Intercept My Heart

Chapter 25

One month later

“Umm, friend. Are you okay?” Tamia asked.

I couldn’t even open my mouth to answer her before it began to water. Leaping out of the chair, I raced to the bathroom, releasing all the contents in my stomach. I sat there on the floor until there was nothing left besides stomach bile. The cold tile felt good to me, so I decided to lie down for a while.

“Here, drink this.” Tamia handed me a cold bottle of water. I was too afraid to drink anything right now, so I held the cold bottle against my forehead. I usually came down with a stomach bug around this time, but it was never this aggressive. My mind tried to recall what I ate in the last seventy-two hours that may have caused this, but I came up with nothing. Not to mention, Cash and Moolah ate the same food as me, and neither of them were sick.

“I think I need to go to the emergency room. I must have some type of virus or something.”

“Hmmph, you’ve got a virus alright. It’s called the ‘I hopped on my baby daddy’s dick’ virus. I heard it is fairly common and untreatable, depending on your religious beliefs.” I rose up to look at her. My head was pounding much too loud for her riddles.

“Mimi, what are you talking about?”

“Bitch, you have two degrees. There is no way you can be this slow.”

“Come on, Mimi. You see that I’m sick. Don’t make me guess.” I lay back on the floor because it was much more comfortable, and my stomach hadn’t settled yet.

“Okay, I’ll break it down for you slowly. When was the last time you had a period? It’s been months since your baby daddy touched down, and you haven’t mentioned pads, tampons, or cramps in at least two of those months. Math may not have been my best subject, but I know the basics, and the equation here appears to indicate that you are pregnant.” Her arms were crossed as she peered at me, waiting for an answer.

“No. No way. That’s not possible.” Sitting up with my back against the wall, I tried to remember the last period I had. If I recalled correctly, it was shortly after my birthday. I remember spotting a month after that, but that wasn’t unusual for me. Simultaneously, flashbacks of Dinero deep stroking me on my bedroom floor flooded my mind. I never even thought about protection since it had been so long since I’d had sex. Besides, the doctor made it clear that another pregnancy was next to impossible for me.

“Where is my phone?” I searched the bathroom but couldn’t find it.

“I think you left it on the table. I’ll be right back.”

“No, there’s no way,” I whispered to myself. I wasn’t some reckless college student who forgot to take their pill. I stayed on top of my health, both physically and sexually. How did this happen? More flashbacks took over, and I was ashamed of how careless I acted these last few months. Dinero and I were having unprotected sex like rabbits without a care in the world. To be fair, I truly believed I was infertile.

“Here you go, love. I’ll let you sit in denial for a while longer while I run to the CVS down the road. We need to get to the bottom of this because I brought all of this stuff so we could make frozen margaritas, and now you’ve probably made my twosome a lonesome with your hot pussy ass.” My mouth dropped open in surprise because I couldn’t believe she was talking to me like this.

“Mia, I’m having a crisis, and you’re joking.”

“Oh, I’m being so serious right now, bae. You’ve fucked the city up with this one. I can’t believe you’re about to make me a godmother of three. Wait, what if it’s another set of twins? Wouldn’t that be crazy? You’re gonna be a baby mama with four damn kids. Damn, I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Tamia, get out of my face before I kick you out then block you.”

“I mean, you could do that, but who is gonna help you raise all these damn kids? Oh, wait. I guess you have your baby da?—”

“Get out!” I screamed. She snickered, then fixed her purse on her shoulder.

“I’ll be back. Make sure you drink that water because I need you ready to pee when I get back. I think I’m gonna buy three different brands to make sure that we have covered all of our bases. I’m so excited. At the rate you’re going, I won’t need to have any kids of my own.” I was glad one of us could see the bright side of all of this because the light at the end of this tunnel seemed dim as hell.

Cash and Moolah had practice today and weren’t due back home for a few hours, which would give me time to deal with this alone. Getting up from the floor, I sat on the closed toilet lid and unscrewed the cap on the water bottle. I sipped it slowly to make sure I was able to keep it down. Once I sat there for a few moments without the urge to puke, I drank a little more.

By the time Tamia made it back, most of the water was gone. She stepped into the room with a bag filled with pregnancy tests.

“This reminds me of sophomore year. Only this time, we’re grown as fuck with money in the bank.”

“Is this your version of a pep talk? Because if it is, I need you to work on that.” I scoffed, snatching the bag from her hands.

“It must be the hormones making you act this way. It’s okay, love. I’m here for you.” She giggled while I opened the first box. I must not have been moving fast enough for her because she snatched all three boxes open and set them up for me.

