ago to go home to get ready for her evening shift at the grocery store.
For the past couple weeks, while he was at work, Debra or Leah came over to watch Carl. Rachel assisted when she could in the evenings between doing the bookkeeping at his printing company and her studies. Having their help did make things a whole lot easier on Pete – but he was really considering calling social services to find out about putting the baby up for adoption or foster care – something, anything, because he just couldn’t see how much longer the whole setup would last. He had a business to run for goodness sake! He didn’t feel he had the time – not to mention the experience to raise a child. Though he would be lying if he said Carl hadn’t snuck in his heart just a bit. The color of his skin didn’t prevent the love he thought he was starting to have for the child. But the reality of the situation was – he couldn’t do this, not long term at least. His dear late wife Moriah and Carlisha, along with Debra, Leah and Rachel would have to forgive him somehow because he just didn’t think it would be fair for him or Carl to continue being his guardian. When Moriah had agreed for them to be Carlisha’s legal guardians he didn’t think it would’ve resulted in him being responsible for the cute child he now held after he triumphantly – at least in his eyes – changed his diaper. Pete held Carl in one arm as he threw the dirty diaper in the waste basket by the changing table. He had converted the guest room, which Carlisha used when she slept over, into the baby’s new room. After disposing of the diaper, he walked over to the rocking chair where a warm bottle sat on an end table nearby. He sat and began rocking back and forth while holding the bottle as Carl sucked to his delight.
Pete always wanted to be a father. He and Moriah had talked about having at least two children – but they suffered two miscarriages. However they didn’t let that stop them from trying. They were determined to have a baby of their own – the natural way. Pete thought of how that opportunity was robbed from them whenever he held the infant in his arms. And now Carlisha who conceived and gave birth to a child – died without even holding her son in her arms. Life is so unfair! So cruel! Pete looked down at the sleepy eyed Carl still sucking on the bottle nipple. And yet you want to get rid of the child and have the state deal with him. Pete was ridiculed by his conscience. But he ignored it – he felt it was best for someone, anyone, other than him to raise Carl. The child’s life would be better off without him.
Chapter 24
Roger was alarmed when he looked out the peephole after the doorbell rang. Moments ago he was sitting on the couch, drinking a beer, trying to unwind after putting in ten hours at the mechanic shop. His wife, Porsha, and their three young children ages five, eight and ten weren’t home – for which he was relieved. He didn’t want to deal with their rowdiness anyway. They all got on his damn nerves. That was why he had enjoyed his fling with Carlisha – she was his escape from his reality. He had a disastrous marriage and brats for kids – to put it mildly. Being broke didn’t help the situation either. He worked his butt off at work only to be left with pennies after his paycheck and money from his side mechanic jobs were spent to maintain the household and take care of his jezebel of a wife and the three ungrateful kids he still questioned whether or not were his. He didn’t even know why he lied to Porsha about Carlisha when she found out from her nosey behind friend who saw them at the movie theatre. That could’ve been his way out of the prison he considered his home. But for some dumb reason – he put up with Porsha’s mess and didn’t want to tell her the real truth about him and Carlisha. In the back of his mind he figured it was better to lie. But he did tell Porsha where Carlisha worked knowing that
For the past couple weeks, while he was at work, Debra or Leah came over to watch Carl. Rachel assisted when she could in the evenings between doing the bookkeeping at his printing company and her studies. Having their help did make things a whole lot easier on Pete – but he was really considering calling social services to find out about putting the baby up for adoption or foster care – something, anything, because he just couldn’t see how much longer the whole setup would last. He had a business to run for goodness sake! He didn’t feel he had the time – not to mention the experience to raise a child. Though he would be lying if he said Carl hadn’t snuck in his heart just a bit. The color of his skin didn’t prevent the love he thought he was starting to have for the child. But the reality of the situation was – he couldn’t do this, not long term at least. His dear late wife Moriah and Carlisha, along with Debra, Leah and Rachel would have to forgive him somehow because he just didn’t think it would be fair for him or Carl to continue being his guardian. When Moriah had agreed for them to be Carlisha’s legal guardians he didn’t think it would’ve resulted in him being responsible for the cute child he now held after he triumphantly – at least in his eyes – changed his diaper. Pete held Carl in one arm as he threw the dirty diaper in the waste basket by the changing table. He had converted the guest room, which Carlisha used when she slept over, into the baby’s new room. After disposing of the diaper, he walked over to the rocking chair where a warm bottle sat on an end table nearby. He sat and began rocking back and forth while holding the bottle as Carl sucked to his delight.
Pete always wanted to be a father. He and Moriah had talked about having at least two children – but they suffered two miscarriages. However they didn’t let that stop them from trying. They were determined to have a baby of their own – the natural way. Pete thought of how that opportunity was robbed from them whenever he held the infant in his arms. And now Carlisha who conceived and gave birth to a child – died without even holding her son in her arms. Life is so unfair! So cruel! Pete looked down at the sleepy eyed Carl still sucking on the bottle nipple. And yet you want to get rid of the child and have the state deal with him. Pete was ridiculed by his conscience. But he ignored it – he felt it was best for someone, anyone, other than him to raise Carl. The child’s life would be better off without him.
Chapter 24
Roger was alarmed when he looked out the peephole after the doorbell rang. Moments ago he was sitting on the couch, drinking a beer, trying to unwind after putting in ten hours at the mechanic shop. His wife, Porsha, and their three young children ages five, eight and ten weren’t home – for which he was relieved. He didn’t want to deal with their rowdiness anyway. They all got on his damn nerves. That was why he had enjoyed his fling with Carlisha – she was his escape from his reality. He had a disastrous marriage and brats for kids – to put it mildly. Being broke didn’t help the situation either. He worked his butt off at work only to be left with pennies after his paycheck and money from his side mechanic jobs were spent to maintain the household and take care of his jezebel of a wife and the three ungrateful kids he still questioned whether or not were his. He didn’t even know why he lied to Porsha about Carlisha when she found out from her nosey behind friend who saw them at the movie theatre. That could’ve been his way out of the prison he considered his home. But for some dumb reason – he put up with Porsha’s mess and didn’t want to tell her the real truth about him and Carlisha. In the back of his mind he figured it was better to lie. But he did tell Porsha where Carlisha worked knowing that
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