by Amber Monroe
“Quel!” I shouted. She stopped in her tracks and looked at me. I looked at Janelle, who was somehow sleeping peacefully.
“Sorry, sis. Sorry, niece,” she said, then walked over to give me Janelle.
“I appreciate you coming, but this is a drama-free space. I don’t want this kind of energy around my baby.”
“Girl, her father is Jemar, this energy is the least of your worries. And speaking of Jemar, where is he?” She smirked. I just didn’t understand Aniyah at all, why did she come up here in the first place if she wasn't coming with good vibes? She knew we really didn’t fuck with her, and if she wanted the kids to see the baby, she could’ve waited until Wayne showed them to Janelle. She really had no reason to be here.
“Well, at least you and whoever you got your info from knows who my child’s father is. I can’t say the same for you though.” I smirked back.
“Girl, fuck you and that ugly ass baby. I fucked Jemar a couple of months ago anyway. He’s for anybody. Come on, girls, your daddy’s stupid ass family don’t want y’all here.” She said as she reached for the girls’ hands. They looked so sad to be leaving.
“Aniyah, don’t fill their heads with that lie. We don’t want you around.” Wayne said.
“My kids are a part of me, and I am a part of them. We are a package. Deal with me, or don’t deal with them.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” He asked.
“Exactly what it sounds like. See whenever I see you.” She stuck her tongue out her mouth, then left the room with the girls right behind her.
“Bro, I love my nieces, but their mama is slow,” Eric said. He had been quiet the whole time, and I was starting to wonder why.
“I know, but I hope she’s not about to be on those games and keep my kids away from me,” Wayne said.
“Me, either,” Kay said as she placed her hand on Wayne’s shoulder.
“Alright sis, let’s give them time to chill as a family,” Roon said. Her and Roon said their goodbyes then left.
“So Wayne, you have anything to tell us?” I asked, smiling.
“Man, y’all not ready to hear my story.”
“Oh, I got time,” I smirked.
∞∞∞
“Aye, somebody gotta bring some more boys in this family. We’re getting outweighed by the girls.” Eric said.
“I know, right. That’s on you, bro.” Wayne said to him.
“Don’t worry, I got us. I’m going to have all boys. My first son is going to be the spitting image of me.”
“I hope he doesn’t act anything like you,” Quel said as she rolled her eyes.
“What? I’m perfect, ain’t that right, mama?”
“Huh?” My mother said as she tuned them out and focused all of her attention on Janelle. Her, my dad, and Alexis were back in the room. Lawrd. Those fools are going to spoil her, and I won’t be able to tell her anything.
“Janelle already has her wrapped around her little fingers. Tell Ariana and Asia they have major competition.” Quel joked.
“Hopefully, they’ll be around. Aniyah is about to be on her bullshit. I can feel it.” Wayne said as he ran his hand down his face and blew out a breath of air.
“What’s going on?” My mother asked. We haven’t told her about Aniyah’s visit yet. We all looked at Wayne while he ran down what happened minutes before they came back.
“I told you about that one. Next, you’ll listen to mama about the next chick you bring around.”
“Definitely, but that’s going to be a while. I’m about to enjoy this single life.”
“That’s good, but what about Kay? I saw how y’all were interacting with each other.”
“We’re just friends, ma. She’s only seventeen, and she needs to explore and experience life before she settles down with my old ass.” He joked.
“Settle down?”
“You know what I mean, ma!” He smiled, and she smirked. We all heard what Wayne said and he meant that. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did marry Kay, their chemistry was undeniable. However, I don’t know how Roon would take it.
“We have so much to take home. You were blessed, Bre. You have everything you need, and I haven’t even bought my gifts yet. We definitely need more diapers, though. I have a lot of boxes in my Target cart. I’ll pick it up tomorrow so everything can be set up by the time you get home. What time will you be released? I need to call off so I can be here. Oh, your dad needs to bring Nelle’s car seat up here the day before.” My mother rambled off. I felt terrible because I haven’t told her that I was moving in with my dad.