“These two, you need to pee on, and this one, you drop the pee in it. The best thing for you to do is pee in a cup and stick these in there, and then you can use the sample for this one too.”

“You seem well versed in all things pregnancy. Let me find out you’ve done this a time or two.”

“Listen, I told you I was a ho in high school. No, I’m not proud of it, but it’s my truth, so I’m standing in it. The Lord knew I didn’t need a damn baby, but those scares used to send me into a complete panic. Now stop stalling and pee!” I rolled my eyes and then did what she asked. My hands were shaking as if I was about to take a drug test that I wasn’t sure I would pass.

“Let me grab my gloves before you piss me off. Acting all scared when you were throwing it back without a care in the world.” Mia fussed. Tears sprang to my eyes when she walked out of the room because I couldn’t believe I had gotten myself into this situation. She returned within minutes and proceeded to dip the tests and drop the samples. I wiped myself, then got up again to close the lid back.

“We have to wait three minutes. Do you want to sit in here and read them together, or would you like me to read them to you while you lie down? You look like you need a nap.”

“I really hate you right now. My life is hanging in the balance, and you think it’s a joke,” I whined.

“Girl, please stop with the dramatics. You are having a baby. It’s not the end of the world. Besides, you are not doing this alone. I’m here, and I’m pretty sure your baby daddy will be here as well. Please dry your face because you’re acting up right now.” Using the bottom of my shirt, I dried my eyes. She made a valid point. A baby wouldn’t be the end of the world, but this wasn’t how I saw things going. Not only was I not married, but my child’s father was engaged to someone else.

Ding. Ding.

The timer on her phone went off as I took a deep breath.

“Do you want to look?” As much as I wanted to say no, it was time for me to be a big girl. Standing up from the seat, I stood over the counter. Two of the tests had two lines on them, but the digital one left nothing to decipher. The word ‘pregnant’ sat there on the screen, bold and black.

“They all say the same thing. I’m gonna be a god mommy again!” Tamia jumped up and down, screaming as if this was the best news in the world, while I remained frozen, my eyes glued to the tests. Of course, I checked the boxes to make sure they actually meant pregnant, even though I knew it was.

“Come on, girl. We need to get you cleaned up and looking halfway normal before the boys come back. You know how Moolah is, and he’ll pick up on your mood as soon as he walks through the door.” I nodded before taking a look at myself in the mirror.

“I’m pregnant.”

“Yes, you are. Now, come on. You’re more hardheaded than the kids.” Grabbing my hand, she led me to my own room, where I showered and then got in the bed. I planned on making food for us to have a taco bar, with today being Tuesday, but all of that would have to wait. I needed a nap in the worst way.

I heard a voice in the house, so I figured my sons had finally made it home. Dinero offered to bring them home throughout the week since he also practiced with the high school team on those same days. The boys wanted to watch him train his players, so they didn’t mind having to stay over a little later.

Ever since I found out about his fiancée, I’d been giving him my ass to kiss. When we finally talked, I made it clear that I would never be a side chick. He told me that he loved me, but none of that mattered anymore. I refused to deal with a man who couldn’t keep it real with me, especially considering our history. His fucking her was the reason we were no longer together, and I would be a fool to wait around for a man to choose me. Things had been awkward as hell between us, but I was glad the boundaries were in place.

As I stuffed my feet into my house shoes and traveled downstairs to greet my babies, I wondered how they would feel about having another sibling. Cash used to ask for one all the time when they were younger, but now they had settled into being the only two.

I was sure they would be excited either way because they never complained about much. Besides, they wanted to have a big family. I was the one with all the reservations. It bothered me that I wasn’t able to give them one in the traditional sense, but I prayed we would one day have one of our own.

“Mama always cooks tacos for us on Tuesday. You should stay for dinner,” I heard Cash suggest. I didn’t have to wonder who he was talking to because the sound of Dinero’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

“It sounds good, but I have a few things I need to take care of. Speaking of your mother, where is she?” he asked right as I rounded the corner. I was sure I looked exactly how I felt, so I wasn’t shocked when they all stared at me.

“Are you good, Ma? You never take a nap this late in the day. Are you sick or something?” Moolah probed. My son wanted to be an NFL player more than anything, but he could have a great career as a detective with the way he picked apart every detail about a person.

“I wasn’t feeling well earlier. How was practice?” Their eyes lit up when they started to ramble about everything they had learned during practice.

“Then we got to watch Dinero with his team. I won’t lie. I may have been a hater at first, but his old tail can really move down that field.”

“Your little ass is gonna get enough of calling me old. I’m nowhere close to being old, and I’ll sweep the floor with you every day of the week. You must have forgotten what happened during football camp. Don’t let my age fool you. I’m still that nigga. Check my stats,” Dinero boasted with a goofy grin on his face.

