Halleluyah1
"Cole called," Anita said, her voice lower now, stripped of its earlier ease.
Jerry's posture changed immediately.
"What did he say?"
Anita hesitated, as if the words themselves carried weight she didn't want to lift. "He wants to get to know his son."
A pause.
"Meaning?" Jerry asked.
Anita exhaled shakily. "He's in Nigeria. He's been here for a while... watching Dean. Keeping tabs on him. Not openly. Just... observing."
Jerry's arms folded slowly. "And his wife?"
"She knows," Anita said. "She supports it."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Jerry leaned back against the counter, thinking. "What are you afraid of, Anita?"
Her eyes dropped briefly. "He wants Dean to study abroad after secondary school."
Jerry frowned slightly, then spoke more calmly. "That's not bad news. Most kids would kill for that kind of opportunity."
"It's not just school," Anita said quickly, her voice tightening. "It's him. He wants to tell Dean himself."
That landed differently.
Her expression cracked just slightly.
"What happens when my son hears it from him?" she continued. "When he finds out he only showed up after seventeen years? When he realizes what he is to that man... the mistake, the label people like to use?"
Jerry stepped closer, his tone softening. "Anita... the boy deserves to know his father."
Her jaw tightened.
"But you're his mother," he added gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"That doesn't disappear because Cole walks in."
Anita looked down, torn between anger and fear. "What if he chooses him over me? He has other children... a whole family. What if Dean fits there better than here?"
"That won't happen," Jerry said firmly, pulling her into a steady embrace. "Talk to him. He's smarter than you think. He'll understand more than you expect."