3. Katniss
Katniss
I got the results of the paternity test hours ago but had not opened them. I didn’t see the need to because I knew what it would say. I took the test for his benefit only. I just got to my parents’ house to pick up my baby. I was tired as hell after I worked an overnight shift at the hospital. I was required to work a certain number of overnight shifts a month. I really didn’t mind, though, because of the shift differential.
My parents watched Ashtan when I had to work the late-night shift or Daisy sometimes. The day care that Ashtan went to was a twenty-four hour drop-in day care, but I rarely used them. I have a time or two, but it was only when I felt like my parents needed a break.
“Ashtan!” I called out when I walked in the door.
Seconds later, I heard the rushed footsteps of my little man. “Mama! Mama!” He cut the corner with one sock on, one pant leg pushed up, a hat on his head, and no shirt on. I guffawed as I picked him up and he laughed with me. “Hi! Hi!”
“Hey, my beautiful baby boy.” I kissed all over his face while I walked to the kitchen. “What are you wearing?”
My mother sat at the table in the kitchen bay window with a Kindle and cup of something. When she looked up at me, I laughed because of the look of agitation on her face. “Katniss, are you on birth control?”
“Mama! Why would you ask me that?” I laughed and was barely able to get the question out. “Don’t say that my baby is bad now. Remember, he’s just highly active.” I had to throw her words back in her face. Any time me or my dad made a mention about Ashtan being bad, she would quickly correct us.
She shook her finger at me. “No, I’m asking because if you’re not get on some. There is no way that little boy is ten months old and already doing and trying to do some of the things that he is,” she said with a raised brow. “You know the old folks say when a baby does that, it’s moving out the way for another one. I’ve seen Asher Kane and I would give that man a baby if I was younger and single. Get on birth control now before I be a grandmama of two.”
I put Ashtan down, then slapped my forehead. “Really, Mama! I can’t deal with you. First, me and Asher have no plans of messing with each other again.”
“Ma’am, did you plan to mess with him when you did and make my little highly active grandson?” she taunted. “I just want to know, because based on the story you told me, that was a number one fan experience.” A week after I told my parents I was pregnant, I gave my mother the real story of what happened. I should have never told her ass. My mother was also my best, older, wiser friend. “I’ll assume you got the paternity test results back and they were as you knew they would be.”
My face contorted to her question. I took a seat at the island so I could see Ashtan in his play space in the living room. “Of course they were. I know who my baby’s father is.”
“I’m just asking because I know the jittery feeling of taking a paternity test. You can know without a shadow of a doubt who your child’s father is, but that feeling is still there.” Her statement had me momentarily stuck. It implied that she had a paternity test done on me. When I asked her, she said, “I sure did when your daddy’s mother popped up like a demon. You know your stupid, dusty head granny doesn’t like me. I didn’t want to give her any reason to send her up yonder.”
I hated the loudness of the laughter that I let out, but she was right. My daddy’s mother hated my mother. It was weird because my daddy and his mother were never close. He was raised by his father who I adored. The story that was told to me was that his mother popped back up when he was in his late teens and wanted to be a part of his life. My parents already had me since they were teen parents. My grandmother blamed my mother for my father never truly taking much of an interest in getting closer to her.
Plus, my grandmother thought my mother was a young whore since she had me at fifteen. I’ve been around my grandmother a handful of times. She wasn’t my favorite person either because of the blatant disrespect I’ve witnessed her show toward my mother. I could see if my mother had ever done anything to her or was a subpar mother, but she wasn’t.
“Hey, my favorite girls.” My dad greeted us when he came into the kitchen. He gave each of us a forehead kiss. It wouldn’t be long before Ashtan realized he was in here and came running. “What y’all in here talking about?” he inquired after he retrieved a bottle of water from the refrigerator. My mother peeked at him, then put her eyes back on her Kindle.
“We were talking about your dusty head mama and the paternity test results.”
My father spit his water out. He stood next to my mama and peered down at her. “Raylen, I’m not about to play with you today.” He turned his head to face me. “Asher is Ashtan’s daddy?” When I nodded, he smiled. “Have you two spoken since the results?”
“No, we haven’t. I figured that he would reach out to me when he was ready.” I lifted my shoulders toward my ears. “He’s the one that wanted to be in his life.”
My father came over to where I sat, then placed his lips on my cheek. “Mind your passive aggressive attitude, Katniss. Asher didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, you did by blocking him from being in Ashtan’s life since birth.”
