Another Lifetime

Chapter 41:

Cesar's POV:
I wake up and she's on my lap. "Morning." She kisses me and I smile. "Thought you said we weren't doing anything while I had a girlfriend?" I barely open my eyes. "Excuse me?!" Vero slaps my chest. "What?!" I'm wide awake now. Shit, I thought she was Monse. "Son of a bitch. You were with her?!" She yells. "I said that out loud?" I ask. "Dumb ass." Vero gets off of me and gets dressed. "Vero, wait." I wrap my blanket around my waist and follow her out. "That is way more than I ever wanted see." Venom says and she covers Eby's eyes. "Why are y'all here?" I ask but Vero keeps walking so I have to go after her. "Do you wanna be with her?" She asks me. "What?" I don't answer. "If you wanna get back with Monse, I get it. She's your daughter's mom and you guys have that gross connection you never shut up about... and she's annoyingly easy to like. I just don't wanna be cheated on again." She says and I nod. "I don't. I'm with you, I'm not just gonna leave." I promise but I'm lying. "Do you wanna be with me?" She asks. "Yeah." I push her hair behind her ear. "So tell her that." She points at Monse. "Hey. My dad told me to bring some stuff over." She nods towards her car. I open the trunk and it's filled with dirty money. "Monty sent this?" I ask. "I can't take you seriously when you're wearing a blanket as a skirt." Monse laughs while she bounces Mona. "I'll handle it. Put on pants." Vero laughs too. "You cool with that?" I ask Monse and she nods like it's obvious. "Yeah." She tells me. "Fine." I gotta be quick.
Monse's POV:
Vero packs the money into two bags. "Why didn't your dad bring it himself?" She asks. "He's still not used to being over here." I explain. "I get it. I haven't gone anywhere near your side." Vero says. "Your daughter's really cute." She changes the subject. "Thanks." I smile. "Cesar never stops talking about her. He loves being dad." Vero tells me. "Yeah, if I knew he was gonna be this good with her I would've told him sooner." I always feel like I have to explain myself. I kept Mona away from him for a good reason. "It's cool. He told me everything and I was on your side." She shuts my trunk. "But I get why he was pissed. I wouldn't wanna be away from this cutie either." Vero rubs Mona's back and my baby giggles. "I think you won her over." I'm trying to be nice but I'm still pissed that Vero's even around. She goes inside but I stay out with Spooky and his daughter. "Hi." Valeria waves her tiny hand and I wave back. "How's it been having her full time?" I sit with Spooky. "Good. I never got to see my other kids grow up so I'm happy she's with me. Weird having my baby mama in jail instead of me." He watches his daughter while she tries walking to everyone on the front lawn. "You guys are gonna be ok. My dad raised like this and I think I turned out pretty good." I smile and he nods. "You did." He sounds sincere. "Thanks." I don't know what else to say. "You and your dad are the only people I know that have babies. They gotta start having some more play dates." He tells me. "Yeah I'd like that." I smile. "You want any more?" I ask. "Probably gonna have more even if don't plan it." Spooky laughs and picks up his daughter. "How many do you have now?" I feel like I'm asking too much. "Damn, I hate that question. Everybody always thinks I'm crazy. I got five." He tells me and I try not to widen my eyes. "Damn." I nod. "That's the face everyone makes." Spooky laughs. "What face?" I try to hide it. "The one you been making since you found out." He tells me. "It's ok when you do it." Spooky says. "Why?" I ask. "I don't know. Maybe 'cause most people don't look that cute when they judge me." He smirks and I can't think of anything to say. "Well you're like 21. I wasn't judging I was just surprised." I defend myself. "It's cool." He shrugs. "Monse, come here." Cesar calls me from his front door and I get up. "I'll see you around. Bye Valeria." I say. "Yeah, you definitely will." I can feel him watch me walk away. I don't get why I'm not mad about it. "Hi baby." He lifts up Mona in the air and she loves it. "Spooky say anything weird?" He asks. "Weird like what? Your brother's always weird." I remind him. "Like gross weird." Cesar elaborates. "Nope." I shake my head. "Right." He says. I'm not technically lying though. "Spooky wanted to get at you before you left. I'm not telling you what to do, I know you hate that shit, but you should try and stay away from him. We're not together so I can't really, completely, stop him from going for it." Cesar explains. "You're right, we're not together. You picked Vero over me... why shouldn't I go for it?" I ask and he looks pissed. "Relax, I'd never mess with Spooky's feelings like that. He's a good guy, I'll go for it if I like him." I smile. "Hey, this money looks legit. Who made it?" Eby asks. "My dad and some the other leftover Prophets." I tell her and she nods. "Good thing we kept them around." She smiles. "No offense." Eby says quickly. "None taken. The rest of them literally tried to kill me or get me killed. I owe you and your weird job." I say and she smiles. "I'll consider your debt repaid if I can hold this sweet baby." She reaches for Mona and I nod at Cesar. "Seeing babies always makes me miss daughter." She pouts kisses the top of Mona's head. "You have a kid?" I ask. "Yeah." Eby smiles. "How old?" I ask. "Umm... five. Her name's Nari." She tells me. "I didn't know." I say and she nods. "Can I tell her?" Eby asks Cesar. "Go ahead." He doesn't look like he wants to say yes. "CPS took her from me. They found out who I was... that I was Prophet. Don't let them find out out about Cesar." She looks like she wants to cry and she gives Mona back to me. "Whatever it takes, don't let them take her. Nothing's worth that." She walks away.