Page 15 of Pieces of Us

Morgan

T he Past

“What?” I asked my father, not believing what he wanted me to do.

“You heard me.”

“Gio—” my mom started, but he cut her off.

“It’s done, May. She has already strayed away from the word of God, getting pregnant by that heathen when I did all I could to show her the right way.

1 st Corinthians 9:6 through 10 says ‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived.Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, norhomosexuals, norsodomites,nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.’ You have defiled your temple, and you’re now about to have a baby out of wedlock.

You will not tell him about this, and I mean it, Morgan. ”

“Mom, please?” I begged her. I needed her to have my back on this. “I know what I did was wrong, but Nehemiah isn’t who you think he is!”

“He’s a heathen! A sinner! One who will get you and my grandchild killed. I forbid you to see him or talk to him. I promise if I find out that you told him, I’m going put him and his family away for life!”

“Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!” I blurted out. “You’re a sinner too, Daddy. I know you’ve done things that God doesn’t approve of either! We all make mistakes, but to make me keep his child away from him isn’t right.”

“She’s right, Gio. You need to think about this,” my mom agreed.

“The difference between my sins and his is that I repented and gave my life over to the Lord. I didn’t have children out of wedlock, and I’ve learned from my mistakes.”

“You can’t do this,” I said, shaking my head.

“I already have. It’s done, Morgan. If you disobey me, I will shun you and go forth with what I promised. Mark my words.”

I cried as I sat in front of my father, hoping he’d disappear. I’d never wish death on him, but I prayed he moved out and far away from me.

“You will regret this decision, Gio. This is going to come back around, and then what will you do?” Mom asked.

“Exactly what I said I’d do. Now, I don’t want to talk about this anymore.

You will find a nice, wholesome man who won’t mind helping you raise the baby.

Go to your room and read the book of 1 st Corinthians.

Hopefully, that will make you realize the mistake you’ve made and repent about it. Good night.” He shooed me away.

I stood and glared at him.

“I hate you!” I yelled before rushing off to my room and slamming the door.

Moments later, Drue entered my room as I cried into my pillow.

“It’s going to be okay, Mo. I’m here, and I always will be.”

“I hate him, Drue.”

“Hate is a strong word, Sister.”

“I don’t care. I love Nehemiah. I know he’ll be a good dad. It’s not fair.”

“I know, but I’m here. I’ll be your baby’s daddy.”

She smiled down at me as I laid my head in her lap.

My heart told me to tell him anyway, but I knew my father would have him and his family locked up.

I didn’t want that for them, especially not Nehemiah.

He had ambition and was going places. I would never do anything to jeopardize his future.

So, with a heavy heart, I had to relent to my father’s request.

“Mommy, is everything okay?”

I hurriedly wiped my tears with the sleeve of my sleep shirt and placed the cork on my wine bottle. I looked over at Megan in the entrance of the kitchen and smiled.

“Yeah, Gingerbread. My allergies are just acting up.”

“Mom, you don’t have allergies.”

She crossed her arms and hiked her brow. I chuckled as I waved her inside the kitchen. I patted my lap, and she sat down, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her tight.

“You want to talk about it?” she asked.

“First, I want to know what you’re doing up. It’s late, and you have school in the morning.”

“I can’t sleep. It’s been three days, and Dad hasn’t been home. You haven’t been sleeping, and you’ve been crying since Mariah and I came back from Auntie Drue’s house…even though you tried to hide it.”

I sighed deeply. “You know I love you more than anything, right?”

“Of course, I do. You’re the best mom a girl could have. You know you can talk to me about anything.”

I smiled. “I do. I’m glad you said that because I need to tell you something. Sit in the chair for me.”

She stood from my lap and took a seat in the chair next to me. I took her hand, kissing the back of it.

“Things are about to change for us. I don’t want to keep you in the dark anymore about what’s going on and what has happened. You’re smart, so I know you have some sort of clue what’s going on.”

“You and Dad getting a divorce?”

I nodded. “We are.”

“Why?”