He walked off into the living room and called out to my son. I watched Ashtan get up to jump around at the sight of his granddaddy. My father’s reprimand hit me in a sore spot. When I told him I was pregnant and wasn’t going to tell Asher, he told me then that I was wrong, but never spoke of it again. To hear him say it again was a blow that I knew I deserved.
“Hey,” my mother called out. When I gave her my attention, she smiled. “I promise everything will be alright. Yes, you should have told him, but now Ashtan has a bigger village.” Her smile was reassuring. “Go upstairs and take a nap.”
I needed one because it was a night full of deliveries. Six babies were born tonight, one with complications. I loved what I did for a living. Becoming a labor and delivery nurse was the best life decision and adding on the doula certification made it mean more. When I was pregnant with Ashtan, I had a doula, and I loved her. She became my trainer and showed me everything that I know. I still went to her for guidance when I needed it.
“Alright, I’m going to jump in the shower first,” I told her. My room hadn’t changed much since I moved out of my parents’ house. When I had Ashtan, I stayed here for a few months until I moved into my bigger apartment. I kept clothes here for myself just in case I needed to stay after a late shift. Ashtan had his own room here with a lot of his own stuff.
I smiled at my father play wrestling with my son. If Ashtan wasn’t anything else, he would be a roughhoused little boy. My father made sure of it. After I gathered everything that I needed, I went to the hall bathroom. The shower was so amazing that I felt like I would fall asleep in it. The second I got back into my room, I sat on my bed with the towel wrapped around me to take a breath. A video call came in and I answered before I looked to see who it was.
“Damn, baby mama! You sexy right out da shower, but I kno dat,” Asher said as soon as the call connected. His bright smile that showed off his straight teeth made my middle wet. “I assume you got da results like I did, so when you wanna meet so we ca talk?”
Today his locs sat on top of his head in a man bun. It looked like he just left the barbershop because his lineup was fresh. Damn, my baby daddy is fine, fine! “If you’re free later we can get together. I just got off work not too long ago, so I’m about to go to sleep.”
The bridge of his nose scrunched. “I ain’t know you work at night. Where my son be at when you at work?”
I rolled my eyes before I spoke. “That makes sense that you didn’t know since you don’t know my work schedule. I don’t always work third shift, but I have to a few times a month.” I shifted my body on my bed to get more comfortable. “When I work late nights, my son…” He corrected my wording of Ashtan just being my son and not ours. “As I was saying, our son stays with either my parents, my best friend, Daisy, or on certain occasions the day care.”
He nodded his head, then tilted it. “Yeah, I ain’t like dat occasionally stayin at da day care. We ca talk bout dat later. You ca come to my crib wit lil man, if dat cool wit you.”
“Um, I guess that’s fine. What time were you thinking?” I asked. When he suggested six-thirty, I told him that would be fine. “I guess I’ll see you then, Asher.”
“Yeah, I’ll see you, love. Make sure you safe on dat road when you comin here,” he said before we said our goodbyes and disconnected the call. I have a child with Asher Kane Wilson. Wow!
Six-thirty came faster than I wanted it to. Asher sent me his address about fifteen minutes after we got off the phone. I took my nap, woke up, and let my parents know what was going on. My father made me share my location with him. He might be Asher Kane Wilson, pro footballer, but if he fuck with you, he’ll be Asher Kane Wilson, dead footballer. My father was crazy when it came to me, my mama, and now his grandson.
I wasn’t surprised at all that Asher lived in a high-rise in uptown Charlotte. He told me that I was added to the list to come up, so after I gave the building attendant my name, he buzzed me into the secondary door that led to the elevators. Nervous was not a strong enough adjective to describe how I felt as I rode the elevator up. Ashtan was too busy trying to press the buttons. When the elevator doors opened on the designated floor, I took a deep breath before I stepped off. Naturally, Ashtan wanted to walk, so I put him down.
Before I could knock on the door it came open. Jesus, be a panty liner. He stood in front of me in a wife beater, gray sweatpants, and house shoes. He had a scarf around his locs, but I still saw the top of his bun. “Wha going on?” Ashtan used his little hand to push Asher to the side or at least he tried to. “Oh, shit!”
Me and Asher laughed when Ashtan pushed past him. Asher moved to the side to let me in, then closed and locked the door behind me. “Sorry about that. He can be demanding at times,” I said before I grabbed Ashtan who had picked up the remote control. My father taught him how to turn the television on at their house, so he thought he could do it everywhere.