“Umm, mom. I’m staying with dad.”
“I know. We’re going to have to move all of that stuff back into your room. Good thing is Eric decided to take the basement since Wayne moved out. So now you and Nelle will have your own room. I need you, boys, to come over tomorrow and help me set up everything.”
“Aretha, listen to Bre.” My dad said.
“Ma, I’m moving in with dad. That’s where Janelle and I will be until I’m able to move out.”
“Oh. You don’t want to come back home?” She asked, sounding disappointed.
“It’s just dad, and I made an arrangement before you, and I made up. And I like living with him. I’ve never lived with him before, and this a chance for us to really bond more.” I added.
“I see,” She said.
“So, you’re not coming back, ever?” Alexis asked, and I could see the tears forming.
“Don’t cry, Lex. you know, I’ll come over to visit, and we can have a sleepover with Janelle.”
“And you know you are always welcomed to come over to my house. Whenever you want to come over, just let me know.” My dad said, shocking us all. Alexis didn’t say anything, but I could see the smile on her face forming.
“My little baby is growing up, and I have to get used to that.” My mother said as she walked to kiss my forehead.
Knock - Knock
“Another guest? Visiting hours are almost over, and Janelle is down in the nursery.” I said while rolling my eyes. I appreciated all the visitors, but I needed a break before I really embrace this mommy’s life. It’s been nice having nurses come in and even my family, but it’s only temporary, and I want to enjoy this moment while I have their help.
“It may be Chianne.” My mother said. I saw Eric’s face light up in the corner of my eye as he focused his attention on the door.
“Come in!” I said and regretted instantly.
“I didn’t know your whole fam was in here,” Jemar said as if he was scared or something. I rolled my eyes.
“That’s good, we all need to talk.” I heard a voice behind him say. Jemar walked in first, and a light skin woman walked in behind him. She was wearing a pinstriped pantsuit with black, red bottoms and was carrying a black Chanel purse. She looked and smelled like money.
“Hi, who are you?” My mother asked. The whole room was now tense because after looking at Janelle all day, it was apparent as to who Jemar was. I looked at Wayne, who was mugging Jemar hard, he made eye contact with me, and I gave him a look to let him know to chill. He nodded and moved next to me, as well as my dad and Eric.
“I tried to call Bre before we got here, but her phone went straight to voicemail. I’m sorry, I’m Chastity- Jemar’s mother. I’m sorry we’re just meeting like this, but I couldn’t sit back and allow Jemar not to be here for this moment. That’s not how I raised him.” She offered a friendly smile, but I wasn’t feeling it. That’s not how I raised him? You raised the damn devil.
“Aretha- Bre’s mother. Kingsley, her father. Eric, Wayne, Raquel, and Alexis, her siblings. It’s nice to meet you. We definitely need to talk, but now is not the time.” My mother said.
“I know, but I just wanted Jemar to at least come up here to see his daughter. I wanted to see her, too, if I can. I know you don’t know me, and I know it may be hard to believe, but I just learned that I had a grandchild on the way, a couple days ago. I was told that you were
due at the end of the month, so I thought I had time to reach out.”
“Yeah, I was due at the end of the month, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, I delivered early,” I said and made sure to look directly at Jemar. He kept his eyes on the floor, avoiding eye contact because he was guilty as hell.
“I’m not aware of what happened between y’all, but Jemar will be apart of his daughter’s life. He’s not going to be a deadbeat, like his father,” She said. I saw Jemar mug on her, hell we all saw him.
“Look, that’s nice and all, but that’s Bre’s choice to make. I’m not sure what you know or what you don’t know, but Jemar isn't going to be around my child or grandchild unsupervised.” My mother said.
“Definitely won’t,” Wayne said. Jemar made eye contact with him but quickly looked away once he saw the death stare Wayne was giving him.
