Kindred Spirits | Juan Toscano-Anderson

54 x Anderson Interlude

"Cynatra, how are you?" Antonio found his way to her after the game to chat.

"It's been so long Mr. Anderson. I'm great. How are you?" She wearily accepted his hug. They were still in public and she wouldn't dare cause a scene. "You are definitely glowing. I see life is treating you well. I'm hanging in there. Life been hectic. It's been my first time to a game in so long, first time in the Chase."

"What's been going on?" Her natural instinct was to inquiry but she quickly rescinded. "On second thought, no intent to be rude but don't tell me."

Antonio gave her a look, "The moment you tell me, it becomes my responsibility to either keep it to myself or tell your son and I don't wanna be responsible."

The older man understood, "Well how is he? I tried asking Avery but he wouldn't give me much."

As he shouldn't. Good job Avery.

"You're better off asking him yourself. He's right over there"

"He doesn't want to talk to me." Antonio hung his head, "He probably wouldn't understand."

"Mr. Anderson..." She warned.
"Right, I'm not gonna trouble you with our issues."

Cynatra wanted to say she was already troubled with them, she dealt with the effects of Antonio's neglect every day. "I'm gonna get going. You take care of yourself, and congratulations."

"On what?" Antonio looked to her hoodie covered stomach and then back into her eyes, "When I mentioned you glowing, I already knew. I just hope I'm right when I think it's my grandchild."

Cynatra didn't say anything and Antonio didn't stay longer to get a response. She looked across the court to see Juan looking at her. Her eyes filled with remorse as he blankly stare at her.

"Ronel, you sure you don't wanna eat?" She asked putting the leftovers into Tupperware. Juan didn't eat dinner and he was off to himself since they left the game. "Yeah, I'm sure." 

After putting the food away, she joined him in his bedroom. Juan laid on his stomach with a pillow under his chin watching Bob's Burgers. She laid across his back placing her face near his ear. "You did so good in the game tonight papa." She kisses his temple and snuggles into him.

"Thank you baby." They were quiet for a moment, she knew not to reference his father and he honestly had nothing else to say. "You ready for bed mama?"

"Yeah, c'mon." Cyn scoots to the edge of the bed to pull the covers back. She lays down first and Juan follows, wrapping his arms round her and laying on her chest.

"I love you, so much." He kisses her stomach, "both of you."

"I love you too. Good night baby."

Juan had been angry for the last few days. Snapping out at the randomest moments. Today was an off day for the Warriors, but an in-person day at Round 1. Avery would be coming to the gym to get a ride to his own game today since he rather not travel with the team.

"With all due respect, that woman of yours is so fine. You seen her today? I can't believe it. She looks even prettier carrying yo big headed child." Avery didn't knock or hesitate to say the first thing that ran through his brain. Cynatra had been working around the building and keeping a safe and stress free distance from the man with a chip on his shoulder.

For his own good, not hers.

"Avery, I'll whoop your ass. Stop playing with me." Juan laughed hugging his little brother. "How was school?"

"School was shitty."

"What I tell you about that?" Juan hated that Avery would result to profanity when he could use other language. "You just said you would whoop my ass. Lead by example dickhead."

Juan slapped the back of his neck, the sound bouncing off the wall of the office. "Now why was school shitty?"

"Bro, I swear to you my teacher be on some bull— I mean really why would he joke about failing me so his old high school could beat us in the next tournament."

"Oh he said that huh?" Juan didn't like the sound of that. He didn't like people fucking with his family and he hated petty malicious behavior.

"People be calling dad a druggie and saying you went to juvie. School is mad weird."

Both statements were wrong, Antonio was a lot of things but he never used drugs. Juan might've acted recklessly from time to time, but he had never been arrested, not even juvie. He was starting to regret sending his brother to private school.

"So there racist as fuck over there? Yeah, I'm gonna have to visit."

Avery smacked his teeth, not wanting the attention, "Bro, I rather you not."

"You can't stop me Miguel. I'm going up there." Once Juan used the middle name, Avery knew there wasn't further discussion to have. "I heard dad was at your game the other day."

"Who told you that?"
"Mamá told me."

Juan turned to his brother, he knew he didn't talk to Patricia about it, so it only could've been Cynatra. He didn't feel like it was her place to speak on his paternal unit, especially since he never bothered to speak on him. But he would be a hypocrite because he got his rounds in about Jeffery all the time. He couldn't and wouldn't be mad about it, just uneasy.

He felt like their situations were far different even though they both had daddy issues. Someone stepped up for her, while he didn't have anyone to call dad. Her father was his role model. It was just different.

"And what she say?"
"That he had contacted her too. And that he plans on seeing us soon. To talk as a family."

Juan hated those words, 'family'. Antonio didn't know a thing about raising one. He left his a long time ago.

"Man fuck him. He's not our family. We all we need." Juan dead the conversation. He wasn't going to speak on it any further. He knew he had two things to do:

Attend the next few games to ensure that Antonio knew to stay far away from any of them. And go to that preppy ass school and speak with administration about the remarks made to his brother.