Jarris Gregory will meet Cantrel Jackson, a man Jarris's late Mother Sherrie had been with a number of times during her separation from her husband Donnie. Jarris has many of Cantrel's features, rumors were dispelled by paternity testing, however a letter has found it's way to Cantrel.
The letter indicates Cantrel is Jarris's father and was mailed by Sherries friend and cancer surgeon as promised on Sherrie's death bed.
Donnie is busy with a current paternity situation having bedded a young nun, getting information six months later he was still producing sperm from a botched vasectomy.
Cantrel flew back from Chicago, to visit his mother and size up how to change everyone's lives that were involved.
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A Mother's wisdom
Cantrel landed at the airport and like every visit he stayed in his childhood home, in his room, still adorned with his trophies and works from high, middle and primary school. He call Viv upon landing, chatting briefly before arriving home where his Mother was sitting, ready with coffee and to discuss life's happenings with her youngest youngest son.
Cantrel climbed the steps, the morning being warm for the season, getting a big hug and the most predictable first question of the day.
"Have you figured out when you're asking Viv?" His Mom said, they had been talking on the phone and for months about him purchasing a ring and she was getting anxious. "That girl is one of a kind."
"I'm thinking this summer somewhere, or spring break," Cantrel Jackson answered looking had his 72 year old Mother, Klarissa Jackson who handed him coffee.
"Don't wait too long boy, she's a hottie and there has to be other sharks circling the water," Klarissa said, leading them into the sun room, the morning just beginning, Cantrel woke like she did, before the dawn every morning, they sat looking into the wooded back yard. "Does she want kids?"
"I've told you Ma, we're both not sure at our age....but" He paused taking a sip.
"Oh don't torture me boy," she said with a smile.
"We're thinking of adoption, a couple teens who need a break, something like that," Cantrel said, the switched subjects quickly. "How's church?"
"You missed Sherrie Gregory's funeral," his Mom said with a knowing frown. "You were close with her and her husband."
"I was in Cancun on business that week," Cantrel said in a lie, nor did he chastise her for not calling and flat out missing the funeral notice. "Ill be meeting up with Donnie here real soon."
Cantrel wasn't about to tell his mother about the letter Sherrie had sent, she already blamed Cantrel for almost breaking the couple up.
"It's a good thing you moved away, you and she had..."
"MA! That's enough," Cantrel said having scolded her over and over about how she felt Sherrie was smitten with him, his mother not knowing the depths of the relationships. Cantrel was still unresolved how he was going to present the information to Donnie and ask for a paternity test on the man's youngest son.
"You and Donnie were friends in high school, ran together, it's all so sad for that family," Klarissa said.
"I'm heading to the gym for a workout, see you later," Cantrel said, left the sun room and head to get ready for a lift kissing Klarrisa on the cheek getting a smile.
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Maria awoke and went to the small side room where Jason set up a spot to pray and meditate, do yoga and a small desk she requested to journal. She had written so much down in her life, her feelings about her relationship with, God, Jesus and Love, wanting to someday publish a book, especially now that her insight had been developed on both sides of celibacy.
She was kneeling in front of a small crucifix and picture of Christ, her head was down and she was asking for strength over and over. It was hard to play house with Jason, knowing she had just taken Donnie and was praying the child in her womb was the older man's baby, not her first love.
"Hi," Jason said to Maria when she made an appearance at the table. "I made you some tea....you okay? You were a little off last night."
She had gotten some clarity, praying for two hours yesterday and this morning, it just hit her how this needed to be handled.
"The baby may be Donnie Gregory's baby," Maria said, intending to tell him the truth about that situation without telling him she'd already fucked Donnie again. "Dr. Phillips and he approached me yesterday with information from Sherrie autopsy that indicated Donnie's vasectomy didn't fully take."
"I see...that's a lot," Jason said, moving to her, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Does that change us? If the baby's not mine?"
"I don't know right now?" Maria said and started crying. "He wants me regardless."
"Wants you?" Jason said, confused then a bit pissed. "He's practically twice your age..."
"I don't know what to do," Maria said, still pinned against his chest, sitting while he stood besides her. "It's all too much too fast."
"You'd leave me?" He said, now backing away.
"I....DON'T......KNOW!!!" She said raising her voice with each word. "It's not a FUCKING easy question to answer!"
"Were you WITH him yesterday?" Jason said, sensing the feelings she had for this older man and why would the resurface without some sort of reconnection. She paused, long, looking at him, not having the strength to answer with a lie or the truth. Jason saw the answer in her eyes. "You WERE....You FUCKED him yesterday! Jesus Christ, we fucked yesterday!"
The roller coaster of emotions whipping Maria around, getting caught, the words welling up with her tears.
"Maria!" Jason shouted as she passed out, her head bouncing on the tile floor.
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(Donnie's Voice)
"Holy SHIT! MAN!" I screamed seeing Cantrel, he went from CrossFit to full on body builder, he was exploding through his t-shirt, tight sweats, walking into the Cafe, getting a full on bear hug from me.
"Good to see you too Donnie, hey sorry for you loss and sorry I didn't get to you sooner," Cantrel said, feeling like shit.
"Your 'handler' said you've been hard to pin down," I said, my hand lingering on his shoulder then letting him go. "I wanted to call when she was slipping away, but Sherrie didn't want you to see her like...."
"No worries man, I don't think I could have handled it, I mean we said goodbye forever years ago and I meant it for everyone's sake," Cantrel said knowing the promises we had made to each other when he left. "I get it and understand why you kept me away...it sounded awful."
"Oh? Who did you talk to," I realized he had no info, so was curious who let him know.
"Um...I had a workout at the gym and ran into some people," he said, then looked at him. "We've never bullshitted each other, right?"
"Nope...we've been straight with each other," I said thinking the ironic nature of our conversation. "I mean you were quick to tell me when it was over with us and you were moving out."
"Yeah, I...Shit!" Cantrel said, pushing back a whole other messy situation and diving right into the one on his mind he had to clear up. "I'm a self-made man being successful acting on information as soon as it becomes available."
"Okay, you're scaring me," I said, sitting back.
Cantrel pulled a manilla envelope out of his bag, opened it and pulled out a hand written letter, two different types of penmanship, then handing me an official looking set of papers.
"I received the first one yesterday this week and got the second set of papers this morning at the bank," he said. "They're documents left by Sherrie, forging my signature to set up co-access to a safety deposit box you obviously have no idea about."
"Shit, that's right...no clue," I said, taking the papers and I just looked at him, then said what I said the minute he met with me 18 years ago. "Things are about to get real."
"You got that right, brutha," Cantel said and I began to read.
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Life Support
Jason walked slowly around the emergency room, the image of the EMT on the gurney pumping Maria's chest to keep blood flowing to her body and to her baby's body had him in a trance. They told him to stay out there and they'd contact him as soon as she was stabilized.
He kept pacing.
An hour later he was met by a nurse, his face expressionless, Jason read this as bad news.
"She's in the ICU, getting set up," he said. "You're her finance', correct?"
"Yes..yes I am," Jason said, moving closer.
"Call her relatives because we've put her in an induced coma after getting her heart going again, her vitals are good, but she was coding for a concerning amount of time," the young man said. "You have to be ready for any news at any time. Please contact those closest to her."
"Oh Christ..." He said, looking down. "I..I'll do that..."
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Night Shift
