Monopoly

12// The James'

"The doctor said take it easy babe." Jack soothes Mercy.
"I know but you don't clock out from being a mom. I need to take Mercy to Ballet practice." She winces as she gets out of the bed. "No no no no , I'll take her you need to rest. You hit your head and your pregnant. I'm not risking anything." He tucks her back in and kisses her forehead.
"Thank you. I'm not use to this. I've always been a single mom, now I'm in a pregnancy where the father is overly involved. It's foreign."

"It shouldn't feel foreign. I'm going to be here for you always, no matter what. I love you, Mercy, and our little peanut. Now get some rest while I get Mercy ready." She nods and turns to her side. When she closes her eyes, she then thinks about how wonderful these past few days have been after she left the hospital.

"She's pregnant?" Cesar asks. Can't believe the words that he repeated. Ben pushes past him and checks on Vee. Soon enough Cesar walks up to her but Jack steps in. "Leave."
"But she's pregnant, am I- "
"The father? Hell no! Thank god!" He shoots back and Cesar had to restrain every ounce in him not to spazz.
"You need to leave or I'm calling the police." Venus sister says. He then turns his heals and shoots out the backyard.

***

"Sign the papers then I will leave!" Cesars yells as everyone turns their head.
"You come in here, to my salon and disrupt my customers. I will have no other choice but to call the police." Jen grabs her phone.

Cesar can't afford to go to Jail. Not right now. He heads out and gets inside his G-Wagon and immediately dials Venus number.

"You've reached-" this is the 15th time this happened. She must've blocked him. He can't believe this. She's pregnant with Jack's kid. Jack.

It's like it's been a huge hole punched through his chest. Now all he wanted to do is see his daughter. And to top it off, his bitch of a wife won't sign the divorce papers.

He punches the steering wheel a few times before his phone goes off. Rushing to see if it's Venus, disappointed when it says someone else.
"What."
"Now is that how you greet you favorite sister?"
"Your my only sister. What do you want Elise."
"Mom and dad want you to come over. They have to talk to you."
"Now is not the best time-"
"It's urgent!" He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs loudly. "Fine, I'm on my way." Then clicks off.
***

"What is so important that you had to ring me from the other side of town." He barges in his beautiful family home in upstate New York.
"When were you going to tell us you had a child!" His mother yells from the living room, in total shock, holding her stomach like she is about to throw up.

"Let me guess, Jen called you." He rolls his eyes. "Thank god she did! You cheated on her? What kind of man I raised you Cesar!" His dads start to yell. "When were going to tell us?"
"Who is the girl?" Mom jumps in.
"Have you met her yet?" Elise also chimes in.

"One question at a time please!" Interjects back at them. "Yes I cheated on her, years ago with an intern. Yes I met my daughter. I wasn't going to tell you all until things were sorted. But I've hit a road block."

"A what? What happened?" His mom asks.
"I can't say. But we got into a huge fight, and now she's block me."
"Well take that bitch to court!" His sister yells.

"Yeah tell that to her lawyers!" Cesar says as raises his arms. He walks into the living room. Sit nexts to his mom and puts his face into his hands.
He start to sob. Everything in his life is falling apart and he has been holding it all in. Being near his family made him very vulnerable and safe to let out his emotions. "Honey, what happened? What did she do?"
He lift his face up. Face is drenched in tears. "Nothing! I almost killed her!" He family gasp. "We got into a huge fight and I pushed her." His family gasp again. He withheld the rest of the story, to afraid to tell them about Jack and the pregnancy.

"Why, what were fighting about?" Elise says as she sits on the arm rest. "Nothing important."
"Well is she alive right?" His dad chimes in as he nods his head. "Well okay then! She has no right to keep your daughter from you."

"I can't believe I'm an aunt! Do you have a picture?" He pulls put his phone and shows her Mercy. "Oh she's black? She's cute!" She takes his phone and zooms in. She has my eyes!

"She's black? Cesar! Where did you meet this girl?" His mom gasp as his father shakes his head.

"I told you! She was an intern! And so what if she black! What does that even mean." He jumps up ready to storm out the house.

"Son I'm very disappointed in you." His dad says as he folds his arms. "Don't leave!" His mom yells as she starts to cry. Cesar snatches his phone and gives his mom and sister a kiss on the forehead as he leaves the home.