Carl Weber - Baby Momma Drama

“That’s just what I’m sayin’. If they wanna act like that, they should hurry up and get married.”

I had to laugh at her persistence, but the phone rang.

“I’ll get it,” Stephanie offered. “Y’all keep on doin’ your thing out there in the hall” She got up and headed for the kitchen. Jasmine and I went back into the dining room, but before I could sit down, Stephanie called me to the phone. I gave Jasmine another quick kiss and headed to the kitchen to take the call.

“Hello?”

“Dylan, this is Ron Burns” It was the police officer who’d helped me out the night I was picked up in the crack house.

“Hey, Ron, what’s up? Everything all right?”

“Well, I’m not sure. Joe was telling me a while ago that you’ve been trying to find your son.”

“Yeah. Do you know something?” My heart jumped. Maybe there was finally some news about the baby.

“We just picked up your ex for possession.”

“Monica? She’s there now?” I hadn’t heard any news about her in so long, I was starting to think she’d left town.

“Yes. Monica’s here.”

“What about the baby? Was the baby with her?” I held my breath as I waited for his answer.

“The baby’s right here,” Ron answered. He sounded uncomfortable. “We were hoping you’d come pick him up. Otherwise, we have to turn him over to child welfare.”

There was no way I was gonna let that happen. Ever since that first day that I held him, I’d been waiting to have my son in my arms again. Now that I finally knew where he was, I didn’t want to waste any time getting to him.

“I’ll be right there, Ron.”

“Good. But listen, you need to do one thing before we can let you take him home.”

“Just name it; I’ll do it.”

“We just need to see some type of proof that he’s your son.”

“What about the lab results from my paternity test? We had it done right after he was born.”

“That’s perfect. Just bring those so we can make copies to keep on file here. You understand. We just have to keep everything documented.”

“No problem. I’m on my way.” I hung up the phone and went into the dining room, where everyone was listening to Big Momma tell a story about her own wedding.

“I’m sorry folks, but I have to go out for a minute,” I announced. “Just make yourselves comfortable till I get back.”

“Is everything all right, Dylan?” Jasmine asked as all eyes turned to me.

“Yeah, I guess. They found my son. I’m about to pick him up.”

“Who found him?” Big Momma was the only one talking. Everyone else had their mouths hanging open.

“The police. They arrested Monica, and they have the baby at the station now.”

The room fell silent. No doubt everyone was as shocked as I was at this point. My mind was racing. I couldn’t even think straight enough to give them any more details.

“Well, go on, then, son,” Big Momma broke the silence. “We’ll be right here when you get back.”

I threw my napkin on the table and got out of my seat.

“I don’t believe this shit!” I shouted to no one in particular as I headed for the back door.

“Where you going?” Big Momma demanded to know as she followed behind me. Stephanie was right on her heels.

“Jasmine, what is wrong with you?” Stephanie shouted at me.

I stopped and turned around to look at them.

“What do you think is wrong? I can’t believe he’s gonna bring that baby back here. Just when things were starting to get good between us.”

Big Momma raised her eyebrows and shook her head.

“Child, what else did you expect him to do? He can’t just leave that baby there, now, can he?”

My shoulders slumped. “No. You’re right. It’s just that I went through so much baby momma drama with Derrick and Wendy, I promised myself I’d never do it again. No more men with children.”

“Please, Jasmine.” Stephanie sucked her teeth. “You knew Dylan had a baby. Shoot, you been the one listening to him talk about how bad he wanted to find his child. Did you think this couldn’t happen?”

I couldn’t answer her. Of course I knew that this could happen. It’s just that things with Dylan had been going so well, I’d lulled myself into a false sense of security. Even though I never said it to Dylan, part of me thought Monica was long gone and she’d never become an issue.

“Child, don’t you see?” Big Momma said. “The fact that Dylan has a child don’t have to scare you away. You oughta be proud of him.”

“Proud?”

“Yes. Proud. How many baby daddies you know are even willing to acknowledge their children, let alone take them in and raise them without the momma?”

“I know,” I sighed. “But how do we know it’s gonna be without Monica? Eventually, she’ll get out of jail and she’ll be knocking on Dylan’s door. Then what?”

“You deal with that when it happens,” Stephanie said.

“Dylan is a good man, Jasmine,” Big Momma told me. “If you ask me, this just proves it even more. He ain’t the kind of man who’s gonna let Monica ruin things between you, even if she is his baby’s momma.”

Stephanie agreed. “She’s right, Jazz. If you’d stuck around long enough last time, he might’ve been able to prove how he could handle Monica. You never gave him a chance.”

I had so many regrets. So much of what had happened to me since Derrick got out of prison could have been avoided if I had just given Dylan the chance he’d asked for. He’d tried to tell me he wouldn’t let Monica ruin what we were just starting. But I was too scared to trust that. It was easier to stick with the baby momma drama I was already living than to take a risk with someone new who might bring me the same kind of shit. I wasn’t ready to take that risk, so I ran right back into Derrick’s arms. This time, I still wasn’t sure. But at least I could make my decision without another man ornnplicating my thoughts.

“I don’t know if I can do it,” I said. “I’m really scared.”

Big Momma put her arm over my shoulder. “its all right to be scared, child. But don’t let that stop you from living. We’re here to help you if things get rough. And Dylan is a good man. I have faith that he’ll do right by you. Just give him a chance to prove it.”

Big Momma led me back to the living room. Someone turned on the TV, but I couldn’t tell you who did it or what we were watching. I was lost in my own thoughts until Dylan came back with the baby.

“He’s here!” Stephanie yelled when we heard the car door closing outside. They jumped up and ran to the door to greet him, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t excited about seeing the baby, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide my feelings. It would ruin Dylan’s moment for me to walk over there with my face all screwed up.

Dylan had a nervous smile on his face when he came through the door. Even if I had wanted to glimpse the baby from my seat on the couch, I couldn’t, ’cause Big Momma and Stephanie and Momma were all over him in a flash. From all the oohs and ahhs they were yelling, I guess the baby was pretty cute, all bundled up in his daddy’s arms. It didn’t take long before Big Momma told Dylan to hand the baby to her so she could hold him. Now the minicrowd gathered around her.

Dylan spotted me on the couch and left his son with the group of cooing women. I tried to smile, but I know I must’ve looked sad, because his face changed to reflect my mood as he approached. He sat down next to me.

“You okay over here?” he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. I hated to be ruining this for him, but I couldn’t lie. “I don’t know. This is really scary to me.”