“I’m not aware of anything that transpired, and I hope we can talk about it one day. I didn’t come here to start anything. I just wanted to see my granddaughter.”
“And you want a DNA test, too?” Quel added while folding her arms across her chest.
“No, that’s not necessary. We actually stopped past the nursery and saw Janelle. We didn’t know what Bre named her, but once I saw Janelle in her bed, I knew she was Jemar's. She looked just like him when he was a baby. I wouldn’t be claiming her as my grandbaby if I wasn’t sure.”
“Man, let’s just go. They already have their judgments about me because of her,” He said as he pointed in my direction.
“Right, we do! You’re a coward who’s hiding behind your mother because you can’t face us like a man. I would have more respect for you if you came in here with your head up and admit to everything you’ve done to my daughter and grandchild while Bre was carrying her. You could at least offer an apology, but we don’t want it. You don’t even look like somebody who is sorry about their actions. Your mother forced you here and would probably force you to be a dad too. Hell, she’ll probably be more of parent to Janelle than you will ever be. Thanks for coming, but it’s time for y’all to leave. If Bre decides to let him be in Janelle's life, she’ll reach out, but for now, leave my daughter and grandchild alone!” My dad barked. To my surprise, Jemar's face softened up and actually looked remorseful. He knew what my dad was saying was right.
“We’ll leave, but I just want you to know that I am an attorney, and I have no problem filing a petition for parental rights. Jemar is not perfect. I’ve let him live his life as an independent minor because I thought his father left him in the hands of responsible adults. I take full blame for any actions towards Bre since I wasn’t around to guide him. However, we should be able to move forward for the sake of Janelle. She deserves to have her father in her life.”
“No, she deserves to have a father who is not abusive or disrespectful towards her mother. How do we know he won’t treat Janelle the same? And let’s be honest, we all know he didn’t want a baby. That’s why you found out so late because he was hoping this baby would go away. How does someone who didn’t want to be a father deserves to be a father?” Quel said. I couldn’t believe the way my family was taking up for me.
“I hear everything you’re saying, but it’s really up to Bre.”
“Bre, who is a minor.”
“I’m sorry, Bre!” Jemar shouted. He walked over to me, Wayne and Eric looked at him like he was crazy. “I’m not going to do anything to her. I wouldn’t, and I’m sorry I did. I know I don’t deserve to be in Janelle’s life or even be here after how I treated Bre. I’m sorry, I was taking my anger out in the wrong way, and she didn’t deserve that. Janelle doesn’t even deserve me as a father, that’s why I’m here because I want to change for her. Yes, indeed, I didn’t want to be a father now in my life, but I never wanted to hurt Bre and my child. I was a coward. I was a bitch ass nigga and there are not enough apologies out there to make this better. However, my love for Bre was real, and at one point, I was happy with the idea of her having my child. And I know that having a relationship with Janelle means also having one with Bre. I know you are done with me, but I hope you would allow me to be in Janelle’s life and we can work on our relationship as co-parents for the sake of Janelle.” He said with tears in his eyes. This was the first time I saw him cry, and that made me tear up. Jemar was always like this; hot and cold, but it seemed like he really meant it. Maybe he was really sorry and wanted to be in Janelle’s life. But like I said, that would be up to him and not me.
“Hey, visiting hours are almost over, and I know your family wanted to see Janelle before they left. She was also getting hungry, so I just brought her up. She just woke up and is a little fussy. What’s in your milk, girl?” My nurse asked as she walked in, pushing Jenelle’s bed in with her. This was actually perfect timing. I looked around the room since everybody was waiting for me to say something. I honestly didn’t know. I didn’t trust Jemar or his mother that I was now meeting. However, it wasn’t about me. I reached my arms out as the nurse came close with my baby. She placed her in my arms, and I just gazed at her.
