"Alright baby girl, that's it." My dad said bringing the remainder of Todd's things into my apartment.
My mind was riddled with Destiny.
"I feel bad about leaving Destiny," I said sadly.
As soon as we got back in the car and made our way back home I went back and forth with my decision on leaving baby Destiny behind. It was probably the shittiest thing I've ever done. How could I leave that poor girl behind and keep Todd?
I took off my shoes and walked into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. With trembling hands, I took large sips.
Todd was asleep in my room as we speak. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. My dad stared at me with emotional eyes. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him. I became emotional... Again.
"Don't cry, baby girl. Everything is going to be alright." He said before he kissed the top of my head.
Graham is nowhere in sight. I called him and left him several text messages but he has yet to reply to any of us. I pray that he is not as angry as Sunny for keeping Todd. I don't know how I will handle it if he becomes furious about it. There is nothing that can be said or done that will even make me consider giving Todd away.
"I'm going to get going. Your mom is blowing up my phone. I should probably get home and talk with her."
I nodded my head. Sunny told mom and she is now on the verge of a violent rampage.
My dad gave me one final hug and walked out the door. I stood in the same spot for a few moments just reflecting on everything that happened the past couple of hours. I just made a life-changing decision.
I am now responsible for a three-year-old toddler. I don't have any kids of my own. I don't know the first place to start.
I went into the bathroom and took a long shower. I washed my hair and scrubbed my entire body multiple times.
When I got out and saw the time I was shocked that it was almost 7 am. My calves were killing me. The past forty-eight hours have been some of the most stressful encounters I've ever had. All I wanted to do was lie down and rest. Finally, now that it is all over. I get to get some rest.
I got in bed beside Todd. I looked over at him. He was sound asleep. I placed a kiss on his cheek and my heart began racing.
The second my head hit the pillow I dozed off. It was well into the afternoon when I woke up. I felt refreshed. Todd was beside me playing on my phone.
I quickly grabbed it from him. I had several missed calls. Most of them were from Sunny. I was not going to talk to her. I was still upset at the things she said to me. As sisters, we bicker here and there, but this time Sunny took it too far. What she said was so hurtful. I would have never expected her of all people to speak to me the way that she did.
I don't regret my decision for one second but I did feel a little overwhelmed with everything going on. I needed to talk to someone. I dialed Barron's number. He was the first person that popped into my head. To my surprise, he picked up on the first ring.
"Hey." His voice was strained and tired.
"Hey." I sighed exhausted but still happy to hear his voice. "Are you okay?" He asked and I let out a soft chuckle.
How do I begin to answer that question?
"Yeah, I'm okay, I guess." I said sadly and I began sniffling. I guess it was easy to tell that I have been crying by the tone of my voice.
"Stay there, I'm coming," Barron said before he hung up the phone.
After a couple of minutes, he showed up at my door. He wore a white tank top and black sweatpants. His face was fatigued and his hair was disheveled.
I wanted to jump in his arms but I decided against it. That's why it took me by surprise when he wrapped his strong arms around me and pulled me into a kiss.
When our lips connected I felt a sense of overwhelming relief.
"Hi." He said after he pulled away from our kiss.
"Hi," I smiled at him before I let him into my apartment. His eyes were glossed and he seemed out of it as well.
"You're okay?" He asked tugging my hand and pulling me closer to him.
I rested my head on his chest and took his scent in. I can't give an explanation why a man I've known for less than six months became such a huge part of my life. He has become my sanctuary.
I raised my head to look at him. He was looking down at me with concerned eyes. I didn't blame him. It has been a rough couple of hours for me. I placed my hand on his cheek. I admired his beauty. It's no secret that I find Barron to be an attractive man but he's more than that. He's the kindest most genuine man I've ever met. It makes me wonder if I had met him in college would I have stayed with Melvin?
"Come on mama, talk to me. What's the matter?" He asked after a few moments of me just staring at him like some psycho.
"Nothing," I said before I leaned in to kiss his lips. The realization of just how much I liked this guy hit me like a ton of bricks. The fear of his reaction to what I was about to say was unnerving.
He has everything going for himself. The situation with Todd may look like baggage to him and there was a huge chance of him breaking things off.
