Lafayette

“So you definitely back for good? No more running off in the middle of the night, then calling out of the blue two days later to say you moved to Shreveport?” Lafayette gave his cousin a pointed look.

Tara glanced at the floor. Lafayette and Sookie had visited her on numerous occasions during her time in Shreveport and even come to stay with her when Maya was born, but she knew they were both hurt that she’d just taken off without saying anything.

“I’m back here for good. I just needed a change of scenery to get my head together and sort things out. But I’m done running now. I want Maya to grow up around family,” she said softly.

 “And when you say ‘family,’ does that include her father?” Lafayette asked. Tara never had given him a straight answer about Maya’s paternity, but he had a hunch and wanted to see if he was correct.

She looked at the floor again. “I told you, things didn’t work out between us."

“I know that. But in town this size it’s gonna be impossible to avoid Sam Merlotte.”

Tara’s head snapped up. “How did you know?”

Lafayette smirked at her. “I wasn’t sure until now.”

Tara

Tara’s mind was racing. She hadn’t told anyone who Maya’s father was, not even her best friend Sookie. But somehow Lafayette had figured it out. And if he had, it probably wouldn’t be long before someone else did.

She had always intended to tell Sam about the baby…she really had. But the time had never seemed right. When she’d left Bon Temps, she’d been an emotional wreck. All she wanted was to find someplace quiet and to live a peaceful life, pretending that she’d never heard of vampires, maenads, werewolves, or shape-shifters. Plus she was still recovering from the devastation of Eggs’ death. She had been gone for nearly two months before realizing that her final fling with Sam had resulted in pregnancy.

By then, enough time had passed for her to understand that what she felt for Eggs wasn’t love, but a fantasy created by Maryann. She had been in love with the idea of Eggs rather than with the man himself. Poor Eggs had been under Maryann’s spell too, and an illusion was no foundation for a relationship.

Sam on the other hand had always accepted her, warts and all. Her feelings for him were…complicated. He was one of only four people in the world that she could always count on no matter what, and she cared for him deeply. He was a nurturing soul, so there was no doubt in her mind that he would make an excellent father.

“I fucked up. I should’ve told Sam about Maya months ago,” Tara said quietly as she stroked her daughter’s back. “He’s gonna be furious.”

Lafayette raised an eyebrow. “Ya think? Why’d you keep it a secret for so long anyway? You know that Sam would’ve taken care of y’all.”

“That’s just it. If I had told Sam that I was carrying his child, he would’ve driven straight to Shreveport, moved me back to Bon Temps, and totally taken over my life. Between Mama, Maryann, and Franklin, I’ve put up with enough of that shit to last me the rest of my days and then some. Besides, I wanted to tell him in person. This ain’t exactly the kind of news you deliver over the phone.” She gave her cousin a pleading look. “Lafayette, please promise me you won’t say anything.”

“I won’t say anything. You couldn’t pay me to get involved in this mess.” Lafayette glanced at Maya. “But you need to handle your business quick Tara Mae, before somebody else figures it out and he hears it from them. The older that girl gets the more she looks like her daddy. And you know it won’t be long before the old biddies in this town put two and two together and start gossiping.”

******