“I’ll see you in four weeks and we can see what you’re having.”
I got my appointment and called to update Lucky before I headed to pick Merci up. She was finally ready to sit down with our parents so we could talk. We both had to tell them we were pregnant so I thought it would be the perfect time to talk shit out. I made her ride with me over there so she couldn’t run away if things didn’t go her way. I watched as she walked to my car. She didn’t look like she was pregnant at all, and I was blowing up every morning I woke up.
“Hey, bitch.”
“Wassup? I see you’re happy today. What done happened?”
“Nothing, I’m just in a good damn mood. What’s wrong with that?”
“Oh okay, nothing's wrong with it. When are you coming back to work?”
“I’m not coming back up there. I’ll be going to get my shit, but I’ll be doing hair out of my condo. Being around Perc right now isn’t a good idea. That nigga hates my fucking guts.”
“If he knew that was his baby, he would feel different.”
“I don’t need you telling him anything. And I for sure don’t need you talking to his brother ‘bout me either.”
"Heifer, I don’t sit around and tell your business to Lucky. I’m just telling you like you told me. Ain’t no need in hiding or lying.”
“I don’t want to talk about his ass right now. Let me bask in this happiness before we pull up to mama house. I got a bad feeling about this shit.”
I hadn’t spoken to my daddy in a while. The last few times I came to spend time with my mama he wasn’t there. I just thought it was because they were mad, or he was on the block gambling. My daddy was in his mid-fifties, but he looked like he was forty. He was a good-looking ass nigga and the young bitches still tried him up when he was on the block. His downfall was his gambling. That’s all I seen when I was younger. They hid everything else from us. As soon as I pulled up, her attitude changed. I wasn’t here to take no one's side. Merci was pregnant and emotional, so she was the one that I was going to support. She was my best friend and after all this shit was said and done, it was going to be me and her to the end. I didn’t give a fuck about my daddy other children. They could kiss my ass. I shut the car off and Merci sat there for a moment before she finally got out.
“You better pray they don’t piss me off,” she got out slamming the car door.
“Merci, it’s going to be fine. Let’s hear what they gotta say.”
My daddy was sitting in the living room smoking when we entered. He put his cigarette out and got up from his chair to greet us. He hugged and kissed us both.
“Where’s mama?” I asked.
“She’s coming. You know how she is.”
I took a seat on the sofa and waited for her. Merci sat on the edge of the sofa until I yanked her so she could get comfortable. My mama finally walked in the living room and sat down. Silence filled the room. It’s like we all were just waiting to feel each other out. The only thing that could be heard was the chain on the ceiling fan hitting the lightbulb. As a child, I thought my life was all together and now as an adult, I can’t even get the people I love the most to have a conversation.
“I’ll start by saying that me and Merci are both pregnant. I’m sixteen weeks and I’ll be married before the baby gets here,” I blurted.
“You pregnant?” My daddy leaned up in his chair. “Are you sure you need to be having a baby so soon?”
“What you mean so soon? It’s been almost three years since I miscarried. Kj would’ve been six in the next two days.”
“Merci, what about you? You pregnant from that wild ass boy that work up to that shop with yo sister? That nigga ain’t ‘bout shit!”
“You have no idea what you talking about. You on the outside looking in. And how the hell you gonna tell me who ain’t no good?” Merci snapped.
“Watch your mouth,” my mama told her.
“Go ahead and have the baby and see what I tell you. You think that shit gone make that nigga wanna be with you?”
“Daddy, we are not here to be chastised. We all make our own money, and we don’t ask you and mama for anything. Merci hasmoney to take care of her own child with or without the father. If she needs something, then she can come to me,” I told him.
He didn’t say anything else. I just wanted him off her case before she exploded.
“Mama, I brought Merci here so y’all can talk. With her being pregnant I think it’s some things that need to be said.”
“Merci, I’m sorry for everything you had to go through because of me. I never thought about how it was going to affect you. I’m excited that you’re pregnant and I just want to start over with you. You know I love you, but I wasn’t loved growing up so it was hard for me to give it sometimes. With your sister, she was tough, so she didn’t need as much attention as you. I know now that I had to love y'all different. If you would let me, I would like to be a part of your life again.”
Merci was crying so hard my mama got up and pulled her in for a hug. My daddy was not himself today. He was usually not so moody so now my focus was on him.