I licked my lips and let out a deep exhale. If I had to choose between him and Todd, I have no choice but to choose Todd. I can't and won't send him to live with Tanya and her mother.
"There is something I need to tell you." I was beyond nervous about how he will take the news that I impulsively took Todd in and I'm not planning on giving him back.
I tugged his hand and lead him to my sofa. We both sat down beside each other. I looked him in the eye and fought through all of the mental gymnastics going on in my mind.
I needed to tell him about Todd before we get too far.
"What did you need to tell me?" Barron asked brushing his fingers along the side of my face.
"I'm sorry I canceled our date." I sighed. "It's fine." He smiled. "It looks like you had a lot going on anyways." He said passing his hand over my thigh. "Yeah, I did." I sighed.
Barron held my hand and I mustered up the courage to tell him the truth.
"Just to let you know, my dad does not just stop by on a whim like he did the other day. He needed to talk to me about something important." "I figured. Your reaction was hilarious." He chuckled.
I let out a laugh. I think I screamed when I saw my father in my apartment. If he was not there, Barron and I would have most likely had sex.
I looked up at him again and fought through the mental strain I had going on.
"Turns out my family drama turned up a couple of notches." I sighed. "What do you mean?" "My dad ran a DNA test on my niece and nephew and found out my brother was not their biological father to either of them."
Barron slowly nodded his head and listened to me attentively.
"We made the decision to drop the kids off to their mother but when it was time to give up Todd, I couldn't do it," I said as tears formed in my eyes again.
Barron quickly leaned in and wiped my tears away with his thumb. I felt like melting when he placed his arm around my shoulder and rocked me back and forth. "You kept him didn't you?" He asked with a chuckle. "Yeah." I nodded my head. "He's in my room asleep right now," I said with a small smile. "I'm not even surprised. I saw for myself how much you care for him. What are you planning on doing next? Are you going to adopt him?" He asked, and I shrugged my shoulder. "I don't know, maybe," I answered honestly. "You have your opportunity to run for the hills now." I said jokingly.
Truly I was terrified of him taking that offer.
Barron leaned in and kissed me. "It's going to take a lot more than that to get rid of me." He smirked, and I felt like doing a summersault, that's how happy I was.
Barron lowered his head, and his mood was off.
"I have something to tell you as well." He said pressing his forehead onto mine. I just found something out and I don't know what to do." He said placing his hand on my thigh.
"What happened?" I asked looking into his eyes.
I felt an uneasy feeling bubbling in my stomach. Was this too good to be true?
He let out a sigh. "I don't know if it's true or not yet. In high school, I dated this girl, Caroline. She was my first love. When I got accepted to NDU she didn't want me to go." "Why?" Farrah asked scrunching up her face confused.
I licked my lips and leaned back. "She wanted me to stay with her. I couldn't do it. Farrah, I grew up in a pretty shitty neighborhood. I could not stay there. I had nothing going for me there. If I had stayed I would have ended up dealing drugs or in jail. So I left without telling her." He said lowering his head in shame. "It's the most fucked up thing I ever did but I had to think about my future." He rubbed his hands together. "I understand," I said.
I don't agree with how Barron went about it but it's understandable.
Barron stared into my eyes for a couple of seconds in silence. "Well, I saw Caroline last night. She was a bartender there. After throwing a drink in my face it was kind of implied that I may have a son I had no clue about." He said rubbing his forehead.
I widened my eyes. Was he serious right now?
"A son?" I repeated. "Yeah, a son." He nodded.
I turned my head and I felt my mind go into a fog.
"What are you going to do?" I asked after a brief moment of silence between us.
Barron leaned back and shrugged his shoulders. I can tell his mind was jumbled over this because Barron was not at all like the calm and precise Barron that I know.
"My brother is a lawyer, and we are working on getting a DNA test. If He turns out to be mine, which will mean I do have a son, I want to meet him, and be in his life." He answered. "This whole situation is fucked." He said letting out a deep exhale.
I swallowed hard and looked down at the ground. I nodded my head and looked up to meet his gaze. I met the guy of my dreams. For the first time in years, I met someone I want to pursue a relationship with, and of course, something like this has to happen.
"I don't want to keep something this big from you. I want everything on the table." He reached over and placed his hand over mine. "You can tell me to leave if you want." He stated seriously.
