Mason POV
"Who is it baby?" I asked. She didn't respond immediately, she just stood there. So I went up to her and walked from the kitchen back to the living room and tried to see who it was when I saw the little girl with blue eyes looking at Delilah and seemed unsettled. When I looked at the blue eyed girl my heart sank.
"Um.... where is your Mama?" She suddenly asked. Before the little girl could say anything, I put my hand on her shoulder nervously and said "Baby I got this, I can explain."
"Don't touch me" she said, jerking her shoulder away from me backing up. I looked at the girl again and said "Come in sweetie" I took her suitcase and she stepped in.
"Mason, now" She ordered as she went up the stairs signalling me to go up with her. She didn't want to make a scene. I told the little girl to come wait for me on the couch while I went upstairs to get yelled at. When I got up to the room Delilah had her arms folded across her chest with her foot tapping. I slowly closed the door and she said in a low tone "Why Mason?"
"What?" I didn't really understand her then rephrased herself.
"Why the fuck didn't you tell me?!"
"I was going to tell you baby but-"
"But what couldn't make up a better excuse?! Huh is that right?"
"No it's just...it's hard to explain."
"No, I want the truth," she said, stepping up to me with an intimidating look.
"The truth? Um....the truth is I don't know if this kid is mine."
"Bull shit she has your skin tone. How old is this little girl Anastasia" Oh so that's her name.
"She uh will be five soon" Her hand went across my face and she yelled "Are you fucking kidding me Mason?! You know what...we are going to get a DNA test done. And so help me god if you are the father of this little girl you can kiss those vows goodbye because right now they mean nothing to me"
"Are you serious?" I asked as I gulped.
"Does it look like it's a joke? Mason , this is a child, a human being that might be the product of you! Who the fuck is the mother?"
"Umm Uhh.... that's what I was going to discuss with you"
"What?! When?!"
"I um...don't know" I admitted in defeat.
"I'm not going to ask again. Answer me!" she demanded of me.
"Um uh...."
"Is it that bitch I caught you with?" I nodded and she smacked me again then yelled "How dare you?!" she stepped away from me as tears formed in her eyes.
"Baby I can explain-" she cut me off "Explain what, that it was a mistake that I saw you fucking another bitch in OUR house?!"
"No-there is something else I need to tell you"
"What?!"
"Ana might be mine.... because her mom told me that it was actually at my bachelor party the night" She threw a my pillow at me and yelled "You fucking asshole! Why the fuck do you keep sabotaging us!?" she yelled at the top of my lungs. I can tell she was going to lose her voice tomorrow but I knew she didn't care at this moment if she awoke Max either.
"Why?!"
"I don't remember it happening though"
"How the fuck don't you remember fucking someone?!"
"I was drugged Delilah!!!" I burst out.
"What?" she asked confused in a normal tone.
"I think I was drugged. I woke up the next morning with just my boxers down to my knees and I don't remember what happened"
"What do you remember?"
"Richard and the boys kidnapped me forcing me to go to a strip club although I told them not to take me because I was trying to stay sober for you but instead they did and they strapped me to a chair. Then these strippers came out and danced on me. Baby please believe me I will never intentionally hurt you-please don't do this to me. I need you. I need us" I came up to her explaining and pleading as I dropped down to my knees in front of her crying. I gripped onto the back of her thighs and his head on her two-month-old belly. I know she was filled with so much hurt and anger. She stepped back and said trying to suck up the tears.
"We will see what happens to us after the DNA test results. She may stay but you will be sleeping downstairs she may sleep in the guest room for tonight."
What have I done? Just when I thought things were getting better. After minutes of crying I wiped my tears and got up. Then I grabbed my pillow that was near the door and one of the spare blankets that were in the walking closet. Just as I was passing the bathroom I could hear Delilah crying. It broke my heart a little more. I should have told her when I had the chance. I feel so horrible for keeping this way from her and now our marriage is in jeopardy of being broken once again. I went downstairs and put my stuff on the L shaped couch and said sniffling trying to not make it seem like I was crying for ten minutes straight.
"Okay Anastasia....you will be sleeping in the guest room tonight"
"Are you okay?"
"Um....just dealing with a lot. But I think you should get to sleep. It's almost 11:30 at night."
