This November

Chapter 10

Now that he told Nova the truth, it was time he faced the music.

He never knew he had a son. Aida was a girl he linked up with back in high school. She did not go to Roosevelt with him and Nova, she lived down the street from his mother's house. Any time he would spend the weekend there, he would link up, smash and move on.

She was never his girlfriend. She was never anyone he wanted to parade around town. She was a girl who let him do some things when he was young and immature. Even his longtime girlfriend never let him do the freaky things she liked to do.

Well, a few days before graduation, she told him she was pregnant. The girl was twenty, and he was eighteen. She got around with other guys, so he denied it was his, for years. Obviously, Aida knew he may or may not be the father either, because she dropped it and never contacted him again.

He left the next day after the incident with Nova and never looked back. Davina tried keeping him up to date on Aida and her baby, but he was not trying to hear it.

A year ago, Davina wanted to know if the boy was his and took a blood test and came to find out it was his son. He still wanted nothing to do with the kid. Aida was married now with other kids with her husband. The boy had a father now, he did not need him.

Davina would not let it go. She wanted to be a part of the boy's life.

He needed to be a man about it. Coming back to St. Louis was not just for Nova, though he wanted to see where things would go, he also wanted to meet his son.

After he left the school, he headed back to Davina's place.

"How's my girl Nova?"

"Playing hard to get, but you know big brother got this," he said, laying in the bed in her spare bedroom, which was also her office. She sat at the desk on her laptop. "You've been here all day?"

"Yes. I do most of my work from home soooo..."

"So, what?"

"You ready to go see him?"

His parents didn't even know. Davina was good about keeping his secrets. He still had a couple of her secrets locked away, and they were always the type to never snitch on each other. Close in age, and close as friends. He missed hanging out with his sister like this. He was glad she was here for him for this and not judging him.

"I told Nova. I don't think she took that news well."

"Well damn bro, that's not something you tell a girl you're trying to woo. What the fuck?"

That around the way girl always made him smile.

"I saw Dr. Foster there too. Can't believe he still works there."

"I mean, he's youngish. He still fine?"

"Excuse me?"

"That man is fine! Like all the lil girls had a crush on him back in the day. Good thing he is not a Chester cuz boy he could get it."

He was slightly disgusted by that, hearing his baby sister talk about a grown man that way. He did not see Dr. Foster that way. He was an old guy that he looked up to when he was younger. Helped him out in school and he respected that.

"Anyway," he said. "You have Aida's number? You want to call her so we can meet up?"

"I sure will. Then will you tell Mom? She needs to know, bro."

He ignored her and decided to go take a shower while Davina set up the meet-up. He had so many thoughts running through his head. Did Aida hate him for abandoning her and the child, not trying to find out if it was his ten years ago? She could have put pressure on him and had him tested after the baby was born.