Jason's POV
The frequent pacing back and forth, with the constant hair tugging of me, I begin to freak out more and more. The time is ticking down to minutes on when Christine and Joel will be coming over, and I'm freaking out. I've already told Mal that Christine was coming, she politely agreed on my decision for her dropping off some important paperwork for me. I know my Mal Mal though, she could literally see through my nervousness... she knows I'm on to something, and that scares me the most. These past two days she's been nothing but willing to everything I've been saying. She even agrees to me when I'm clearly wrong.
"Jason why are you rearranging our living room?" Mal giggles from behind me as I move one couch farther away from the other. "Hey Mal, how about you make us men some sandwiches, you know Jason loves cleaning up." Alex attempts occupy Mal's attention somewhere else, but me and her both know she won't let it go.
"I guess, but just because I'm a woman doesn't give you a right to suggest I should make you a sandwich. You have two hands, and two feet." I watch as Alex nods with a fake pout, seeing Mal walk to the kitchen. "That right there, that's what's scaring me the most." I point to the direction she was once in, placing my hands on my hips.
"I'm sure it's nothing, maybe she's just been PMSing lately." Alex tries to lighten my mood, yet I shake my head. "That woman is crazy." He laughs at me, throwing his hand over my shoulder.
"But did you forget who's crazier?" He looks at me with a smirk playing on his lips. "Me." I sigh, knowing in fact I'm crazy. Although my Mal is next in line.
"Did you hide the fire place tools; you know she'll try to kill Christine." Alex jokes around, laughing in my face. "It's not funny Alex! You wouldn't understand what I'm going through, because of your situation!" I yell loudly, and I know by the way he's looking at me, I have hurt his feelings.
"I'll be in my room." He walks away from me, with me hitting my head multiple times. "How could I be so stupid; how could I say that to him." I guess my shouting got a bit too loud, because Malarie came inside the living room.
"Hey, hey come here," She pulls me into a hug, with me holding onto her, not wanting to let her go. "What's wrong babe, what's bothering you? You've been acting differently these past two days, what is it?" She lifts her head, cupping my face in her hands.
"I di-" the doorbell ringing stops my telling her everything. "I'll get the door. I love you so much, Malarie." I kiss her lips, knowing this'll probably be the last we kiss. She kisses me back tenderly, rubbing her fingers up and down my back.
"Go get the door, beautiful." She pats my but lightly, encouraging me to let her go. "Okay, tell mom, and Alex to come down here." She nods, sprinting off to get everyone.
I slowly walk to the door, seeing silhouettes reflecting from blinds on the windows in the house. I reach the door, praying all this will go smoothly, and that she's indeed telling the truth. If she's not... I'm going to hurt her. Not kill, or sexually harm her. Let's just say she'll be fingerless on one hand. I unlock door, opening up to reveal Christine bent down, talking to Joel. He looked sad, but nodded his head to whatever she was saying to him.
"Hi da-Jason, mommy says I can't call you that yet." He mumbles sadly, looking down at the ground. "Hey Joel, Christine." I motion for them to come in.
"Hi Jason, they're right here," She hands over an enclosed envelope with my name, and hands over an opened envelope with her name. "I'm assuming the results are the same, but out of respect I didn't open up yours." I look down at the envelope with my name on it, quickly opening it up to read it.
Nothing but a bunch of numbers and X and Y chromosomes are displayed on the paper. If this was any other person, it would probably be a little harder to figure out. Although since I'm extremely well in mathematics, I pick up on the probability quickly.
"I had the doctor explain to me over the phone, he confirmed everything." Christine's voice sounds with me trying to figure everything out step by step. "Mhm." I mumble, getting to the statement at the ending of the paper.
The combined parentage index is 1,971,999 (corresponding to a Probability of Paternity of 99.99%, assuming prior probability = 0.5) and indicates that these genetic data are 1,971,999 times more likely if Jason A. McCann is the biological father of Joel A. Baker than if an untested, unrelated Caucasian man is the biological father. This genetic analysis excludes at 99.99% of Caucasian men from paternity.