"Okay" she got up and I took her suitcase upstairs with me as I showed her where she will be staying for tonight till we figure out what will happen tomorrow.
"Night daddy" she said as I shut off the light. I didn't know what to say so I just said
"I'm not-Goodnight Anastasia" I cracked the door then I knocked at the bathroom door to see if Demi was okay.
"Go away," she said before sniffling. It wasn't worth it trying with her. I'll give her a few days before we can talk again. I went downstairs and made myself comfortable on the long couch before I turned off the living room light that was above the couch.
I don't want to lie, the first few weeks were very hard for me because I wasn't used to little girls here. I don't know how Max will feel about Anastasia staying here. I didn't want Max to see that there is a bit of a strain in his parents' relationship now that I found out the truth. Ever since that night the test results came back I barely let Mason touch me. We go to our parenting classes and kiss every once in a while around the children but I haven't let him snuggle with me since Anastasia showed up at our front door. I love him deeply but I didn't want to be in the arms of an unfaithful husband. I was getting used to Anastasia being here. It wasn't a bother because you shouldn't shame a child for the parent's doings. However, my mood changed for her when one day I was cooking dinner. Max and Anastasia should have been in the living-room watching TV. But somehow managed to get upstairs and find the Minnie mouse outfit that I got for Izzy back then. When she came to the kitchen she showed me while she twirled in it.
I was shocked and pissed at the same time. She looked exactly how Izzy looked in my dream years ago. I yelled at her saying "Why are you wearing that outfit? You shouldn't be wearing my daughter's-I mean that outfit. It's not yours!"
"I'm sorry" she said as she started to cry.
"Go take it off now!" I ordered her. She ran upstairs crying. I kinda felt bad for yelling at her but she touched something sacred to my heart. It's the only thing I have left of Izzy that she hasn't worn. When Mason came into the room he asked "What did you do?!"
"What do you mean?"
"Why the hell is Anastasia crying?!"
"Why don't you ask her?"
"No you tell me what happened!" he barked back at me.
"Fine you wanna hear. I yelled at her because she took the Minnie mouse outfit and put it on! Is that what you wanted to hear"
"So! It doesn't mean you can yell at a 5-year-old. She's a child. She doesn't know "
"She knows not to touch things that aren't hers! You clearly forgot why it's such a sacred treasure. It belonged to our daughter!"
"Who has been gone for almost six years now Delilah, move on!" everything suddenly went quiet then I marched up to him and smacked him across his cheek yelling back "How dare you tell me to move on!? Until you know what it's like to get a piece of your heart broken seeing your child gone after you gave birth to it, you can say that to me!"
"I do know what it's like Delilah! I had to hold my daughter's lifeless body in my hands. I carry pain too but I don't let it affect our marriage anymore because I know what it did before!" he yelled back as tears of anger streamed down his cheeks. Everything went silent again.
"I didn't know it-"
"Yeah you don't know. And now look at us now fighting again over a fucking outfit"
"You wanna know why I was so pissed?! Because she looks exactly like Izzy grown up and I couldn't bear to see it because...it's hard for me knowing I won't have another daughter!"
At that moment, Max opened the door and said "So you don't want me anymore?" with a tear rolling down his cheek.
"Oh sweetheart I didn't mean it like that. I- oh god ...." Max ran to his room and Mason said.
"I'll go talk to him" he raced out the room going after Max who I can hear was crying. I didn't wanna play bad guy and I felt bad for hurting Max's feelings so I went to the room to see Max. When I got there and saw him with Max on his lap. Mason was trying to stop Max from crying. When Max sees me he hides behind the side of Mason's neck.
"Baby don't be like that Mami is sorry"
He got off his lap and ran up to me and just cried as he latched onto my thighs. To calm him down I sang to him. He eventually calms down. Suddenly Anastasia comes into the room and says "Daddy...is everything okay?" Suddenly she looked up at me and then bowed her head in shame. She didn't say anything to me and ran to Mason grasping onto his shirt. "Ana I'm sorry for yelling and making you cry...it's just that...it's hard to explain" I said to the frightened Anastasia.
"Baby you want to tell them?" Mason asked me.
"Tell us what?" Max asked.
