As Real As It Gets ✔️

56: From The Sidelines

Alia

*One Week Later*

Lately Cory has been bitterer than before like someone said something to set him off so bad that he barely talked to anyone in the house. Every time someone asked him a questioned it was a yes or no, or he gave the shortest answer that he could give. I was tired of it, I barely could talk to him like I used to everything was feeling so distant. The baby has been moving around having a party in my stomach and Devin barely even touched my belly to even get happy. Everything was just so empty with him acting like this.

As I stood in the kitchen I looked straight at Cory as he stared at the TV watching Espn.

“You okay?” I asked and he nodded his head.

Like I said, not a single word, it was so abnormal of him. Just seeing him like this made me so upset to the point where tears just burst out and I was immediately in my car driving to the park. I needed a walk; I needed to clear my head of so many things because I was getting upset. I don’t know if it was me or these god forsaken hormones. The dummy barely even ran after me, that how I knew he was tripping.

Once I pulled up to the park, I just walked and cleared my head of everything. I really didn’t have to go through this with Cory. I mean he could stay in that house all he wanted, I could go back to daddy’s house because it was way less stressful than over at his place. I would’ve thought that being pregnant could have gotten him happy and made us this big family but it didn’t. I was starting to think that me being pregnant made Cory like this. I was the reason that Cory was this quiet, angry person and he was never like that.

“Why you here by yourself?” I heard a voice and turned around to see Shamar standing there and I smiled. Me and Shamar really hit it off well; he kind of kept my mind off Cory and his rude personality lately. I smiled giving him a tight hug and he smiled at me then frowned, “What’s wrong?” he asked and I couldn’t help but to start crying. I was really in an emotional state in my life, I was upset.

He grabbed my hand and led me to this little table that overlooked the whole lake which seemed so peaceful. We sat down and he looked at me shaking his head.

“I am upset because Cory just wont listen to me, he’s been so bitter lately I don’t even know what to do.” I sobbed and he took a deep breath and sighed wiping my tears.

“Pride.” He said and I looked at me puzzled, “The boy reminds me so much of myself I cant even sit there and hold it in.”

I cut my eyes still trying to think what the hell he was talking about.

“What are you talking about?” I asked and he looked at me and sighed.

“Seventeen years ago, I was just a regular guy with football on his mind; I played from high morning to late night. I was determined to really have a career in the NFL, I even had a girlfriend to sit there and support me every step of the way. Not even twelve months later I was admitted into the NFL then my whole life changed, I became blinded by the screaming fans and the endorsements and a mistress which created my older son, Alex. But I had a woman at home who also had my younger son, Cory…Cory Smith,” he explained, “a football star in the making.” I looked at him in total shock.

“No.” I said covering my mouth and he nodded his head.

“I am his father whether you believe it or not.”

“Why didn’t you tell him?” I asked and he looked at me smiling.

“Its not a good look to come back in your sons life especially at a time like this.” I looked at him literally just shocked.