Becoming Reparations Pt. 03

"I'm off the cross-country team and there goes my scholarship."

"Maybe. When was your last period?" She looked away from me. "I'm sorry I didn't have the family planning talk with you sooner."

"It's okay, mom. Wouldn't have changed anything." We then counted the days and realized that more likely than not I was in the clear. That, for the moment, my season was safe.

"So, how big was he?" Mom asked.

"Mom!"

"I'm just curious. I still remember my first Black dick."

My jaw dropped. "You...you had an affair on dad?" I felt a mixture of shock and anger rising inside me. "When? Who around here..."

She laughed. "No. I've never cheated on your father. In fact, it's the other way around, and it happened in college."

"Wait? What? I thought you two have been together since high school!"

"Yes and no. Depends on your point of view." She took my hand in hers. "I went away right after high school. Your father, he went to a junior college to learn his trade. We tried to make it work, but it only lasted one semester. That's where I met De'Carlon and we started dating. That man had a nice anaconda."

"Mom!"

"What? You don't think I don't like sex?"

"Sorry, this is a lot to process."

"It's okay. I know. Remind me to show you my tattoo sometime."

"Wait. You. My mother. Who keeps talking me out of it—has ink? What in the actual fuck?"

"Watch your mouth!" Mom laughed as she chided me.

"I love you, mom but when you started talking about anacondas and sex with a man who's not my father—you lost the right to tell me to watch my mouth!"

We began giggling at the absurdity of the moment. "You have a point."

"I want to see this tattoo, it's got to be somewhere dirty."

It was her turn to blush. "Maybe later. Anyway, I moved in with De'Carlon and soon..." she took a deep breath, I noticed a tear slide down her cheek, "I was pregnant."

My mouth dropped. "You...got pregnant? Did you have an abortion?" I couldn't believe it. I was an only child, so I'd been told my entire life.

"No. It wasn't popular with either family. De'Carlon's parents thought I was just a phase he was going through. His grandparents didn't trust white people, for good reason. I couldn't bring myself to have an abortion, so I decided to put him up for adoption."

"Him? I have a brother? Where does he live now?"

"I don't know. The birth records have been sealed. I don't even know his name."

"So how does dad fit into all of this?"

She smiled for the first time. "Early on, when De'Carlon and I were fighting all the time I came home for Thanksgiving. Bumped into your dad. One thing led to another and we spent a night in the same motel you just did. I felt so bad and conflicted I confessed the one-night stand to De'Carlon, and he kicked me out. I moved in with relatives in the area until I had the child, then I returned home. Your father never lost feelings for me and he stood by me throughout the entire pregnancy. Even stayed with me in the delivery room."

By the end of the talk, we were both sobbing. And hungry. We fixed our make-up and rejoined the men. Who it seemed had started to get along just a little bit better. There was tension, but each beer seemed to tone it down. By dessert, we seemed a normal family meeting the daughter's boyfriend for the first time.

"Damn, it's getting late and Chicago ain't getting any closer." Hank said looking at his phone.

"You've had a lot to drink, perhaps you shouldn't drive." Mom said.

"I'm not going back to the motel." Hank said.

"The black eye?" Dad asked.

"Something like that." Hank answered, it was the first time it'd been brought up.

"You can crash here." He offered.

"I couldn't..." Hank stumbled, looking at me.

"Not in her room of course." Dad answered the unasked question Hank, and I were thinking. "We have a guest bedroom."

"I don't have much going on tomorrow that my office manager couldn't handle. But I don't want to trouble you."

"Nonsense." Mom said. "You're our future son-in-law. Please stay."

"Well since you asked so nicely, how can I say no?"