I let out a laugh. That was not an option. Although this is going to be an adjustment I like Barron. I may regret this, but I honestly have nothing really to lose.
I leaned in and brushed my lips against his. "No, you can stay." I smiled before I pecked his lips. "We will figure this out" I grinned. "So are you serious about this...us I mean? You are okay with dating." Barron said intertwining our fingers together.
Dating
"Is that your way of telling me I'm your girlfriend?" I pressed my lips on the side of his neck.
"Mmhm." He released a groan.
The sound that comes from this man when I am pleasuring him is such a turn on. He has no idea!
I began sucking on his neck and he placed his hands on my thighs.
"You know I have a strict zero fraternization policy. No one in the office can find out about us." He stated as he rubbed on my knuckles with a large smirk on his face.
I could care less what anyone in the office thinks. I know how to keep it professional.
"I can keep a secret," I said in a seductive tone before I leaned in for a kiss. I stuck my tongue into his mouth, and a moan escaped from him.
"Aunty, I'm thirsty," Todd announced coming out from my room completely killing the mood.
I pressed my forehead against Barron's. Taking care of a toddler is going to be an adjustment.
"Okay," I said standing from Barron's warm lap I'm going to be making my seat later.
I picked Todd up from the ground and brought him into the kitchen. When I opened the fridge, I realized I only had a couple of bottles of water and a wheel of cheese. I had no real food in the fridge.
I poured Todd a cup of water and went to my phone to have some groceries delivered.
Barron walked behind me and wrapped his arms around me. His scent always put me in the mood. If Todd wasn't here there is no doubt we would be in my bedroom this very second.
"What are you doing?" He asked. "I'm having groceries delivered." "Why have they delivered, there is a grocery store right down the road." He said with his arms still around me.
"I know but that's too much work." I shook my head.
Barron looked over at Todd who just finished his cup of water. "Hey Todd, do you want to go to the grocery store? It's going to be so much fun." He said with a mischievous smile,
Of course, Todd always wants to go on an "adventure", and he quickly agreed.
"Yay!" He beamed happily.
I watched as Farrah put her hair in a ponytail. I could tell from her subtle movements that she was restless, and she was counting the seconds until Todd fell asleep.
We had already gone to the grocery store, stocked up on a bunch of food and snacks for Todd, and came back to her apartment. We have been sitting at the same spot for the past hour. Besides a few touches here and there, we both have not been able to completely dive into our urges and consume each other.
I looked over at the sweet innocent three-year-old boy watching TV attentively. He was still awake and full of energy. I looked at the time, and it was almost eight in the evening.
Farrah rested her head on my shoulder, and I had my hand over her hand, rubbing on her knuckles. We both stared forward and watched Paw Patrol. I felt like I was with my nephews because that's their favorite show as well.
"I'm exhausted." Farrah yawned.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I rolled my eyes when I saw it was a message from Levi. He was at my apartment waiting on me.
"I'll be right back," I said to Farrah before I stood up. "Okay." She yawned.
I walked out the door and took the elevator to the floor above. When I entered my apartment I saw Levi sitting on my sofa. He was dressed in a gray suit and a navy blue tie. He was probably more stressed out about the situation than I was.... sort of. Probably not.
"I just had Caroline served with a subpoena to get a DNA test." He said before standing up.
"Good."
After confronting my lawyer I fired him. He knew for years about Caroline but brushed her off as someone who was just after my money. For the time being Levi is going to be my acting lawyer.
I nodded my head. "Thanks, man," I said patting his back. "How are you dealing with this? Do you think she's telling the truth?" Levi asked calmly. I ran my hand through my hair. This is Caroline we are talking about. She could very well be lying. She has lied to me about being pregnant before, but she could not keep up with the lie. We were in the tenth grade, and she thought I was planning on breaking up with her, which I was but we managed to stay together after that whole ordeal.
"I don't know. Maybe." "Wait... Where were you?" He asked twisting up his face.
There was no way in hell I was going to tell him that I was with Farrah.
"I was checking my mail." I lied. Levi nodded his head. "What is that? Is that a hickey?" He gasped at the red mark on the side of my neck from Farrah.
I quickly put my hand over my neck. "Okay, talk to your big brother, who is it from?" "None of your business," I answered.
Levi placed his hands on his hip and narrowed his eyes at me. "It's Farrah isn't it?" He beamed.
