Chapter 10

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Jackson, Mississippi
1967

Lucas
"Your hormones are so bipolar." I said within our kiss. I knew making her laugh would change her mind especially since she'd never talked to me like that before. I knew she wasn't herself.

Toni and I were in the midst of a kiss when her door swung open revealing someone I didn't even know I'd be afraid of until I saw him.

"Daddy." Toni looked like a deer in headlights, and I was internally screaming like a seven year old girl.

He looked past upset. I thought I was for sure my second beating by another grown man. Toni stood in front of and decided to be the first to cut the silence, "Daddy, I can explain, just please, leave him out of this. He meant no harm." She said.

She was close to my body so I could feel her breathing heavily and her nerves her shot.

"You, boy," Her father said directing me, "In the living room. Now." He said before walking out.

Toni turned to me with tears in her eyes, "I'm scared." She whispered as the tears fell down her cheeks. I pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her hair. "It was gonna happen, just this isn't the best way. We'll be okay." I comforted her.

She wiped her face and held onto my hand. She walked me to their living room, where her entire family was sitting. "H-Hi, everybody. I'm Lucas."

"Lucas? Take a seat, Lucas." Her mother said.

I sat down in the single chair and Toni sat on the arm on the chair. I could tell she wasn't supposed to do that by the look on her mother's face, but her mother brushed it off.

"Lucas, may I ask why you are in my house at 10 o'clock in the morning. And considering I didn't hear a doorbell ring, you must've snuck in." Her mother didn't look mad, but disappointed.

"I cannot tell a lie nor do I want to. I want to be honest with you both, Mrs. and Mr..." Toni's last name was spilling my brain. That wasn't a good look.

"Davis." Her father said.

"Right, my mistake. Mrs. and Mr. Davis, I am in love with your daughter and I am the father of her child, our child. If you don't mind, I'd like to tell you everything that has transpired between us that led up to you catching me in her room today."

They shared a look before Mr. Davis nodded his head. I looked at Toni and smiled. She's so beautiful in the morning.

"I met your daughter when she came to work at my house as our maid. At first sight, I knew she'd be my future wife. She is beautiful and kind and so caring. It was obviously a strange feeling for me because I, as a white, has never had such feelings towards a negra. But I did and I approached her. I was the one making all the compliments and flirting. It was only her third month working for us that she reciprocated." I looked up again and stared at Toni.

I remember the day as if it were yesterday. She walked in the house and was cleaning when I approached her again for maybe the trillionth time. She finally gave me the time of day and we hit it off from there.

"She allowed me to court her and it wasn't until a month after  we shared our first kiss. I knew how deep I was falling for her when my eyes and mind became clear to how wrong the world around is. The world is sick to those with colored skin and it began to sicken me, especially when my family were apart of it. They'd bash negros and then act as if they didn't. It hurt me because it felt as if they were hurting Toni."

I placed my hand over Toni's hearing a few sniffles from her. Her mother's outer appearance was getting softer so I knew our love story was winning her over.

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