“ That I won’t tell you, but just know that he’ll still be around for you girls. He just won’t be staying here anymore.” She was quiet as I stared at her. “What are you thinking? Tell me how you feel.”

“I don’t know how I feel. I guess I’m sad that he won’t be living with us anymore, but I know he did something to hurt you. I’m hoping that, with time, you’ll forgive him.”

“I already forgave him, but we won’t be getting back together.”

“I’m sorry he hurt you.”

She leaned her head on my shoulder as I kissed her forehead.

I struggled with finding a way to tell her about Nehemiah.

That clock was ticking. Friday was two days away, and I only had until then before Nehemiah made good on his promise.

I closed my eyes and prepared myself to tell my daughter her origin story. Shit, this was hard.

“Can I tell you a story?”

She nodded.

“There was this young girl who attended Churchill Academy for her freshman year of high school. She was quiet and didn’t say much, but she was new, so that made her shy and quiet.

However, she made friends with this girl named Chelsea that first day.

Chelsea was pretty, vibrant, and popular.

The new girl didn’t understand why she wanted to be friends with her of all people, but she was grateful for her because she felt her good energy.

Anyhoo, Chelsea had a brother, and goodness… he was so fine!”

We both giggled.

“The new girl used to watch him on the football field every time they had practice because she became a part of the track team. She was literally a schoolgirl with a huge crush. She never said anything to him, and every time he’d look her way, she’d look away from him and her cheeks would heat up.”

“Why didn’t she just talk to him? It’s what I would have done.”

“Oh really?” I asked, looking at her skeptically.

“Mom…focus.” I smiled and held up my palms. “You always tell me to go for what I want. It’s clear the girl wanted him, so why didn’t she just talk to him?”

I chuckled. “Well, back in my day, us girls didn’t approach the boys.

Your papa always said, ‘A man who findeth a wife, findeth a good thing,’ so we stood on that.

Now, back to the story. One day, he approached her, and she almost fainted!

The first thing he said to her made her heart do backflips. ”

“What did he say?”

My baby was invested. I was hoping this story would end with her understanding the dynamic in which she came about. I didn’t want to hurt my baby. She was the best thing to ever happen to me.

“He said, ‘My girl doesn’t have to stare at me. She can always talk to me, and I’ll be there to listen.’”

“So lame!” She giggled.

“Hey! Back then, those words were swoon-worthy, okay? Especially with her crush saying those words to her.”

“Ugh, I guess. So, let me guess…they end up dating?”

“They absolutely do. They dated for the three years he had left because he was a sophomore when they met. Now, the girl’s father was very strict. She wasn’t supposed to be dating, but the boy made her feel so safe, secure, and beautiful.”

And gosh did he make me feel beautiful .

“He didn’t pressure her to do anything she didn’t want to do, and he always bought her things…

like thoughtful gifts and gave her money.

Their young love was so precious that when the haters started to take notice of their magical chemistry, even they couldn’t penetrate their bubble…

” My voice trailed off just thinking about those precious moments that we spent together.

“Mom,” Megan called out, snapping me back to reality.

“Sorry, baby.” I looked at the time on my phone. “It’s late. You should get to bed.”

“Aww, Mom! You can’t stop the story when it’s getting good. I want to know what happens next. I’m not even sleepy. Besides, I know there’s a point you’re trying to make.”

“You’re right, but the story gets crazy after that. The girl’s father found them in an uncompromising way, and he forbade them from seeing each other again. He was going off to college, and her plan was to follow him once she graduated, but the girl’s father wasn’t having it.

“The boy’s father was into some illegal things, but the boy wasn’t.

He was smart and very ambitious. But the girl’s father was afraid that she’d get hurt, so he restricted her from all communication with the outside world for a whole year.

The girl found out she was pregnant within that year.

She wanted so desperately to tell the boy about the baby, but her father threatened that if she told, he would get the boy and his father locked away for life. ”

“Wow! What a douchebag. Every child deserves a father.”

My eyes stung as I willed my tears away.

“Exactly…”

“So then what happened?”

