𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐲

||𝐎𝐦𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭||

Fourteen year old Anthony let out a big sigh, tossing his head back. He look around the house making sure the coast was clear before looking at his mom room door. He was suppose to be in school, but ended up skipping just this one day. Lately, his mom had been acting suspicious around him and he was confused. She would be distant, be angry more often than usual and even was being cautious like crazy.

Anthony couldn't even go play outside with his friends anymore because his mom didn't "trust" them for whatever reason. A grown woman didn't trust a group of fourteen year old boys and that was weird to him.

"Aye!" he jumped, hearing his voice. Anthony turned around to seeing his best friend and cousin coming up the stairs.

"I thought we were going to the park?" Lou asked, walking to his cousin. "I don't wanna be here."

"Relax, man. I wanted to do something real quick." he replied to his cousin, still staring at his moms bedroom door. He debated if he should go inside and invade her privacy.

He knew the consequences if he went in her room and snoop around. But, he was a curious young boy and wanted to know.
He had to know why his mom was acting so different. Lou smack his lips, pushing Anthony to the side then walking inside the room.

"Lou, what the hell!" he exclaimed, walking in behind him.

"Look, ion know what we looking for, but let's get this over with. I wanna shoot some hoops before my pops be on his fuck shit." Lou told him.

Anthony nodded his head slowly, understanding. His Uncle George was mean and rude as hell. Anthony rarely seen him, but when he did come around him and his mom were always arguing with each other. Just last week his uncle came by and ended up dropping a package off. He was being nosy and found out he gave his mom money. Why? He wasn't sure and he couldn't ask questions either cause his mom would ignore him.

Anthony didn't even know about his family that well. All he knew was his uncle was toxic, Lou was his only cousin, his grandparents were long gone and his dad...left. That was it and that was all. At least that's what he assumed since that's all his mom told him. She was secretive with her life.

"Anyway, what are we looking for?" Lou asked breaking the silence that was between the cousins.

Anthony shrugged his shoulders, "Man, ion know. Anything that seems questionable maybe. Like something that doesn't seem right." he answered, looking around the bedroom for anything.

"So, are we looking for this?" Anthony turned around and was hit in the face with something. He smack his lips once he seen it was his moms pantyhose's. Lou started laughing watching his cousin wipe his face aggressively.

"Oh, relax, it's not like it was in the dirty clothes." Anthony mugged his cousin seeing the dirty laundry beside him. Lou look down at it then back at him.

"My bad." he apologized, Anthony roll his eyes ignoring his cousin. He went over to his mom dresser and started looking through it. He opened up the drawers, moving clothes around and not finding anything. While he continued searching, Lou did as well in his aunts closet.

He didn't know what they were looking for, but he didn't mind snooping. It wasn't like he cared if he got in trouble or not cause it didn't faze him at all. He was always in trouble dealing with his father, so he was use to it now. As he continued searching, he ended up seeing a shoe box.

"Aye, I think I got something." he called, Anthony looking back at him before walking over. Lou grabbed the box from the shelf, walking to the bed and sitting down. Anthony sitting next to him, watching his cousin take the top off the shoe box.

"Let's see what's all this." Lou took out a piece of paper that's as folded. He unfolded it seeing it was Anthony birth certificate. "It's the little bastards birth certificate."

Anthony smack his lips, mushing his cousin head. "Fuck you." he cursed at him, Lou chuckling.

"Mhm, anyway Anthony Nathan Hudson, born on November 16, 2000. You was born in Greensboro, North Carolina at 2:30am and you were born first." Lou read the paper, Anthony look at him confusedly.

"What do you mean I was born first? I'm the only child." Anthony said, Lou shook his head still reading the paper.

"Nah, it says plurality and instead of single being x'ed out, it's twin. Then the next question is whether you were born first or second and the first option is checked off. That means your the first twin that was born." Lou explained, glancing over at his cousin. "You have a twin bro."

"Stop lying." Anthony said, snatching the paper out his hand.

"Why would I play about that?" Lou asked, but Anthony ignored him. He stared the paper reading it, seeing exactly what his cousin had read to him. He seen the options crossed off and it was true, he was a twin...the first twin at that.

"Okay, but that makes no sense at all. How am I-" before his sentence was finished, the two boys heard a door being shut.

"Is that your mom?" Lou asked, quietly trying to listen out. Hearing footsteps, Anthony started panicking.

"We're in fucking trouble."

||𝐎𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬||

"I thought old people had a bedtime?" I asked sarcastically, stepping out the house. My dad look back at me, smacking his lips.