The relationship between him and Moolah had grown so much since their heart to heart, and I could tell it made him happy. Cash embraced him instantly and began calling him dad. Moolah wasn’t there yet, but Dinero seemed to take it in stride. I believed a part of his hesitation came from his love for me. He felt like he was betraying me by getting too close to him. No matter how many times I expressed to him that there was no reason for him to hold a grudge, Moolah insisted that his loyalty belonged to me and only me. He was more like his father than either of us cared to admit.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” Dinero continued to stare at me questioningly.

“You usually drop them off and leave. Is there something I’m missing? Are they in trouble?” I hoped I didn’t come off as rude, but I wanted to be prepared if there was something going on with them. Moolah hadn’t been in trouble in a long time, so he was overdue for a fuck up.

“Oh, no, they’re fine. I have some paperwork I need to go over with you. I figured it was best to do it in person so you wouldn’t be caught off guard later on.” My eyes squinted as I peered at him and the manilla envelope resting in his large hands.

“Okay. Boys, would you mind going upstairs and getting cleaned up? Dinner is running late, but all I have to do is cook the meat and set up all of the toppings.”

“Don’t worry about any of that, friend. I finished all of the meat and packed my lunch for tomorrow. I’ve already had two margaritas since you were napping, so I’m a little tipsy. I’ll give you space to talk to your baby daddy. Call me if you need me.” She raised her eyebrows, communicating something she wasn’t able to say out loud.

“Alright. Be safe, and text me to let me know you made it home safely. I love you.”

“I love you too, boo. You kids have fun.” She giggled, walking out of the house with a drink in her hand.

I waited until she made it to her car to close the door. She seemed stable enough to drive, but you could never be sure. Luckily, we shared our locations with one another and were also each other’s emergency contacts.

Once I stepped back into the living room, Dinero had already taken a seat on the couch. I wondered what was in the paperwork he brought for me, but I guessed I needed to see for myself.

“What is it that you need to talk to me about?”

“Well, I have a couple of things that we need to address. The first one is that I’ll be picking them up on Sunday so they can stay with me for the week. They wanted some extra practice training, and it’s easier to have them with me.”

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

“I’m giving you a heads up. I don’t need your permission to get my kids. Now, if you have something planned for them, I would take your plans into consideration, but that’s about it.” I frowned, not liking where this conversation was going.

“Obviously, we are not on the same page. I would never stop you from having a relationship with them, but you don’t run shit in my household. You can’t take them without talking to me first.” My attitude began to flare up, and that wasn’t good for anyone.

“See, that is where you’ve got me fucked up. Baby, this isn’t a one-sided deal. I have just as many rights to them as you do. Again, I owe you a conversation as a courtesy, but I don’t need your approval for shit.” He sneered, pissing me clean off.

“Why are you here? I preferred it when you stayed in the car.” I scoffed.

“I don’t give a fuck about your little attitude. You’re under the impression that because you’ve been around longer, you have more authority. I’m glad I got to see where your head is at because now I don’t feel bad about what happens next.”

“W-what are you talking about?”

“I planned to talk to you about joint custody so I could establish my rights and get the boys’ last names changed on their birth certificates. I thought it would be better if we talked about it so you wouldn’t be ambushed with a summons. Maybe you aren’t as mature as I thought you were.”

His words stung, and I realized that I needed to calm down and remove my emotions from this. Regardless of whether I agreed with how he said it, he wasn’t wrong. Legally, we were equal parents, so he should have just as much access to them as I do.

The selfish part of me grew afraid when he started using terms like rights because I took it as him trying to take them from me. This was the part of parenting where people made the most mistakes because they made it about themselves instead of what was best for the children. I refused to punish my children by making any more decisions based on my emotions.

“Hold on. Let’s start this conversation over. I’ve had a rough day, and I took it out on you. That isn’t fair, so I apologize.” Dinero peered at me with sympathetic eyes. “I’m used to being the only person who can make decisions for them, but I have to realize our circumstances have changed, and we all have to adjust. Show me the paperwork, and we can go over it.” I wiped my hands on my T-shirt, which covered my sleeping shorts.

“Look, I agree with everything you said, and I promise I’m not trying to step on anyone’s toes. All I want to do is legally establish that I’m their father. I have trust funds, properties, and life insurance policies that I want to add them to, since they are my children. If anything were to happen to me, I want to make sure they have access to everything so they won’t ever need anything.”

“Okay, I’m good with that. What about the custody?”

“I think joint custody would be the best option for us. I will still be providing for their financial needs in the form of child support, but I want joint custody. They can still live here primarily, but I want them to stay with me during the summer and most of their school breaks and holidays.”

