Checkmate - THE FINAL LEVEL

TwentyFour

"Dad." Royalty called out after knocking on his room door for the hundredth time this week. Chris randomly shut his self inside, cutting off all communication from everyone. "Dad, you have to eat. It's been days."

"I'm good Ro."

"You're not. Can I come in, please?"

Groaning, Chris locked his phone that previously displayed a video of Mya coming out of a restaurant with Lucas. This would be their fourth date since meeting at her birthday party. Opening the door, Chris stood before his daughter that held back tears at the sight of him. Obvious weight loss, dark circles around his eyes, pale skin. He was down bad.

"Um, can you come downstairs and eat with me? I don't want to be by myself right now." Royalty said.

"I'm not hungry."

"Well just come keep me company then." Before Chris could protest, Royalty grabbed his hand and pulled him out the room and downstairs. A shocked look fell over Chris's face when he saw the other kids were there as well.

"Ro."

"You need this dad."

"Wassup Pops." Landon said.

"Daddy!" Emery and Jade yelled as they pushed each other to get to Chris.

"Wassup yall." Chris picked up both his kids giving them quick kisses on the cheek before placing them back down on their feet. "What kind of food you get?" He asked Royalty.

"Everything's in the kitchen."

"That didn't answer my question, but okay." Shaking his head he made his way towards the back. Expecting to see a bunch of food laid out, he instead was greeted by his ex wife. "Mya."

She looked up from her phone and gave him a small smile. "Hey."

"Hey."

"How are you?"

"...I'm making it. How are you?"

"I'm good." She looked it too. Her skin glowed, curls were even bigger and defined now that she stepped more into natural hair care, her body was curvier in all the right places. The fillers that were once in her face, were dissolved, making her look like the woman he first laid eyes on.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted you to take a ride with me."

"What?"

"Yeah, and I'm not taking no for an answer. Go get dressed."

"What about the kids?"

"Just go get dressed, please and thank you."

He stood there for a while, just staring. Chris wanted to make sure that this wasn't his mind playing tricks on him. Mya pointing above her snapped him out his thoughts. He smiled and nodded then made his way back up to his room.

"I picked this out for you." Royalty shoved a jogging suit in his arms after scaring the life out of him.

"What's going on Royalty, what is Mya doing here?"