Chapter 6
I tossed and turned the whole night with the idea of having a baby with a woman I didn’t know.
I didn’t even know her real name when I slept with her, and now I had to figure out how to coparent with her.
Was that something I even wanted? Kids were never on my radar, but I didn’t do anything to prevent that last time we had sex.
I couldn’t help myself, but I knew better.
I had too many questions that only London could answer, but I wasn’t ready to talk to her yet.
I needed more time to process this. I needed to talk to my boys and my parents.
I already knew my mother would be ecstatic with the possibility of a grandchild, especially a girl.
I’d lost track of the number of times she asked me when I planned on settling down and having children.
No matter how many times I told her it wasn’t happening, she insisted it would one day, and her dream had finally come true.
I lived in a one-bedroom apartment, so I didn’t even have room for a baby and all the things that came with them. My life would have to be drastically adjusted.
“Pump your brakes, G,” I said to myself. I needed to figure some shit out first.
After I showered and was dressed, I headed out to the park. Since I was there before the guys, I did a quick workout and walked around to try and clear my head.
I could picture the little girl London showed me, and I had to admit that she looked kind of like me, but also like her mother.
Speaking of my potential baby mama, London was fine as shit.
Her hair was shorter than it was that night, but I fucked with it.
I had a flashback of the night we shared when I saw the way the red dress hugged her body.
Her toasted caramel skin glistened under the lights in the restaurant.
The minute I approached the table, something citrusy hit my nose, and I knew it was her.
It was the same scent that stayed in my nose for at least two months after we parted ways.
I tried to figure out what it was but never could.
Even if I did, I didn’t think it would smell the same on anyone but her.
“Yo!” Devin and Vincent approached me, snapping me out of my thoughts of London.
I liked her name, too, better than Lisa.
“What’s the emergency? Are you dying?” Vincent asked as he slapped my hand.
“Damn, why was the worst thing your first choice?”
Vincent shrugged as Devin and I gave each other dap.
“What’s going on, though, G? I had to leave a shorty at my house for this, so it better be good,” Devin said as he sat on the bench.
Vincent sat next to him, and I decided to stand. I had to see their faces when I told them.
“I got a kid.”
They both stared at me, then laughed too damn loud. When they noticed I didn’t even crack a smile, they got themselves under control.
“This nigga for real,” Devin said as he pointed at me.
“G, we have known you for forever, and not once have I ever heard you say you wanted kids, so how did we get here?”
They were both there the night I met London, and they knew I ended up with her before the night was over. I never told them about not using a condom that last time. I told them about my date with London and the story she told me about our daughter.
“So how do you know for a fact that’s your baby?” Devin asked when I was done.
“I can’t say I know for a fact, but I believe it. I saw pictures, and she looks like me. Her name is Paris, and she’s eight months. The timeline tracks, and I did slide in her raw, so it’s possible.”
Paris not being mine didn’t cross my mind, but Devin’s question had doubt creeping in. London could have been lying, but I didn’t think she was. What would be the reason? She knew where I worked, so it wasn’t like she thought I had a lot of money or something.
I could tell she had her own money just by the slight jewelry she wore the first night and what she had on at our date.
She had on a gold Movado watch, so I knew she wasn’t hurting for money.
She also didn’t know anything about me until our date, so it wasn’t like she sought me out.
The only way it could be a lie was if she had sex with another man around the same time, and she didn’t know where he was.
Since I was right there, maybe she wanted to pin the baby on me.
None of that made sense, though. I truly believed Paris was mine.
“Yes, it’s possible, but I think you should find out for a fact,” Vincent suggested.
“And you definitely should do it before you and the baby get attached to each other. If this chick has her head on straight, and she knows that you are the father, she shouldn’t have a problem with doing a DNA test.”
“Yeah. It probably is a good idea.” I sat down on the bench next to them. I rubbed my hand over the top of my head. “This shit is crazy,” I told them.
“It is, but you know we got you. And if she is yours, you know her uncles are going to spoil her. In the meantime, let’s shoot hoops to take your mind off it for a minute,” Devin said as he stood.
