I was in my old bedroom looking at my phone. I was looking at a text from yesterday where I had asked Chanaé if we were still on to meet today. All I got for a response was sure. I didn't know what to make of the text it was just a one-word answer that I did not want to read too much into. She was hesitant about me meeting Toni anyway so I have this thought in the back of my head that won't go away that she is going to flake today and not show up with Toni. There is a knock on my bedroom door and I already knew who it was. My mom knew that I was going to meet with Chanaé and I know she want the details of what and how everything is going down. I got up and opened the door for my mother.
"Hey Ma," I said opening my door and turning around to return to my bed.
"Hey Hijo, I know you're meeting Chanaé today. How is that going to work?" She asked sitting at the bottom of my bed.
"I was just looking at a text from yesterday when I asked her if she was still meeting with me today and she just sent a text that says 'sure'" I could see that my mother could tell that I was worried.
"No te preocupes Hijo," she said reaching for me from the end of the bed and rubbing my leg.
"I can't help but worry Ma. I have been in the dark for years and now I find out that I have a daughter and Chanaé already is hesitant about me meeting her" my feelings were everywhere about this situation.
"All you can do is rezar" my mother said sitting up on the bed and leaving my room. When my mother left I got u and went through my suitcase to find an outfit to wear that would be appropriate to meet Toni in. I set my outfit out, a pair of slacks and a button-up shirt on my bed as I laid everything out my mother walked into my room holding a bible.
"Come Hijo let's pray," My mother said s she kneeled on the side of my bed. I stopped what I was doing and kneeled on the side of my bed with my mother. My mom opened her bible to the verse that she was looking for and leaned her head forward to read the verse.
"The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in the times of trouble." (Psalms 9:9) She grabbed my hand and said a prayer. "Lord help us know the things that we can change and the things that we cannot change. Help us to know the difference between the two. Give my son the peace of mind to get through this situation that he was not ready for and ready him for the outcome of this situation no matter what it may be. Amen"
"Amen," I said in unison with my mother. The prayer that my mother said put me at peace a little with the situation and I knew that all I could do was leave this entire situation in God's hands.
"Hijo, just go to this meeting with an open mind and see what happens. You never know what will happen from day to day and all we can do is address things as they come. If Chanaé meets you with the baby then okay but if she doesn't then we have to deal with it from there and pray." I knew that she was right and I decided to take the moments as they come. We both got up from the side of the bed and as I went into my closet to look for a pair of shoes that I brought from home that would go with my outfit, my mother left my room with her bible. There was a bathroom inside my room and my mothers', I went to my bathroom and took a shower so that I could head out to meet Chanaé and Toni.
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When I finished getting dressed I looked at myself in my full-length mirror and liked what I saw so I headed downstairs. When I got downstairs my mother was sitting on the sofa in the living room watching what looked like some movie.
"Alright Ma, I will be back," I said to her as I grabbed my keys and headed out.
"Just remember to take the meeting for what it is," my mother said behind me as I left out of the door. I hit the button to unlock my car and got in to head to the parkade to meet with Chanaé and Toni.
When I pulled into the parking lot of the parkade there was very minimal room to park so I parked next to one of the other restaurants that were located in the plaza and walked down to the parkade. The parkade is a Chuck E Cheese that adults and children can participate in together. I got out of the car and walked toward the parkade. As I got closer I noticed that Chanaé was walking in with a little girl holding her hand. I go to the door of the parkade and I started to feel the nerves creep up into my stomach. I stood at the door watching as people said excuse me and made their way into the parkade. I watched through the glass door as Chanaé talked to one of the hostesses that were at the front counter. She was saying something to them and then pointed behind her before the hostess led her away from the counter. A few more people said excuse me and passed me to go into the parkade. I took a deep breath and opened the door walking up to the counter to talk to the hostess.
"Hi, just one for today?" The hostess asked when I approached the counter.
"Hi, I am here to meet Chanaé Smith" I informed her. She looked down at her form before speaking to me.
"Yes sir, this way," she said as she led me away from the counter. As we walked I noticed that Chanaé and Toni were sitting at a table close to the aisle that led to the games. As I approached the hostess Chanaé was sitting in a booth with her back to me and Toni was sitting across the table facing me. The hostess approached the table.
"Hi Ma'am here is your other party," She said as she placed the menu on the table next to Toni and walked away. When Toni saw that she set the menu down she moved over in the booth. Toni looked up and had a question in her eyes as to who I was and why I was sitting with them.
"Toni remember mommy told you about her friend that played football?" Chanaé jumped in to answer Toni's questioning look.
"The one that is on TV that uncle Bobby is always calling names?" She asked her mother. Chanaé looked shocked that Toni said that out loud, but she looked like she knew what she was talking about.
