Mercedes POV
TJ asked a bunch of questions and Sam answered all of them finally after about 45 minutes TJ was talked out and knocked out sleep.
"Sorry he asked you all of those questions."
"It's all good. Little kids do those things. Let's go outside while TJ naps so you can fill me in about what's been going on with you since I've last seen you." Sam took my hand and we went outside and sat on his porch swing.
"Tell me what happened."
"When I left 3 weeks ago I didn't go home right away, I went to the studio to crash there and I was there for a few hours then I got up enough strength to head home. Once I arrived home Tank's mother and TJ were there."
"So, Tank called his mother to watch TJ?"
"No, to my knowledge he dropped him off and then his mother starts getting on me about why did I leave and all of this mess so I had to get her straight I told her I was being abused by Tank."
"That's good."
I shook my head. "No, it's not. She blamed it on me."
"What?"
"Yes me. I'm the reason for all of this going on. So then Tank finally shows up with groceries and puts on an act in front of his mother, saying he missed and kissed me and asking where was TJ. Then his mother asked him was he hitting me, of course he denied and whispered in my ear that he was going to get me for it. I went upstairs to check on TJ and he was sleep and then I decided to take in a nap. I was awakened out of my nap by TJ's screams."
"He hit him?"
"No, TJ fell off of his bike and instead of picking him up and telling him it's okay. He was screaming at him using language that a kid should not hear. Tells me that I baby him and once inside TJ breaks my heart while we were lying in his bed having snuggle time he asked mommy why do you leave so much, grandma says I'm moneyless I know he meant motherless child, can I come with you, I hate being yelled at. It was tough."
"So, you left before?" He placed his hand on my knee gently rubbing small circles.
"Yeah, I left many of times in those 6 to 8 months. I would just go to hotel and stay there for a few days and then go back home"
"What made you think of me?"
"The grocery store, remember. We exchanged numbers and you told me where you lived at."
"That's right."
"Yeah, that's why I came to you. If I wouldn't have known where you lived I would have went back to another hotel."
"Glad I needed some cereal that day." That made me laugh a little. "I'm going to ask you something. Do you want to press charges?" I opened my mouth to say something he stopped me before I answered. "You don't have to answer me now but I would like an answer from you by tomorrow." I nodded my head. "Okay let's lighten the mood because that's really, really heavy. "Thaddeus?" He smiled. "You gave him my middle name as his first."
"Yeah, I did. When I found out I was pregnant I was a little upset."
"Why were you upset?"
"Sam I'm not married and I wanted to be married first but..."
"Wait. What? Was it planned? Did you decide to do that?"
"No, more like got me drunk and had his way with me when I found out that that's how I lost my virginity I cried for a week and then a few weeks later I wasn't feeling to well so it wasn't even in my mind at the time I could be pregnant until the doctor told me you're pregnant. I was so pissed and upset I really wanted to abort the pregnancy but something about a life growing inside of me even if it was Tank's I wanted a baby so I told him and he was happy and I was happy that was a really good time for us for a while."
"He hit you while you were pregnant?"
"No, he didn't. You know those pregnancy photos ladies take. I wanted one but Tank thought it would be stupid and a waste but I thought it would be cute something to look back on when I was carrying TJ but no. I don't have any photos of me being pregnant."
"None?"
"None, I didn't even have a baby shower he didn't want a lot of people in his house saying, you don't need a baby shower buy it ourselves you got the money purchased all of the things on my own. My mom sent me some items but that was about it but when I was in labor with TJ, Tank wasn't there either I was alone throughout the whole 27 to 30 hours of labor and finally when he was here physically and the nurses asked me what's his name. I thought of you and I couldn't name him Samuel because Tank would have figured it out but he doesn't know your middle name. So Thaddeus it was. All those hours it kept coming to me that Sam would be here and Sam would do this and Sam that I wanted you to be a part of my son."
"I'm glad you thought of me while you were in labor. So he wasn't there at all?"
"No, I had to drive myself to the hospital."
"What a waste of sperm? Know when the day comes for you to have our baby. I'm driving." Gently nudge her.
