𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗒 𝖽𝗈𝗐𝗇 𝖨𝖨

𝟸𝟸

Lionel, Aijah's father or sperm-donor, asked Jocelyn to let his daughter know that he wanted to speak with her. He hoped that even after all these years, she'd find it in her heart to forgive him and give him a chance at reconnecting. He tried to apologize to his ex-girlfriend as well, but Jocelyn didn't wanna hear anything he had to say. He'd ruined her life and left her with four kids to raise on her own — with some help from her first baby daddy — no apology could undo that or the years she struggled.

But reluctantly, Jocelyn delivered the message to her daughter a few weeks later and her reaction was just as expected; Aijah was astonished that he even came around, but she was mostly angry.

She never knew what she'd say to her sperm-donor if she ever ran into him, but she never put any thought to it because she never though it would happen. But now that he was back around? She wanted to steer as far away from him as humanly possible.

"I can't force you to speak to him, but let him get whatever's off of his chest at least. Maybe y'all will both get some closure." Jocelyn shrugged, talking with her back towards Aijah as she slid the Lasagna into the oven.

Aijah scoffed lowly. "Just like he couldn't be bothered to take care of us all those years ago, I can't be bothered to speak with him now. I already have a dad that I love with my whole heart." She spoke, referring to her step-dad, Derrick, who she's been calling her actual father for over a decade now.

Derrick stepped up and filled in roles that Lionel left vacant. He allowed Jocelyn to forget about all the men she let treat her like shit after her babydaddy walked out of her life.

He treated her like a queen, along with treating and raising her kids like they were his own.

Jocelyn turned around and gave her oldest daughter a sad smile. She loved how Aijah referred to Derrick as her father. But in instances like these, they were both reminded of the man that left them behind and the fact that they were bound to him forever.

"Like I said, I can't force you to speak to him. You're grown." Jocelyn shrugged as she began putting the ingredients she used back in their designated spots.

Maybe if Aijah were younger, she would push her to speak to her dad. But she was grown and at this point in her life, a father-daughter relationship wasn't a necessity for her to strive. She's been doing just find without Lionel for all this time, it wasn't fair for him to think he could just come in and disrupt that.

Aijah didn't respond. She ignored her best friend's concerned gaze as a blank facial expression rested on her face. She wanted to pretend that her biological father hadn't even showed back up. It was easier to pretend that he didn't exist when he wasn't around to remind her that he did.

"Stop it, Mimi!" Dyamond, Aijah's second youngest sister's voice could be heard coming from upstairs. Layva, Mari's sister who she also brought along, could be heard laughing at the two of them.

Zachariah or Zach was the oldest out of Jocelyn's kids. He was the only child that didn't come from Lionel. Zach lived with his mom and siblings until he moved away during his sophomore year of high school to live with his biological father. He officially moved to New York last year, but he still keeps in touch with his family. A year younger than him is Aijah, then 14 year old Dyamond and then the youngest, 10 year old Mila, who all came from Lionel.

Jocelyn didn't have the best experience with men to say the least. Her first baby daddy was just an old fling that ended up getting her pregnant with Zach. They knew they didn't wanna be in a relationship, so they opted to coparent.