Kindred Spirits

gotta go

twelve

Kenneth |

"I said, I knew about—"

"I heard what the fuck you said!" she snapped at me. In return, my head cocked back at her volume and words. Quietly, I watched on as she breathed heavily and tried to manage her simmering emotions. She wanted to cry and that's 'cause it still hurts. Furthermore, it explains to me why she would online date. She's desperate to fill in the void of abandonment. Onyx never liked to be alone.

"Can I explain?" I asked, lowly. Trembling some, she sat down at the kitchen table, willing to oblige.

"Just because I'm willing to listen does not mean I'll be forgiving. Nothing can fix this." she spat, dabbing at the tears that stained her cheeks. Sighing, I tried to wipe the warm tears with my own thumbs but, she jerked away. I didn't want to make her cry. Really, I didn't.

"Okay," I huffed, taking a seat beside her, "I did it since I knew how much you loved him and vice versa. So, an issue came up... Kendra Harris. Before you two dated, Aubrey impregnated her. He begged me to help him. It wasn't only to protect you but, his reputation. He had a lot going for himself and having a child would ruin that. He promised me that he'd tell you about them when the time was right."

"Five years later?" she asked, sniffling some.

"That's not my fault. That's his secret baby, not mine. In all honesty, I felt that he was great for you and I still do feel that way. People make mistakes, baby-girl." I said. I forgave Darlene enough to put up with her for twenty-three more years. Sometimes, indignation springs up; it happens. But, I love her dearly and no one can tell me otherwise.

"You make no sense and it kills me." she groaned. I had to confess, the dilemma was all over the place. But, the truth was, I wanted what was best for her and Aubrey's that and more. I wanted that relationship more than the two of them did 'cause I wanted her to have happiness.

"Aubrey's a powerful man, he's successful, he has his business degree from York University. I went there, baby-girl. He's smart and business savvy. People adore him, they fear him. At the end of the day, I want you with a man like that. That would be so good for you." I stressed, trying to instill it into her mind. Aubrey has negatives, we all do. But, I do acknowledge his positives and they outweigh the bad.

"I'm supposed to want all that... over a man who treats me well? Okay, I've heard enough." she sighed, pushing the chair back. She stood up and began walking away.

"Onyx! Onyx!" I called as she continued to walk away. It sounded foul that I would hide that information but, the thing was, I'm a father. I want what's best. Onyx needed a man that had tidbits of my character and, Aubrey was that. She needed a man with structure, power and mass appeal. I just couldn't see why she couldn't overlook his faults and absorb the good of Aubrey. As much as I aim to protect my daughter, she may have to learn the hard way when this Tremaine nigga fucks her over. It will not last; I give it a month. If that.

Onyx |

I was so infuriated, it made no sense! Every time things were pushing forward in my life, Aubrey sprung up and yanked me back. This time, I wouldn't indulge into all of the drama that circulated him. Including, my father. Still, I was suffering immense heartache. Not from Aubrey; I was hurting from my father's actions. How could he do something so disgusting? And to add insult to injury, his reasoning was terrible. If I thought I couldn't forgive his prior behavior, this revelation surpassed that entirely.

I pulled up behind a vehicle, waiting for the stoplight to turn green. To the right of me, my iPhone lit up, a jovial tone added to indicate a text message. I picked it up to see that Tremaine was the sender.