"Our baby?" She nudges me back.
"You heard me right."
"Sam, I'm not even in a relationship with you like that."
"Not now but you soon will be Mercedes and you and I are going to have babies and you can have all your pregnancy photos and TJ will be a part of them too, you can have your baby showers, I'm going to drive you to the hospital, you can curse me out all the way there but before all of that, I got to do it right I got to ask for your hand then propose to you and tie the knot then I'll adopt TJ but this will happen."
"Sam that sounds amazing and all but I think Tank will try to sabotage all of that if that day ever happens. You don't know what he's capable of."
Tank's POV
I stretched out my hand and I didn't feel her, I rolled over and fell off the bed.
"Shit Mercedes!" I got up and looked in the bathroom. "Mercedes! TJ!" I went to his room I looked out the window and her car was gone. "This bitch done left and took TJ. "Why she take my son?!" Running back upstairs I grabbed my phone and called the only person I could think of my momma.
"Tank, is everything alright?"
"No! Mercedes left and she took TJ!"
"She did what?!"
"She left!" I went in TJ's room and his duffel bag was gone and some clothes went back into the master bedroom and the hamper was gone.
"Okay. I'm on my way over. Right now. It's going to be okay."
"Okay, mom. I'll see you soon." I knocked over some of Mercedes purses as I was picking them up a phone slipped out of one. I've never seen this phone before in my life. "Mercedes bought another phone?" I went through the phone and I'm seeing names Kurt, Rachel, Artie. I should call one. I hit "call Kurt" a few rings he picked up.
"Hello, Mercedes?"
"No, this isn't Mercedes. This Tank…Hello….hello. Damn. He hung up on me. That's okay. I got other numbers to dial."
Sam's POV
Mercedes went back inside leaving me to swing on my own I looked up and TJ was standing in the door I motioned for him to join me I stopped swinging and picked him up and sat him beside me.
"How was your nap?"
"It was good. Where's mommy?"
"Mommy got sleepy herself so she's upstairs taking a nap."
"Did you take a nap?"
"No. I'm not sleepy. I'm enjoying the outdoors."
"Mommy says naps are good for you but I don't like taking them."
"I agree with you naps are boring. So, how old are you?" He held up one hand and counted each finger.
"1, 2, 3, 4, and 5!"
"You're big boy!"
"Yup, that's what daddy says." Hearing him call that punk "daddy" irks me.
"Okay. What else does he say?" Y'all see I didn't call him daddy.
"Stop crying. Shut up. Stop being a punk! Who you yelling at? You wanna be smart?" He was rolling them off with ease until he said the one that caught my attention. "Who the fuck you yelling at?
"Okay stop. Listen to me TJ, do not say these words the F-word, the B-word, the S-word, or the MF-word. Those are bad words and kids like you aren't supposed to say them. You understand?"
He nodded his head. "Yes, Mr. Sam."
"Okay. You like spending time with him?"
"No. I hate him." He said studying my face I guess he was waiting for him to correct him or something.
"What?"
"I said a bad word."
"No you didn't."
"I did "hate", mommy says I should say I do not like but I hate him. I wish I could beat him up."
"Tell Mr. Sam, why you want to beat him up?"
"He hurts mommy and I don't like see my mommy hurt. She cries and she's sad the only time she's happy is when daddy isn't in the house or she's out of the house or with me. Like this morning when you winked at her."
I shifted my eyes. "You saw that?"
"Yeah and she smiled that made me happy."
"Glad I could help make your mommy smile. I don't like seeing her sad either. You wanna have some fun?"
"Yeah, you play video games?"
"Yeah, I got a game room follow me."
Mercedes POV
I was trying take a nap but I couldn't because of the noise I followed the sounds and it lead to a game room TJ and Sam are standing up in the middle of the floor racing each other on this ridiculous yet hilarious looking game.
"We won! High-five!" Sam got on his knees so he was eye level with TJ. "That's my boy!" He turned his head and smiled seeing me. "Hey. Are we too loud?"
"Just a little but I'm up now. What game y'all playing?"