"Yes, the one that uncle Bobby yells at on TV. This is Tony." Chanaé answered
"You have the same name as me," Toni replied excitedly.
"Yes, I do," I answered her looking over at Chanaé who was not looking my way.
"So your famous." She said as a statement more than a question.
"No, I am just on TV when I am playing a game but otherwise I am a normal person," I explained to her. I didn't want her to believe that she had a famous father, once she knew who I was.
"So why is uncle Bobby always cursing you on the TV? Do you lose a lot?" She asked.
"I don't know why he is always cursing me on the TV. Chanaé why is Bobby always cursing me on the TV?" I asked Chanaé looking next to me at her.
"I don't know why he does that. He always swears when it comes to football games." Chanaé answered trying to avoid eye contact with me.
"Mommy he gets really mad when Tony is on the TV. He calls him all kinds of names and he doesn't do that to everyone else." Toni was letting it all spill out. Chanaé looked humiliated, but I could see where Toni got her mouth from. Chanaé has always been outspoken.
"Is that so?" I asked looking at Chanaé.
"How about we see what we want to order," Chanaé said picking up the menu that sat in front of her.
"Mommy, can we have the pretzel dogs?" Toni asked as she sat up on her feet in the booth.
"Sure, we can share some. What do you want to eat?" She asked Toni. As they talked I looked at the menu to see what I would order. Toni Picked up her kids' menu and looked to see what she wanted to eat. The waitress came back over with her pad and pen in her hand.
"Can I start you off with some drinks?" She asked.
"I will have Tito's long island peach tea, and she will have the grape candy chill," Chanaé ordered for her and Toni.
"And you sir?" She asked me.
"I will have water with a lemon and lime." She wrote on her pad as I ordered.
"Are you guys ready to order?" She asked.
"We want to order the appetizer. We would like the pretzel dogs." Chanaé relayed to the waitress.
"Do you know what you want to order?" The waitress directed the question to me.
"Not yet." She took my answer and walked away to get our drinks and put in the appetizer order for Chanaé and Toni.
"So, Toni which game do you like to play here?" I asked her.
"I like the game where you throw the ball and it can go into the different wholes worth different points," Toni said so excitedly.
"Oh, you like skeeball?" I asked her looking at Chanaé.
"Yes, that's the name of it. Right mommy?" She asked Chanaé who was looking at me while I was looking at her.
"Yes, baby that is the name of it." She answered still looking at me.
"Did you know that was your moms' favorite game when we were younger?" I asked Toni as I turned to look at her.
"No. Mommy plays with me some time though." She said as she began coloring the ids menu that was in front of her. The waitress came back with the drinks and the girl's appetizer. She set the stuff down in front of the perspective party and then took out her pad and pen.
"Are you guys ready to order?" She asked.
"You guys can go first," I said to Chanaé.
"She will have the golden fingers with fries and honey mustard sauce, and I will have the fired grilled steak with shrimp and lobster sauce. Please don't wrap the shrimp in bacon." Chanaé ordered.
"How do you want your steak?" The waitress asked.
"Well done," Chanaé answered as the waitress wrote down her order.
"And you sir?" She asked looking at me.
"I would like the fire-grilled steak salad, with balsamic herb vinaigrette dressing," I ordered a salad because with the way my mother was feeding me I would be going back to training camp out of shape and at least ten pounds heavier. I know I need to find a private gym and start working out before I looked like a newbie in training camp.
"How would you like your steak?" The waitress asked.
"Medium well," I answered and I could feel Chanaé eyes on me as I answered. The waitress wrote down my order.
"Ok, I will be back with your order as soon as it is ready" The waitress stated and walked away.
"Medium well?" Chanaé questioned.
"Yes, what's wrong with that?" I asked her. She had her face turned up into a disgusted look.
"I see you have been around those rich people too long."
"Because of the way that I eat my steak?" I asked her. I felt a little offended by her statement. The steak didn't taste good any other way.
"Who do you know from where we are that eats their steak any way but well done?" She asked me.
"Probably no one. Have you tried it?" I used to feel the same way until one of my teammates made me try his one night when we were out to dinner, and I have not turned back since.
"I don't want to." She answered with her face turned up. I know how stubborn she is and I know that if she feels a way she won't be changing it anytime soon. I looked over at Toni and she looked so content just coloring on her menu. I wanted to get some time with her so I figured while we wait why don't we play her favorite game.
"Hey Toni, while we wait for the food why don't we go play skeeball?" She looked up from her coloring and looked like she was about to shoot through the roof with excitement.
"Yes, Yes, Yes," She said bouncing up and down in the booth.
"Ok, I am going to go get us some cards," I said
"Wait here is her card," Chanaé said handing me a card.
"Okay," I responded grabbing the card and sliding out of the booth to go get points put on the card and to grab myself a card.