I look at the genetic material very closely, seeing if I had nothing but zeros and negative numbers. Just my luck, nothing but the same matches, or close numbers are plastered on the paper. If I had a ten and a twelve on the paper, little Joel had a ten and twelve as well. I almost got happy seeing a number out of range, but he was just one number off. I read the last sentence of the paperwork, having my reality crash down onto me. The Laboratory Director even signed it officially, so I knew this had to be legit.
Jason A. McCann is the father of Joel A. Baker.
David L. Morgan, Ph.D., Laboratory Director
Identity DNA Testing Center
"Oh God, oh no." I whisper, shaking my head in refusal. "Don't be sad." Joel says, but I hear Christine quietly shush him, mumbling for him to give me a minute to calm down.
"Christine you finally made it." Mal's voice calls out from behind me, I also see Christine hide Joel behind her. "Y-yeah." Her voice comes off nervous as hell. It's like she already knows she'll get a beat down; with me right on the ground with her.
"Is that that the paperwork Christine needed to drop off to you, Jase?" Mal points to the papers in my hand, still not seeing Joel behind Christine. She really can't see far away. "Oh um, these? Yeah, these are the papers she has brought me." The shakiness in my voice being stupid and reveling itself.
"Okay, do you guys want something to eat? I just made some ham sandwiches." I shake my head, not really having an appetite. "I want one, I'm hungry!" Joel calls out from behind Christine, holding one of his fingers up.
"No Joel." Christine turns around to bend down in front of Joel, scolding him in a hushed manner. "W-who's that?" Mal points a finger Joel's way, walking closer and closer to us.
"Babe, Mal I have to tell you something." I get in front of her, halting her from coming anymore closer. "What's going on, Jason?" My mom calls in the doorway with Alex looking with an unusual face. Sadness, and pissed off face is what it seems like.
"I- let's go into the living room." My nerves getting the best of me. "I'm hungry, mama." Joel whines some more, causing me to turn angrily at Christine.
"Damn it Christine, are you even feeding him at home?" I shout at her, causing her to jump a little bit. "I try, Jason. I gave him a couple of crackers before we left." She attempts to make her lack of feeding him sound good.
Him groaning and holding onto his stomach makes shake my head, as well as giving her an annoyed eye roll. I look back at Mal, who looks at me, then Joel, then back at me. I can hear her swallow unevenly, yet she doesn't react.
"Let's all talk in the kitchen, he can have a sandwich." She turns from me, walking fast as can be in the kitchen. "My gosh," I look down at the wood floor, shaking my head. "Come on, let's go get him a sandwich." I motion with head for everyone to follow me into the kitchen.
When I walk inside the kitchen I see Mal holding a big ass knife in her hand, instantly making me and Alex gasp. I rush over to her, carefully trying to take the knife out of her hands. She refuses me, smacking my hand lightly.
"Babe, don't go trying to slice anyone up into small pieces." I plead, seeing how an embarrassed tent plays on her cheeks. "Jason stop it, I want to cut his sandwich in half." She awkwardly chuckles, going to cut Joel's sandwich.
"Oh yeah I knew that." I clear my throat, adjusting my shirt. "Yeah, sure you did. Here you go honey." She waves Joel over to her, with him eagerly sprinting to the sandwich.
"Thank you." He rubs her hand, going to town on his sandwich. "You're welcome, love." She pats his head, looking directly at me with her arms crossed.
"We'll watch him, go ahead man." Za pats me on the back, going over to take a seat at the table. "Yeah, we got him." Ryan chimes in, grabbing himself and Za a ham sandwich.
"Okay." I walk out the kitchen back into the living room, taking a seat on the couch next to Mal. "What's going on Jason Andrew?" My mom takes a seat on the other side of me, while Alex takes a seat in the recliner, leaving Christine to take a seat on the other couch in front of us.
"Mom I messed up." I look at her, then look at Malarie looking at Christine. "Just spit it the shit out Jason, we're all here!" Alex voice echoes throughout the room.
"Okay, don't yell at me, bro," I shakily sit the papers in Mal's lap, running my fingers through my hair. "Joel is my and Christine's son." I let the words flow out my mouth, watching at she gets up quickly, but sits back down. I'm aware of my gasping out loud, seeing how she shakes her head in disbelief.