I remained silent. There was no point in telling him no because we did officially make things official and I plan on introducing her to my family eventually.
"Oh my god!" He clapped his hands happily. "Get the fuck out Levi." I barked at him. I was not in the mood for his immature antics.
"She's hot. Does she have a sister?" He asked. "Levi, get the fuck out!" I shouted again.
He raised both his hands in the air. "Okay, okay, I'm gone, I'm gone. But seriously, does she have a sister?"
I picked up a throw pillow and tossed it at his head.
When Levi left, I went into my room and got a change of clothes, my phone charger, and my brand-new PS5. I can't explain why but Farrah's apartment has more of a homey feel to it. I might as well spend the night with her.
I got back to Farrah's apartment, and I found her sleeping on the sofa beside Todd. I was gone for maybe twenty minutes, and they had both already dozed off.
I grabbed the remote and turned off the television. I picked up Todd and placed him in the guest room. I then went back for Farrah. She was still snoozing away. I lifted her from the sofa and brought her into her bedroom. I rested her on her mattress and covered her with her blanket.
"Good night beautiful," I said before planting a kiss on her forehead.
She raised her head from the pillow and weakly called after me. "Don't go." She said right when I was about to walk out of her bedroom.
I didn't want to cross any boundaries and sleep on her bed.
"I was going to sleep on the sofa," I smirked. "Barron!" She pouted aggravated. "Come here." She patted the empty spot on the mattress beside her.
I let out a chuckle and got in bed. Her mattress was draped in these fancy silk sheets that felt amazing. I have never put much thought into my sheets and the thread count. I may be exaggerating, but I think it was the most comfortable bedding I've ever felt.
I placed my hand on her waist and pulled her closer to me and we stared at each other in silence. It wasn't awkward. We were reading each other. It was just us feeling each other out.
"Where did you go?" She asked killing the silence. She let out a small yawn. "My brother came to tell me that he served my ex the papers for a DNA test," I answered.
Farrah raised her hand and placed it on the side of my face.
"Are you nervous?" She asked.
I'm still very thankful she took the news of me potentially being a father of a kid I never met before very well. I think I'm still numb to the whole ordeal. The more I thought about the probability, the more nauseated I feel. If I knew that Caroline was pregnant, I know I would have never left her. My life would have turned out a lot differently.
I'd marry Caroline, and I would have worked at her father's shop. Most likely I would have begun selling drugs on the side to make some extra money like most people from my old neighborhood. I would never have gone out to college, and I would have never met Briana and started up my company.
I snuggled myself closer to Farrah. "Honestly, I'm a little nervous," I said trying not to dwell too much on it, or else I will dive into some outlandish thoughts.
Farrah scooted closer to me and placed her head on my chest. Her hair smelled like lavender, and her dark skin was glistening from the oil she applied to her body earlier.
"Why am I already so comfortable around you?" Farrah asked randomly.
I let out a chuckle.
"Comfortable?" I repeated. "Yeah. I feel like I've known you my whole life." She said sheepishly.
Truth is, I felt the same way. It's only been a few days since we confessed our feeling for each other. I can't explain the connection we have, but I never felt like this for any other woman in my life. Not Caroline, not Fiona, no one. Farrah was ingrained in my mind from the first day I landed eyes on her.
I ran my hand over her back, and I felt my eyelids becoming heavy. I was tired to the point I could sleep.
"I don't want to go to work tomorrow." Farrah frowned. "Call off," I stated. "I can't." "Why not?"
"Well I have this boss, and he's a bit of a hard ass. He might fire me." She said nuzzling her face into my chest.
I smiled. "He sounds like a jerk." I played along. "He is." She said before letting out another yawn. She was tired.
"Get some sleep, you have work in the morning," I said to her, and she shut her eyes and went to sleep.
_____
Author Note
I think it's important to bring up the subject of baby Destiny. There was something really really REALLY bad I was planning to do but I punked out last minute. That is why I posted this chapter so late. I did a little revising.
I've been in a happy state lately. I really don't know why I am like this.
If you guys are somewhat familiar with the chaos in my stories I think you already know what I am implying. Don't worry. I'm not going forward with it. Baby Destiny will make a comeback. I just need to figure out how.
Love you all.
-Tacha