Lake Charles, Louisiana
The same day...
5:46 p.m.
Jasper Madlock
I walked outside watching him wipe his mouth as he stood in the yard scratching his head. I could tell that his nerves were bad and that he was damn near close to having a panic attack. While I wanted so bad to call him over and put my foot in his ass I couldn't because he genuinely thought that Koren was close to his age. Just from looking at him and listening to him I knew that he was a good kid. In many ways he kind of reminded me of myself back when I was his age. He was 18 and Koren was only 14. Most parents would immediately try to slap a charge on someone that age but I wasn't about to ruin this kid's life. While I didn't want him and Koren together because he was grown I wanted to talk to him and her about this baby situation.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and he jumped turning around. "I didn't know. I didn't know she was 14. And she's pregnant? I was doing good. I can't take that charge. I have a lot—"
"Calm down and take a few deep breaths. When you feel like you've calmed down enough come back inside so I can talk to you both. Understand?" I asked. He nodded and exhaled slowly trying to get control of his nerves. I headed back into the house seeing a nervous Koren picking at her nails. Something she always did when she was extremely nervous. I sat down beside her and clasped my hands together not saying a word.
"Daddy—"
"Don't say anything Koren. Not right now." I told her. There was already so much going on and now I was hearing that she was pregnant. I wasn't happy about the shit. If anything I was disappointed. Disappointed in her but more so disappointed in myself for not being around like I should have. Maybe shit would've been so much more different if I was around more. A lot would've been different.
Chandler walked back into the house and shot Koren a look before he sat down on the opposite couch. He clenched his jaw and I knew he wanted to go off on her but held back because I was here.
"Chandler I'm so sorry." Koren's voice cracked as she apologized. He sucked his teeth looking off to the side as his knee started to bounce.
"Listen son..." I cleared my throat. "I know you're pissed. Believe me I am too." I frowned at Koren before looking back at him. "But what's done is done. I don't know how far along she is but I know an abortion is not an option. She lied and laid down like she was grown and this is the consequences. You hear me Koren?" I looked at her watching her drop her head. "When that baby gets here you're gonna get up with it. You're gonna feed it. You're gonna bathe it. Yeah I'll buy diapers, clothes, and food but all of the hard work? You're gonna be a damn parent and be there for that baby." I told her.
Her eyes watered and she sniffled.
"You wanted to be grown? Well welcome to parenthood. Welcome to the real world. Everything ain't gon' be about you no more. Ain't no partying. Ain't nobody babysitting that child unless it's for you to go to school. You're gonna be there for every muthafuckin' thing. I love you baby but it's really time to grow up now."
"As for you..." I looked at Chandler. "Listen I know she lied about her age and she was wrong. Dead muthafuckin' wrong but she didn't make this child by herself. Now I'm not gonna get a charge slapped on you because I feel like you're a good kid. You can be pissed and let that anger make you a deadbeat father because you feel betrayed or you can handle your responsibilities and be there for this baby that is half you." I told him and he finally looked at me before looking at Koren who stared at him with tears in her eyes. I watched as his face softened and he opened his mouth as if he was about to give me his answer.
End of flashback
I shook the thought of what had happened earlier out of my mind as I walked into Kylah's room. She was in the ICU hooked up on a ventilator. I'd taken a big risk showing my face around here where there were cameras but I had to see my baby. Koren had gone to stay with Jordyn because she didn't like hospitals and she didn't want to be alone at Dominique's house. In talking to Koren about her pregnancy and Chandler agreeing to be there for the baby and the baby only, Koren had opened up to me about something she knew. Something she knew about what had happened to Kylah. She'd told me that Kylah had been communicating with a grown ass man by the name of Austin. No grown ass man was giving out his real name to a minor and risking going to jail so I immediately figured he'd given Kylah a fake name. She'd shown me a screenshot of the page and a picture of him but when I went to look the page up for myself it had been deactivated.