“You ain’t gotta apologize fa my boy. He get it from e daddy,” Asher said with a wink. “I think you know just how demanding I ca be though.” I rolled my eyes before I took the remote from Ashtan who showed his ass in my arms. “Aye, lil man. Wha wrong?”
Asher pulled Ashtan from my arms who still whined but settled down a bit. “Lemme get da remote.” I placed the remote in his hand when he reached for it. “Wha he like ta watch?”
“Um, he loves Gracie’s Corner .” I sat down on the couch. My heart warmed as I watched them interact with each other. Asher talked to Ashtan like they were the same age. Ashtan just looked at him and babbled baby words. “You can sit him on the floor, and he will sit still while we talk. He won’t move,” I told Asher.
He looked at me, Ashtan, then down at the floor. “Nah, he ca sit on the couch. I ga get some mats for da floor for him. I ain’t want him sittin on that hard ass wood floor like dat.” He sat Ashtan on the couch who was already zoned into his favorite show.
After I gave him his cup and puffs, Asher told me that we could talk at the kitchen island. I loved the layout of his condo. It was huge. My entire apartment could fit in his front room and kitchen. Asher got us bottled water before he joined me at the island. “So, now dat we know he’s my son, how you wanna do dis?”
I sat there for a second to think about his question. “I think it would be easier for you to make the suggestions since you have a more demanding career and schedule than I do. I’m pretty flexible,” I told him. “If there’s something I can’t do, my parents and best friend will help.”
He took a sip of his water before he nodded. “Bet, we ca do that. First, Ion want him at dat day care overnight. If ya mama and dem can’t watch em, let me know. I’ll watch em or my mama and dem.”
I adjusted myself in my seat. “Um, who exactly is dem, Asher?” I wasn’t sure if I was comfortable with my son being around people I didn’t know.
“Kat, what’s my mama, daddy, and sister name?” He gawked at me. When I didn’t answer he repeated the question.
I cut my eyes over to him. “Lina, Collin, and Tiara,” I answered. “Asher, just because I know your family’s name doesn’t mean I know them. I would feel more comfortable if I met them first before Ashtan stayed with them overnight.”
“Bet, dat can be arranged. Until den, if you gotta work overnight let me know and I’ll get em. If we gotta hire a nanny, we can do dat too.” I asked him about when he was out of town for games and stuff. He thought about it, then said, “I’ma give you my schedule. I know I’ma wan em to travel wit me from time to time. We can talk about dat closer to da season.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have told him that the suggestion ball was in his court. “Oh, okay. I guess we can work that out. I’ll add your name to the authorized pickup list at day care. You can get him whenever you want to, just text me to let me know that you have him.” I tittered. “I don’t want to panic if he’s not there and I didn’t know you were getting him.”
He tittered. “Dat makes sense.” His eyes shifted between me and Ashtan. “So, I was thinkin ten thousand a mont for child support right now. Dats enough?” he asked.
I almost fell out of my seat. “Asher, ten thousand dollars a month?” My head bucked back. “He’s ten months old. I don’t need that much money,” I said with a snicker. Yes, ten thousand a month would be amazing, but I wasn’t going to take advantage of the situation. “You can pay for his day care. That would help.”
“Da fuck you mean that would help? ” His neck cocked to the side. “We not ga do dis shit. If you ain’t wanna take da cash den I’ma pay your rent, my boy day care, and ya car note.” His eyes tightened like he dared me to say something. “I still ga give you at least five a mont for emergencies.”
My head dropped. With my head still down, I said, “Asher, what kind of emergency for a ten-month-old would cost five thousand dollars? That is absurd.”
He gaped at me for a minute. When he walked around the island over to Ashtan, and squatted down, I was confused. Ashtan took his eyes off the television and looked at his dad. Ashtan’s dad is Asher Kane. “Ashtan, why yo mama bein difficult? She ackin like she want me to do da bare minimum to take care of you. We ga have to tell her stop trippin.”
Ashtan burst into a fit of giggles when Asher tickled him. Our baby boy was extremely ticklish. After the tickling ended, Asher kissed all over his face for another eruption of laughter. Moments later, Ashtan settled back into his television show and Asher was back on the other side of the island. He took another sip of his water before he looked at me. “How you ca love someone so much and you just meet dem?”
My smile was wide. “Isn’t it the greatest thing?” For the next few hours, Asher, me, and Ashtan spent time together. I was shocked when he ordered groceries and cooked. I was ashamed to say that I never had red rice until that night. I heard of it, but never had it. He made the best fried chicken that I ever tasted, but I would never tell my mother that.
