Whoa, Baby!

15.

Chapter Fifteen
The Ties That Bind

When Dwayne called me and asked if he could come over to talk to Tatiana, I honestly didn't know what to expect. I wasn't sure if this was one of those "we need to talk" moments or if he had some sort of emergency, but I agreed, figuring that whatever it was, I could handle it.

But when he got here and started talking about Briar—his daughter, who he barely knew existed—I was confused. I'd heard rumors over the years, but hearing it straight from Dwayne? It didn't make sense.

Now, sitting here in my living room, listening to Dwayne and Tatiana talk, it was starting to sink in just how small this world really is. The way everything was interwoven was crazy.

Tatiana stared at Dwayne, her arms crossed as she tried to process what he was saying. "So, my cousin, Briar is your daughter that you somewhat knew existed but never checked to confirm that she is your daughter?"

"Yeah," Dwayne said, his voice sounding defeated. "I never really believed it, but after a conversation with Briar's stepdad, Bishop, I found out it's true. Briar is mine. And the thing is, I've seen her around for years, interacted with her, and never knew she was my kid. She was right under my nose."

I could see the pain in Dwayne's eyes, the regret of all the missed years, and the weight of everything he was trying to fix now. This wasn't just some casual "oops" moment. This was his daughter, a girl who had grown up without him even knowing she existed. How do you even begin to process that?

Tatiana wasn't giving him an easy pass, though. She was skeptical, like I was. "Okay, but why are you telling me this? What do you want from me, Dwayne?"

"I need your help," Dwayne said quickly, sitting up a little straighter. "I need to get in contact with Briar. After I found out she's my daughter, things went south. Briar found out from her mother, Beyoncé, that I'm her dad, and it's been chaos. She's furious. She feels like the world's turned upside down on her, and I just want a chance to talk to her, to apologize, to try and make things right."

I knew Beyoncé. She wasn't the type to take things lightly, and I knew her relationship with Dwayne had been complicated from the start. So I wasn't surprised that this whole situation had escalated.

Tatiana sighed, and I could tell she was trying to keep her composure. She wasn't the type to make promises easily. "I don't know, Dwayne. Both my aunt and cousin are stubborn. If they've already shut down, then there's no way I can get them to talk to you."

Dwayne's face fell. I could see how desperate he was. "Please, Tatiana. I just need a chance. I don't care if it's just one meeting, one conversation. I'll take whatever I can get."

I looked at Tatiana, trying to gauge her mood. She was the type to say no when she didn't want to get involved, but I could see a little bit of sympathy creeping in. It was hard to ignore the pain Dwayne was carrying.

"Can you at least try?" I asked her, my voice quiet, but firm.

Tatiana looked at me, then back at Dwayne, and after a long pause, she sighed. "Fine. I'll try. But don't get your hopes up. Both of them are stubborn as hell."

"Thank you," Dwayne said, his voice full of gratitude, and relief. I think he genuinely believed that Tatiana might be the only one who could get through to them.

Tatiana got up and walked over to her phone. She was still muttering something under her breath, clearly working through the logistics in her head. I could hear her dialing someone, probably her aunt or cousin, trying to make this work.

Once she left the room, I turned to Dwayne. "You said my situation was messy, but I think yours takes the cake. Really? You've known about Briar for years, heard the rumors, and you didn't bother to check if any of it was true?"

Dwayne rubbed his face, looking worn out. "I know, Joe. I know. It's just... I couldn't bring myself to face Beyoncé. She was the one who got away, you know? If we actually had a daughter, that would mean dealing with her. And I wasn't ready for that."

"Family is everything, Dwayne," I said, my tone softening just a bit.

"I know that, Joe. That's why I'm trying to fix this. I've missed so much time with Briar, and I don't want to miss anymore. I just want a chance to be a part of her life."

His voice cracked slightly, and I could hear the raw emotion there. This wasn't just about fixing a mistake; this was about trying to build a relationship with a daughter he hadn't known about for most of her life. I wasn't sure how much of that could be fixed or how much damage was done already, but I understood his pain.

Before I could say anything more, Tatiana came back into the room. She wasn't smiling, but there was a sense of resolution in her eyes. "You have one chance," she said to Dwayne. "I talked to my aunt Kelendria, and she said if you go over to her and Cody's house, then you might have a chance of talking to Aunt Beyoncé. But it's not a guarantee."

Dwayne's eyes widened, a mix of hope and fear flashing across his face. "Thank you, Tatiana. I'll go. I'll do whatever it takes."

Tatiana shook her head, a half-smile on her lips. "Don't thank me yet. You've got a long way to go before you make things right with them."

I could see that Tatiana wasn't fully convinced this was going to work, but there was a small flicker of hope in her. I guess that's what family does to you. You get caught up in each other's messes, whether you want to or not.

As Dwayne stood up to leave, he looked at me, a quiet expression on his face. "I hope I don't screw this up. I just... I just want to fix this."

I clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck, man. You've got a long road ahead of you. But don't give up."

Dwayne gave a nod, still visibly anxious, but I could see he was determined. He had no other choice.

Tatiana, as always, was a little more pragmatic. "We'll see what happens. But remember, Joe, the world isn't as small as you think. Sometimes things just don't go the way you want."

"I know," I said, watching Dwayne head out the door. "But you can't blame someone for trying."

When the door shut behind him, I sat back in my chair, thinking about everything that had just happened. Dwayne's situation was a mess—maybe the biggest mess I'd ever seen.

But I couldn't help but feel like there was a lesson in all of this. Family was complicated, sure, and life had a way of throwing curveballs at you when you least expected them. But maybe, just maybe, if you were lucky enough to get a second chance, you had to take it. Even if it meant making a mess of things all over again.

The world was small, all right. Too small for some people to avoid the consequences of their past decisions, but small enough that it might still give you a shot at redemption.