Childhood Sweetheart

Thirty Two

I can't believe my baby girl is 1 already. Rayne was all ready for Disney land. We wanted to have cake and ice cream at my mom house before we left. She loved her some Minnie mouse, she had everything Minnie mouse. Her cake had her baby picture on it the ones she took while still at the hospital, my mom got it made. "Happy birthday Rayne" we all said to her. She clapped her hands and said "yay! happy birthday daddy." We all laughed at the same time that was her way of saying thank you. Damian smashed cake in Rayne face; I smacked the fuck out of his shoulder. "Don't fucking do that to her" I said. The door bell rung but when we opened the door nobody was there. But it was a gift bag with Rayne name on it but it didn't say who it was from. It was card in it that said "Happy birthday cutie pie see you soon." It was creeping me the fuck out because who the hell was this gift from. I called Nala to see if it was from her but it wasn't, Nala said she had Rayne gift with her and she was on her way to drop it off. My other line was beeping; it was a number I didn't recognize. "Hello" I answered. "Hey Janay this is Dre I was wonder if it was okay to see my grandchild." It was Damian dad. I didn't say anything and just handed the phone to Damian. To my surprise Damian agreed to let him come see Rayne, he said he didn't put his name on the gift bag because he didn't want to cause any drama at my mom house again. "Babe when he gets here I'm just going to step outside" Damian said. I told him it was okay and I understand. When Dre got there, Damian didn't say not one word. He walked past his dad like he was a stranger. I could tell Dre felt some type of way but he ignored it. "Hey baby girl" he said to Rayne, she was a people person so she always wanted to hug everybody. Dre started crying. It made me tear up a little bit. I let him have his time with Rayne while I went out and checked on Damian. Before I could even step on the porch all the way Damian looked back at me and said "I hate that man." I told him he has to give his father a real chance, if my dad was here I would want him in Rayne life. Damian said his dad can be in Rayne life just not in his and any time he wanted to see her; he would have to go through me because he had no words for him. I just sat down on the steps beside him and gave him a hug. I could tell my husband was hurting from all of this. "Baby you have to let that hurt go" I said to him. "I did let it go love, I'm good he can be a grandfather but I'm done with him" He replied. I didn't know what else to say, we sat on the porch for a little while. Dre walked past us and said he will be in touch. We helped my mom clean up before heading back home to get ready for Disney land.

The next day as we were about to board our plane to go to Disney land, my mom called and said she had an emergency and I needed to come to her house ASAP. I told Damian something was wrong and we had to go. He picked Rayne up and we headed to her house. When we walked in, there was a man I never seen before sitting on her couch. "What's wrong mom, and who is this?" I asked. She took a deep breath and said "Nay this is your father, James." My mouth dropped. Confused as fuck like I thought he died from cancer? I had so many questions running through my mind. All this time I'm thinking I don't have a father to look up to and he's been alive this entire time. "Hello Janay, I'm James" he said as he reached his hand out to shake mine. I was hesitant at first, and then Damian shook his hand and told this stranger that was standing in my mom living room that he was my husband. My mom pulled me to the side and said she had no idea that he was alive and at his funeral it was a closed casket and she didn't think anything of it because his family was in charge of the funeral arrangements. I just didn't understand why he was here and why was he showing up now. My mom said he showed up and asked where his daughter was. I believed this man was dead for 17 years. When I came out he was playing with Rayne. Damian told me to be open minded but I was so stuck and lost for words. It was a knock at the door, it was Nala. She had a Snapple juice in her hand and as soon as she stepped foot into the living room she dropped her juice and broke the glass bottle she look like she had seen a ghost. "Nala what's wrong?" I asked. She started crying and shaking "What is he doing here?" she said. "Wait you know him?" I asked. "Yea that's my father that set me up for my mothers money when she passed away, he is the reason my fiancé tried to kill me and was raping me." She said will the tears running down her face. This shit was getting way weirder than I thought it would.