"I'm so sorry Malarie, I wanted to tell you all before, but I didn't want to ruin your family with this." Christine apologizes, with tears in her eyes. "You didn't want to ruin our family? Why did you tell him then?" Mal speaks deadly calm, looking straight into Christine's eyes, whilst rocking her crossed legs rapidly.
"Joel recently started asking where is father was last year. My boyfriend Benny kept telling Joel that he wasn't his father. He's not too fond of me having another child with another man. I knew Jason was Joel's dad, because he was the only other man I slept with that month." I stare at the love of my life the whole time Christine talks, yet she doesn't once turn my way. "You said Benny died, you're the biggest liar of all time. How could you keep something like this from him? How could you keep something like this from our family? I trusted you Christine, I took you in as being my friend. But no, you kept this who secret to yourself for three years." Mal voice cracks at the ending of her sentence, though she doesn't show any type of emotion change.
"I know, and I feel horrible about that. I just wanted Joel to finally know who is farther really was." Christine let's her tears fall, with Mal not acknowledging them whatsoever. "Jason A. McCann is the father of Joel A. Baker.," she reads the bold sentence on the paper. "Wow Jason, congratulations you're someone else's father." She purses her lips, nodding her head, handing the papers back to me.
"So Is Dylan his son too, or what?" Alex asks Christine, looking as if he didn't care about anything at all. "No, Dylan is my and Benny's son. Just Joel is Jason's son." Mal shakes her head at that, moving my hand away from her.
"Let me see those papers." My mom gets up, snatching the papers out of my hands. "Don't be mad at me." Whispering to Mal, she turns to me sadly.
"I'm not mad," she looks up at the ceiling, I guess trying not cry. "He was conceived before were together, before all of our kids. I'm not mad, I'm not mad." She looks at me with watery eyes, with one rolling down.
"Babe don't cry, I hate when you cry." I cup her face in my hands, of course with her looking away from me. "I'm not mad, excuse me." She gets up, walking out of the living room. I could hear her sniffle in the distance.
Sighing sadly, I let her have some time to herself, feeling like I've messed up even more this time. The fact that our lives always seem to be going downward, makes me blame my stupid past. It always comes back to bite me in my ass. Nothing is never right for me, and I'm bringing my family down. I'm bringing negativity to our home, and it's all my fault. And the fact that I have another child, with another woman is ridiculous. It's sad to say, but if I would've known she was pregnant... I would've made her get an abortion. Yes, I'm a sick fuck, but that's how my mind works. Let the women who are not Malarie go through the pain. I always wanted lots of kids with her, now I have a child with a woman I had a one night stand with.
"Did you hear me Jason?" My mom's voice ringing in my ear, along with her tapping my arm. "Huh?" I dumbly answer her.
"I said are you going to change his last name to yours, because that's important. And what about food, clothes... money." My mother speaks nothing but importance about my new son's life.
"I guess I'll change his last name to mine. For clothes, food, and money, I'll provide everything for him. I've read about men giving the mother money, and her just using it for herself. I'm not stupid, I know when a person is lying. In my book, once you lie to me, it's hard for me to believe you." I say everything to my mom, but I look at Christine.
"What about the custody, and the legal rights for you." All what my mom says to me, just stressing me out more. "Mom I don't know, Christine and I will figure something out. Let me just to a breather." Overwhelming stressed, I sigh in my hands over my face.
"You need to know; you have a fifth child now! It's time to step up to the damn plate, and be a mature adult. You two need to figure something out, and something quickly. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to introduce myself to my new grandson." She gets up from her spot on the couch, happily clapping her hands. "I guess I'm lucky I don't understand what you're going through." Alex gets up, still hurt I said what I said earlier.
"Wait Alex, wait bro," I get up from the couch, catching him by his wrist before he left. "I'm so sorry, okay? I'm sorry I said that to you, I know it hurt your feelings." I apologize from the bottom of my heart, not liking my big brother mad at me. "You hurt my feelings man." He looks at the wall, then back at me.
"I'm going to check on Joel." Christine excuses herself, with me and Alex here alone. "I know me bringing up you not being able to have children hurts, I'm so sorry man. I am so damn sorry." He nods, bringing me in for a hug.
