#i am exactly 10 years older than aiden so i can tell you that shits weird

[nutmeggery]

actually I will say something about this:

setting up a romance line but waiting until one of the actors is a freshly legal adult before executing it is creepy, actually, especially when the co-star is 15 years older

[itgetsbetter-ff]

Chapter 2 ~ The Unknown

Aiden

You know, growing up without your own mom in your life is hella hard. I understand Dominique all the way. I mean her mother killed 3 people, and tried to kill my stepmom, uncle and cousin, and she’s in jail, all my mom did was leave.  

As I grew up, I knew that Olivia wasn’t really my “mom”, even if I did call her that. I was about 7 when I realized that I was the product of someone else, and about 10 when I found out that my dad had cheated on Olivia with my mom, and got pregnant with me. Apparently, my parents have a very toxic relationship, to the point of always arguing and fighting, but My pops doesn’t have that with Liv. 

Even though I’m 19 years old, I still wonder about where my real mom is. I’ve always wanted to know, but every time I talk to my dad about it, he shuts down. I tend to not bring it up to Olivia, because she thinks of me as her own, and I don’t want to upset her and make her think she isn’t enough for me. When that’s not the case at all, I love Olivia and I would die for her, I just want to know where I come from.

After all of my back and forth decisions, I’ve decided to ask for help. Who better to ask than my older sister Sage, and this is why I am here at her apartment that she shares with Angel.

“Aye, please get your feet off the damn coffee table!” She yelled at me, while walking into the kitchen.

Their place was really nice, and I’m still trying to figure if my parents pay for it or Angel’s parents, its too nice. I took my feet off the table, and sat at the barstool in front of the counter.

“So, what’s up, you said you wanted to talk?” She inquired

I shrugged, “I want to find my real mom, but Dad isn’t forthcoming with details, and I don’t want to bother Mom about it.”

Sage rolled her eyes, “I am still not a fan of that woman, she was horrible when we were little.”

My hope just shot through the roof, Sage remembers something.

“What do you remember about her?” I asked, calmly.

She shrugged, “I remember she had big curly red hair, her name was Avery. Your middle name is her last name, I think.”

“Jordan? Seriously?”

“I don’t really know Aye, I think she worked with Uncle Dominic when he was in the game back in the day, but you have to remember, I was like 7 or 8, I don’t remember shit like that, especially since your mother was one of the things that I blocked out when from my childhood.”

I nodded, hell I got more out of Sage, than I did my own dad.

“Oh, By the way. Talk to Ree.” I said to her.

The look she just gave me, she was so confused, “Why am I talking to Ree?”

“Cause, she thinks the way that Angel treats Dominique, will be the same way you treat her.”

She scrunched up her face. She literally looked like our mom.  

“The fuck? What would make her think that?”

I shrugged, “You did it to me when we were little, because I was a ‘half-breed’” I laughed.

She rolled her eyes and smiled, “Yeah, and we talked about that in family therapy. I apologized. But there are other reasons why Dominique and Angel don’t get along, that I don’t even know about.”

Angel

Here I am at planned parenthood with my oh so great little sister, Andrea.

After, literally blackmailing her to come here, to get an ultrasound and to make sure she actually is pregnant, here we are. I was sitting in the chairs on my phone, while Andrea was lying on the bed with her feet in the stirrups.

“I’m nervous.” She spoke out-loud

“Why?” I mumbled.

“I’m 16, and I’m going to be a mom.” She said sadly

“You don’t have to be, if you don’t want to. You have options, which is why we are here.” I spoke, looking up from my phone, she just looked at me and bit her lip. Before she could say anything, the doctor came in.

Sure enough, my sister was pregnant, having a baby, but she’s only 7 weeks in. Before she could speak, I did.

“So, what are her options here? If she wants to abort the baby, how soon could we do this? Is it a surgery or is it the pill? If she decides to keep the baby and give it up for adoption, does the clinic give us an agency or do we have to find our own.”

As the doctor, was explaining everything to me, I saw in the corner of my eye that Andrea was wiping away tears. I disregarded that and continued to listen to give her all the options she had.

After leaving and getting into my car, it was dead silent. We were half way home when I asked:

“What do you want to do?”

She shrugged and whispered, “I don’t know.”

I rolled my eyes, “Look, you decided to lay down like a grown up, and have sex, you cant expect to lie with dogs and not catch flees, Andrea.”

She bitterly chuckled, “Back to Andrea, I see.”

“You decided to have sex, now you’re pregnant. You don’t have much time, before you can legally abort the baby, or if you want to keep the baby and give it up for adoption, that’s also an option. But you have to make a decision soon. Does the father know?”

She laughed, “Hell no.”

“Do you know who the father is?” I asked  

The look she gave me, you knew she wanted to kill me.

“Why the fuck do you even care?”  