"Well..." I held my balloon looking belly as I walked over to Max's bed and sat down next to Anastasia who was sitting next to Mason. Max sat on my lap as I began to explain to him.
"Before you were born you had a big sister. She looked like Ana"
"Really me?" Anastasia said surprised.
"Yeah...well Mami and Daddy loved her....so much" my voice began to crack. Oh no. "But you see god needed her up in heaven"
"What's heaven?" Max asked me.
"It's a place where gods angels live" she explained.
"That's so cool can I see her someday"
"Well god told me that you will but when you are grown up and be married like Mami and Daddy" I said to him.
"How did she die Mami?"
"Um...she uh...." I don't know how to explain this to him. Mason held my hand but I couldn't do it. I took Max off my lap and walked out for a second. Mason came after me in the hall to talk to me.
"Baby what's the matter?"
"I-I can't do this. I thought I could but I can't"
"If I can do it you can't ever say you can't. You know I hate that word. If you want i will do it for you"
"But Jay I don't want you to hurt"
"Please" he kissed my head and brought me to his chest where I wrapped my arms around him. After getting myself together we walked back into the room and I said "Sorry I-"
"Did I say something wrong Mami?" Max asked.
"No Mami just needed to breathe" Mason said to him. We sat back down and Wil said "Well what Mami was going to say was that.... your sister died in her sleep..."
"What! How?" He gasped.
"Sometimes it happens. No one can control it but she had a breathing problem"
"Awe that's so sad I weally wanted to see her"
"You can baby. We got pictures of her. I'll go get them" I said as I got up and went to the top of Mason and I’s closet to pull out a small black booklet that had Isabella written in fancy writing on it. I brought it back to the room and said here it is. I sniffled and sat down in my spot.
"Who's Isabella?" Anastasia asked.
"My daughter"
"That's a pretty name"
"Thank you. She was five months older than you"
"Cool" Anastasia said as I flipped the book open and it showed some cute pictures of her. Then there were pictures of the stuff Jay and I bought her. Suddenly we stopped at the last photo which was the outfit I had bought Isabella. "It was her's, wasn't it?" she said looking up at me. "Yes..." I said, closing my eyes, not trying to cry a river.
"I'm sorry for touching that. I shouldn't have done that"
"No it's okay I shouldn't have gotten so defensive and yelled at you. It's just that-" I was going to explain until Mason said "That was the first thing we bought her before she was born and the last thing she never got to wear"
"I'm sorry"
"It's okay Anastasia." I kissed her head and brought her into a hug. While we were waiting for Mason to come home, Max was playing with his Legos, Anastasia and I were having a fun day doing makeup and nails. I said "So tell me about yourself"
"What do you wanna know?"
"Well when's your birthday?"
"October 23rd"
"Really that's cool just before Halloween. That means you're almost six right?"
"Yeah"
"Well what would you like for your birthday cake"
"I like Cinderella" I gasped "me too"
"Cool... What was your daughter like?"
"She um was beautiful. She had your skin tone just like my husband and big brown eyes like mine. I started sniffling trying not to cry again like I did a week ago. She caught on and asked "Hey why are you crying?"
"Because...you look like her and I miss her"
"It's okay."
"No one haven't asked me about her in so long"
"Awe"
"Its was six years since she passed"
"That means it's been a month?"
"Yeah"
"Plus another reason is because finally getting to do what I never got to do with Izzy"
"Awe but you might with that baby"
"I'm going to find out what I'm going to have soon"
"That's good" in the middle of our conversation and me doing her makeup max came over to the dining room table and asked "What y'all doin?"
"I'm just doing her makeup and doing her nails."
"Ca ha see Ana nails?" Ana showed him the royal blue she had on with the zigzag design on each nail.
"Ooh pwelly" he awes. Then he said something very unexpected. "When y'all finish can I get my nails painted pwelly?"
Before I answered Anastasia said "But you're a boy this is girl stuff" I defended him by saying "You can get your nails done honey. What color do you like?" I picked him up and put him on my lap. I let him pick from the box of nail polishes. "But Mami, what if daddy doesn't want me to have it?" Max asked worriedly.
"Too bad you're my son and if you want your nails painted you can. I birthed you he didn't" in two minutes he picked a royal blue. I then said "Ooh that's so pretty let's see if it looks good on you"
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