Another Lifetime

Chapter 39:

Cesar's POV:
She's mad but she gets it. "So you're taking money from the Joint, you're mad at your best friend for something he didn't do, and you brought a gun to hangout with your daughter?" She asks. "You don't have one on you?" I laugh. "No. I stopped carrying one when I started walking around with a baby." She tells me. "So it's good I brought mine. Being a dad doesn't change the rest of the world." I remind her. "You've been a dad for less than two days." She acts like I chose this. "Sorry." She stares out the window. "If we're gonna figure this out we can't be mad at each other for shit that we can't change." I say. "You mean shit that I did. What if I was wrong?" Monse asks. "You weren't. Mona's not gonna remember her life without me." I assure her. When we get to the beach Monse unbuckles our baby and hands her to me but she cries. "Shit what'd I do?" I panic and Monse takes her back. "She's been around too many new people. She's just confused." I know she's being honest but it hurts like hell. Seeing her with Mona is crazy. It's the same girl I fell in love with but she's so different. Monse didn't change, she just grew and I just feel like I stayed the same.
Monse's POV:
We finally get to our spot at the beach and it's empty like it always is. "You ever think how crazy it is we only dated for a minute and we already have a kid?" He asks. "All the time." I nod. Mona starts whining and reaching for him. "See, she just needed to warm up to you." I eat some fries and give Mona small pieces. "How do you eat and hold her at the same time?" He looks scared to even let her go. "You know she can sit up on her own, right?" I ask him and he slowly moves one of his hands. She still needs a little support but there's no way he'd let go of Mona. "Shit mama, you're grown as hell." He laughs and Mona plays with his chain. I watch them for a second and he grabs my hand. "I want more days like this." He says and I smile. "We can have them when you decided what you want. You can't have me and Vero. Mona's gonna be in your life no matter what but I might not be. I gotta do what's right for me." I explain and Cesar looks like he gets it. "I just gotta figure some stuff out." I wish he just didn't say anything. "You left Odessa for me and y'all we're together for four years. Why is this so much harder for you?" I ask. "It's not." He says quickly. "Gun to your head, me or Vero?" I ask. "You." Cesar says. "Really? Then what's the problem?" I ask. "I'm not gonna breakup with her when you didn't even know if you had feelings for me until three weeks before we broke up." He says. "You think I just don't wanna see you with someone else?" I cross my arms. "Maybe." He says honestly. "If that's what you think than you really don't know me." I take Mona from him and start walking away but he pulls me back and kisses me. "I know you. I know how crazy fast I fell in love with you and I know how fucking terrifying that was. You got time to fall for me but I just saw you and I felt it." Cesar says. "I didn't need time." I admit and I kiss him again. Mona starts babbling and I laugh before I take a step back. "I wanna be with you but Mona's the most important person to me. As long as you're there for our daughter, I'm ok. I still love you after almost a year, I can wait a little while longer." I kiss him again and this time Mona hugs his arm so he'll carry her. "I know I did not carry her for seven months and raise her alone for six just so she could like you more." I say and Mona laughs her ass off. "I swear this kid understands everything." I pinch my daughter's cheek. "So we're ok?" He asks. "Yeah... as long as she likes me more." I smile. "Shit, too late." Cesar says. "Mona, can you say delusional?" I ask my baby. We walk back to our spot and sit back down. Once we're done eating I lay on his lap and sit Mona on my stomach with my knees behind her. My phone buzzes and it's some random number asking where Cesar is. "Look." I sit up and hand him my phone. I know he'll never be safe but if someone from Thirteenth Street got my number Mona isn't safe either. "It's just Vero. She does shit like this all the time." Cesar hands me back my phone and I raise my eyebrows. "Not that I'm with other girls a lot... she just finds out who I might be with and hits them up." He explains and I nod sarcastically. "Let's just go back home. My dad needs me to watch Maverick anyways." I lie.
We get to my house and my dad's outside with Spooky and Valeria. "Thought you said he needed you back?" Cesar asks. "Guess he changes his plans I shrug. "Where's Mav?" I ask while Cesar gets Mona from the car seat. "Taking a nap." My dad says.
Cesar's POV:
I don't go home or even text Vero back for hours. I never used to come to this side but now it's calm... at least as calm as Freeridge can be. We hear Maverick crying through the baby monitor and Monty gets up but Monse stops him. "I'll get him." She passes Mona to me. "Man, I can't even remember when Valeria was this tiny. I didn't know they even grew that fast." I tell Monty. "Get ready 'cause it only goes faster. You know my oldest is turning eight?" Spooky laughs. "Damn, I remember bringing Monse home for the first time and now she's got a kid. My baby bringing home a baby... it was some crazy shit." Monty says before he drinks some more. "Got lucky she waited so long. I was thirteen when my first son was born. I remember bringing him to see Ray. He was so small and now he's in second grade." Hearing them talk about being dads scares the hell outta me. "You shoulda seen Mona the first time Monse brought her. She was so small it was crazy." Monty says. "First time?" I ask and she walks in the room. "He just wanted you." She's gives her little brother to Monty. "You brought my daughter here and didn't tell me?" I ask her.