On the Court #Wattys2015

CH 21: To Gain And Lose

After the teary introduction, Dominic and the woman who had came with him moved two tables together so that they could all sit. 

"I want a chocolate," Rory mumbled against Toni's side as she shyly snuggled against it. 

"Wait a minute and I'll get it," she whispered back. 

"She's beautiful," Dominic smiled. Toni smiled back at him. "Thank you" Rory mumbled.

"What's your name?"

"Aurora."

"That's a pretty name. I'm Dominic."

"Hi," she whispered back.

"She's precious" the woman beside Dominic said. 

"Sorry I didn't get your name," Toni said. 

The woman laughed, "Sorry, I'm Daniella, his sister."

"Oh well it's nice to meet you. This is Aurora, Joseph and Darren," She said back.

"I know," Daniella laughed, "I named you."

Toni's eyes widened and Dominic turned towards his sister. "That was a joint effort, Dani." The woman rolled her eyes.

"Can you...um...Can you tell me how you know my mother because I can't wrap my head around this," Toni stammered. Darren reached for her hand below the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. He was shocked by what was going on so he knew that Toni must feel ten times more surprised.

"Okay. Well I met Kelsey when I was sixteen. I lived in a pretty rough part of town but I'd see her cutting through our street to get to the REC center. She passed by me one day and...I don't know...I wanted her. I tried talking to her but she wouldn't even give me a chance," he shamefully chuckled.

"She was feisty," Daniella added.

Dominic nodded and continued, "She said she had a boyfriend but I didn't even care. I still wanted her. I invited her to a few parties, to my friends house, to family get togethers. She broke up with her boyfriend and then what we had started getting pretty serious."

Toni was left in awe. The way he spoke about her mom shocked her. Not even her dad--the one she grew up with--talked about her mom with such adoration.

"I got into some trouble-"

"More like a lot of trouble," Daniella mumbled.

Dominic rolled his eyes but continued, "A lot of trouble. I was in Juvie for nearly three years. I originally didn't know when I was getting out. It was ... awful." He shook his head and seemed strained to keep explaining. He still continued, "During the first month, Kelsey visited, telling me she was pregnant..."

Toni felt a tear roll down her cheek but was too stunned to wipe it away.

"I didn't know what to do. I couldn't do anything in my position so I...I told her that the best thing to do for the baby was to let me go. Like an idiot, I told her to get back with her boyfriend and to just forget about me because I didn't deserve her or the beautiful woman that you've become."

Toni sniffled and finally found the strength to wipe her tears.

"You used to call me Papito. The one time we met you called me that." He lightly smiled. "Besides when you were barely three years old, this is the first time I've really met you."

"So better now than later," Daniella commented.

"What do you mean?" Toni croaked, trying to calm her nerves. It helped that Darren was soothingly rubbing her back.

"I...uh...I have a disease, retinitis pigmentosa, and in the next seven or eight months I'll be completely blind."

"Oh my gosh," Toni breathed out, running a hand through her hair.