“Nelle. I’ve gotten used to the idea of it being just us. I was prepared to be a single mom and thug it out for you on my own. I was willing to sacrifice everything for you because I knew you deserved it. You didn’t ask to be a part of this drama or have us as your parents, but I made it my mission to give you a good life regardless of whether your dad was around. But I always told myself that I would never keep you from your dad and that if you didn’t have a relationship with him, it would be because of him and not me. I can’t see into the future and tell you what will happen, which scares me because I want to protect you from everything that may come your way. I look around this room and see that you have plenty of father figures in your life that you probably won’t even miss your dad. I don’t know if he’ll always be there for you, but I should give him a chance to try. I don’t want to, to be honest, but that’s not fair to you.” I kissed her cheek then looked at Jemar as he looked confused. I handed her off to him, and he grabbed her, unsure of how to hold her.
“Like this,” I said to him as I tried to position his arms into the right position.
“Bre, you don’t have to rush to give these people an answer. Take your time.” My mother said.
“It’s fine, ma. Everybody deserves forgiveness. We both know that, and like I said, this is for Janelle, not me.”
“We support whatever you do, baby.” My dad said as he kissed my forehead.
“Thanks, Bre. I’m going to be better and do better for y’all.” Jemar said as he looked down at Janelle.
“Not for me, for her. One day you’ll have to answer for all that has happened.” I said. He just nodded and focused back on Janelle, who was looking right at him.
31. Chianne
I know I was supposed to go back to see Bre, but I had my own dilemma. I stared down at the papers before me and was beyond stressed. I didn’t need this at all and really didn’t have many options.
“Chi, dinner is ready.” My dad said as he just barged into my room without knocking first. I told him he had to stop that. If it was up to him, my door would stay open, but I had to explain to him that I was a girl and needed my privacy. He got home about a week ago, and I had mixed emotions about it. I was happy that he was back, but I barely knew him. I was a baby when he went away, and our relationship was formed while he was behind bars. I didn’t feel like I knew him and felt like it was too late. However, he was determined to have a relationship with me, and I couldn’t ignore that.
“Dad! Boundaries!” I shouted as I jumped up from my bed and stood in front of him.
“My bad, I forgot. Hey, what’s this?” He asked as he reached for my pregnancy test. Stupid Chianne! Stupid! That’s why he needed to knock first.
“Ummm…” I stalled. I tried to think of a lie.
“You’re pregnant?” He asked.
“Yes,” I said and put my head down.
“Hey, it’s okay,” He said as he picked my hea
d up and looked at me.
“I don’t want it.” I cried.
“There are options.”
“No, there are not. I’m over the weeks for an abortion, and what’s the point of adoption if I continue to carry the child.”
“I see. So, what do you want to do?”
“Push me down some stairs.” I chuckled, but I was very serious. To be honest, I never envisioned myself having kids. I was never that girl to picture myself being a mom or having a family. Yes, I wanted to be married, but I didn’t want kids with that.
“Don’t say that. I know I’ve been gone for about seventeen years, but I know things are more advanced than what they were when I was out. Let’s just see what other options are there, and then you can decide on what’s best for you.” He said then gave me a half-smile. I honestly wasn’t expecting his support and wisdom. I was kind of hoping that he would’ve pissed so that I could feel better about what I really wanted to do. “How far along are you?”
“Thirteen weeks.”
“That’s like three months. Have you told the father? Do you know who he is?”
“Dad!!!”
“I’m sorry. Look I don’t know anything, I just came home a week ago. And I know I’ve seen several different guys picking you up and dropping you off.”
“It was like two different guys, dad. I’m not a hoe.”
“I know you’re not. You’re young and having fun. I’m not judging because that’s how I was. I didn’t get into a serious relationship until I met your mother.”
“What about Jasmine’s mother?”
“That was a one night stand that resulted in the biggest headache of my life.”
“Dad, how could you say that, don’t you love Jas?”
“Yeah, I do, to a certain extent. Look, Chi, I know we’re not close or anything, but I feel like we can be because of our honesty. You trusted me with your secret, now I feel like I can trust you with mine.”
“What secret?”