Page 67 of Just Listen
“I mean…I liked her when we had our dealings. But we just both had unfinished business with other people. The timing wasn’t right.”
“If she had somebody too, then how do you know if the baby’s yours?”
“Come on, mama. You didn’t raise a sucker. We got our mouths swabbed.”
“Oh. So, this is for certain?”
“It is.” I nodded.
“Oh, wow. I know that Paisley is heartbroken.”
My jaw tightened at the thought. “I think she is.”
“So, now, what?” She wanted to know. “Are you gonna fight for her, or what?”
I sighed. “I don’t know, mama. This is new territory. The baby changes everything. Then…I know Paisley. She got a selfish streak in her, and I really don’t see her accepting the baby.”
My mama twisted her lips, while seemingly in thought. “Does she have to accept her?”
“Huh?” I frowned. “What chu mean?”
“I’m saying, baby. There’s multiple ways to skin a cat. Maybe this is too fresh for Paisley, right now. But maybe…you just be there for the baby…and keep that separate from Paisley…until she’s more comfortable.”
“Mmm…I don’t know. She told me that it was over, and it’s fuck my baby. She was honestly out of line, and instead of putting my hands on her, I just walked away. The bottom line is that I don’t have to apologize for what I did as a single man. She’s clearly not seeing it that way, and feels violated. So, I’m definitely not about to go through a whole season of begging, like I did something wrong. I’m not ignoring the facts to suit her. At the end of the day, she opened the door to this, and it’s either she’s gonna accept it, or we’ll go our separate ways.”
“Well, damn.” My mama leaned her neck back. “That was cold.”
I opened my arms. “I’m just keeping it real.”
She sighed. “Well, let me ask you this, son. Are you still in love with Paisley?”
I paused, as I thought about it. “Honestly? I don’t know.”
She pursed her lips. “Then that means no. And that’s why your outlook is so callus. It almost feels like you’re using this situation as a way out.”
I frowned. “Where did all that come from?”
“Maybe it’s because you feel very strongly about your new baby and the whole situation. Now, I’m not saying that you should be a deadbeat or deny your child. But there also doesn’t seem to be any internal turmoil that most men experience when they have an outside child. And if there’s no regret in planting your seed in the next woman, it’s because you got interest in the next woman. And you like having those ties.”
Sitting up on the couch, I pushed a few dreads out of my face. “Ion know about all that. Just know that Paisley is tripping, and I’m done with the couch surfing shit, every time she’s in her feelings.”
“Okay. So, what’s my grandbaby’s name?”
I smiled. “Khari.”
“Khari, huh?”
“Yup.”
“And when are you bringing her to meet me?”
“Real soon,” I told her, before standing up, and stretching. “But I’m finna go. I just stopped by to drop my bag over here.”
She gazed up at me. “Now, where you going?”
I headed towards the door. “To go see my baby.”
Jaylah
