20. Lisa
CHAPTER 20
LISA
“Malik is my favorite sibling, but please don’t ever tell Gwen that. Out of my parents, my father is my favorite, and please don’t ever tell my mother that.” I sat on my couch eating ice cream while Capri sipped cognac. We were about to have a child together so for the past hour, we’d been talking. I had done most of the talking telling him about my parents, siblings, and upbringing. I still hadn’t told my parents or siblings that I was pregnant. As soon as I did, I knew they were going to be asking about the father. I wanted to introduce them to one another before I gave birth. “Your turn.”
Capri sipped more of his drink. “There’s not a whole lot to tell. My father was an abusive alcoholic. He used to beat my mom when he felt like it and at least once a week, he put hands on me and my sister, Bianca. He was an angry drunk and would find any reason to explode. Because of the way he was, I told myself I never wanted to be addicted to anything. I stopped smoking weed and drinking. I went years without smoking. Only to throw it all out the window when I lost Caprice.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. I wasn’t expecting what he shared to be so heavy. There were a few seconds of silence. “I don’t think that’s something you should beat yourself up about. I’m sorry to hear about your childhood.”
Capri shrugged passively. “There’s no need to apologize. It’s not your fault, and I’m fine. Shit happens. I just saw the nigga the other day, and he has a new family and shit.” Capri chuckled angrily. “My mom is gone, and me and my sister are grown. This nigga has a new woman and new kids, and he claims to be sober. Maybe he’ll get it right with them.”
I could tell talking about his father bothered him despite his nonchalant attitude. I wanted to get to know him, but I didn’t want the mood to shift. Then again, I didn’t know if it would be insensitive to just change the subject. Maybe he needed to talk and get it out.
“And however, you feel about him is okay too. You don’t have to make amends with him just because that’s what he wants. I don’t believe in all that, that’s still your father bullshit. Do what’s best for your mental. Not his.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Capri gave a slight nod before he finished his drink. “And I think I’ll have another.”
I bit the inside of my cheek as Capri walked into the kitchen to get more alcohol. I didn’t mind him drinking, but it wasn’t the healthiest way to deal with his emotions. if it wasn’t for me being pregnant, I’d more than likely still be drowning my sorrows in a bottle. Even though my anti-depressants made me feel a little better, I still turned to alcohol way too often, so there was no way I could ever judge Capri. He was still hurting behind losing his child. He would always be hurt. That wasn’t something a person could get over.
When he sat back down, I decided it was time to change the subject. “Did you play sports growing up?”
“Nah. I loved watching them. I’ll watch basketball, football, soccer, boxing, baseball, even tennis. But aside from hooping at the park or tossing a football with my friends, I didn’t get all into it like that.”
“I think it would be cool to be a sports mom,” I grinned. “I don’t care what my baby plays. He can play pickle ball, and I’ll be there doing the most with my little shirt on screaming his name. But if he doesn’t want to play sports, that’s fine too.”
Capri laughed. “Yeah, I’m not the pushy parent type. Whatever my kid wants to do is fine by me.”
“What if he’s gay?” I blurted out, and Capri drew back with a frown.
“What?”
“What if he’s gay. Most men don’t agree with that. Would you disown him?”
“Um, I don’t really want to guess my son’s sexual preference while he’s still in the womb, but in the event that he did turn out that way, I’d love him just the same.”
That made my heart full, and it made me comfortable. I would love my child unconditionally, and I wanted him to have a father that did the same. Capri and I didn’t have to be in a relationship. As long as we could coparent in a healthy way and raise a child that was supported and loved, that’s all I cared about.
“I have a confession,” I abruptly changed the subject again. “Your daughter’s mother does my lashes. I didn’t find out who she was until after and now every time I go to her, I feel guilty.”
Capri snorted. “Fuck that bitch.”
I didn’t want to be the cause of any conflict or drama, so I wasn’t going to say anything about what she told me concerning him coming around. My gut told me it was a lie, but I was staying out of it.
“If she did what you said she did, I can’t blame you for feeling some kind of way. Do you, um, do you know she has cancer?”
Once again, Capri snorted. “I doubt that lying hoe has cancer, but if she does, it’s none of my concern.”
Who the hell would lie about having cancer? I could tell Robin was a sore spot for him, so I was going to drop it. But I just wanted him to know that she did my lashes for some reason. With that out of the way, we didn’t have to talk about her anymore. I wasn’t going to tell him that I had heard her throwing up. I didn’t want to trigger him by coming across as her cheerleader.