When it was time to leave, it was almost an argument because he didn’t want me to drive so late at night. It was only a little after nine. There were so many signs that Asher Kane was going to be a pain in my ass but a great father.
The Asher Kane Baby Daddy: Aye I’m having a bday party for my mama. I want you and my boy to come.
“So, the question is are you going?” Daisy asked for what seemed like the eleventh time. “You can act like you don’t hear me if you want to.” She mumbled something inaudible under her breath.
It had been a little over two weeks since the paternity test results. Asher had made it his business to see his son every day. The day after we met at his apartment, I added his name on the day care authorization list. That was a time within itself. The girl at the desk, Charia, asked too many questions for my liking when I told her to add him to the authorized pickup list. She added it, but she side-eyed me the entire time. I wondered if she had as many questions for Asher when he picked Ashtan up almost every day since.
“Daisy, I don’t even know when it is. I might have to work.” I was at work right now in Daisy’s office eating lunch. I loved that we worked at the same hospital. Since she was an administrator, she had an office. “Can I get myself together from last week first before I answer this?”
Daisy kissed her teeth. “Girl, you don’t have shit to get together. That paternity test said that was his son and he had his lawyer reach out to you to put him on the birth certificate and change his last name.”
Yep, last week Asher hit me up to let me know that his lawyer would reach out to me. I was confused but I said alright. When his lawyer, Mr. Stars, requested a video meeting with me, I asked my dad to join the meeting with me. Mr. Stars got straight to the point after his formal greeting. I was taken aback by the request and wanted to buck. My father spoke for me. Please send over the paperwork to my address and we will have it back to you by day’s end.
When we disconnected from the call, I was livid with Asher, his lawyer, and my father. How was my father making decisions for me? Last I remembered, I was Ashtan’s mother. My father once again, for the second time since my son was born, put me in my place.
“I’m going to tell you something as your father. I know you’re grown, and Ashtan is your son, however, I will not allow you to cheat Asher out of what is rightfully his. You’ve already cheated him out of ten months. All that man is asking for is to be on his son’s birth certificate and the last name to be changed to his. Let me explain something about legacy when it comes to boys.” He glared at me during the pregnant pause. “You are my daughter and I love you more than life. The fact remains that when you get married, the legacy of the Roland last name dies.
“A lot of men who are overjoyed about having boys are excited that their name legacy will continue. I understand that as a man and a father. Asher deserves that right to have his last name carry on with his son,” he concluded.
My father didn’t give me a chance to say anything back to him. He left me there in my feelings and my thoughts. Mr. Stars sent the papers over via carrier less than an hour later. I read over the papers and looked at them for over an hour and a half before I signed them. I had no legitimate reason to not sign them. My father was right. Asher had every legal right to be listed as his father. Now, the changing of the last name could be a debatable topic since me and him weren’t married, but I would let him have that.
“Girl, are we going?” Daisy was like a dog with a bone about going to this birthday party. I just got the text not too long ago, but she wanted me to decide immediately.
I giggled. “Oh, now it’s a we thing, huh?” Daisy was too much. “I see you’ve invited yourself.”
“You damn right I did,” she said with a tilted head. “You’re not going to block my dick opportunities. Some of his teammates might be there. You know I love rich dick, not too much though. At the least, I know there are going to be some fine ass, geechie cousins that I can get to tickle my middle.” She scoffed before she took a spoonful of her food. With food still in her mouth, she said, “Besides, you’re not taking my god-nephew nowhere like that without me.”
My phone vibrated on Daisy’s desk. I picked it up and rolled my eyes at my baby’s father texting me once again. You would have never been able to tell me that one day Asher Kane Wilson would get on my nerves.
The Asher Kane Baby Daddy: Kat I know you seen my text. Don’t make me come find you. Oh I getting Ashtan from day care today.
I wasn’t surprised that he would pick our son up from day care. “This man is going to get on my nerves.” I glanced up at my best friend who gave me a blank stare. I knew the unanswered question. “Fine, we can go.”
Me: Yes I saw your text. You know I’m at work so I could be busy. Yes we will come to your mom’s party. I’m bringing Daisy. Ok I figured you were going to get Ashtan. I’ll text you when I’m off and you can bring him to me or I’ll come get him.
The Asher Kane Baby Daddy: I’ll bring him to you. Ion want you on the road that late with him.