I pulled up to the house, and she started to get out the car before I grabbed her arm,

“I’m trying to help you Andrea, you can’t make this decision by yourself.” I said to her.

“How the fuck would you know?” She spat at me

I sighed, I swore to God, I would take this to my grave.

“I had an abortion before. About 2 years ago, I was in college, and Daddy was getting on me about everything, so was mommy. I slipped up and I made that decision by myself, no one knows, except you now.”

“Not even Sage?”

I shook my head, “Not even Sage. You don’t need to do this alone, Andrea. I cried everyday for a month, I also bled for so long, I couldn’t go to class, or work, I just told everyone I had mono. But It was because of that. Now if you want to tell Mommy and Daddy, I suggest you do it once you have a solution.”

She looked at me in somewhat shock, “I don’t want to abort the baby, or give it up for adoption. I don’t know what I want to do.”

She got out of the car and ran into the house, I again rolled my eyes and walked into the house after getting out of the car.

“Angelique…. Hair!!!” I heard my father say. I rolled my eyes, yet again, my daddy always had a problem with my hair, I change it up so much, I don’t even remember that I changed it. It’s currently blue

“Daddy, we have this conversation, every time I change my hair.”

“Dominic, leave her alone, you know she likes her hair like this.” My Mawmaw said.

I smiled, I haven’t seen Mawmaw in awhile.

“Hi Mawmaw, and thank you.” I said going to kiss her cheek and sit next to her.

“Exactly, D. Leave my baby alone.” Momma said.

I just smiled, and watched as my father get irritated by the color of my hair, but I didn’t care, I paid for it majority of the time, so I don’t get why it’s an issue.

“So, where did you and Dominique go?” My mother asked me,

I knew that she knew something was up, because I never go or take Andrea anywhere. I didn’t even have a good excuse to come up with, and they all looked at me, waiting for an answer.

“We went to planned parenthood?” I heard Andrea say from behind me.

That instantly made my father stand up from leaning on the counter. My mom stopped cleaning the dishes.

“And why would the two of you go there?” My Mom asked.

When neither of us answer, my father’s voice boomed making both of us jump.

“Why would y’all go there!!”

Andrea started crying, and she said “because I’m pregnant.”

I looked at both of my parents through my lashes, and my father was pissed, and my mom was shocked.

“My office now!!” My dad yelled and pointed towards his office.

Here we go.

Giselle

Hearing that Dominique was pregnant and that Angelique took her to the clinic. I don’t know what made me more mad, or more shocked. When Dominic told them both to go to the office, they both complied, knowing not to mess with their father, and I followed them. I know Dominic is seething and that he would probably kill them both if I wasn’t there with them.

In his office, he was yelling at the both of them, Nique has always been the sensitive one out of the two, so any time anyone yelled at her, she would cry. Angelique on the other hand, a mixture of Dominic’s and I’s attitude, so she just looked at the both of us, unfazed.

“I don’t understand. Who is the father?” He said.

Dominique didn’t say anything, which only just pissed him off even more.

“ANDREA DOMINIQUE ROSSI CARTIER!!!” Once he yelled her name, the tears came even harder.

“Dominic.” I spoke softly, He was going too hard.

“Domi, do you know who the father is?” I asked

“Yes. I do, but I don’t want him to know.” She said

“And why the fuck not. You think that I’m going to raise your kid? Or your mom is going to raise your kid? We had ours. You have to grow the hell up now Dominique. You can’t depend on us.” Dominic said

“Daddy, please, I just don’t want him to know” she cried

“And how much do you know Angelique.” Dom said

She just shrugged, “No disrespect Mommy and daddy but I know, that because you were yelling at us, that I am extremely late for a business meeting. You’re upset, sure. Understandable, but What do you expect me to do. Leave her crying in the bathroom because she’s pregnant. I took her to the clinic, I helped her find out her options. I’m the responsible one here. I may not like her that much, but regardless, she’s a scared teenager, who doesn’t need to be a mother. She needs to be a teenager. I say she gets an abortion, and live her life as she should. But I am not her mother, father, step-mother or even her. I have a business to run. Excuse me.”

She got up and left.

I don’t know what the hell got into my daughter or what made her like this. But I don’t like it at all.

Dominique  

I was slightly shocked that Angel really just dismissed our parents like that. She knows for a fact that Giselle and Dominic Cartier does not do disrespect and that’s what she did.

But I wanted to get out of this mess right now, and just go to my room.

“Can I go to my room please?” I whispered.

My dad didn’t really say anything he just looked at me, very disappointed. I knew he would be, that’s why I was afraid to tell him. My mom just looked at her phone, and when I spoke she looked at me. I knew she was mad too, but not as mad as daddy.

“Yes, you can go to your room. But Andrea, we are going to want an explanation on what happened and who the father of your child is. He also deserves to know, as well as probably a sit down with his parents. We need to figure this out.” My mom spoke.

