Played Out

21. Pride

Pharaoh

After spending all day with Harmony I didn't really have time to talk to anybody. I was dead tired and just wanted to be left alone. I thought about trying to hit up Essence but being ignored was starting to become irritating. I'd rather just wait until she hit me up to talk about it.

I killed time since it was now Sunday and I was just waiting on my parents to get home from church. My dad was who I decided to talk to about this. I love my mom and we are thick as thieves close but she loves Essence and they idea of us. I know she won't be a non-bias adviser, where my dad really likes Essence but will focus more on what he thinks I should actually do.

It felt like forever before my dad called me saying he was headed to his office and meet him there. I got dressed quick and headed out. My dad started his own sports agency when I was about 10. He played professional football for a minute before he got hurt. He immediately went to being an agent and eventually open his own agency. I wanted to be just like my dad. I was planning to do sports management but I had a dual major to do music management as well. Thought of my future flood my mind as I drove to my dads office.

When I pulled up, I could tell a few people were there but nothing major. I headed straight into my dads office. He only worked with retired athletes that still did the endorsement deals and what not. I always treated it like he didn't have shit to do but he legit be busy as hell. Seeing him with his desk covered in work and him on the phone when I walked in always made me feel proud.

He laughed hanging up his call knowing I was watching him. We did our man hug before we both sat down.

"Alright son. I know it's something so what's up"

"Man pops" I sighed "I feel like I have no clue what to do. This baby... my baby... he just changes everything"

"What do you mean?"

"I really thought I would've come back from New York with Essence as my girlfriend, start planning for my last semester, and just chillin. But with Harmony coming out the blue with this baby... I don't know what"

"So what's the dilemma here? I mean I thought you and Essence been dating"

"I mean we kinda where but I wanted to make it official like we only focus on each other. But then I gotta divide my time and focus on Harmony sometimes—"

"Is it that you want to be with Harmony?"

"Nah... I mean I thought maybe I had feelings for her but then I had time to myself and realize the only feelings there were sexual"

"Well to be honest with you, I don't see the problem son" he leaned back in his chair "You are in no way obligated to be with this young lady. Baby or not"

"But pops shouldn't I try? I mean I don't know maybe we could make something work if we actually tried"

"Rao Rao I love you son. I've been there and I want you to know babies do not make relationships work" he sighed shaking his head "Clearly you don't remember but you're mom and I didn't get in a relationship again until you were almost four"

"Whoa! What?"

"Yup" he looked at their picture on his desk "She broke up with me the day before our baby shower for you because she said I wasn't taking the relationship serious. I was focused on my friends and the groupies. Everything but the relationship with her"

"Damn pops"

"It was messed up. And I was hurt and mad at her for a long time. We would literally only talk about you. When you were born I tried so hard to get her back because I was so in love with her, but then she felt like it was just because of you. Again I was mad and hurt. I started dating other women and trying to get over her and I couldn't"