"It's okay, just don't do it again. That's a touchy subject for me, and my balk sacks." We share a laugh, with me nodding in agreement. "Are we cool, I know I was being a dick." He rolls his eyes, giving me another hug.
"We're more than cool, we're brothers. For ever and ever, bro. Now I have another nephew I can bug the hell out of." He laughs like an evil scientist, walking us into the kitchen.
"You look just like Jason, Alex, Jacob, and Jasper." Mom pokes and touches all over Joel's face. "Who are they? Are those people my family, too?" He eats a couple of Cheetos, waiting for her answer.
"Oh yes, that's your daddy, Uncle, and your half brothers." His eyes light up at word brothers. "I have a big brother name Dylan, and now I have more?" Christine wipes the food from his mouth, making him push her away.
"Oh yes you do, and you have two half sisters, too." He makes his eyes go cross eyed, being goofy. "It's a lot, huh?" Mom pats his head, giving him another sandwich. He needs to eat, he's all skinny.
:::
Later on that day
"So your name is Joel, and your daddy is my daddy?" Jacob raises his eyebrow, looking at Joel skeptically. "Uh huh." Joel answers with a nod, playing the video game.
"I don't know if I like you." Jacob pauses the game, crossing his arms. "That's not nice, and can you hurry up, I want to beat you guys." They look at me with a glare, just for me to hold my hands up in defense.
"I'm kidding." Adjusting Jasper in my arms, I wait for someone to un-pause the game. "Can we play now, Jacob." Joel nicely asks his... brother.
"Oh alright, let's go." The game is resumed, and I am beat for what seems like the thirteenth time in an hour. "I beat you guys!" Jacob laughs in my face, messing my hair up while he's at it.
"I would've beat you, but you had an advantage not to hold Jasper." He gives me a pretty weird look, probably not understanding anything I just said. "You did good, da- Jason." Joel corrects himself, looking sad that he can't say the word.
Christine has told him to hold off from calling me dad, and I know he so badly wants to call me that. I can see it in his face that he's eager to call me the most special word to him, but I'm not sure if I'm ready. I mean I'm always ready, it's just I've never had anyone except my kids call me 'dad'. I know he's my kid now, it's just- I just have to get used to it. I need to get used to it fast, because he looks sad every time he hears Jacob say it. The meeting between him, Natasha and Jacob was different from each child. Natasha loved that she had another brother, and lovingly pulled him into a hug. Jacob on the other hand, he's mean... just like me. He punched Joel in the arm for nothing, and told him to get. I almost took that little kids head off. He of course apologized after I smacked his hand sternly. It was all cries and tears, and the calling of his mommy, but he finally got over it.
Mal hasn't come down from our room since earlier this afternoon, and now it's after five in the afternoon. I know she's taking this new found information pretty hard. I wouldn't necessarily say she's mad, but I would say it's messing with her. After Joel and I went to pick up Jacob and Natasha, I made them a snack, quickly going up to see my Mal. Cal was watching the twins while she was laying on her side, facing the wall in our bed. I didn't care if Cal was there or not, I wrapped my arms around my woman, and kissed her all over. I thought she would push me away, yet she kissed me back. Not with as much intensity as me, though she kissed me back. I had mumbled I loved her in her neck, and she said it back, cupping my face in her hands. Her eyes were red and watery, and I knew right then and there she was crying, but she didn't give me a chance to ask. She just kissed me lightly in my lips, rubbing my back softly.
"Is it almost dinner time?" Jacob walks over to me, taking a seat in my lap. "I don't smell any food, so I don't think so." I chuckle, poking his nose. Joel watches with a small smile on his face.
"Joel." I hesitantly call his name, seeing him quickly stand up. "Yes, Jason." He waits patiently for what I have to say.
"I'm happy we met each other, come on, give me a hug." His eyes light up in excitement, and he runs in my arms, being careful not to smash Jasper. "I am happy too, Jason." He mumbles in my neck, with me rubbing his back.