"Some throwback games from back in the day Mario Kart Wii want to go for a spin. I can make it 3 players." He shook the wheel controller at me.
"I don't know."
"Come on mommy. Try it. It's fun. Mr. Sam keeps falling off the road and fussing at Mario brother."
"Yeah, he keeps hitting me and we're on the same team!"
"He calls mustache head." TJ fell out laughing.
"Sam, why are you calling animated character mustache head?"
"He is. Are you going to join us?"
"No, I'll watch y'all." I told him as I sat Indian styled on the couch.
"Okay. TJ, get up son. Let's show mommy how we roll. Which track you want?" Sam went through all of the little courses and TJ picked Rainbow Road.
"I like this one."
"You just like seeing me fall off the side of the track."
"Yup." The game loaded and off these cars, and bikes and strollers went down the colorful rainbow road TJ was doing good Sam on the other hand.
"She hit me?!"
"Who?" TJ asked him not taking his eyes off the course.
"The itty bitty one named Peaches."
"I think her name is Peach, Sam."
"How you know her name?" He turned to look at me and his little man flew off the side of the Rainbow Road.
"It says it on top of their head Sam."
"It does?" He turned back. "It does and I flew off the road Mercedes you distracting me."
"You're the one that turned your head."
A couple more laps and the this race was over "I win!" TJ yelled as the time expired and Sam was last.
Tank's POV
"Tank what made her leave this time and take TJ with her. Who knows what she's doing out there with my grandson?"
"I don't know but at least their together so I feel good about that."
"That's what's going to make you sleep good tonight knowing your girlfriend and son are out there God knows where?"
"Ma, we'll find her. She left her new phone behind and it has numbers in there of people she went to school with. I vaguely remember her saying something about Kurt and Brittany oh and that girl Rachel."
"Did you call anyone of them?"
"Yeah, I did but Kurt hung up on me and I called someone else and their phone isn't in service."
"You think Kurt called those other people and told them?"
"Nah."
Kurt's POV
"No, I'm telling you it was Tank. He's looking for Mercedes. I know. No, Sam hasn't called me and I'm not even in town I'll be back in town later tomorrow and we'll head over there then until then don't answer your phone when he calls. I'll see you guys later. Bye."
"I know she's with Sam. I'm calm. I'm calm. Just hope she has her son with her. Breath, Kurt. Inhale and exhale."
Mercedes POV
"TJ's asleep?" Sam asked as I got back in bed.
"Yeah, he's knocked out all of that racing and jumping up and down did it. He told me, "Mommy Mr. Sam he's the best guy ever."
"Well I am. You know before TJ and I interrupted your nap with our playing of video games he and I had a little man talk."
"A little man talk about what?"
"Yeah, just simple questions and then we got on Tank."
"From simple questions to Tank that's a jump. How exactly did you get on Tank?" I propped up myself on the pillow looking at Sam in the face.
"I asked how old he was and he told me and then I said, "you're a big boy", and then he said that's what my – look I'm not saying that word but you know what he said and I just asked him some more questions and I'm shocked by what he told me. I asked him his age and he said you're a big boy and then he said that's my- - look I'm not saying that word but you know of it and then I asked him, what does he say and Mercedes TJ was rolling them off with ease back to back to back the one that caught my attention was the one, "who the fuck you yelling at?", and yes he actually said the whole word and then he said he hates him. Now he told me that hate is a bad word but I let him slide with that one. Your son hates that man he wants to beat up that man he calls that word. You want to hear what else he told me."
I just nodded my head.
"Okay. These are his words not my own, "He hurts mommy and I don't like see my mommy hurt. She cries and she's sad the only time she's happy is when daddy isn't in the house or she's out of the house or with me. Like this morning when you winked at her she smiled that made me happy." Your son was happy because you smiled a smile. Kids his age get happy over ice-cream and toys but the smallest simplest thing did it. If that doesn't make you want to leave him and press charges. I don't know what will."
"I'll do it."
"You'll what?" He shook his head once, then again.
"I'll do it."
"You know you have a few more hours to actually give you answer."
"I know but after hearing that I can't keep my son in that situation no longer I'll do."