Unwillingly Together (BWWM)

Prologue

My father always told me I was a good child.

That I was destined for greatness and would always do right by my family. He was a hardworking man whom my brothers and I always fought to please. We desperately craved his validation and made everything a competition just to hear him say that he was proud of us.

Father didn't spend time with us the way "normal" dads do. We didn't go outside and play catch or take walks in the summer. We didn't go to water parks or even to a park in general. Father has always been a man of business. It was either business or nothing else at all.

From my understanding, he is very famous because of his business and he will do anything and everything to make sure it stays that way. I honestly think he cared more about his reputation and business than his own wife and children.

My mother was always happy with us but that would vanish when my father was present. They were once deeply in love but According to her, he's not the man she met all those years ago. She'd never leave though. She wouldn't allow herself to for the sake of my brothers and I. We honestly seem to be her only source of happiness in this life we live.

I was left a dress in my room waiting to be worn. I guess father is having another event or meeting. I hear the thundering footsteps of my brothers running through the hall. Their small laughs and heavy breathing as they chase each other endlessly. Are they even aware of the fact that we have something to prepare for tonight or is it just me this time?

Mama comes into my room with a smile on her face although her eyes look sad. They hold a solemn look that tells me she's sorry. What is she sorry for?

"You look gorgeous, la mama. Vien" she says. Her voice is shaky and her breathing is not under her control.

"You know your father loves you right?"

She says this every time he's about to do something that makes me feel the opposite but I nod anyway. She sounds like she is not only trying to convince me but herself as well.

She reaches for my hand and leads me downstairs into the meeting room. Father sits on what we call his throne. A shiny, gold seat with diamonds encrusted into the armrests he always sits on to make his authority known loud and proud. We wouldn't dare sit on it. No one has sat on it other than him. Not even mama.

A man, woman, and little boy are sitting there with their eyes on my mother and I as we walk into the room. Father has a grin on his face but nothing seems to be that smile-worthy about this moment. I bow my head in greeting to them and they smile at my respect. Little do they know I'm doing it to avoid any trouble with father.

We sit and father immediately begins with words I could care less about. I'm here but I'm not listening. I don't even know what this is for.

My eyes find their way to the boy as he sits up straight and presentable. He's cute but every boy besides my brothers has cooties. He's dressed nicely meaning they've had this planned and wanted us to look our best. I've been staring too long because now his eyes are now on mine. His face is emotionless. His parent's probably sucked the life out of him before he even got to enjoy it. I wonder if his life is just like mine; Boring, controlled, and uneventful.

My father's booming voice brings me out of my trance-like state and I'm tuned back in.

"I agree to your terms," he says.

What terms?

Father gives the man a firm handshake and mama just sits there with an unreadable expression.

"Aminata" father calls. My attention is immediately driven to him. He is a man of eye contact and always demands full attention to be put on him when he speaks.

"Meet Xavier. You two will know each other very well 8 years from now," he says. The large and growing grin on his face worries me more making the small hairs on the back of my neck stick up. What could possibly be making him so happy right now?

"She's a cute little girl. She's the perfect fit for my son. Don't you agree, Tesoro?" the other man says to his wife. She nods almost as robotic as mama does when father asks her something he obviously wants her to agree with . Clearly, they are just alike.

"Hello," I say. The sound of my voice makes me cringe in my seat as all the attention is on this conversation that is stirring up. The boy doesn't answer and receives a sharp swat to the back of the head from the man I assume is his dad. He straightens up and greets me back, making our fathers smile more.

"Well, then it's settled," father says and stands shaking hands with the man as they prepare to leave. That was fast and short which is what I like. I never want to be a part of these meetings anyway.

"Hey, you." The boy says, making me turn around and face him. He sure does tower over me even though I assume he's not that much older. He hands me a box and it holds a necklace. It's half of a heart.

" Keep it and keep it safe. Never lose it okay?" he says seriously. I nod so he can get out of my face and leave with his parents. I just want to go back to my room.

My father shows them out and I stand there waiting for him to dismiss me. Mom has already gone upstairs to do whatever she does up there that doesn't involve scolding my brothers or making sure our rooms are clean.

Father walks towards me with a big smile. In fact, I think this is the biggest smile that has ever sat on his face. He gets down on one knee in front of me and puts his hands on my shoulders.

" You did a great job for me today my darling. you are a good girl and you made daddy proud," he says.

A genuine smile takes over my face, making me show off the front tooth that's missing and a feeling of warmth fills my heart and body as I hear those words. I don't hear them often so I'm savoring it for as long as I can. I nod and he dismisses me to my room. My little feet carry me up the stairs and down the hall but I stop as I hear familiar weeping. My mother's weeping.

It isn't the first time I've been around her as she cried and I'm sure it won't be the last. It's always because of my father and the stuff he does or says. She becomes more sensitive day by day the more she's with him. I hate him sometimes for what he puts her through and how sad he makes her but it's beyond out of my control.

I hesitantly push the door open and call out to her. she immediately engulfs me into a bone-crushing hug and her sobs become harsher. She apologizes over and over, crying and saying how she should have stopped him. How he doesn't mean it. How he won't let it happen when the time comes. I hear her but I'm as confused as ever. What is she talking about?

We rock side to side and her crying doesn't stop or slow down. Mama is always sad but this is different. It's as if she's mourning a loss at the moment.

Little did I know, the loss was me.