Family Ties

Honesty

"Why couldn't you just pick him up and leave?" I yell at Clarissa as we get outside the apartment building. I had to move the car seat into my car anyway.
"I just hate how much she acts like she shits gold like she has no flaws AT ALL." She's rocking Liam to sleep.
I take Liam from her and put him in the car seat. "I'll never ask you to pick him up from my sisters again." I can't help but laugh now that the moment is over.
"Am I still spending the night?" She asks me as she walks to her car.
"I mean if you want." I get in mine driving to my place. When I get home I put Liam in his crib and Clarissa and I sit up as she tells me what she said.
"Why would you say that?" I slap her arm making her wince.
"I got heated and I wanted to hurt her feelings and I succeeded." She shrugged getting a handful of chips.
"I'll go over tomorrow morning to apologize for you." I sigh making Clarissa laugh, still rubbing her arm.
"She knows I'm not sorry." I  glare at her we talk about my date and watch tv before going to sleep.

When I wake up I realized that I have a few missed calls from my mom. I really don't feel like talking to her so early in the morning. I'll call her back later, as I get out of bed I get a text from Clark asking if we could go out for lunch.

Clarissa is up sitting in the living room with a half-awake Liam who is drinking juice out of a bottle. "I already fed and changed him." She says changing the channel.

"He wants to have lunch but I still have to go over and apologize for you." I take Liam from her as he finishes his bottle I put it on the coffee table.

"Go to lunch I'll watch Liam and eventually go over and give a half-ass apology." She gets up and heads into my room. "It'll be nice out so I'll just take Liam to the park get some air." She says from the bathroom.

I get up shower and change around 11 into a sundress and sandals. "Keep an eye out for my graduation gown," I say on my way out the door. When I get to the agreed dinner for lunch he's already there.
"You're early." I hug him and can't help but smile.
"I made you wait last night." He says opening the door for me. It feels like the afternoon went by yet again too fast. We talked about our families and I found out he is the oldest of four and the only boy. As we are getting ready to leave I notice my phone going off.
When I look at my notifications I have eight missed phone calls from my mom and Clarissa. And Clarissa sent me ten texts.
'Call me now.' Was the latest text. Why is it always something when I have a date? He walks me to my car and I tell him I have to get home. After a kiss bye, I get into my car and start driving home calling Clarissa and putting her on Bluetooth.
"What's going on now?" I ask still in my happy bubble.
"Cuz you are gonna be mad. But it wasn't my fault. Harmoni knows that Oliver is Liam's father." She says making me break almost causing an accident. I pull over to the side of the road.
"I'm sorry what?" I ask her.
"She told Auntie and Auntie told my mom who called me to ask me about it." She says a calmly as possible.
"Fucking Oliver!" I hit my steering wheel, "I'll be home in a minute."
"Take your time cuz." Clarissa hangs up and I book it to Oliver's house. I should have gotten a speeding ticket but that wouldn't have stopped me. As soon as I pull up to his apartment building I can see him walk out.
"You fucking ass!" I scream storming over to him.
"So I'm guessing you found out?" He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably.
"You had no right-" I yell at him making him roll his eyes.
"Do you understand how light my chest feels? Do you understand that I had the best sleep the other night for the first time in months?" He laughs, "She would've found out eventually and the way I went about it was wrong but I'm not sorry I told her." He looks sincere in what he said.
"You hurt my sister, and she told my mom who probably told everyone in my family. God knows how many of my family members hate me now. Not only did you continue to ruin my relationship with my sister you did it and didn't think to warn me." I try to keep my voice down as he leads me over out of the middle of the sidewalk.
"I'm sorry I should've called you the other night. I did owe you at least that." He takes a deep breath.
"Why would you say anything? Everything was going great. You got to see Liam and the situation was kept between us." I can't help but feel angry all over again.
"Going great for you. I've told you I was going to tell Harmoni. I never agreed that if you let me see my own son might I add that I wouldn't tell her. It had to come out Honesty and I'm sorry if this is hard on you. I said before I want to be the father I didn't have to our son." He takes a deep breath in as if building the courage. "I want to talk about Co-Parenting."
"Co-Parenting?" What was there to talk about?
"I'll take Liam some days and you have him other days and maybe revolving holidays and weekends..." the sentence hangs there.
"What? No, you're not taking Liam for days on end." I say without thinking he grabs my arm and pulls me towards the entrance to the apartment building.
"What are you doing?" I ask about to pull away.
"We need to talk so we both can come to an understanding." He says pulling me up to his apartment.