AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“An embarrassment to you and my mother? Wow,” I said, unable to even believe he said that.
“Yeah, wow! Those were exactly my thoughts when this video was sent to me. Normani, I mean this in all seriousness. I really want to know if you are on drugs?” this man had the nerve to ask me.
“Are you for real right now? What would even make you think that I’m on drugs?” I asked.
“This! This thug that you are in that video kissing! What is wrong with you? I did not raise you to go after a common, low life thug off the street! You are a beautiful, young, wealthy woman. Can’t you see when a man is using you for the things you have? My daughter, you cannot be that naïve! You have to know that this isn’t right. I won’t tell you who, because I don’t want you to confront them, but while you were out having lunch with this low life, one of the members from the church saw you. They took that video and showed it to me after service last weekend.
“I’ve known about this for almost a week, but I took my time confronting you about it because you are still my daughter, and I wanted to be mindful of the things I said to you. I saw the video, and the first two times I watched it, I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t you in the video, but after the third time, I had to just go ahead and be real with myself.
“Out of all the men in the world, this is what you go for? I did my digging on him, and you chose to kiss a felon in public! Someone who hasn’t even been home for a full five months yet! Do you know the types of diseases this man could have? On top of that, I was told that he has two different baby mothers. What is your problem, Normani? You obviously are lacking common sense in some area because this is not you!” he spat.
Before I ever disrespect my father, I would just get up and walk away. I couldn’t leave without saying something to him, though.
“You get up in the pulpit at church every Sunday, and you preach about how anybody is welcome to your church. Doesn’t matter their age, their race, socio-economic status, nothing. I guess that only pertains to when it’s time for offering, right? You are the same man who pastors in one of the worst parts of Miami, yet you turn your nose up at who I’m deciding to spend my time with.
“Yes, I know that he’s a felon. Yes, I know that he was just released from prison almost three months ago, and yes, I know about the two baby mothers he has. I also know that he’s a hard worker, and just like me, he has a passion right now for something he loves, and that happens to be real estate. With the route that he’s going, he has no reason to use me because pretty soon, he’ll be making triple what I make.
“The man who you’re turning your nose up at, I’ve heard him tell me on plenty of occasions how he needed to get his life in order. The God that you preach about is the same God who he tells me has given him a second chance at life. He loves his kids. I see it in the way his eyes light up when he talks about them. He may be so much different from us, but I learned that I wouldn’t even want someone who is just like me,” I told him, using what Billionaire told me yesterday when he questioned me on whether I would want someone just like me, and I really didn’t.
I said what I said, and I was about to exit, but it was what he said next that paused my steps.
“If you continue a relationship with that thug, you might as well have your last name changed. You will be no daughter of mine. I mean that,” my father told me.
Of course, his words hurt, but I wasn’t going to show that to him.
“If you can so easily cut me off because I chose happiness, then you were never meant to be my father in the first place,” I let him know, and then I left the room.
It took everything in me to keep myself from crying. I had just gone from feeling like the happiest person in the world as I witnessed my nephew come into the world, to feeling like crap as my father spat nothing but hatred toward me. Never in a million years did I think our relationship would have come to this. I was a daddy’s girl; I absolutely adored my father. To know that he would talk to me like this, just because the guy I liked was far off from what he wanted me to be with was just crazy to me.
I made it back to my sister’s room, and they had given her back the baby. She was learning how to breastfeed. I took a seat in one of the chairs near the bed, and the second my mother came over to console me, I broke down crying.
“Ssshhh. It’s okay,” she said, trying to get me to calm down.
“What’s wrong with her, Ma?” Naomi asked.
I could hear the concern all in her voice.
“I have her. Just tend to baby L.J.,” my mom told my sister.
“I’m not sure what he said to you, but if you’re crying, then I’m sure it was bad. I knew it would be because he has been upset since Sunday. I saw the video. Don’t tell your father I said this, but my daughter, you have tasteeeee because that man is too handsome,” my mom said, making me laugh through my cries.
Leave it to her to say something like that. I used my sleeves to wipe my tears, and then I stared up at her like she was the one with all the right answers.
“He ma
kes me happy. He’s far from the person I thought I would end up with, but I view it as a good thing. Plenty of men have tried to get with me over the years, but nothing about them stood out to me. He has some things that were deal breakers for me, yet all of those are reasons why I actually like him. I love how he talks about his kids. I love how I always feel so protected when I’m around him. I believe that people can grow. I hear it in his voice how on track he is. He knows what I do, he knows the things that I’m not going to accept, and I really do see him being the perfect guy. The first time in my life that I feel like I may have a small chance at love. Why do I have to be given an ultimatum?” I asked, with a big tear falling from my eyes as I continued to look up at her.
“There’s no ultimatum, Normani. Go with what your heart is telling you. I will talk with your father, okay?” she offered.
I just nodded.
The look in my father’s eyes told me that his decision was final, and not even my mother, who was his soft spot, would be enough to make him change his mind. I loved my father to pieces; I promise I did, but my love for my father wasn’t going to wrap me in his arms and fall to sleep with me at night. He had love, my sister had love, and now I felt like it was my turn.
“Look at mine, Auntie. My nails so pretty,” Dream cooed as she showed me her cotton candy colored nails.
I’d allowed her to get a manicure along with a pedicure. She was all done, and I was just sitting down to let my toes dry, and then we would be out.
It was Saturday, the day after Valentine’s Day, and Dream was with me. Chase had texted me two days ago and let me know that he wouldn’t be able to get Dream this weekend because he was going out of town. Now, I wanted to mind my own business and stay my ass out of other people’s business, but I felt like he was taking a bitch out of town for Valentine’s Day. Had my sister in that prison, holding his ass down. If I find out that he was entertaining a bitch out here, while he was supposed to be holding Loyal down like he claimed, I swear I was going to beat his ass up on her behalf.
