Another Lifetime

Chapter 35:

Monse's POV:
"Hey Cesar... just wanted to let you know I'm gonna be back in Freeridge. I heard about the Prophets. Wish you would've said something. Call me back."
I hang up and pack the rest of my stuff into my car. It's finally safe to go back but it's almost been a year, shit isn't gonna be the same on my block.
"Hi." I smile when he opens the door. "You're back...is that her?" He asks. "Yeah." I nod. "This is your niece." I tell Spooky and he takes her from me. "She's beautiful." He smiles. "I bet your daughter is too. How old is she now?" I ask. "Thirteen months. She's walking and all that shit." Spooky might be scary as hell but loves his kids. "Is he here?" I ask. "Does he know?" Spooky asks right back. "I tried telling him before I left." I explain. "Good luck." He gives me back my baby and we go inside. "Cesar, come here for a second!" Spooky yells. He walks out but he doesn't look up from his phone. "Hey." Seeing him again reminds me just how much I love him. He has way more tattoos and he looks angry but it's still him. Cesar looks at me for a second before he notices our baby. "Is she mine?" He asks. "Yeah." I tell him. "Why the fuck wouldn't you tell me you had a baby?" He asks. Definitely not how I saw this going. "I was going to but then I heard about Latrelle and I just thought it'd be too big of a risk." I explain. "Come." He walks to his room and I follow. "How old is she?" Cesar sits on his bed. Being back here feels like no time passed. "She's six months." I tell him. "What's her name?" He doesn't stop looking at her for a second. "Mona Cecilia Finnie but we can add your last name if you want." I smile and he does too. "Eleven months was a long time. You should've said something." He tells me. "I know." I sit with him. "Can I hold her?" He asks. "You don't have to ask. She's your daughter too." I remind him. "Hola mi princesita." Cesar stands her up on his lap so she's facing him. "I was gonna tell you before I left but then we broke up I didn't think and then you... then Latrelle died." I explain myself. "You were smart to keep her away." He says. "So you're not mad?" I ask and he stares at me. "Of course I'm mad! You did the right thing for her but that doesn't you couldn't have texted me or something for almost a year." He yells and Mona starts crying. "Come here baby." I try taking her back but he gets up and bounces her. "I was gonna with you. I was late 'cause I was packing and I stopped at Money Bunny for some more cash." He tells me. "I didn't know." I admit. "So you didn't even look at any of the texts I sent you?" He asks and I shake my head. "I always wanted to be the dad who didn't miss shit." Cesar keeps bouncing our daughter. "Trust me I wanted you there. Working graveyard shifts at a Waffle House isn't really great for pregnant people." I tell him. "Why didn't you just use the RollerWorld money?" He asks. "I saved it... almost all of it. Having a baby is expensive so I wanted something for us to fall back on." I explain. "It's all good, I'm gonna spoil her." He doesn't look away from her for a second. "I know you probably hate me right now but-" he stops me. "You really think I could hate you?" Cesar sits back down and sits Mona on his lap. "I'd hate me." I laugh. "Am I mad? Fuck yeah. Do I wish you would've said even one word to me? Obviously. But Monse, there is nothing you could do to ever make me hate you." He puts his hand on my thigh. "Ok well I don't just not hate you, Cesar." I look down at his hand. "I'm pretty sure I'm still in love with you." I say and his room door swings open. "You're back." Vero says and she look at him. "Yeah." He nods. "And she has a baby." Vero looks down at my daughter. "We have a baby." I tell her. "Why didn't you tell me you have a daughter?" She asks. "I didn't know you guys were so close." I say. "We've been together for six months." Cesar tells me and I nod. "Right." I pick up my baby and I go. "Bye Spooky, let me know when the girls can have a play date." I say when I pass him on the couch with Venom. "You're back." Venom smiles. "Yeah but I'm not into all that shit anymore." I say. "I see that." She smiles. "I didn't leave 'cause my baby." I tell her before I go.
I pull up to my old house and everything looks different. Half my block is empty, they all got arrested for the guns and the dirty money... or they ended up like Latrelle. "Finally! When you said you were on your way home I thought you woulda come here first." My dad gives me a tight hug. "Where's CJ and Maverick?" I ask. "Your brother's asleep and she's gone. She left when he was a few months old. I really pick great women." My dad rolls his eyes and shuts the door. "Now give me my grand baby. Can't believe you made me a grandpa at thirty-five." He takes Mona outta her car seat. "I can't believe you made me a sister at eighteen. I'm sorry about CJ." I tell him and run my daughter's back. "It's cool." He shrugs. "I'm just glad I got my daughter and my granddaughter here." He kisses her forehead. "Jasmine's throwing you a party by the way. You should probably tell her you have a baby." My dad warns me. "As long as Cesar isn't there I'm cool." I smile at my daughter. "Wait, I thought Latrelle was her dad." My dad looks disappointed.