Chapter 24 #3
“So school let out, and we walked to that back gate like it was SmackDown Live. I started talking heavy. I’m puffin’ my chest out, trying to sound like a grown man, saying shit like, ‘You got one more time to smile at my girl, and I’m putting you in a coma.’”
“And what happened?” Isis asked, eyes wide like she was at a movie.
I sighed, shaking my head. “Mane, Derrick ain’t say nothing.
That nigga adjusted his glasses, set his book down like he ain’t wanna lose his page, and rocked my shit out.
That nigga hit me so hard I saw Jesus sitting on the side of the gate like, ‘Damn, son.’ I was laying on the ground trying to remember my locker combo and my mama’s number at the same time. ”
Of course, Adrian was laughing the hardest. “Was it a lot of people out there?”
“Nah, it was after school, so only a few folks saw it. But I was laid out so long the janitor tried to sweep me up. That nigga gave me a trash bag and told me to pick myself up… said I looked like litter.”
“Not a trash bag!” Isis cackled.
“I didn’t go back outside for recess for two weeks. I even broke up with ol’ girl the next morning, too. Told her straight up, ‘Go be with that lil’ warrior. Y’all have a nice life.
“Did you ever talk to Derrick again?” Chesteria asked.
“I ain’t even look in his direction. That boy was out here folding bodies like laundry and still making’ A’s.”
Isis covered her mouth, tears in her eyes. “You still scared of him?”
“Hell nah!” I answered, almost offended. “That nigga can’t fuck with the nigga I am today. Besides, I don’t fight no more; I shoot.”
Everyone burst out laughing.
“Nah, for real,” I added, grinning. “I’m grown. I carry trauma, bills, and a Glock. Pick which one you wanna deal with. And real talk, if I knew where the nigga stayed, I’d send ‘em a Father’s Day card. That ass whoopin’ raised me.”
Everyone laughed again.
Adrian leaned back a little, voice softening just a notch.
“Man, I just hope these roads start clearing up by tomorrow, at least. I gotta see my babies for Christmas. Ain’t no way I’m missing’ that.
Say what you want ‘bout me. I might lie, might finesse, might even flirt with somebody’s mama if she smiles too hard at me, but I’m a damn good father.
Ain’t a soul alive gon’ take that from me. ”
The room got quiet for a beat. Chesteria glanced up. Something in her eyes flickered. It was a quick, unspoken ache. She masked it fast, but not fast enough. Her eyes briefly drifted to the fire, then she suddenly stood.
“I’ma head to bed.”
All eyes went on her.
“You good?” I asked, frowning slightly.
“Yeah, yeah,” she replied too quickly. “I just need to lay down. Y’all stay, keep laughing. I’m good.”
She disappeared down the hallway, her steps soft but heavy.
I sat there for a beat longer, her absence loud. Then I stood. “I’ma go check on her.”
Adrian and Isis gave me a look, like they both knew… like we all knew.
I walked down the hall and knocked gently on the door. “Chesteria, it’s just me.”
A pause.
“Come in,” she called softly.
I opened the door halfway. She was already in bed, tucked under the covers, her back to me, facing the window.
“You didn’t have to check on me.”
“I wanted to.”
“I’m okay.”
I leaned against the doorframe. “You always say that when you’re hurting.”
Chesteria let out an empty, brittle, and breathy laugh. “That’s ‘cause I don’t like being a burden.”
“You never been one… not to me.”
She finally turned more toward me, hesitant. “Can you… stay? Just for a little while? Lay with me?”
She didn’t have to tell me twice. I stepped inside and closed the door like it weighed less than the moment.
My heart was already in the bed before I was.
After kicking off my slides, I eased under the covers next to her, slowly.
To keep it respectful, I grabbed a pillow and tucked it between my dick and her ass.
Chesteria chuckled, softly. “Really, Bryce?”
I smirked. “I’m trying to be a gentleman.”
She rolled her eyes, but it held gratitude. Then my voice lowered. “But for real… what’s really wrong? Talk to me.”
Her voice, when it came, was a whisper. “Just… what Adrian said about Christmas and his babies… it reminded me of Journey.”
My chest tightened. “I think about her too,” I admitted quietly. “More than I say out loud.”
Chesteria turned to face me fully, her eyes glassy. “Bryce… where did we go wrong?”
I swallowed. My throat felt thick, like guilt had climbed up and refused to let grace pass. “I should’ve been there.”
Chesteria didn’t interrupt. She let me speak, like she needed to hear it as much as I needed to say it.
“I thought I had time. That’s the dumbest thing in the world, ain’t it? I kept telling myself she wasn’t due yet… and I thought I had time to handle some things first. I didn’t wanna be the man who failed you financially, but I ended up failing you emotionally instead.”
Tears slipped from her eyes, and she didn’t wipe them.
I continued. “By the time I got that call… everything changed. You had already gone through it—alone—and I missed it.”
Chesteria’s voice broke, soft and sharp all at once. “Bryce, I hated you for a long time, but not just because you missed her birth.” She paused, her chest rising uneven. “I hated that you didn’t fight for us after.”
“I thought I didn’t deserve you after that. I figured you were better off not looking at me… not having to remember the pain every time you saw my face.”
She looked at me long and hard. “But I wanted you to fight.”
“I know that now, but back then, I was too ashamed to stand in front of you and pretend like I was still the man you said yes to.”
Chesteria laid her head on my chest, letting the sound of my heart say what words couldn’t.
Silence again. But that time, it was tender.
“We’re still parents, right?” she asked.
I nodded. “Always.”
“I still have her onesie, the blanket, and the necklace you bought her in a box,” she let me know.
Her fingers slowly reached out and brushed against mine; not a grab… just contact.
Chesteria’s eyes met mine, then she let out a soft, tired, and hollow laugh. “You know… maybe us ending up here together was needed… for closure.”
I exhaled, eyes heavy. “Is it closure… or is it something else?”
She shrugged, solemnly. “I guess time will tell. But for now… let’s just rest. I do appreciate you just being here, though.”
I pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. “I’ll be here as long as you need me to. Goodnight, C Baby.”
“Goodnight, Bryce.”
We didn’t kiss or do anything dramatic. We just laid there, facing each other, grieving together, finally breathing together.
Eventually, Chesteria’s breathing evened out, and mine did too.
Somewhere between the tears and truths, we fell asleep in each other’s arms. And for the first time in a long time, it felt like peace.