“Lacy, I really can’t stop thinking of you. I did it again. Tried to forget you but I can’t. I really do…” Robert lets go of Lacy’s arm and touches her face. He makes her look at him. “I really love you. Ronnie loves you too.” Lacy blushed.
“But… I can’t be with you both.” She nervously responds.
“I know that. I love you and Ronnie loves you. Please speak to him.”
“I will… I am sorry!” Lacy hugs Robert. “I been through so much in such little time! Everything keeps going by so fast! I really love you and Ronnie!” Lacy looked up at Robert. “Do you mean it? You really love me?”
“Yes. I love you.” Robert admits and blushes.
“You’re wet. What’s wrong with your face?” Lacy noticing Robert was hurt.
“Ronnie and I got into a fight.” Robert tells the truth to Lacy.
“Why? You two wasn’t fighting over me were you? I really don’t want you to. I love you both.” Lacy says and looks down.
“Lacy, don’t worry about that.”
“If you say so. You should get a change of clothes. Can we walk to your home together?”
“Alright?” Robert and Lacy left the bedroom.
“Are you okay?” Abbilynn asks her daughter.
“Yes, Robert is taking me to see Ronnie. I need to talk to him about this. It’s what I need to do.” Lacy tells her mother.
“Alright.” Abbilynn responds. “I need to pick up James. He’s done hanging with his friend Nikki today.” Lacy and Robert leaves. She went to his home with him. When they got there, they went straight to the bedroom. Ronnie was surprised to see Lacy when he opened the door. He just got out of the shower and had a different outfit on.
“Lacy?” He was surprised to see Lacy there. Robert had gotten dressed into dry clothes. Lacy went over to Ronnie and hugs him.
“Ronnie. I love you. I am so sorry. I am sorry I didn’t tell you I was pregnant, I am sorry I didn’t tell you I miscarried. I was scared.” Lacy said. Ronnie hugs her back.
“Lacy… it’s alright.” Ronnie tells her. Robert just stared at them both.
“I was scared that you’ll hate me… or didn’t want to speak to me anymore. But I wasn’t being nice not speaking to you. I was so confused.” Lacy said. She was crying.
“I don’t hate you. Lacy, I really love you.” Ronnie says. “I was so upset hearing about the news about the baby. I wish that the baby was still alive. It’s not your fault. I guess it’s not mine either.”
“Ronnie… I love you. I love Robert too. Robert.” Lacy looks over at Robert. He just stares at her. She lets go of Ronnie and hugs Robert. “I love you too Robert.” Ronnie just stared.
“Robert, I am… I am sorry for punching you and yelling at you.” Ronnie apologized to his older brother.
“Don’t worry about it.” Robert said. Lacy lets Robert go and dries her tears.
“I really am sorry. I was scared to tell you two about the pregnancy. I was afraid you both wouldn’t like me anymore and would leave me. Then I started having gut feelings that the baby was Ronnie’s. Then when I found out I lost the baby, I started to get upset and worried about telling you two.” Lacy admits. “I wish that I can sleep over. I really missed you two.”
“I can ask our dad. I don’t think it would be a problem. You will need to tell your parents though.” Robert tells Lacy.
“Yes, I don’t think it would be a problem either. I can’t have sex right now anyways.” Lacy laughed a little. Robert left the bedroom. He found his dad in his bedroom talking to Mason. Robert didn’t open the door all the way. He decided to listen to them.
“I want to know who Michael’s mother is. I never seen a woman around and never knew you had a girlfriend. My parents keep telling me that Peggy is Michael’s mother and that you got her to cheat on me. They are even disappointed that her and I are divorced.”
“Brice, I really don’t want to talk about it.” Mason responds.
“I want to know the truth. Did you get her to cheat on me or did she get you to do that with her? I am confused. Because they said they’re mad at you for this incident. I remember Peggy saying she was pregnant right after she had Bryan. Saying it was my child, but then soon after told me it died. I really got not proof of that. Then poof Michael appears out of nowhere and you have him.”
“I did not get Peggy to cheat on you!”
“You were a teenager at the time. I know you were young, my parents were upset with you and wanted to kick you out but I took you in. I decided not to believe them and took you in until you were of age and you had a job and moved out with your son. You told me you didn’t want to speak about Michael’s mother and I assumed it was a girl that had a baby with you and left you with the baby.”