"Okay, I think I kind of like you." Jacob tapping his chin makes me laugh, pushing his head away playfully. "I think I like all three of you." I kiss Jasper's head, then Jacob's, and last but not least... Joel's.
:::
Malarie's POV
I have done nothing but cry and cry this entire day, and I feel like a spoiled brat for it. I am woman enough to admit I was rude by not going back downstairs, and meeting Joel properly. I'm not in the mood to socialize and act like all this is okay. I just feel like being here in my room is best for me, because I want to beat Christine's ass so freaking bad. I won't, I can't do that. What type of person will that make me? What will I even get out of that except for a little anger release? She's a lowdown dirty bitch for her keeping this from us. The fact she kept her child away from Jason for four years is horrible. I wouldn't even be thinking so lowly of her if she was straightforward about him fathering her child, four years ago. She's nothing but a liar, and I can't with liars. I mean Jason is a liar, but- damn it.
"Are you going to come down for dinner, Mal Pal?" Cal speaks from the doorway, walking inside the room. "I'm not really hungry, thank you." I rub my burning eyes, keeping my hands rested over them.
"I want you to eat, because Pattie made some bomb ass tacos, tonight." Cal gets on the bed, laying his head in Jason's pillow. "I'm not hungry." I partially lie, feeling him smack my leg.
"You're a damn liar, you and I both know you love taco Tuesdays." I take my hands off my eyes, hiding my grin from him. "Okay, maybe I am a little hungry for Tacos." He nods his head at my slight confession.
"You know you are." He thumps my head, making me giggle. "I am, I admit it." Yawning, I feel him rubbing my tattoo on my wrist.
"I heard you took everything so mature and well, even though I know you wanted to kill a bitch." We both begin to laugh, with me nodding rapidly. "I wanted to cut her ass. Literally I wanted to cut a piece of that flat shit she calls her butt." Cal laughs in my neck, with me rolling eyes at his childlike way, patting his back.
"Mal, yo you're on one." He wipes the tears from the side of his eyelids, smiling as big as he can. "That smile Cal, look at the dimple." I poke his dimple, making fart sounds.
"Stop." A whiny sound comes from his mouth, making me stop. "Okay." I drag out my word, stopping my poking of his dimple.
Cal turns himself over on his side, with me getting comfortable with my hands tucked under my chin. He gets a little closer to my face, with me doing the same. We do our usual silly faces towards each other, with me laughing at him putting his tongue in his nose. I even cross my eyes, probably looking like a damn goof ball. We stop our silly act, giggling at each other. Our giggles die down, with us looking into each other eyes, not saying much, just our constant breaths fanning over each other. The atmosphere grows a little weird, with our looking deeply into each other's eyes. Not knowing why, we look at each other for a small amount of time, we pull away from each other laughing like two high stoners.
"You're a fucking weirdo, Mal." Cal laughs, rolling on his back. "I'm a weirdo? You're the one who was burning your eyes into my soul." We laugh at my statement, with Cal pulling me off of the bed.
We walk hand and hand downstairs, with me cracking jokes about his new haircut. He's all curly hair free; just like my Jacob. I love curly hair, yet Jason doesn't have any. I don't know, I guess curly hair is adorable to me. We let go of each other's hands, walking inside of the filled kitchen. I walk in front of Cal, with his hands gently resting on top of my shoulders. I take a deep breath, blowing it back out, making myself known since this afternoon. Everyone turns to me, with Jason standing up with a mouth full of taco. I lightly smile at his cuteness, seeing how he painfully swallows all of his food in his mouth.
"Good evening, everyone." I wave, taking a seat next to Jason, though not without my Cal Pal being by my side. "Hi." Everyone around the dinner table says in unison, with the twins blabbering away in Jason and Alex's arms.
"I made your plate for you." Jason pushes the plate my way, with me licking my lips, looking down at my two tacos. "Thank you." I tap his hand, going to bite into my taco, but everyone looking at our interaction makes me stop.
"It's rude to stare." Giggling to myself, I take a bite out of my first taco. "You two are goals as fuck, so I have to stare." Ryan speaks for everyone, making the children gasp.
"Mr. Butler, watch your language." Mom scolds Ryan, making him apologize quickly. "Do you feel better, Mal?" I swallow, looking around the table.