“The girl had no choice but to follow her father’s rules.

She became deeply depressed and almost lost the baby.

The baby’s father went off to college, and she never saw him again.

Then she went off to college, met a nice guy who agreed to marry her.

Of course, the girl’s father set everything up.

The girl really did like the new guy, but she wasn’t in love with him.

She did love him, though. Eventually, they got married and started a family. ”

“So, the girl’s father approved of this guy, but not her first love?”

I nodded.

“Dang. Did she forget about him?”

“Never. She never stopped loving him, even after all those years went by.”

The tears I was trying to keep at bay finally made their way down my cheeks.

“Mommy…”

I looked at my baby and palmed her cheeks. She stared into my eyes and a flicker of resonance showed up on her face as she pulled back from me.

“This is your story, isn’t it?”

I nodded again. “It is.”

“So, my dad isn’t my real dad?” I shook my head as I cried audibly.

“Aw, Mom.”

“Your papa gave me no choice. I didn’t want him or his family to get locked up, so I played by his rules.”

“So, you don’t know where he is?”

“I do now. He just came back into my life, which is why I’m telling you this.”

She looked away then back at me. “What am I supposed to do if I ever meet him?”

“You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do. I won’t force you, Megan. Justin is the father you’ve always known. I won’t take away what he has been to you, but your real father wants to meet you.”

“Is that why you and Dad are getting a divorce? Because you’re still in love with my real dad?”

“No. Your father and I are divorcing because of something he’s done.”

We were silent for a moment before Megan got up and left the kitchen.

“Megan!”

She kept going as I placed my face in my palms and continued to weep. I knew she wouldn’t take this well. It was why I tried to give her the backstory instead of just giving her the vague version. I felt terrible, but I knew I had to fix this, no matter what I had to do.

Feeling a tap on my shoulder, my head shot up to see Megan handing me a box of Kleenex. I took them from her hand as she reclaimed her seat.

“Mom, I’m not mad.”

“You’re not?”

She shook her head. “Can I be honest with you?”

“Always, baby.”

“I’ve always felt different. As I grew older and started to look at myself in the mirror, I started to realize that I looked nothing like Dad. I see a tinge of you in me, but not all the way. Like, I see no traces of my dad.

“It used to make me wonder, but I ignored it because not every child looks like their parents. Mariah looks like you and Dad, and that’s when I really started to question where I got my looks from. That doctor…”

“Is your father.”

“Wow…Is that why you called him by his first name, hugged him, then he called you out of the room and never came back?”

“Yes.”

“So, he doesn’t want to know me?”

“Oh, he definitely does. It’s why I told you our story first. That was my first time seeing him in almost fourteen years.

He knew as soon as he saw you. He just couldn’t face you when his emotions were all over the place.

He wants to meet you this Friday, but like I said, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.

I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do. ”

She was quiet for a moment, then a small smile drew up on her face.

“He is pretty handsome.”

I chuckled lightly. “That he is.”

“I’ll meet with him, only because you had no choice…And I liked your story up until you told me Papa interfered. What did Nana do?”

“Nothing. There was nothing she could do. His word was law, and we had to follow it.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you, Mom.”

“It’s okay, baby. Maybe this is God’s way of giving me a second chance to right my wrongs.”

“But you did nothing wrong.”

“I did. I didn’t tell your real father about you.

Your papa had me scared to tell him, but I’m not afraid anymore.

He used what your other grandfather did as a manipulation tool because he knew I wouldn’t want anything to happen to your father or his family.

Not anymore though. Whatever happens, I’m just glad to get it off my heart. ”

“I love my dad, but I wouldn’t mind having two rich dads.” She beamed.

I chuckled. “Good night, Gingerbread.”

“Good night, Mommy. I love you, and thank you for sharing your story with me. I’m going to send some prayers up for you and Dad.”

“Thank you, baby. I really need them.”

She kissed my cheek and left the kitchen. I uncorked my wine, pouring me half a glass as I continued to drown out my pain and look forward to releasing myself from my lying, cheating, trifling husband.