“Brice, I really honestly didn’t get Peggy to cheat on you! I didn’t want that to happen!”
“Is Michael really Peggy’s son?” Brice asks.
“I really don’t want to talk about it!” Mason seemed upset.
“Is Michael really my half brother?” Robert wondered. “This is just weird.”
“Mason. I really want to know what happened. I want to know if Michael really is Peggy’s son. I want to know now. No more hiding and beating around the bush with me about it.”
“Brice, I really…. I really don’t want to talk about it. I don’t!”
“I want to know now! Tell me the truth!”
“I hate Peggy! I hate her!” Mason yelled. Mason looks down. “It all happen years ago. Remember when I used to come over to help watch Robert, Ronnie, and Bryan for you when you went to work? I would come over after school to help you out because Peggy wasn’t really watching them…”
Mason came over and Ronnie came over to the door. “Hey uncle Mason. You coming over to play?” Ronnie asked.
“I came over to babysit you and your brothers.”
“I am no baby. I can watch myself.” Ronnie said and ran in the living room. Robert was sitting on the floor in the living room drawing a picture with crayons. Ronnie steps on the crayons and Robert started to cry. Mason sighs and goes over to the both of them.
“Ronnie, you really shouldn’t be running around stepping on crayons.” Mason tells Ronnie.
“Oopsy.” Ronnie didn’t even realize what he did.
“He’s a meanie!” Robert said now glaring at Ronnie.
“Now, Robert don’t get mad. Where’s Bryan?”
“I don’t know.” Robert and Ronnie said and shrugged their shoulders. Mason went looking for Bryan he found him upstairs sleeping in his bassinet in the parents’ bedroom.
“Oh good, you’re asleep. At least you’re doing alright.” Mason said staring down at Bryan. “It must be tough for my big brother to take care of all of you. Three kids and all close in age at that.” Peggy came into the bedroom and shuts the door.
“Mason, you’re looking handsome as ever.” She said flirting with him.
“W-What?” Mason asked. He really didn’t like being around Peggy. Every time he came over, she made him felt uneasy. Peggy came over to Mason. She pushes him down on the bed. “What are you doing?!”
“I always wanted a girl baby. Maybe you can give me one.” She said.
Mason stopped talking about the past. Brice stared at him. “She raped you?” Brice asked his younger brother.
“I was only 14 at the time. I didn’t really understand much. But, I didn’t want to go over there anymore to help out. Remember how I acted? Then mom and dad forced me. And it repeatedly happened. It happened about so many times I couldn’t count. Then Peggy told me she was pregnant. I was scared and didn’t know what was going on. Then Michael was born early. After she had him she was so angry he was male. Once she came home from the hospital she just dropped him off to me. Mom and dad seen that and thought I got Peggy to cheat.”
“Didn’t you try telling them the truth?” Brice asks.
“I did. They wouldn’t believe me. I took care of Michael and soon got a job. I did my best to take care of him because he was my son.” Mason looked down. “Then I lost my job and place. I really don’t know what to do. I haven’t been comfortable around women because of what Peggy did to me.”
“Mason, it’s alright. I am not mad. You can continue to stay here. I don’t even mind you living with me. We will work this out. Michael is going to have to share a bedroom with Bryan. Even though Bryan is going to complain about it. But he’s gonna have to share.” Brice tells his brother.
“Thank you.” Mason replies. Robert heard everything.
“Michael is really my brother/cousin. That is weird even for me.” Robert thought to himself. He was surprised about what he had heard. Robert was looking down and didn’t even notice his dad came over to the door.
“Have you been there the whole time?” Brice asks him.
“Uh…” Robert looked at his dad. “Can Lacy spend the night? She’s really upset and wanted to know if she can spend the night.”
“I don’t know about that.” Brice answered.
“Dad, we can’t do anything with her. Remember? She miscarried.” Robert reminds his dad.
“Alright, I don’t care as long as it’s okay with her parents.” Brice responded and left the attic. Robert followed his dad down the steps.
Lacy was allowed to spend the night. Bryan wasn’t too happy with sharing his bedroom. That night, Brice also had a conversation with his sons about Michael and his father. They all were surprised and felt weird about it, but decided there was nothing they could do about it. Bryan didn’t understand much of it.