He knew my schedule because he requested that I give it to him. He claimed it was just for co-parenting purposes. He gave me his spring practice schedule as well as the tentative games schedule. His ass asterisked the away games that he wanted Ashtan at.
After the text conversation was over, I put the phone back where it was before. “I told him we were going to come to the party. He’s getting Ashtan today.”
Daisy blushed. “I love the love that he gives my god-nephew. I’m not sure what God was doing in the midst of you and Asher’s nasty sinning, but he did that. When the bible said he’ll work it out for your good, it meant that.” She did a little shimmy in her seat with her eyes closed, then threw her hands up and said hallelujah.
Oh, It’s Party Time or Is It…
I must have changed me and Ashtan ten times before Daisy came to pick us up for Asher’s mother’s birthday party. I found out yesterday that it was a crab crack. I’d never been to a crab crack, so this would be interesting. Based on the address, they rented out a clubhouse at a park.
“There are so many people here,” I mumbled when Daisy pulled up to the park.
There had to be fifty or more cars out here. People were along the side. Some had made their own parking spaces just like Daisy did.
“Yes, Lord! Look at those sexy, sweaty men on the basketball court. I’m about to go over there and be a cheerleader for the finest one,” Daisy said with a serious tone.
I ignored her to get out of the car and get my baby boy who was engulfed with trying to take his sneaker off. Ashtan was in a recent stage where he hated shoes and clothes. I’d resorted to making sure he had a onesie on under all his outfits because the outer layer would eventually come off. When I walked around the Jeep, Daisy’s crazy ass was stretching. I swear if this girl really goes over there and cheers, I’m taking her keys and leaving.
“Daisy, I swear if you embarrass me out here in front of these people, you’re gonna know something,” I quipped. If she did start cheering, I knew that it would be legit because she was a cheerleader since she was young in school, in college, and on a competition squad. She legit still could tumble like a gymnast. I pulled out my phone to text Asher.
Me: We’re here.
The Asher Kane Baby Daddy: Come inside the building. I’m sitting near the door at the spades table.
This was like a real family type crab crack barbeque. From where the car was parked, I saw the damn grill, this big fryer, and another huge pot thing that I assumed was for the seafood. Daisy followed me to the building with Asher’s baby bag across her body. When we walked into the building, I felt like all eyes were on me. There were about ten tables with people playing cards and dominoes. I saw a good number of Cougar players, but from the dialect that I heard, a majority of the people were from the Lowcountry.
The moment Asher saw me, he stopped his game, got up, then came to us. Ashtan reached out for him as soon as he was in our space.
“What up, daddy’s boy?” He kissed all over Ashtan’s face to bring the giggles out of him.
“Asher, who dat is?” Someone at the table that he sat at asked. Before he could answer, who I knew as his sister, Tiara, came over with the most genuine and widest smile.
She reached out and grabbed Ashtan. From my son’s reaction, it was clear that he’d been around her just as much as his daddy.
“Give me my nephew.” She kissed his face as well. “Hey, auntie’s baby.”
The guy who inquired about who I was must have overheard her. “Yo, dat you baby? Boy, no! When you get a baby?”
Asher shifted his body toward the table. “Ten months ago, nigga.” Someone sat in Asher’s seat to finish his game. “Mind ya business, Ant.”
“Oh, I ga mind my business and yours, nigga,” Ant said with a laugh. “Let me fin out we doin baby debuts at da family cookout.”
I snickered a little bit because of nervousness. Before either of us could say anything, an older woman approached who favored Asher. “Tiara, Asher, who baby dat is?”
It was clear now that Asher gave no one a heads up that he had a damn son outside of his sister. My eyes narrowed at him. His facial expression was apologetic before he closed his eyes, then turned to his mother. “Mama, dis my son.”
The shock on her face was easily seen. She didn’t get a chance to say anything before some female jumped up. “Oh, hell fuckin no!” She moved closer to us. “Asher, who da fuck is dis ho? I know good and damn well you ain’t get no groupie bitch pregnant.”
Like I knew she would, Daisy removed the baby bag from her body and dropped it to the floor. “Bitch, you must have my best friend confused with your ho ass mama. Get fucked up in front of your people, ugly ass girl!”
The girl didn’t say anything when she jumped at Daisy. Like the fighter she was, Daisy was ready. Her fist connected with the center of the girl’s face.
“Oh shit!” Asher yelled and pushed me and Tiara, who still held my son, out of the way.