This November

Chapter 28

Now that he was getting somewhere with Aida, working out the details for what they were going to do about telling his son, he felt better about things. This was not going to be easy, coming in and rocking his son's world. Things could go wrong.

What if he hated him because of it?

What if he never wanted to see him again?

What if he was not able to be a father to him?

He struggled so much with thinking negative thoughts. Davina was still mad at him so he couldn't call her up and talk with her. Nova was busy with her sister and brothers. He called up his friend slash manager Fabian.

"But this is what you wanted lil boy, your son."

"I know," he said, with a rub through his locs as he lay in his hotel bed, thoughts of his son hating him raced through his mind. "I didn't even think I wanted to be a father till I saw him. He didn't deserve any of this. If I could take it back I would. I would be there for him since day one."

"And this girl...that you're chasing after. You would be with her, right?"

He didn't even know if that was true. He liked to think Nova would still want him knowing he had a kid with a random girl he never cared about. At least it was not Starchima who she did not like.

"I love Nova, she loves me, we would have made it work." He was sure of that. "Maybe we would have our own kids too." He grinned at that thought.

"Look here Mister Man before you get into the Happily Ever After Fairy Tale life...that ain't how it happened!" Fabian was quick to destroy his high. "And you said this baby momma is going to ask for lots of money and child support now. She knows you have it and she could take everything you've worked for."

"No. No, Aida isn't doing this for the money. My sister...my sister is doing that because she's upset with me."

"Your own sister trying to drain you dry?"

"It's not like that. I will pay whatever I need for my son. I can make more money."

"Can you now? You've been in St. Louis too long and I can't hold back these producers wanting you to come out to L.A. to do this screen test."

"I'm already booked to leave in three weeks."

"I know, but they want you to come out to test for another film. Malik, this might be good for you and you need the work. You need the paycheck."

He was right about that. If he wanted to continue to enjoy his lifestyle and give his son whatever he needed, he needed to have more.

And then there was Nova.

"Book me a flight out and let me know."

He hung up the phone with his friend. He did not want to leave Nova, not right now. She was almost done with the school year and that would mean more time with her. Then he would be leaving St. Louis and not have much more time with her.

He had to convince her somehow to move with him.

The next day he planned on spending the whole day with Nova, then he got a call from Aida.

"I told him Michael was not his father."

"Whoa! Already?" He was afraid to know how his son reacted to that but he needed to know. "How is he? Is he okay?"

"He cried. He said he hates me. He wants to go live with Michael because he really thinks that man cares about him. I don't know what to do."

He could hear Aida sniffling. He knew this would not be easy, but he had to believe he was doing the right thing.