“You’re lying right?” Her brows furrowed.
“No. I’m serious. I took your advice and went to see him and turns out, it’s Castro Saint-Mercier. See.” Going to my phone, I brought up the picture of him that I found online and showed it to her. Wicked was fine as hell. He was a shade bit brighter than Maniac and his hair was in a curly tapper and the tattoos. Please don’t get me started on them. Even though he was wearing a jumpsuit, I still could see them peeking from underneath.
“This is insane.” Wren took a bite from her taco. “What are the odds?” she asked with a mouth full of food.
“Right. Now, I’m trying to figure out what I’m gon’ do.”
“What do you mean?”
Resting my phone against the desk, I turned my attention back to her. “I don’t know if I want to keep talking to him now that I know who he is.”
“But why not?”
“I know that he says he’s about to get out soon, but I’m not sure if that’s the type of life I want Zion to grow up in. I don’t even know if that man even wants kids.”
“You still haven’t told him about Zion?”
“No.” My eyes lowered, and I fiddled with my fingers.
“I can’t tell you what to do with your life. If you don’t want to talk to him, then don’t, but I will say that I think you should give him a chance. You never know what can happen. There’s no harm in trying, Aria. Not everyone is like Zion’s daddy.”
Zion’s daddy. I hated that man’s guts with a passion. I’m thankful that he gave me my son, but I wish I never crossed paths with him. He was full of shit. Dead beat ass bitch. If I ever get my hands on him again, I’ll choke the fucking life out of him.
“Maybe you’re right.”
My phone chimed. I looked down and saw that it was a text from Wicked. A few days ago, we’d upgraded from the application to texting. I was nervous as hell giving him my phone number, but I took a chance and did it anyway.
Madness: You’re beautiful as fuck. Hope you know that.
I nibbled on my thumbnail. I’on know what to say to him.
“What’s wrong?” Wren questioned me.
“Nothing,” I lied and placed the phone back down.
After sitting there with Wren for a while, I went to grab Zion from daycare. Parking at the door, I got out and went up to it. My thumb pressed against the doorbell, and I waited for someone to open the door. The door pushed out and it was a guy.
“Hey,” he spoke and stepped out the way. I’m assuming he was here to pick up his kid. It bothered me whenever I would see men coming here or out in public period with their kids. It hurt that Zion would never have that feeling. I desperately wanted a man in his life, but I wasn’t about to just give him no anybody.
“Oh, hey,” Mia said when she stepped into the lobby. “Zion!” she yelled over her shoulder and handed the guy a bag. “They about to bring her up here. They’re changing her right quick.”
“Okay,” he replied.
A few moments later, I heard footsteps coming from the hallway. Zion entered the room and ran straight over to me, hugging my legs. “Hey, mommy.”
“Hey, baby. You ready?”
“Yeah.”
The guy pushed the door open for me. “Thanks,” I tossed over my shoulder and headed for the car. Opening the back passenger door, I helped Zion into his seat and snapped him in.
“Mommy, I want chips,” Zion said as I straightened my posture.
“Okay.” I shut the door and rounded the car to my side.
Knowing that I needed to go home and make dinner, I could stop by the gas station and grab him a couple snacks to hold him over ’til it’s done. Zion more than likely just had a snack before I picked him up, but that didn’t mean anything. This lil boy knows he can eat. I’m scared to see what his appetite looks like when he gets older.
Pulling off, I headed to the gas station that wasn’t too far from the daycare, so that I didn’t have to stop anywhere else along the way to the house. I turned into a space that was close tothe door and got out the car and then grabbed Zion. Holding his hand, I led him into the store. This guy held the door open for us.