"I'm not old, I'm young." he replied. I scoffed, sitting on the porch step beside him.

"Yeah, you wish. You look just like your age, a forty year old man. Wrinkles and everything, just a sad, ugly, old man." I remarked, shaking my head.

"Onest, never mind." he said and I chuckled. "Anyway, aren't you suppose to be sleeping with your wife?"

I sigh lowly, "It's Friday night and Friday nights is mommy and son time. They just finished watching Cars 2 and now knocked out together." I answered, slightly upset cause a nigga was desperate as hell. I wanted some pussy and my son was cockblocking like a bitch. Imma toss his big headed ass out my damn bed.

"The life of having a son, they're straight up momma boys once they come out the womb. You were the complete opposite as a kid." he told me, I glance over at him before looking straight ahead.

"You serious or just tryna fuck with me?" I asked him.

"I'm being serious, O. We had a good connection, so I thought. When you was around Isaiah age, you and I would have our own night you know. It wasn't nothing special just the two of us chilling in the living room and watching movies too. You would pick the same movie all the time; fucking 8 Mile." He told me, I raise my brow.

"Really? 8 Mile came out in 2002 or some shit, I was like..."

"Four." he finished my sentence. "You was four years old watching 8 Mile like it was nothing. Your mom hated when I played that movie around you. She would yell at me and tell me that you didn't need to be seeing that, I played it around you once though. You was a smart boy and knew how to use a remote, so you would play it for yourself and I so happened to be there. We just watched it together and you payed close attention to every rap scene. Right there, I had a feeling what you was about to be growing up."

I nodded my head, "So, if we had a good connection then why leave? That doesn't make a lot of sense."

"I didn't want to be around your mom, Onest. After I left, I was still around though. I still called your mom every now and then to check up on you. That didn't last long until she gave me an ultimatum. It was either be in y'all lives or leave for good and I was tired of telling her repeatedly that I didn't want to be with her. So, I ended up leaving all together. It was a terrible thing to just leave you, but...I'm sorry. Your mom raised you well though, I will admit that. You grew up to be a good man, father and husband. You have an amazing career, your living your life the way you want and even starting your own legacy. I'm proud of you really."

I tuck in my lips, lowering my head a little. It went silent between the both of us while I took in everything he told me. I didn't even know what to say or if I believed him. Lately, my family been acting like assholes and I'm finding a hard time to even want to be around them. Now, for my dad to come back and tell me that he's proud of me.

That he didn't even want to leave me in the first place, but wanted to get away from my mom. All of this now being told to me after years of not knowing. So, yeah, I was having a hard time believing it.

"I know you probably don't believe me and that's fine. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't believe the man that left me either." he finally spoke.

"I-" I cleared my throat before continuing. "I want to believe you, but how do I know your not going to just leave again? Get close to me, get close to my son at that and then leave? My kid is involved now dad and I refuse for his family members to be in and out his life. Ion care about me, but worried about my son." I told him truthfully.

"All I'm focusing on is Isaiah. I want him to know his family and be able to have other people to lean on besides me and his mom. If you tryna be in his life then actually be in his life, seriously."

He nodded his head, "I will and I'll be in your life too, if you'll let me." he said and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Ion have an answer at the moment for that sorry. Imma need some time to think about it." he replied, not knowing if I wanted him in my life or not. I didn't mind having my dad back around, but then again, I just didn't know at all.

"Well, that's okay. I just want you to know that I'm here for you." he told me and I nodded my head.

We'll see about that.

Hearing the door open, we both look back seeing Lia coming out. She walked to me, handing me my phone.

"With all disrespect when I see Moesha, I'm going to drag her. Figured I'll tell you, so you won't be surprised when I do it." she told me tiredly as I took my phone from her. I look at it seeing my mom was on the phone. I sigh lowly, putting it to my ear. Before I could even say anything, my mom started shouting.

"So, help me God, that little as girl has got to go with her disrespectful ass. I will fuck her-" her sentence was cut off once I ended the call.

"When the two of them fight, I'm betting on your wife." My dad said, I nodded my head chuckling.

"Yeah, me too."

1) thoughts on this chapter?

2) feelings on the flashback of Anthony? looks like someone have a twin...

3) Daquan and Onest, father and son...things gonna get better y'all

4) aight time to bring some sadness, y'all can still choose between Onest or Lia, but I kinda know who imma pick out of the two

5) excuse any mistake if there were any