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𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗦 𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥...
"What you want me to say?"
"The truth—the fucking truth," Solana followed close on his toes right into the large walk-in closet. "Tell me that the reason you haven't touched me, looked at me, or barely even spoke to me in three months because of what happen. Be a man and fucking tell me!"
"Because I don't like you!" He raised his voice, spilling out what he'd been holding in since the appointment that changed their relationship.
The bass of voice carried all the way down to Trei's bedroom, who was home for the weekend, and playing his video game. "Damn bro," His head turned to Javon sitting beside him with the second player controller. The Texan boy was a Cali native since his birth father made it his business to make it happen. "Guess I should say nice knowing you?"
Trei face scowled at the comment. "Nigga, what?"
"Lemme keep it a G witchu," Javon paused the NBA2K game to look over to Trei. "Since I been hea' he don't even entertain yo' Moms no more and when he do, they doin' what they doin' now. They bouta break up and once they do; you and Lani going as well. He might start out and say he'll still be there for you but if ya Moms not wit it, that's out and he not obligated to be there for no more either; to play Daddy 'cause you ain't his. No kinda blood ties. So, again I say, nice knowing you. Nothin' wrong wit growin' up wit out a Daddy. You'll survive."
Although Trei was a year older than the tatted Texan, his words did make Trei question if his place as a son to De was coming to an end. He felt a break up coming between his mother and De, and every weekend he flew home the past 3 months, he noticed the distance between them that grew further away from each other. He cared about De as a father and he hoped De cared enough about him as a son if a split does happen.
"I love you to death..." De continued down the hall after he calmed his voice. "I would do anything for you, but I don't like you right now. I supported ya choice. I nursed you. I done everything a man was posed to do for his woman. I dont look at you 'cause the only thing I see is you swallowing that pill. That pill, that decision, changed us and ain't no comin' back from that. Not wit me."
"Then there's... nothing else to be said." Solana voice cracked as she looks into the eyes of the man that used to eye her with equal amount of love. But now, his stare was different. "You can't forgive me and I don't regret it. I done what was best for me because I wouldn't have been happy. I'm not Baby that was excited to be pregnant. Yes, I should've been taking precautionary measures to prevent that but it happened. That happened. And now we're here. I love you too, but I don't like you either. We're done."
"Then we done," he said; the two holding the longest stare.
"I found me and the kids a place—"
"You don't have to do—"
"Yes I do." She interrupted, sniffling softly. "We don't need to be around each other. Not right now." she said before walking out.
De dropped his head, leaning on the island and sighing heavily.
"Baby's still out planning the baby shower," His head lifted to Dover in the doorway of the walk in closet. She leans on the doorpost with her arms crossed. "her Grandmothers are helping, so their relationship is getting better."
"That's good," he said.
Dover scrutinized his eyes. "I can't unlove her because y'all don't like each other right now."
De realized she overheard he and Solana's argument. "I won't ask you to do that. You been wit her for years. I would not expect you to just cut her off cause of our shit."
"DeAundre?" Trei voice called, and Dover and De looked out at the teen in the middle of the room. "Can I talk to you?" he asked.
After agreeing to talk and throwing on a shirt, Dover left the man and boy to talk while they settle in the sitting area of the room. "Wassup, Trig?"
"I want you to adopt me." The seventeen year old confessed.
The announcement threw De off, but made him smile a little at the same time.
"Adopt? Where this comin' from Trei?" he asked.
Trei exhaled. "You and Momma been distant with each other lately..." he said instead of bringing up what Javon put in his mind. "And I can feel y'all breaking up. You're the only father figure I ever had. The only man to push me to do my best and support it. Teachers ask if you are my father and I say yes with no hesitation because you are and I don't want to lose that.."
"Listen, no matter what happens between me and your Moms, I'll never forget you and Lani exist. Y'all my kids too." De assured Trei but he could tell just his words wasn't enough for the teen. "You want that to become a Booker, and be my son more than you already are, you gotta talk to Moms. That's ultimately her decision."
Trei exhaled again. "Thank you."
Standing up, De motioned for Trei to do the same and once he does he pulled the seventeen year old into an embrace. His gaze went over to the doorway and Solana stood there and nodding her head softly after hearing their conversation.
The nod was her way of approving him to legally become his father before he turns eighteen in a couple months.
It might have been over between Solana and him, but Trei and Lani will forever be his kids too.
