Chapter 4
FOUR
“How you feeling?” Winter asked; sympathy dripping from her voice.
Tuesday cradled the phone between her shoulder and ear as she scrambled eggs in the pan before moving to cut up some fruit.
“I didn’t sleep at all,” she confessed.
Yesterday had completely thrown her for a loop.
She had hoped she would run into Biggie again, but it didn’t make it any less of a surprise that yesterday was the day it had to happen.
She could tell he was in denial about Wallis being his son, and she couldn’t blame him.
They didn’t know each other at all, but she could tell the moment acceptance bit him in the ass.
Their son looked just like him. He couldn’t deny him even if he wanted to.
“I honestly don’t blame you. I can’t believe he just popped up like that,” Winter commented.
Tuesday placed the phone on speaker so she could finish up with breakfast before glancing over her shoulder at Wallis, who sat at the table drawing on his tablet and waiting for his food.
“Same, and Mama didn’t make it any better, asking me why I didn’t make him take the DNA test right then and there. I’m glad she didn’t know what was going on until after he left.”
Winter giggled.
“Now you know Mama Celia don’t play about you or her grand baby.”
“I know.” Tuesday sighed. “But I threw a lot at him yesterday. I didn’t want to be a bitch about it and demand he step up to the plate right then and there.”
“I just hope he calls you today and doesn’t disappear again.”
Tuesday had to agree with that. After Biggie left, she realized she should have gotten his number.
She glanced over at Wallis again and felt a pain in her heart as she realized she may have failed him by not getting more information from Biggie.
She wanted Wallis to have a father so bad.
He deserved that. She knew what it was like to grow up without a dad, and she didn’t want that for her child.
“Same. I—”
Her phone beeped, showing an unknown caller coming through, and she froze.
“Oh my gosh! I think he’s calling. It’s an unknown caller.”
“Answer it, crazy! Call me back!”
Before Tuesday could say anything Winter had hung up, so she took a deep breath and answered the call.
“Hello?”
“Y’all up?”
It was Biggie. Her heart raced as she took the eggs off the burner and set them aside.
“Uh…yeah.”
“Bet. Text me your address. I’ma come pick you and…Wallis up. Be ready in an hour.”
She opened her mouth to ask questions on what they would be doing and if he thought they needed to talk more before they had a whole family day, but the call disconnected, indicating that he hung up.
Tuesday glanced back at Wallis once again, and her heart felt a huge amount of joy for her son.
The way he responded to Biggie yesterday had her emotional well into the night.
But then fear gripped her because she really didn’t know Biggie.
She didn’t know if he would be a good father, and her first priority was to make sure Wallis was good.
She knew she and Biggie would have to hash a lot out, but the first step she needed to take was to feed Wallis and then get both of them dressed.
She made their plates consisting of eggs, toast, bacon, and fresh fruit before sitting at the table with him.
“Tablet off, baby.”
Wallis pushed his tablet away, and she turned it off before saying grace with him and digging in. She picked at her food while she watched him, and when he was halfway finished, she asked, “Do you want to see…your daddy again today?”
The way his eyes lit up told her he wanted it more than anything before he could even nod his head.
She had a hard time calling Biggie Wallis’s father because she wasn’t even sure Biggie would claim Wallis.
The last thing she wanted to do was crush her baby’s feelings if Biggie decided to go ghost again.
But the way Wallis knew who Biggie was made her want to be upfront with him and pray for the best.
Wallis was still so young, so she never really had a talk with him about his father. It surprised the hell out of her that he even knew what to call Biggie.
“He’s coming to get us soon, so finish eating so we can get ready.”
Wallis nodded, enthusiastically before digging in, making Tuesday smile through her growing anxiety.
It had only been a couple of minutes since Biggie texted her that he was outside. Currently, she stood locking her door and holding onto Wallis’s hand.
Noticing Biggie’s black truck by the curb, she slowly walked toward her Acura to grab Wallis’s car seat. Nerves danced around her body, and she had to keep reminding herself to take deep breaths.
Biggie startled her when he appeared at her side and grabbed the car seat from her after she had taken it out.
Before she could say anything, Wallis waved his little hand and chirped, “Hi!”
Biggie smiled down at Wallis and held his large fist out for a dap.
“‘Sup, lil man?”
Unsure of what to do with Biggie’s fist, Wallis patted it once before hiding behind his mom’s pant leg.
Tuesday giggled while Biggie shook his head.
“He’s gon’ have to hang wit’ me more. Don’t even know how to dap. How old is he?”
He turned and walked toward his truck, causing Tuesday to rush after him with Wallis in tow.
“He’s two. His birthday is March seventh.”
Biggie nodded before opening the back door.
“How you put this in?”
Tuesday instructed him before they got Wallis buckled in. As soon as they climbed in the front seat, and Biggie pulled away from the curb she asked, “Where are we going?”
“I found a clinic. Figure we can swing by there before going to the park or something. What does he like to do?”
Tuesday was surprised that he wanted to go to the clinic, but in a good way. Judging by his reaction yesterday, she thought for sure she would have to convince him to step up, but he seemed more willing than she initially thought.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I know this is a lot.”
He nodded.
“It is. Ain’t gon’ lie…you have my head fucked up. But I know I can’t be mad at you. You ain’t know how to find me. If he’s mine, which, for the record, I can’t really deny him. He looks just like me, but what I mean is if he’s mine I wish I could have known him from conception.”
“Me too,” she whispered. Tears filled her eyes again because he had no idea how badly she wished for that as well, but she was so grateful he came to find her because Wallis could have come out of this never knowing his father.
“He likes the park. He likes going to the movies, too. He’s young, but he sits still if it’s something he’s interested in.
He’s a good kid. He was really excited about seeing you, so I’m sure whatever we do he’ll love. ”
Biggie nodded, and they fell into a comfortable silence. When they finally pulled up to the clinic, he found a parking spot but didn’t turn the car off right away. Finally, he glanced at her profile.
“How was your pregnancy? Was it hard?”
A laugh bubbled up and spilled out of her.
“It was the worst. I don’t ever want to go through that again. It was worth it though.”
She twisted to look at her son, who was looking out the window.
It startled her when Biggie’s hand covered hers in her lap. She looked up at him.
“I’m sorry.”
She blinked at him.
“For what?”
“Not being there. I know we didn’t know each other like that, and I won’t lie, I don’t even fuck with women on a deep level or nothing like that, but if I had known, I would have made sure you were straight.
I’m not the kind of nigga to not give a fuck.
I hope in time, while I’m gettin’ to know my son, we can also get to know each other and come to a good understanding. ”
It was the first time she heard him refer to Wallis as his son, and her heart melted. She wanted this for her baby so bad, and she was so thankful at that moment.
“This isn’t your fault. We were two adults who made a decision. I won’t call my son an accident because I believe everything happens for a reason, but I do know it’s nobody’s fault.”
Biggie nodded, and they got out of the car. The clinic visit didn’t take long at all, and the lady who administered the test let them know it would only take two to three business days for them to get the results.
A huge relief lifted from Tuesday’s shoulders as they left. When they got back in his huge vehicle, Biggie’s phone rang, and he answered it before pulling out of the parking lot.
“What’s good, Demo?”
“Aye, I just got word that Antonio is causing a scene at the trap. I need you to meet me there.”
Biggie glanced at Tuesday and then sighed.
“Aight, man. I got Tuesday and Wallis with me, so I need this shit to be cool.”
“Got you,” Demo said before hanging up.
“I need to make a quick stop before we go to the park,” he said, merging onto the street, praying this shit didn’t take up more time than it needed to.