders and rested a hand on her belly. “Amber, you know where Sophia’s is, don’t you?”
“Are they open this early?” she asked looking at her smart watch seeing that it was only ten in the morning.
“They’ll open for me.” Shiloh replied as she pulled out her phone and spoke to someone in Italian before hanging up. “Kitchen staff is already there; Nico will meet us.”
“Good. I’m sure you know where it is?” Pagan asked his ex-wife again as he guided his new wife to the door.
On their way out, Shiloh stopped and spoke to her manager. Katherine agreed to call if anything came up. Once that was settled, the couple left with Amber following in her own car.
“I don’t trust her.” Pagan admitted as they drove across town.
“Neither do I.” Shiloh admitted from the passenger seat.
She wore a sleeveless black dress with white skulls on it and a red sash resting just above her belly. After trying to walk in flats and ‘normal’ shoes, she had returned to wearing her platforms and heels. This was contrasted with Amber's very conservative shirt and slacks.
When they pulled up to the closed restaurant, a young man walked out to help Shiloh get out of the SUV. Once she was out and Pagan by her side, the young man went around to the driver’s side and went to park the car.
Going through the doors, they walked straight to the private dining room. Nico already sat in the room along with a man that Pagan recognized as Uncle Sal. He was a mafia lawyer and Shiloh’s godfather. At the wedding, he had given the couple a large envelope which Pagan later discovered that there was a thick stack of cash and deeds to three properties inside it.
One of which was to her mother’s former house.
Shiloh refused to live in the house and gave it to her families long time cook. What happened to it after that, Shiloh did not care. It could be burned or blown all to hell, or simply passed down to her children and grandchildren. As long as Shiloh never had to step foot in the house or on the property ever again, she really did not care.
Nico and Sal stood up as they entered and each greeted Shiloh with a kiss on her cheeks. They spoke briefly in rapid fire Italian that Pagan only caught a few words of. What he did understand was that she had discussed Amber with them before. Probably after he had admitted that he just wanted the woman to go away.
The woman in question entered the room and looked at the two men suspiciously. “Who are you?”
“The man who is going to change your life.” Sal grinned as he moved to the table and opened his briefcase. He removed a packet of paper and a pen. “This will terminate your parental rights to both girls and assures that you will never contact them again unless they initiate the contact.”
Amber scoffed. “Why would I do that?”
“Because this,” Sal removed another packet, “is the paperwork to begin legal proceedings for back child support. Our records indicate that you have never paid. They also show that your income has greatly increased from when you were first divorced. That was not reported to the courts.”
Amber paled as she stood listening to the man.
“The choice is yours. Walk away, or not.” Sal said setting the two sets of papers on the table.
“You’re a bastard.” Amber hissed at Pagan.
“He had nothing to do with this.” Shiloh informed the other woman.
“You have no right-!”
“Those girls have been in my life for nearly a year and *this* is the first time that that you have even contacted either them or their father. And why is that? Is it because you heard that he had married a woman with money?”
“I just don’t see why I should have to continue to pay –“
“Continue?” Pagan demanded. “When did you start? I may not have been consulted in this, but I support it. Completely. You *never* show up for the girls. You never call and you never visit. The only time you do call is when you know that they will not be around. What the fuck difference would this make?”
“They’re mine! MINE! Not hers!” Amber yelled at her ex.
“They are people. Little girls. And they need a mother.” Pagan replied calmly. “But you have not been it. They filled that hole themselves. They found a woman who loves them unconditionally. Cares for them. Supports them. and doesn’t ask for anything in return.”
“I was too young to be a mother.” She countered.
“But they don’t need to suffer because of our mistakes.” He replied. “Sign the papers, Amber. The girls haven’t asked about you in nearly two years. It’s been longer than that since you’ve seen them. Sign the papers and walk away. It’s best for everyone.”
“Fine.” She huffed out and stomped over to the table and signed away her parental rights. “You know, you’re not the perfect parent, either.”
“I never claimed to be a perfect parent. I just claimed to be a parent who shows up and tries his best.”
“And you?” Amber demanded of Shiloh.
“I’m just trying to take care of my family.” She replied as she sat down at the table.
Amber signed the last page and threw the pen down. “This won’t stand up in court.”
Sal chuckled. “It most certainly will.” He pulled out a thick envelope and handed it over.
“What’s that?” Amber asked looking at the envelope.
“It’s a gift.” Shiloh explained. “Take it and walk away. Leave it and walk away. Either way, walk away.”
Amber took the envelope and looked inside to see a stack of hundred-dollar bills.
“That’s…”
“A gift.” Shiloh said coldly. “Nothing more and there will be no more offered or given. Walk away. Don’t look back and don’t ever call again.”