“After my mom passed, I got in the streets heavy. Stealing cars and doing dumb shit. I actually stole a few cars before she passed. I was angry that she was sick, and I was just out there doing dumb shit. It got worse when she died. Money was the motive, but a part of me just didn’t care. I was being reckless and not giving a damn because I was hurting. The thrill of playing with fire made me feel invincible in a way. But then, Robin got pregnant with Caprice, and my entire outlook on life changed. I was determined to be a better father to her than the one I had. Getting locked up and leaving her out here without me was never an option.”
I blinked back tears. I could see the pain in Capri’s eyes, but I could also hear the love in his tone. He loved his daughter, and I was convinced that he was a wonderful father. I reached over and grabbed his hand. I couldn’t imagine his pain. Even with losing a child myself, I still couldn’t imagine his pain. Caprice brought his cup to his lips and drained the contents.
“I’m good.”
“I know we’ve been talking about the baby, but we can wait until after the paternity test results to discuss names and all that. I’ve been kind of jumping the gun a little bit.”
Caprice didn’t speak. He stood up and went to the bathroom and then he went to the kitchen and refilled his cup. I assumed he was going to drink until he passed out because at the rate he was going, he was going to be past drunk. My phone chimed alerting me that I had a text message.
Sage: We’re having a lunch special on catfish tomorrow. Be there or be square.
I had to laugh. The only cravings I’d had so far were fish from his lounge, strawberry banana smoothies, and steak bowls from Cava. Caprice sat back down and looked over at me curiously.
“What you laughing at?”
His eyes were low, and I could tell he was lit. He looked so sexy to me when his eyes were low. It could have been my imagination, but it seemed like my sex drive was picking up. My hormones didn’t go haywire like that with my first pregnancy, but my vagina had literally been aching the entire day wanting to be stroked by Capri.
“Sage texted me and told me they’re having a lunch special on fish tomorrow. I’ve been trying to cut back on eating fried foods, but I literally think about that fish every day. I have to go by there.”
Capri stared at me with a blank look on his face. My left brow hiked as I wondered why he was studying me so hard.
“Is something wrong?”
“You respectfully asked me not to have sex with other women, and I told you that I wouldn’t. You think it’s okay to text Sage and smile up in his face and shit? I don’t care how nice he acts. The man’s objective is to get some pussy. Let me find out you’re busting it open for him while you’re pregnant, and it’s gon’ be problems. Women swear that it’s men, but y’all are the ones that are sneaky as fuck.” Capri took a large sip of his drink, and my eyes narrowed.
I knew he was drunk from the way his words were slightly slurring. Drunk or not, he wasn’t going to talk shit to me in my own home. “I’ve asked you before, and I’ll ask you again to stop projecting. You have a right to feel how you do about Robin, but I’m not her. Stop coming at me like I’m not shit. Having sex with people and being friends with them are two totally different things. If I haven’t had sex with him by now, I’m not going to. We aren’t in a relationship, so you trying to police who I can be friends with is a little much. Don’t you think?” I didn’t raise my voice, but there was most certainly ice in my tone.
“You heard what the fuck I said,” Capri glared at me with a slight scowl etched on his face. “The next person that plays with me about a child might get their ass kicked. I’m not going to keep being nice. Do I look like a fucking sucker or something?”
Yeah, he was past drunk, and I was done entertaining him. I stood up. “Okay, you can leave. You don’t even need to be driving, but call an Uber. Sit in the parking garage and sleep it off. But you have to leave. You’re not going to be disrespectful. Learn how to handle your alcohol.”
Capri chuckled angrily. He stood up, gulped down the rest of the liquid in the cup, grabbed his keys, and left. As soon as the door closed, I turned the lock with aggression. “Stupid ass nigga,” I grumbled. I wasn’t letting anyone or anything stress me out during my pregnancy. Capri could kiss my ass.
The next day, I invited my mother, Gwen, and Gemini to lunch at Sage’s lounge. We were seated in a booth, and I ordered strawberry-lemonade while Gwen and Gemini got mimosas, and my mother got water with slices of lemon. It was very normal for me to grab a bite to eat with my mother and Gwen or Gemini, but I’d never invited Gemini out with me and my sister and mother before, so everyone was eyeing me wondering what was going on. I chose to keep them in suspense until we had our drinks and had placed our food orders. Ariyana was the only one that couldn’t make it.
“So, I brought you here today to give you some news. I’m not sure how you are going to process it, but I would like positive comments only. If you feel anything negative, please do me a favor and keep it to yourself.” My eyes darted over all their faces. My mother’s brows snapped together. Gemini’s brows hiked, and Gwen, leaned forward and propped her chin on her fist. I had everyone’ s undivided attention.
