Single Father [COMPLETED]

20

place: Forrest Harper High School
Time: 1:11 p.m
Date: September 19th, 2001

We sat around the gym for another day. Roy was trying to teach Kelly how to hold and throw a football, while Beyonce and I sat on the first row just talking.

"So you nervous?" I asked looking over at her. She looked down shyly and nodded. Yup today was the day. It had finally came. I smiled and wrapped my arm around her. "I promise you baby, she's gonna love you."

She looked up at me with those brown eyes. "You sure?"

I leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "Yes baby, stop doing that to yourself." She smiled and rested her forehead on mine. I was about to go in for another kiss, but I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was this girl named Taylor. Underclassman. She worked up in the office.

"The counselor wants to see you." She said handing me a pass.

I raised my eyebrow. "For what?"

"I'm not sure, she just asked me to come and get you from the gym."

I nodded and watched her walk away. Beyonce leaned over and gave me a kiss. "I'll be here when you get back."

"Aiight ma" I got up and walked out of the gym, and down the hallway towards the office. I went and knocked on Dr.Hall's office. She was one of the counselors for last names A-E.

"Come in" she said through the closed wooden door. Slowly I turned the knob and pushed the door open. I looked around and took in the scene. And once I saw the whole picture, I threw my head back and rolled my eyes, sighing hard. "Nice to see you Shawn, please have a seat."

"Man you've got to be kidding me!" I said looking over towards my right. "You set this up?"

"Shawn just take a seat. You don't have to sit there."

"Nah I ain't about to act like no kid." I sat down and leaned back in the chair. "So why am I here?"

"You know why you're here!"

"TOO BAD I WASN'T TALKIN TO YOU" I spat back.

"Okay that's enough, Shawn I just wanna talk to you about your daughter."

"She's my daughter too!" Candace said in a half yell, half cry.

"That's a bunch of bullshit, I raised her. You ain't do a damn thing for her."

Dr.Hall leaned forward in her chair and folded her hands together. "So are you telling me that she was never there for her?"

I shook my head. "Never."

She looked over at Candace. "And why is that Ms. Armstrong?"

" mI made a mistake okay...everyone makes them. I just wanna see my little girl!"

I laughed to myself and shook my head. "I can't believe you're buying this ish. She was so messed up in the head she forgot all about her. She forgot her name and everything! What kind of mother are you....no scratch that, what kind of person are you! That little girl needed you and I was all she had. I'll be damned if I let anyone take that away from me. Not you, not the court, not the state. NO ONE!" I felt tears in my eyes. I had been keeping this in for almost 3 years now. Before I could say anything else, a tear slid down my right cheek. "I hate you Candace, for everything you didn't do for Aaliyah."

"I'm sorry" was all she said.

"Me too. I'd say I was sorry I ever met you, but if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have my daughter."

"Candace you've done alot of damage to Shawn, saying sorry doesn't seem good enough right now" she said handing me a tissue. I wiped my face and balled it up in my hand.