Finding Grace

Chapter Ten

"Mom I'm nervous." Rome said. "I don't understand why. I know what I'm doing. I don't even feel like this before games."

"You'll do fine." Jess said. "Just remember that you don't know him and you don't know why we're here."

"Ok." He said following Jess through the park. She spotted them and tapped Rome.

"That's them over there. Let's see what you can do." Jess said smiling as they spotted her. "Just be natural."

"Hello again." Jess said as Rome stood there looking around.

"This is my son?" Jerome asked pointing at Rome.

"Whaaat?" Rome asked awkwardly. Jerome sighed and Jess punched his shoulder.

"You told him."

"Yeah, it came out somewhere on the way here." Jess said scratching her head.

"Well," Jerome said slowly. "Uh, I thought this would be easier."

"Look, I'm not mad at you or anything." Rome said shrugging. Jess nudged him in the back. "Uh, hug...dad?"

Jerome smiled and pulled him in. "Never thought I'd see you." Jerome said. "And if I did I never thought I'd cry." He said sniffing. Rome hugged him back and looked at Camiella who was looking with the same expression. Jerome pulled away.

"This is your sister, Camiella." He said wiping his nose. Rome looked at Jess and she shrugged.

"I didn't know." Jess mouthed. Camiella hugged Rome and laughed.

"Don't worry. I'm just as confused. I had no idea I had a little brother. This is so cool." She said happily.

"Yeah." Rome dragged out.

"Half-sister, right?" Jess asked.

"Same difference." He said. "It doesn't matter to me they're just my life and I'm happy to have them."

"Well excuse me for trying to clear up the fact his mother only had one kid." Jess sniped.

"Oh so now you know everything?"

"I know a lot more than you think." She said. "Not just about Grace."

"Ma, Jerome, calm down." Rome said. Jess bit her lip. "It's ok."

"Jerome!?" Jerome asked laughing. "Aye, have some respect."

"Mister?"

"I'm your dad and she's not your mom."

"Yes she is." Rome said. "Even with Grace out there, Jess is still my mom."

"Where's Grayson?"

"He didn't wanna see him." Jerome said. "He thought he looked too much like Grace."

"I think he looks like you." Jess shrugged. "I would let you take him, but he's not to leave my sight. So what do you want to do?"

"I wanna show him off!" Camiella said. "I have another freaking bother. I mean brother." She said smiling in his face. Rome smiled and nodded.

"I would like to be shown off." Rome said.

"Look, if you can't leave him with me you can leave him with Camiella." Jerome said. Jess sighed and shrugged.

"Call me every hour." She said. He nodded. "Go ahead."

"Every hour?"

"If I lose him and Smiles finds out. We both die." She said. "I can't let that happen."

"Ok, nothing will happen to them." Jerome assured her. "So what you wanna do in the meantime?"

"I think you and Saint would get along." Camiella said to Rome.

"Who's that?"

"My older brother although he's done a horrible job at it. I thought brother were supposed to protect their sisters." She said sniffling. Rome hugged her and parted her back.

"I try to be there for my sister, but she doesn't like me a whole lot. She was actually happy I wasn't her sibling and she thought I was coming to live here." Rome said sadly. "But what happened?"

"So I was with one of my friends and some boys came over and raped us. Saint shows up and I'm not answering his calls and he doesn't think anything's wrong and just sits downstairs while I'm being raped. What the fuck?".

"Well, I wouldn't have let it happen." Rome said with a smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you are my sister." He said. "So where's this Saint?"

"That's where we're going." She said. "He told me he would be somewhere out here with his boys."

"Oh."

"And I'm sorry about your stupid sister." She said. "Maybe her and Saint should be siblings and we should be only children."

"That wouldn't be bad." Rome said. "I like you already. Monique never liked me and I don't understand it. Even when we were little she would treat me like dirt. And now she's gonna rub it in my face."

"Well here you're not adopted."

"I can't stay though. My mom says we'll be back after my basketball season's over for a longer time. But I leave tomorrow. I have a game Saturday." Rome said.

"That sucks." She said.

"Camiella what you doing over here?" Saint asked coming up. "And who this?"

"This is Rome. Jeromes son and my brother." She said proudly.

"Really?" He asked. Rome nodded with a smile.

"What your mom drop you off on him?"

"No-"

"Probably some hoe."

"Hey chill out. My mom's dead." Rome said.

"Yeah you were dropped off."

"No I'm here with my other family to meet him." Rome said.

"His mom is that lady dad's always crying over."

"Grace." Saint asked. "You're Graces son?" Rome nodded. "Man, I'm sorry. I used to love your mom she was the coolest person ever. I remember wanting her to be my mom. We did everything together. We cooked, we did fun things, she kept me out of trouble, and tried to raise me right. I'm hella sorry for your loss."

"Yeah, I didn't know her." Rome said.

"Rome is my brother now so I don't need you." Camiella said to Saint.

"Ok." He said walking away. She sighed.

"See he doesn't care." Camiella complained.

"Similar enough to Monique." Rome said getting in the car with her. "Where we going?"

"To show you off, duh. I have the cutest little brother ever."

"I can't be that much younger than you. I'm taller anyways." Rome said.

"I'm 16."

"See. I'm 15."