Chapter 2

       Vanessa was still very mad at me for bailing on our date, even though it was very important to me to keep the promise I made to watching my daughter.

       If I kept bailing on Anastasia, I might not end up in her life and that would kill me. She was the most important person in my life.

       I promised Vanessa I would make things up to her, but it was kind of hard since she wasn't answering my calls or texts. I kept asking if she just wanted to meet up for a drink and it took a lot of convincing for her to finally agree.

       When we were at Fusion together, it was still clear that she was mad at me and she barely made any eye contact the whole night and refused to talk to me.

       I finally got fed up and said, "I can't believe you're still mad at me."

       "Can you blame me?" Vanessa asked. "I was looking forward to the date for so long."

       "And by so long, you mean three days?" I asked. "I already told you that I promised Destiny that I would watch Anastasia before you and I made plans. It's not my fault I forgot."

       Okay, it definitely was my fault because I should have remembered, or at least put a reminder in my phone for it.

       If only Vanessa could get over it.

       "I just don't see why you had to cancel on me and not cancel on Destiny," Vanessa said.

       "Because Anastasia is my daughter and no father should ever put their child second," I said. "And I've cancelled on her already. I can't keep doing it if I want to stay in her life. It's not like I cancel on you all the time for Anastasia so you shouldn't be complaining."

       "But doing it once can lead to another time, and another, and another," Vanessa said. "It won't be long before you completely neglect me because of her."

       "I'm not going to neglect you just because I have a daughter," I said.

       "You're right," Vanessa said. "Because it's either me or her."

        "Ex-excuse me?" I asked. 

       "You heard me," Vanessa said. "You have a choice to make. Either you continue dating me or you put your daughter first. Because you certainly can't have both."

       I couldn't say anything else before Vanessa got up and walked out of Fusion. Was she actually serious? She was expecting me to choose between her and my own daughter?

       I got up from the stool I was sitting on and left as well. I could see Vanessa in the distance, but I didn't both following her. Instead, I headed over to someone else's house.

       I knocked on the door and shortly after, Destiny answered. "Hey," I said. "Can I come in?"

       "Yeah, sure," Destiny said, opening the door wider for me to walk in. "Is everything okay? You look upset."

       "I'm fine," I lied. "Can I see Tasie?"

       "I just put her down for a nap," Destiny said. "You can stay until she wakes up."

       "Thanks," I said as I took off my shoes and jacket before plopping down on the couch.

       Destiny sat down beside me. "Dan, are you sure you're okay? You really do look upset."

       I sighed and leaned back into the couch. "To be honest? No, I'm not. Vanessa is really mad at me for cancelling on her so I could watch Tasie."

       "I don't get why she would be mad at you, though," Destiny said. "She knew you were had a daughter before you two began dating, and you told her that Tasie does have to come first."

       "I know," I said. "That didn't stop her from getting mad because she thinks I'll only neglect her in the end. She even told me something I never thought I'd hear from anyone I date."

       "What did she tell you?" Destiny asked.

       "She told me it's either her and Tasie," I said.

       "Are you serious?" Destiny asked. "She's asking you to choose between her and your own daughter?"

       "It's not a choice," I said and Destiny furrowed her eyebrows. "A choice is when I have to make a decision between two things and the answer is clear. I'm not going to completely neglect my daughter for someone who can't even be the tiniest bit of understanding."

       "Well, then thank you for not even debating it," Destiny said.

       "Hey, you shouldn't have to thank me," I said. "It's the right thing to do and I wouldn't be the best father if I even had second thoughts, and I already haven't been the best father."

       "Dan, that's not true," Destiny said. "You're an amazing father. Anastasia loves you a whole lot and I love seeing you two together. Just because you cancelled on watching her a few times, it doesn't mean you're a horrible father."

       "It sometimes feel that way," I said. "You're an amazing mother and you do everything you can for Anastasia. You put her first all the time, no matter what. And I haven't been doing that recently."

       "It doesn't matter," Destiny said. "You know where your priorities are now. Don't doubt yourself, okay? You're perfect the way you are and I don't want you changing for anyone."

       I couldn't help but give Destiny a smile. No matter what, she always knew what to say to ease my mind and make me feel better. I knew I could count on her for anything going on in my life.

       She would always be here for me.

       Destiny and I didn't say anything else. We didn't have to. Instead, we found ourselves both leaning in and pressing our lips against each other.

       And then I found myself doing something I vowed I would never do after I was cheated on.

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smh dan. s m h.

lol

should I post another chapter right now? yay or nay?

too bad it's gonna happen anyway ahahahah