“I don’t know what I’m doing here. This shit feels like everything is closing in around me right now.” He sniffled and shook his head.
His head pivoted in my direction, and he took me in from head to toe. The pain and the confusion I saw there pierced my heart, and I cracked seeing him that way. I had grown accustomed to him being so strong and unwavering.
“Celine… she’s my mother. My real mother,” he revealed, and I stumbled back against the dresser in shock, gripping my stomach and hoping the news didn’t send me into labor.
It was hard to wrap my mind around.
“What do you mean? How did you find this out?” I questioned.
“She told me. She didn’t want to, but everything with my parents being here somehow brought it all back again. So she’s gone because she lied. I don’t have the energy to deal with her right now, not after everything with Kutlass.” He shook his head, and I drifted over to him.
Standing at his side, his bright, champagne-like eyes searched mine. He harbored so much pain there. I reached out, swiping the side of his face with my hand.
“I’m sorry,” I said to him, and his eyes closed.
My touch seemed to put him at ease a little bit, and his hand rested on top of mine before his other arm was snaking behind my waist, and he drew me down into his lap.
“I can’t tell you how to feel about this. I know you two were closer than close, so I can only imagine what you are going through and how hard this is on you.” I fingered his chin, and he bobbed his head in agreement.
“She’s the one person that’s always been in my corner, no matter what. All this time, I thought it was just her being her. She’s like that. Caring, nurturing, and loving. To find out all this time that she’s been hiding who she really is to me and that everything else is a fucking lie… shit cut me, ma.” I could see his eyes misting, and empathy overwhelmed me I wanted so bad other fix it for him.
“I know. I’m sorry.” My hand massaged the back of his neck, and our baby kicked inside of me.
It was so hard that Frequency felt it against his abs, and he chuckled while wiping the tip of his nose. He palmed my stomach with his big hand.
“What’s up, kid? You trying to tell me to get my shit together?” he teased, leaning closer to my belly.
“I think they are trying to say that… no matter what, we are here. You got us and Ivy. We are your family, and we won’t begoing anywhere,” I promised, leaning forward to kiss his supple lips. He accepted it, closing his eyes and kissing me back.
“A nigga got blessed when you entered my life. I love you. That’s not ever changing.”
“I love you too,” I whispered back between kisses.
“Get dressed. I’m going to talk to Ivana. Can you take Ivy downstairs for me? Just let her know I need to tell her something.”
“Can do,” I agreed.
About ten minutes later, Ivy and I entered the kitchen together. She was in a Puma jogging suit with matching sneakers. It was Saturday, so there was no school today. I decided since I was on light duty until the baby came that I would whip up a quick breakfast. We had to eat after all. So Ivy perched herself at the counter, and I began pulling things from the fridge to the counter.
“Where is Daddy?” she asked, reaching for an apple from the bowl in the center of the counter. “And where is Celine? No offense, I love your food too, but I miss hers.”
“Pssh… you aren’t the only one. She had to leave for a while, and I don’t know when she is coming back. Your daddy is handling something else, something that we need to talk to you about.”
“Uh-oh. Is it the baby? I really am okay with this,” she insisted, biting into her apple.
Laughing, I went to grab a bowl to crack a few eggs so that I could make breakfast.
“No, it’s not about the baby, but thanks for being mature about the situation.”
“Well, I am soon to be a teenager, and now I’ll have someone to boss around.” She perked up in her chair. “It will be great.”
“You are a mess and a half,” I concluded as Frequency appeared in the doorway from the hall.
He paused, shielding her from what was behind him.
“Morning, Daddy,” she greeted him with a big grin.
“Ivy. Something happened, and I don’t want to hide it from you. You are growing up, and you deserve the truth.”