“Yes ma’am. Excuse me” I whispered and got up to leave the office, but before I could touch the door, daddy spoke,

“You’re going to have to tell your mother, as well as An’Dreanna.”

I whipped my head around, “Daddy, please do-“

“Not up for discussion Dominique, now you’re dismissed.”

I opened the door and went to my room, Listen, telling Katie that I’m pregnant, fine. She’ll probably be so excited that I’m having a baby and that she’s their grandmother, but that’s just going to break her heart. I don’t plan on speaking to my birth mother the day after I turn 18. It’s because of her, that my dad, aunt and brother is in a lot of pain, the reason why Angel literally hates my guts. She’s the reason I hate my own name, as many times as I asked her when I was younger, I wanted to change my name, her nor my maternal grandmother An’dreanna would let me.

I was 11 when I wanted to change my name to Dominique Arianna Cartier, and if Giselle would’ve let me, I would’ve taken her last name too, Boudreaux. When Angel found out that I wanted to change my name to Boudreaux, she threw a complete fit, we actually physically fought, and I cried for a long time about it. I just wanted to be like them. I wanted to fit in with my siblings, and I really don’t. All of my sisters and brothers are absolutely beautiful, they are the perfect mixture of Giselle and my dad.

Me, I look kinda like my dad, but I look more like Katie. I have most of her facial features, and my hair is a natural sandy brown compared to my siblings all black hair, so I dye my hair a lot but it doesn’t work very well. 

Don’t get me started on An’Dreanna, I have to call her every once and a while and visit her and my mother’s father, even less. I don’t even call her grandma, she prefers to be called An’Dreanna, and she calls me Andrea, as well. She’s never been a grandmother but more of a dictator.  

“Andrea, you’re gaining weight, you need to lose it. Being heavy doesn’t look good for optics.”

“Andrea, your mother said that you aren’t doing well in a class. Maybe it’s because your father and his wife aren’t spending enough time with you on homework. You’ll come to the villa over christmas, and I’ll have a tutor for you so that you can study. Us Rossi’s have a legacy to uphold.”

“Andrea…. take better care of your hair, if you’re going to dye it, please don’t look like your ghetto sister.”

“Andrea…. Andrea…. Andrea….”

The shit is absolutely exhausting. Hell, I’m even an outcast in that family. My mother’s brother and sister, are okay. But Callie doesn’t really call or visit because of her issues with Giselle’s older brother Xavier and I never really met my mother’s brother, he just sends cards on my birthday. If I’m in town with An’Dreanna, she will refer to me as her great-great niece, instead of her own granddaughter, because my own birth mother is a disgrace.

So, now do you see why I am not too happy about telling either of them?

~~~~~~~

I was laying in my bed, not really doing anything when a knock came at my door.

“Come in.” I mumbled.

The door opened and it was Giselle with food.

“You didn’t come down for dinner, so, you actually need food honey.” She spoke to me, she sat on my bed and put the food on the night stand beside my bed.

“I’m not very hungry.”

“Look, I know you’re upset, and disappointed with yourself. But I’m glad you told your father and I. Because now, we can get you all the options you need, and if you want to keep the baby, all the things you will need from now on.” She said brushing my hair back behind my ear, she was always so gentle with me.

I shrugged, “What do you think about what Angel said, do you think I should get an abortion?”

She sighed, “When I got pregnant with Angel, I thought about having one. I was supposed to marry someone I didn’t love, and I loved your father very much. My father was very much like An’Dreanna, in the aspect of controlling my life. So I hid my pregnancy from him. Your father and I, we were young so we ran away. But in us doing that Angel almost died, because I had complications. I’m glad that I didn’t have one, because I would’ve been married to someone that hurt me. I wouldn’t have your sisters or brothers, your father, or even you. But It’s up to you Domi, I can’t make that decision for you.” She paused and then looked at me, “Do you want to have one?”

I shook my head, “But i don’t know, if I don’t, everything will just be much worse for me.”

My mom looked at me, and I knew I said too much,

“Andrea, what do you mean? Who is the father of your baby?” She questioned.

I shook my head, and I started crying, I’m seriously a fuck up just like my real mother.

“Who is he, Andrea, i can’t help you if you don’t tell me.” She said seriously

“She’s just going to hate me, she’s going to hate me even more than she does now. But I didn’t know Mommy, I swear I didn’t ” I wailed

My mom got close to me, and held me. “What are you talking about?”

“There are two possibilities for who the father of my baby is. My boyfriend, Jordan, I pray to God that it is. The man who is the other, I didn’t know he was dating someone, it was kind of a few times, this was when Jordan and I broke up. She already terrorizes me, she hates that I breathe and live, like she’s going to be so mad.”   

Suddenly, she knew what I was hinting at, and her eyes grew big and her hand went over her mouth in shock.

“You’re talking about Marie. The second person that could be your baby’s father is Angel’s boyfriend.”