“We’re gonna have to discuss holidays. I want them here for Christmas.”

“It’s your world. You know I’m not really big on holidays since I don’t have family. They can spend the morning with you and the evening with me. You can have them for Thanksgiving, but I’ll probably come by to see them.” My arms folded across my chest like a little baby. I didn’t like the idea of having to split the holidays with him, even though it was the right thing to do.

“Fine.” I pouted. He chuckled, shuffling through the rest of his papers.

“If you want, we can schedule a time for my lawyer to go over all of the paperwork with both of us so we can voice our concerns and make amendments where necessary. I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to take something from you. I want this to be fair and beneficial to all of us.” He sounded so professional and mature. Damn, I hated this.

“I would really appreciate it. Before I sign anything, I want to be clear about your rights and mine. I don’t mind you having them in the summer, but I can’t go three months without seeing them, so we need to have something in place that gives me visitation days; otherwise, I’ll be pulling up to your house and sitting in the driveway every week. I’m sure your wife wouldn’t appreciate that.” He chuckled, but I meant what I said. I’d never been apart from my kids for more than a weekend, and even then, they were with Tamia, so I could pop up whenever I wanted.

“I’m good with that, although I’m sure we can work out a schedule for them to come back home on our own. I’ll call Mark to set up the meeting, and you can let me know if it fits your schedule.”

“Yeah, okay.” My feelings were all over the place, and I wasn’t sure if they were due to this situation or this baby in my belly.

“Before you go, I need to talk to you about something else. Do you have time, or do you need to leave right now? I know you mentioned to the kids that you had somewhere you needed to be.” I prayed that he said yes so I could table this conversation for another day.

“Naw, I have time. What did you need to talk to me about?”

I sat there twiddling my thumbs, trying to come up with the right way to tell him the news. Instead of coming up with something, my silly ass blurted it out.

“I’m pregnant.” Dinero wasn’t the type to react quickly, so I wasn’t surprised when he paused.

“What did you say?” he asked, for clarity I assumed.

“I’m pregnant. I took a test a couple of hours before you brought the boys home, which was why I was in bed. I got sick earlier, and Tamia went and got the tests for me. Look, I understand if this is too much to process. Trust me, it came as a complete surprise when I saw the positive tests. I only told you because I didn’t wanna keep a secret from you again.”

He cleared his throat before speaking again. “Well, I appreciate the consideration. Are you cool? How are you feeling about the news?”

“I don’t really know yet. Babies are a blessing, and once it finally sets in, I’ll be able to answer that.”

“Understood. Well, I’m usually free during the daytime, so once you make your first appointment, send me the details. I want to make sure I have them in my schedule so I won’t miss anything.”

“It’s that simple, huh?”

“What do you mean?”

“I just told you that we’re having a baby, and you didn’t break a sweat. I thought you would freak out or ask if it’s yours. You’re taking this way better than I am, and I find that odd, considering you have the most to lose.”

“What is there to freak out about? I’m grown enough to understand how babies are made. What would I be upset about? As far as paternity is concerned, I don’t have any doubts about this baby being mine. I’ve been filling that pussy like a Twinkie for months. Plus, my dick is too good for you to be fucking somebody else.”

I scoffed. “Cocky much?”

“Not really. I just know what I know. And lastly, there isn’t anything I could ever lose that would be greater or more important than my kids. Fuck the bullshit. Nobody comes before them, and if anyone has a problem with it, they won’t be around.” He shrugged.

“I guess so.” I really wasn’t sure what else to say because my mind was still spinning from the news. I planned to make an appointment with my ob-gyn to confirm my pregnancy. Then maybe it would finally hit me.

“I need to get out of here. Is there anything else you need to talk about?”

“No.” I heard him chuckle as he stood up.

“You know you have nothing to worry about, right?” I looked up at him as he spoke.

“What makes you so sure?”

“This baby will be a blessing. It might not have been one we planned for, but I believe God does everything for a reason. After my daughter passed, I didn’t think I would ever want to love another child, and then Cash and Moolah came into my life. I’ve won so many awards, titles, and accolades over the years, but none of them compared to the role of being a father. You said they saved you when they were born, and to be honest, they’ve done the same for me. They give me a new sense of pride and purpose, and I believe this baby will do the same for us.”

“Maybe you’re right,” I admitted.

“I always am. I’ll check in with you later.” Dinero walked out of the door, leaving me with my thoughts.

When the twins were born, they gave me a new life, and it was possible this baby was created with the same purpose. Instead of going into this with fear, I would take this as a sign. There has to be some meaning behind all this, and I would embrace this new blessing of life.