Christine looks sadly my way, knowing our friendship is probably over. I can't be mad though, I'm just a little disappointed she didn't tell me and Jason before we got serious. I'm not saying I would've left my man; I'm just saying we could have worked this out a little better than me being surprised.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I fake a smile, going back to eating my taco. "I love you." Jason whispers under his breath, with him rubbing my inner thigh. "I love you too." I whisper back, rubbing his hand on my thigh.
"How was school?" I ask the children, spotting Dylan at the table. Christine must have gone to pick him up from school. "I don't go to school, only Dylan." Joel talks with a mouth full of food, just like how Jason does. Gosh, he looks exactly like him.
"I guess we'll have to figure something out then, huh?" Joel nods his head eagerly, taping Jason's arm. "He should've been in school already, Christine. Gosh, it's like he's the boy version of Cinderella at your house." Jason's voice his stern, yet he manages to keep it under control.
"I'm sorry." That's all Christine can say, with me inwardly rolling my eyes at her. "You always say sorry, let's see some progress here." I rub his thigh, wanting to calm him down.
"When I drop the kids off in the morning, I'll make sure to get him an application for the private school." I murmur my suggestion, not knowing if I should get involve in their education for their child. That sounds so weird, 'their child'. "That'll be great, and maybe we can get him into Kindergarten fast. He's just a year older than Jacob, so I'm sure he wouldn't have to go to Pre-Kinder, or preschool like Jake." I nod at his rambling, seeing how Christine looks like she doesn't know what we're taking about.
"I would like that so much! Ooh mama I have to tell, Ralph!" Everyone looks at Joel, then to Christine drinking her juice. "It's his pet roach, his name is Ralph." She shrugs, and Jason spits out his food disgusted. He's told me about her roach problem at her place.
"Ralph is going to get sprayed with Raid if I go over there again." Jason thought he was speaking under his breath, but he spoken way too loudly and bluntly. "Damn, it's that nasty there?" Za laughs, along with the rest of the guys. I try so very hard to hold in my laughter, knowing that it's an embarrassing subject for her.
Jason mumble incoherent words under his breath, probably curing the name of Christine Baker under his breath. I thought this was going to be hard for me, but shit Jason. Good luck my love, you're going to have a long life ahead of you. Not only does he have to deal with me, my mood swings, my nagging, but he has to deal with his new found son's mother. We all know they'll have their differences about Joel, because we both have our differences about our own children. I just hope and pray for no type of baby mother drama. I want to be happy, and I want to live a happy life with my man.
:::
"You know I love you, right?" Jason mumbles in my neck sleepily. "Yes, I love you too." I answer him straightaway, not denying my undeniable love for him.
"You know me having another child isn't going to change anything, right?" He voice faltering at the end. "Of course I know that, you don't have to say this." I turn around in his arms, seeing him already staring at me.
"I guess I just wanted to know if you're pissed at me, or not." Him licking his lips nervously, makes me kiss them. "I love you, and I'm not pissed off, or mad at you. I'm just a little disappointed. But who am I to talk when Joel was before all of our children. Even you being with Christine is before all of us. That's exactly why I'm not mad at you, Jason. This was all in your past- well Joel being here is your future. I think you know what I mean." I tell him the truth to my calmness, rambling on way too much.
"Will you treat Joel like our children?" The nervousness back in his tone of voice. "There isn't any reason for me not to. I already like him, and I only met him today. The real question is, when are you going to let him call you dad or daddy?" Jason stiffens in my arms, shrugging his shoulders sadly.
"I really don't know Mal." His breath fans over my face- I can tell he just brushed. "Let's hope soon, because I can tell he wants to call you it." I peck his lips, pulling the cover up over our bodies. "Soon, let's go to bed now." I nod in agreement with him, closing my eyes.
Let's hope everything will be alright in the amount of this "soon". Please God, I want to be happy again.
______________________________
- Chapter 31 has now come to an end.
- Thank you for voting, commenting, and just reading my book. And once again, if I haven't thanked you before, thank you for entering me in all the different types of Fanfiction awards.
- Thank you for all the support, its truly appreciated.
- Alexis -