Georgia On My Mind

(Pt. 3)

Time froze.

"Your...son." Dallas repeats. He sits down on the bed beside her, Shirley following. Nicholas, snoring softly, is none the wiser.

"Yes, he's my son."

"How old is he." His words slipped before he could catch them.

She hesitates, wringing the fabric of her skirt. Dallas grabs her hand to stop her.

"Two." Shirley replies.

"When's his birthday?"

"Dallas..."

"Is he mine?" He chokes out.

Silence.

Shirley averts her eyes, fiddling with her collar.

"I...I wish he was. But, you don't have green eyes."

His heart sinks to his stomach.

"Were you cheating on me...?"

"No. God no. I loved you too much." Shirley's voice cracks.

"Do you remember...New Years' Eve?"

He stiffens. Shirley's screams ring in his ears, his eyes replaying seeing her beaten and naked...

"No...Oh, God. No..." Dallas breaks into a sob, head in his hands.

"I prayed. I prayed and prayed to God that he would be yours, until he opened his eyes. He had his eyes. The eyes of that monster..."

"I'll kill him. I swear to God I'll find him and kill him..." he snarls. He rocks back and forth, fists balled up. Shirley strokes his back, soothing the roar in his belly.

"Don't. I've...I've made peace with it. I have Nicholas. He's the only good that's come out of this." Her nails stroke his curls.

"I learned the week before we broke up. I didn't want to tell you just yet. We were going through hard times..."

"I would've made it work. We would've made it work."

"Dallas..."

"A boy. A baby boy..." he chuckles.

"I've always wanted a boy." he adds.

"Dallas, I think we need to stop this conversation before it could go further." Shirley squeezes his hand.

"It's over between us. What's done is done. I have a son, now..."

"We could be a family." Dallas interjects.

"I'll be a great father, I'll raise him as my own. We can...Shirley, I love you. I still love you. I spent two years thinking and hoping I'd see you again and beg you to take me back. I think about what could've been."

"You know we could never be together. You know what happened."

"The world is changing. People are changing, there's hope-"

"Dallas, stop. I don't think us being together is a possibility. What we went through, what I went through, that should be enough to tell you the world isn't changing."

"Shirley, it's getting better. I promise. I swear on my mother's grave I'm not the man you dated back then. I'm older, wiser, and trust me," Dallas cups her cheek, "I'll be a better man the second time around."

Shirley pauses, staring into Dallas' eyes. Dallas inhales when her hands grasp his, her thumb stroking the palm.

His eyes flash towards the future; Shirley, pregnant, rubbing her belly while Nicholas and their daughter run across the yard of the big house he'd bought, her diamond ring shining in the sun. He can almost feel the pelt of rice when they leave the church as man and wife.

"I still love you too." Shirley whispers. He nuzzles into her hand.

"Let's try again. Please." He's begging now, clutching on her hand like a lifeline.

"I..." Shirley starts, but stops herself. Her hand slides out of his grasp.

"I think you should leave. Now."

Dallas deflates. Casting his eyes downward, he nods his head.

"Goodnight, Shirley."

Shirley kisses him chastely on the lips.

"Goodbye, Dallas."

Dallas sits in the back of the van, eyes glued to the window that shows Shirley in her room. She's writing, pen furiously scribbling away.

The engine roars to life. He heads Donald say his goodbyes and the car pulls out of the driveway, his face still glued to the house until it's a speck on the horizon.

"You alright, man?" Ulysses asks Dallas.

"Yeah," he answers. Clutched in his hand, was the teddy bear he'd stolen from Shirley's room.

AN: Nicholas was the OC I'd made for my old story "Francine" about Dallas' daughter interviewing him about his tumultuous relationship with a jazz singer who's afflicted with bipolar disorder. The story has been put on the rocks since 2012 and I've yet to get back to it. I just might scrap it altogether and save that story or plot with another set of characters. Just a head-nod to my old story lol.

That wraps up the end of Georgia. Now, on to the future! Lol