I had no doubt that my boys would support me if Paris was mine. Neither of them had kids, but they both wanted them. I was the odd man out of the trio. What a twist of events. The man who didn’t want kids might be the first one with a child.
The three of us played ball for a little bit before we parted ways. I told them I would keep them posted on everything. By the time I left them, I still wasn’t sure of what to do.
Hopefully, my parents would be able to give me some insight.
I didn’t want to wait too long to get back to London and she thought I was a deadbeat.
If Paris was mine for a fact, I would definitely be in her life in any way London allowed me.
I wouldn’t be opposed to being in London’s life either.
My dick got hard when we sat at that dinner table, but her news made me go soft.
That didn’t mean I wasn’t physically attracted to her. I very much still was.
I’d stopped at home to shower and change, then headed to my parents’ house. My parents, Cynthia and Grant, had been married for almost forty years. They wanted more children, but it wasn’t in the cards for them, so I was their only hope in expanding our family.
I rang the doorbell when I arrived and waited for my father to answer the door.
I knew it would be him, because he was very protective of my mother, and he didn’t want her answering the door if he was home.
He said if someone came to their house on some bullshit, they would meet him and his shotgun before they got a chance to even see my mother.
“I already know some shit ain’t right if you are showing up this early,” my dad jested as soon as he opened the door.
“Dang, Pops. How do you know I just ain’t want to spend some time with y’all?” I hugged my dad, then stepped inside.
“I know you, Gen. Your mom has been anxious since you said you were coming by, so come and tell us what it is before she explodes.” He laughed as we walked into the living room.
“Genesis.” My mother cooed as she walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist.
I hugged her and kissed the top of her head. My mother was a stay-at-home mom, so we had a close relationship. I was close to my dad as well, but my mother was my heart.
“What do you have to tell us? Are you finally having a baby?” She removed her arms from my waist and grabbed my hand, then forced me to sit on the couch next to her.
“Um, that’s exactly what happened. She’s already here, though.”
“She?” my dad asked as my mom damn near screamed.
Multiple questions flew from my mother’s mouth so quickly, I couldn’t respond to them. She wore a shocked and happy expression, while my dad looked concerned.
“Baby, let the boy speak,” my father suggested as he grabbed my mother’s hand.
“You’re right. Sorry. I got so excited. Tell us everything.” Excitement danced in my mother’s eyes.
I took a deep breath and told them everything just as I’d told my friends. I didn’t leave a detail out. I normally didn’t talk to my parents about my sex life, but I didn’t hide things from them either.
It didn’t take long to tell them since London and I’d only had two encounters. I even told them that Devin and Vincent suggested a DNA test.
“I have to agree with them. Not to say that this young lady is lying, but you don’t know anything about her, so it makes sense,” my father said. “I shouldn’t have to tell you that no matter how good the coochie is, you still should have wrapped up.”
“Really, Pops?”
“Yes, Genesis, really. You’re lucky that all you got was a kid.”
My father had no filter at all, but he was right. I got tested regularly, so I knew I hadn’t caught anything, but I could have.
“While I am excited about the possibility, I agree with your father.” My mom cut in. “Do you have any pictures? What’s her name? How old is she?”
“No pictures, but I did see what she looked like, and she does favor me. Her name is Paris, and she’s eight-months-old.”
My mother gushed about how cute it was that the baby was Paris and the mom was London. She wanted to meet her, but she said she would wait because she didn’t want to get attached for nothing.
“Yeah, I’m going to reach out to London. I want to meet Paris, but I do agree with testing first. I feel it in my gut that she’s mine, though.”
“That’s good. You know we will support you,” my father added.
“I know. As a matter of fact . . .” I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I wasn’t sure what London had going on, so I just sent her a text.
Me:
I’m ready to meet Paris, but I want us to talk as well.
After I pressed send, I had another thought.
Me:
Maybe we should talk first.
I didn’t want to meet Paris, then London got mad about the DNA test. If she was okay with it, I was okay with meeting Paris before it.
The ball was officially in her court, so I’d wait to see what she wanted to do.