Page 10 of So Special: Fanatic Love

After I gave him his cup and puffs, Asher told me that we could talk at the kitchen island. I loved the layout of his condo. It was huge. My entire apartment could fit in his front room and kitchen. Asher got us bottled water before he joined me at the island. “So, now dat we know he’s my son, how you wanna do dis?”

I sat there for a second to think about his question. “I think it would be easier for you to make the suggestions since you have a more demanding career and schedule than I do. I’m pretty flexible,” I told him. “If there’s something I can’t do, my parents and best friend will help.”

He took a sip of his water before he nodded. “Bet, we ca do that. First, Ion want him at dat day care overnight. If ya mama and dem can’t watch em, let me know. I’ll watch em or my mama and dem.”

I adjusted myself in my seat. “Um, who exactly is dem, Asher?” I wasn’t sure if I was comfortable with my son being around people I didn’t know.

“Kat, what’s my mama, daddy, and sister name?” He gawked at me. When I didn’t answer he repeated the question.

I cut my eyes over to him. “Lina, Collin, and Tiara,” I answered. “Asher, just because I know your family’s name doesn’t mean I know them. I would feel more comfortable if I met them first before Ashtan stayed with them overnight.”

“Bet, dat can be arranged. Until den, if you gotta work overnight let me know and I’ll get em. If we gotta hire a nanny, we can do dat too.” I asked him about when he was out of town for games and stuff. He thought about it, then said, “I’ma give you my schedule. I know I’ma wan em to travel wit me from time to time. We can talk about dat closer to da season.”

Maybe I shouldn’t have told him that the suggestion ball was in his court.“Oh, okay. I guess we can work that out. I’ll add your name to the authorized pickup list at day care. You can get him whenever you want to, just text me to let me know that you have him.” I tittered. “I don’t want to panic if he’s not there and I didn’t know you were getting him.”

He tittered. “Dat makes sense.” His eyes shifted between me and Ashtan. “So, I was thinkin ten thousand a mont for child support right now. Dats enough?” he asked.

I almost fell out of my seat. “Asher, ten thousand dollars a month?” My head bucked back. “He’s ten months old. I don’t need that much money,” I said with a snicker. Yes, ten thousand a month would be amazing, but I wasn’t going to take advantage of the situation. “You can pay for his day care. That would help.”

“Da fuck you meanthat would help?” His neck cocked to the side. “We not ga do dis shit. If you ain’t wanna take da cash den I’ma pay your rent, my boy day care, and ya car note.” His eyes tightened like he dared me to say something. “I still ga give you at least five a mont for emergencies.”

My head dropped. With my head still down, I said, “Asher, what kind of emergency for a ten-month-old would cost five thousand dollars? That is absurd.”

He gaped at me for a minute. When he walked around the island over to Ashtan, and squatted down, I was confused. Ashtan took his eyes off the television and looked at his dad.Ashtan’s dad is Asher Kane.“Ashtan, why yo mama bein difficult? She ackin like she want me to do da bare minimum to take care of you. We ga have to tell her stop trippin.”

Ashtan burst into a fit of giggles when Asher tickled him. Our baby boy was extremely ticklish. After the tickling ended, Asher kissed all over his face for another eruption of laughter. Moments later, Ashtan settled back into his television show and Asher was back on the other side of the island. He took another sip of his water before he looked at me. “How you ca love someone so much and you just meet dem?”

My smile was wide. “Isn’t it the greatest thing?” For the next few hours, Asher, me, and Ashtan spent time together. I was shocked when he ordered groceries and cooked. I was ashamed to say that I never had red rice until that night. I heard of it, but never had it. He made the best fried chicken that I ever tasted, but I would never tell my mother that.

When it was time to leave, it was almost an argument because he didn’t want me to drive so late at night. It was only a little after nine. There were so many signs that Asher Kane was going to be a pain in my ass but a great father.

The Asher Kane Baby Daddy:Aye I’m having a bday party for my mama. I want you and my boy to come.

“So, the question is are you going?” Daisy asked for what seemed like the eleventh time. “You can act like you don’t hear me if you want to.” She mumbled something inaudible under her breath.

It had been a little over two weeks since the paternity test results. Asher had made it his business to see his son every day. The day after we met at his apartment, I added his name on the day care authorization list. That was a time within itself. The girl at the desk, Charia, asked too many questions for my liking when I told her to add him to the authorized pickup list. She added it, but she side-eyed me the entire time. I wondered if she had as many questions for Asher when he picked Ashtan up almost every day since.

“Daisy, I don’t even know when it is. I might have to work.” I was at work right now in Daisy’s office eating lunch. I loved that we worked at the same hospital. Since she was an administrator, she had an office. “Can I get myself together from last week first before I answer this?”

Daisy kissed her teeth. “Girl, you don’t have shit to get together. That paternity test said that was his son and he had his lawyer reach out to you to put him on the birth certificate and change his last name.”

Yep, last week Asher hit me up to let me know that his lawyer would reach out to me. I was confused but I said alright. When his lawyer, Mr. Stars, requested a video meeting with me, I asked my dad to join the meeting with me. Mr. Stars got straight to the point after his formal greeting. I was taken aback by the requestand wanted to buck. My father spoke for me.Please send over the paperwork to my address and we will have it back to you by day’s end.

When we disconnected from the call, I was livid with Asher, his lawyer, and my father. How was my father making decisions for me? Last I remembered, I was Ashtan’s mother. My father once again, for the second time since my son was born, put me in my place.

“I’m going to tell you something as your father. I know you’re grown, and Ashtan is your son, however, I will not allow you to cheat Asher out of what is rightfully his. You’ve already cheated him out of ten months. All that man is asking for is to be on his son’s birth certificate and the last name to be changed to his. Let me explain something about legacy when it comes to boys.” He glared at me during the pregnant pause. “You are my daughter and I love you more than life. The fact remains that when you get married, the legacy of the Roland last name dies.

“A lot of men who are overjoyed about having boys are excited that their name legacy will continue. I understand that as a man and a father. Asher deserves that right to have his last name carry on with his son,” he concluded.

My father didn’t give me a chance to say anything back to him. He left me there in my feelings and my thoughts. Mr. Stars sent the papers over via carrier less than an hour later. I read over the papers and looked at them for over an hour and a half before I signed them. I had no legitimate reason to not sign them. My father was right. Asher had every legal right to be listed as his father. Now, the changing of the last name could be a debatable topic since me and him weren’t married, but I would let him have that.

“Girl, are we going?” Daisy was like a dog with a bone about going to this birthday party. I just got the text not too long ago, but she wanted me to decide immediately.

I giggled. “Oh, now it’s a we thing, huh?” Daisy was too much. “I see you’ve invited yourself.”

“You damn right I did,” she said with a tilted head. “You’re not going to block my dick opportunities. Some of his teammates might be there. You know I love rich dick, not too much though. At the least, I know there are going to be some fine ass, geechie cousins that I can get to tickle my middle.” She scoffed before she took a spoonful of her food. With food still in her mouth, she said, “Besides, you’re not taking my god-nephew nowhere like that without me.”

My phone vibrated on Daisy’s desk. I picked it up and rolled my eyes at my baby’s father texting me once again. You would have never been able to tell me that one day Asher Kane Wilson would get on my nerves.

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