Once Zac opened the door, he and Fatima were both a little taken back when Rod was standing on the other side. Fatima looked over at Zac, as he stood still. Not saying a word or making a move. She knew he was keeping himself calm.
Fatima gently nudged him, "Uh yeah, what's up?" he asked in an nonchalant tone. After an extra minute or two, Zac stepped to the side giving Rod room to enter.
He chuckled, "I thought your mother told you I was coming by..you seemed shocked" he said making his way into their home. "Fatima" he charmingly smiled and nodded towards her. She returned a soft smile as her daughter wiggled a little in her stomach while the men made their way into the dining room.
Once there, Zac pulled out a chair for Fatima to sit at the table. "She did. I'm trying to figure out why you went through her to do so though" Fatima sighed deeply from her chest.
"What do you mean? It's not like we exchanged numbers or anything" Rod offered, slowly lowering himself into the chair below him. Fatima didn't know if the lighting was better than it was by the door but she could clearly see the effects radiation and chemotherapy was having on him. He didn't look like he should even be driving himself around at this point.
"You didn't have my number the first time you popped your ass up either though, Im assuming" Zac stood behind Fatima, resting his arm on the back of her tall chair. "Well, you're correct I didn't but I'm trying to do things differently now Zac. I need you to meet me half way here"
"Half way? Are you kidding me right now?" Zac questioned "Why would you deserve that though?" Rod didn't speak, already feeling like this was a bad idea.
"Let me ask you this..You know you had another son in Georgia Rod?"
Rod sat up a little in his seat, clearing his throat making Zac laugh "So you did?"
"There were rumors Zac" Rod regretfully answered.
"Okay, so if you was fucking his moms, why not go see about your possible seed? or did you really not give a fuck about us that much?" The bitter tone in his voice dropped the temperature in the room. "I'm not even a father yet and I couldn't imagine being alive, breathing and able and not giving a fuck about my seed and you had two"
Rod's chuckle was nervous as he sat up straight in his chair "I don't know how much you do or don't know but I've been on my own since I was 10 and nobody ever did shit for me. I had to make a way myself for myself"
"And as terrible as that is, it still doesn't answer a fucking thing I asked you. It actually makes you look worse because why wouldn't you want better for your kids? Your sons?" Zac asked calmly as he switched his weight to her left side.
It was silent in the room until his phone began ringing in his back pocket. He pulled it out, taking a breath as he answered the call from his mother. "I'll be around the corner Fatima" he said, walking away. She nodded, looking at Rod from across the table.
"This isn't how I wanted this to go" Rod said sitting back in his seat "I wanted to talk not be yelled at by my son"
Fatima closed her eyes before shaking her head at him "You can't do that Rod. You can't treat people any kind of way then play victim when they react"
"I know that and I also knew this wouldn't be easy but I'm trying" he sighed, "I truly am. I know I wasn't there when I should have been..I've missed both of their lives because I was selfish but I honestly didn't know Jhalen was mine until years later, not saying that makes it's right though because it doesn't"
"Hm" Fatima said, nodding at him "Long as you know that now"
"I do and I'll go ahead and be honest Fatima..they don't know how much longer I have. They said it's growing in the opposite direction of where is formed, it's basically-"