My eyes watered as I hovered over my baby throwing my arm over her resting my head on her stomach. She didn't look like herself all.
"Baby..." Tears rushed from my eyes wanting her to just wake up. I just wanted to see her smile and to hug her and tell her that I was sorry. I was sorry that this had happened to her. I was sorry that I'd left and made her feel as if she had to run to an older man for time, love, and attention. I just wanted my baby to wake up and tell me that she loved me like she always did when she was little and hated to leave my side. "I'm so sorry. Daddy's sorry baby. I'm sorry. Kylah please stay with me. PLEASE." I sniffled feeling Dominique place her hand on my back to try to comfort me. I could hear her sniffling as she did so.
"Baby wake up. I promise I'll be around more. I promise I'll never leave you without taking you with me. I just need you to wake up. Wake up for me baby. I've lost so much. I've lost two daughters. I can't lose you too." I closed my eyes remembering a time when her and Koren were little.
"Smile for daddy." I told them as they sat on the playground of their school eating ice cream I'd brought to them at recess. They smiled at me and I snapped that photo.
"Daddy can you stay?" Koren asked smoothing out her dress. She was the girly girl out of the two of them. Kylah on the other hand had been more of a tomboy always running around getting dirty. She preferred shorts and pants over dresses and skirts. She thought boys were "yucky" while Koren was always telling me about love notes little boys gave her. I'd always told her that boys could wait and that she shouldn't be focused on them. She told me that she'd stay my little girl forever and that the only boy she'd ever love was her daddy.
"I can't. Daddy has to get back to work but I promise this weekend is your time. Whatever my babies wanna do I'm gonna make it happen." I told them ruffling their hair and they giggled.
"Daddy..." Kylah finished her ice cream and I laughed at how sticky her face was since she had ice cream around her mouth.
"Yeah Ky?"
"I never wanna grow up. I'm gonna be your little girl forever." She smiled. "I love you more than anything in the whole wide world."
"No. I love him more than anything. He's my daddy. I just let you borrow him sometimes." Koren frowned at her sister and I burst out laughing catching the attention of the teachers and the other students. I squatted down for them to come into my arms. They both threw their arms around my neck and held on to me tight.
"We love you daddy." They said in unison.
"I love y'all way more." I smiled wrapping my arms around them closing my eyes.
I sobbed over my daughter's motionless body because I just wanted her back. I wanted my little girl back. I wanted the muthafucka who'd done this to suffer and I was knocking every muthafucka down to get to him. My daughter deserved justice. The police obviously couldn't give her that as fast as I needed them to.
"I failed them. I failed my babies. One is clinging to life and the other is pregnant." I sniffled feeling as if Dominique should know that since she was Koren's mother.
"Pregnant??" She said. Stress lacing her voice.
I looked at her and gave her a look. "By a 18 year old who she lied to about her age." I shook my head. "Dominique we gotta start doing better by our kids. This is on us. Everything."
She dropped her head as if she was speechless. "What are we gonna do about the baby situation?" She finally managed to ask after a minute of silence.
"I know that she's afraid of hospitals so she might have to deliver at home when that time comes. I talked to her and the boy though. He's a good guy and wants to be there. That child is their responsibility but we can provide for it until she can start making her own money. We're gonna be grandparents. Not that baby's parents. Let's not focus on that right now." I looked over at Kylah and grabbed hold of her hand squeezing it gently. I just stared at her because she didn't even look like the child I remembered. She used to be so full of life and I knew that if she made it through this it was going to take so much healing physically and mentally for her. She needed me more than ever now.
I was caught off guard when Dominique hugged me crying against my chest. I held Kylah's hand with one hand and placed my free hand on Dominique's back rubbing it in circles to just comfort her. I kept my attention on Kylah who I just wanted to see crack a smile.
"Jasper..." Dominique sniffled and I looked down at her. Before I could even respond to her she stood on her tiptoes and kissed my lips.