“It wasn’t planned.” I began playing with the napkin in front of me. “And I’m nervous and scared but I’m also thirteen weeks pregnant with a little boy.”
My stomach never got back completely flat after I gave birth, but my pudge was small and could be hidden with Spanx. My belly had hardened and was round enough so that if I wore anything tight, I looked bloated. My belly could still be hidden with loose fitting shirts, but my breasts were bigger, and my face was fuller. I wouldn’t have been able to hide it much longer.
My mother’s eyes widened, and Gemini squealed. “I knew it,” Gwen hit the table. “I wanted to say something so bad, but I didn’t want to be insensitive in case I was wrong. I freakin’ knew it.”
“Why would we be negative, Lisa?” my mother asked. “Like you said, you’re grown.”
“Because I’m sure you know it’s not Sin’s baby. In fact,” I sighed. “The child that Sin hit, I’m pregnant by her father.”
Gemini began choking on her drink. We all paused and looked at her as she coughed with tears streaming down her face.
“Dang, I’m not trying to kill you friend,” I stated when she was done coughing. “I know it’s a lot, and it’s crazy how we met. I think we trauma bonded. We’re not in a relationship, but we are going to coparent.”
“If it makes you happy, baby, I’m all in,” my mother gave me a reassuring smile. “Congratulations.”
“You know I’m with it,” Gemini chimed in. “I can’t wait to spoil him.”
“I had two kids in one year, so I can’t say a thing,” Gwen cosigned. “Congratulations, sissy.”
I had to admit that everyone being happy for me and not judging the situation made me feel a lot better. There was no need to mention that Capri and I weren’t on the best terms at the moment. I didn’t like the things he said to me, but I understood he was drunk, and I would give him grace. I couldn’t judge him for how he dealt with his pain, but I could have boundaries and hold my ground. When he was sober, we could talk. Until then, he could stay where he was at.
When we were done, I excused myself to go to the restroom. On the way out of the bathroom, I almost ran into Robin, literally. “Hi,” I gave her a small smile that melted off my face when I saw the scowl on hers.
“You were engaged to a guy named Sintonio?” she asked. She had finally heard. Someone had connected me to Sintonio.
“Yes, I was.”
“All those times you sat in my chair and offered me your condolences, and you knew who killed my baby?” The anger in her orbs was undeniable, but she was upset with the wrong person.
“What was I supposed to do, Robin? Tell you that I knew who he was? The moment I found out what he did, we no longer began to see eye to eye. We broke up, and he turned himself in for the crime. Being angry with me is a waste of time. I can’t help what he did.”
“Yeah okay,” Robin kissed her teeth and looked me up and down. “That shit still feels fake as fuck. The whole time you knew.”
“Is everything good?” Gwen asked speaking to me, but her gaze was trained on Robin.
“Yeah it is,” I spoke up. Robin could be mad all she wanted, and she could feel however she wanted to feel. I wasn’t going to stand there and attempt to make her change her mind.
I walked past her and when we got outside of the lounge, I filled my sister in on what transpired.
“I’ll slap the fuck outta that bitch,” she seethed as her eyes shot toward the entrance. “She has some nerve. How is she going to be mad at you because of what Sintonio did?”
I felt a headache coming on, and that was what I didn’t want. “It’s cool. She lost a child, and she has ovarian cancer. She probably wakes up mad at the world by default.”
“Yeah, well she better tread light.” Gwen was still pissed.
“Calm down crazy lady. I’m fine,” I chuckled and hugged her. “I just have to find a new lash tech.”
“I’ll send you my girl’s Instagram info. You know I mostly do my own lashes, but when I was getting mine done, she’s the only person that I let touch me.”
I nodded and said goodbye to my mother and Gemini. In my car, I sighed. I was full and tired. At least I no longer had to feel guilty about Robin not knowing that I was affiliated in some way to the man that ruined her life. Wait until she found out that I was pregnant by Capri. Shit would really hit the fan then. I was going home to take a nap. There was nothing that could be done about Robin’s feelings toward me. I had just pulled into the parking garage of my building when an unfamiliar number flashed on my phone screen.
“Hello?”
“Hi, is this Lisa?” a female voice asked.
“Yes. This is Lisa.”
“My name is Bianca. Capri is my brother. He was in a bad accident last night, and he asked me to call you. He’s at Diamond Cove Memorial in room 413.”