Reality Check ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Devin

She lived in a three bedroom house in a gated community in Hollywood, Florida. It was really nice. The community seemed diverse enough.

"So this is where she lives?" I asked my dad looking at the brown building.

"Yup."

I opened the door ready to get out when I saw little kids running around the yards.

"You going to come with me, or what?" I asked.

"Naw, your mother still hates me," he laughed.

"But I can't go there in myself," I said getting back in the car.

"You want to see your mother, don't you?"

It had been almost four years since the last time I had seen my mom, and when the day finally came to see her again, I was ready to punk out. I didn't come all that way for nothing, so I manned up and got back out of the car.

"Good luck."

I took a deep breath before I knocked on the door. I looked back at my dad, and he gave me thumbs up. When the door opened, this caramel-colored girl opened the door. She looked like she was maybe 15 or 16. She was continued to pop her gum as she stood there with an attitude.

"If you're one of Tyriq's friends, tell that nigga fuck you," she yelled trying to close the door, but I put my hand on it and stopped her.

"Listen, is there a Justin Baker here?"

"Um, yeah, hold on," she said opening the door a little more, "You can come in. Just follow me."

I followed her into the beautiful house. There were mostly pictures of mom, that girl, and some guy, so I was guessing that was her stepdaughter or something. It had been a long time. When we got to the kitchen, I finally saw my mother after three long years. She was light skinned, light-brown eyes, long flowing black hair, and she had the same spot where I had my beauty mark on my left cheek. I notice she got slimmer, but she still looked the same.

"Ma," the girl said to my mother who was on the phone.

"What?" she turned around and looked at both of us, "What have I told you about bringing boys over?"

"He's here for you," she said and sat on the stool looking at me and her.

"Well, what you need, son?" she asked leaning on the kitchen counter.

"Can we speak alone?" I said looking at the girl, "In private?"

"Devina, out," she said. She rolled her eyes as she walked out the room.

"So what do you need? I don't have any more money to give to every basketball team in this city."

"No, no." I sat down and looked at her. "My name is Devin Jecarus Wilson, Jr., your son."

She looked at me with shock painted on her face. She stood frozen unable to speak.

"Aren't you going to say anything, Mom?" I asked touching her hand, and she jerked back.

"I only have one child."

"Yeah, that's right. Me, remember?"

Tears started rolling down her face, and my confidence was going down.

"My daughter's name is Devina Spirit Baker." I looked at her in disbelief. "I have been married for five years."

"So what about my dad Devin? Original drug dealer of Detroit? For more than fourteen years you guys were married even when he left, you still had that ring on."

She stared and said nothing as tears continued to form in his eyes.

"Can you...just...leave?" she asked.

I reached in my pocket and took out a card and wrote my number on the back. "When you're ready to talk about this, my number is right there," I said handing the card to her, "In my heart, I know that you're my mother."

I spent no time getting out of there. When I got back in the car, I broke down.

"What happened?" my dad asked rubbing my back.

"She said she only has a daughter, Devina Spirit Baker," I said slowly wanting to hide my pain.

"How old is she?"

"She looked around sixteen."

"When you were three, your mother cheated on me with a man by the name of Tyler Baker. He was a high class business man and all. She got pregnant by him and lied to me telling me that I was the father. Everything was alright until she was around five months pregnant. He came and knocked on my door and said that she was pregnant with his child." My dad's face started getting red as hell. "Now she called herself being torn between both of us. He gave her an ultimatum. It was either she have the baby and stay with him or have the baby and stay with me. You know what she did?"

"She stayed with you and gave the baby to him, I answered.

"That's correct, but she still cheated on me, and the times she said she was going to work, she would be with her other family."

"So not a single thought of me ever came to her mind?"

"The last time we talked, I first called her asking for an explanation. All she did was bullshit. My main priority was you, but she cut the convo short."

The way my dad talked about my mom made me feel like he was actually the better parent. For the woman who carried me for nine months, stayed in labor for more than thirteen hours, she ended up turning her back on me, but it was whatever now. I was finally ready to forgive my father.