Life After | Trilogy

18

Chris

I pulled up in front of a medium sized home and killed the engine. 

A couple cars were parked in front of the garage. I walked up the driveway and to the front door. I knocked a couple times and waited for an answer.

I could hear the door being unlocked before it swung open.

"The fuck are you doing here?"

"I just came to talk."

"We don't have shit to talk about."

I sighed. "Come on man, why are you trying so are to be so tough right now? Just let me in so we could talk. Thats all I'm asking."

Jayceon stepped aside and allowed me to walk in. I followed him to the living room and sat down.

"Go ahead. Speak." He sat back.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I'm not doing shit." He blew smoke from his mouth.

"You are. You're hurting Lauren whether you realize it or not. The last two nights, she has cried herself to sleep because she's so stressed. That's your kid's  mother. Why you doing her like that?"

"So, cause you went to rehab you think you can come over here and tell me how to live my life?"

"Bro, stop doing that shit! You fucked up, just admit it! You aren't doing anything but hurting the people around you. You're going to fuck around and die fucking with these drugs and then what? Huh? That's more stress added on to Lauren's life. Get yourself together. You need help."

"I don't need shit." He sat up

"Yes the fuck you do. You walking around here drugged up 24/7 blaming it on your parents death as if that makes it ok. They raised you better than that. I know they did. Because if they didn't, you would have never took in Lyric and cared for her like she was your own. I was already one fuck up in her life she doesn't need another."

"You here now right? They good."

"That's not the point. You need to get yourself together. If not for them, for you. Go to rehab and take that shit seriously. You don't have to have all this hostility towards me. I want you to get yourself together. I want you to be there for your kids. But none of that matters if you aren't willing to help yourself."

He sat there staring at the wall and a tear fell from his eye. I sighed and went to sit beside him.

"I never really expected things to get like this. Having both my parents die hurt so bad. I didn't understand why both of them had to leave me. I know I was supposed to go to Lauren and confide in her but the drugs just numbed the pain."

"That shit is temporary though."

"I know." He nodded. "And when I realized that, I just kept doing it. Whenever that high would start wearing off, I would pop a perc or Xanax to get that numb feeling again. I didn't know how to deal with my problems." He shook his head. "I still don't."

"You have to want to change. People can sit here and talk to you all day but until you mentally take that step yourself, nothing is going to change."

"Why are you even trying to help me right now?" He glanced over at me.

"Because you're a good guy. You just went down the wrong path. It's ok but it's time to own up to your mistakes and get back to your old self."

"Yeah but Lauren has you now. She don't need me."

"It's not about her needing you. You have kids that need you."

He just sat there.

"Listen, all I'm saying is, you should think about getting yourself together before it's too late. This isn't you. And nothing good comes from drug use. Trust me, I know. Don't do what I did. I've already lived that life and it's not good. Lauren is more than willing to co-parent with you but you gotta get clean. Yeah she has moved on relationship wise, but so have you. At some point, you have to own up to your shit man. Do you think I would be sitting here if I was the same Chris from college? Hell no."

He laughed and so did I.

"We all want the best for you. That's it." I patted his shoulder. "I'ma get outta here though."

"Thanks man." Jayceon nodded

Lauren

The following week

We were back in court and waiting for the DNA and drug test results to come back. The judge walked in and sat down. He sorted through his papers before looking up.

"We can start with the DNA results and get that out of the way." He opened a folder. "As, Ms. Smith stated, Dakota and Ayanna are indeed yours, Mr. Taylor but Amauri is not."

Jayceon simply nodded.

"Now when we spoke last week, I asked you if you were still on drugs, correct?"

"Yes sir." He spoke.

"So do you take this as a joke? When I asked you last week if you were clean, why did you lie?" He folded his arms. "So now that makes me doubt everything you say."

"I was wrong for that and I apologize."

"With that being said, you will now have mandatory rehab for the next three weeks. As of right now, I will grant you supervised visitation with the two children every other Saturday. The visitation should not exceed five hours. Once rehab is complete, we will do another drug test and re-evaluate from there."

I had no issue with what the judge had said. Kody knows who Jay is. My only issue Aiyanna. She doesn't know him at all. In her eyes, Chris is her daddy and that's it.

"Hey, can I speak to you for a minute?" Jay walked over to me.

I looked at Chris and he slightly nodded before walking away.

"What's up?"

"I just want to apologize for everything I've put you through lately. I sat and really thought about all I've been doing and you don't deserve that. You have enough on your plate as is with all of your business stuff and trying to raise five kids. Chris came over and talked to me and for some reason, what he said really hit me."

"He did?" I looked back at Chris

"Yeah. I don't know why but hearing that from him really made me wake up. I was so against him but there he was, helping me." He slightly laughed. "I see now that he is a changed person and I'm happy that you two were able to get back together." He paused. "And I don't mind seeing Kody, that's my boy." He smiled. "But it'll be ok if I don't see Aiyanna. She already has Chris and he's an amazing father. I don't want to confuse her."

I just stood there trying to take in everything that he said. He walked away and dapped up Chris before leaving out of the courthouse.