Davis The Daddy

Chapter 3:

A deadly silence filled the room. Suddenly Roger felt his face getting hot. Collins and Mark looked at each other with the same, non believing, mad, confused, and shocked expressions on their faces. Questions filled both of their minds, why he was here, why she let him be here, when he got here, what they were doing, and of course what the fuck had happened to his hair. "What the hell are you doing here?" Collins finally asked angrily.

"We were just…" Mimi began knowing how upset Collins got when someone even talked about Roger.

"I was asking him. What the hell are you doing here?" He cut her off, taking a step forward. Mark just watched with raged filled eyes. Roger was speechless, he couldn't breathe. He could feel his breath become labored, and his heart pound, and his knees weaken.

"I, I…I came to apologize." He finally mustered to say, he was totally taken back by how a pair of eyes that were once so friendly and comforting could become so intense and filled with hatred.

"Apologize? You think an apology can fix what you did?" Mark asked. "You lied to all of us, and took off. You abandoned your daughter and someone you loved who loved you more than anything in the world! You think that doing all of that shit can be fixed with a fucking apology?!" Roger took a big gulp and a big breath of air. He'd never been afraid of Mark before but this was a side of Mark he never knew.

"No, I guess not. But I'm gonna make up for…"

"The hell you will. How do you think you're gonna do that? Send some child support every month like every other low life dirt bag that leaves once a baby comes into the picture?" Collins asked.

"No. I was maybe gonna um ugh um spend some time with her." Roger said quietly.

"Mimi you're thinking of letting them meet?" Mark asked her completely shocked.

"Yeah." She whispered.

"Why, so out of absolutely fucking nowhere this selfish bastard can decide he wants no part of her life again and decides to take off again like the coward he is?! And leave both of you broken hearted again!?" Collins yelled. "He doesn't deserve either of you!" Roger stood up and whispered to Mimi

"I should leave."

"No! You don't have to, this doesn't have anything to do with them!" Mimi said as he pushed his chair in.

"But he's right, I'm sorry for everything, thank you for everything, give her my best, and this." Roger said pulling a check out of his wallet and trying to hand it to Mimi.

"Rog please don't go." Mimi begged shoving the money away from her. "Please stay, don't listen to them. Please."

"See he's just gonna leave again." Collins said. Roger glared at him.

"Look I'm sorry for leaving. It was a mistake. The biggest one I'll ever make. But I've changed Collins. I'm ready to be a Dad. Her Dad."

"When are you gonna understand? You don't belong here you made that clear 4 fucking years ago! We stick together around here and you just took off! Mimi could have died and since that poor girl didn't have a father she would have gone into foster care! You're so fucking irresponsible and selfish! You make me sick, I don't know what the hell makes you think that you're allowed to be here!" Collins roared, running and lunging towards Roger Mark pulled him back and Roger walked quickly for the door where Mimi grabbed him by the arm.

"Please. Don't leave Rog." She begged. Roger could see the pleading in her eyes.

"No let him go. We've done just fine around here without him! We don't need him Mimi, you don't need him, she doesn't need him! He's worthless let him go!" Collins yelled. Roger got a fuming look in his eye and began walking towards Collins. Mimi tried to pull his arm but he kept going. Mark quickly jumped in front of him and put his hands on his shoulders.

"Chill out Roger." He said, trying to at least keep things from getting violent. Roger looked Mark with his tear filled eyes.

"I'm sorry Mark. I am." Mark didn't say anything, just looked blankly into Roger's eyes and then looked down at his shoes. Roger turned around and headed for the door but then stopped and turned to Collins. "You're wrong. I wouldn't have let her go into foster care. I would have kept her. I do belong here. I'm her father and I wasn't ready to be one for years ago but I am now."

"You think you know it all Davis." Collins said very meanly. "You think you know what it takes to care for someone other than yourself. You don't. You think you know Mimi, well Mimi's changed so you don't know her. You think you can handle this, and that you're a better person but you can't and you're not! And more importantly you don't know your own daughter. And that's your own fault, it's your fault that she's a total stranger to you and you're one to her." Roger was silent he wanted to find something to say to Collins to prove him wrong, but he couldn't.

"That's not true, none of it." He finally managed to whisper. "I'm ready to be a father! I've got money, I'm clean…..!"

"You don't have shit! You don't have anything that it takes to be a father because you're a coward who doesn't care, has never cared, and WILL never care for anyone but himself including your daughter!"

"That's not true! None of that shit is true!" Roger screamed, veins popping out of his neck and forehead, his face getting red and rage burning in his eyes, and his hands balled up into fists and he somehow was restraining himself from running at Collins.

"It isn't? So you do know your daughter, do you even fucking know her name, OR EVEN CARE!?" Collins yelled.

"Yeah I do know her name, it's Sophie Marcella DAVIS! DAVIS BECAUSE SHE'S MY DAUGHTER!" Roger screamed, infuriated. "She's my daughter, mine and Mimi's. Which means you don't get a say in this. And you're right I've been a horrible useless Dad to Sophie, so you know what I don't get a say in this either. It's up to Mimi." He said a little more calmly, but you could still tell he was upset. Mimi was just standing watching what was going on, with her arms crossed looking at the floor. Mark, as usual, was just making sure that the fight didn't go too far. He hated Roger Davis with all of his might right now, just showing up like this, but he knew that everything he had to say to his ex best friend would sound a lot better coming out of Collins' mouth. Roger let out a deep breath as Collins looked at him, still angry looking but not speaking. Roger just looked at Mimi, who didn't make eye contact with him. He looked at the 3 people in the room, none of which would make eye contact with him. Roger finally broke the tense silence and said calmly "And if Mimi doesn't want me here than she can……" Roger took out his wallet and pulled out the check and a couple of hundred dollar bills. "Take this and the rest of the money I'll send for them each month." He said walking over to Mimi, both of them looking at the floor. Mimi finally looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I want you here. Please Rog we need you." She whispered. "Please stay."

"Okay, I will, okay?"

"But only stay if you're gonna stay forever." Mimi said in a small voice.

"I'm not running again, never again Mimi. Now's just not a good time, when should I call you?" He asked, gently pushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"Oh get your hands off her." Collins said madly, walking towards Roger who glared at him and so did Mimi but Mark stood in front of him and mouthed "Chill out c'mon chill." To him until Collins backed up and sat on the couch.

"Um, but please take this money." Roger said slipping it into her hand.

"No Rog…"

"Please Mimi?" Mimi nodded and took the check and cash. "When should I call?"

"Tomorrow." Roger nodded. "Thank you Roger."

"No, thank you Meems." Mimi smiled as they both walked towards the door.

"I'm sorry about…." She began.

"Don't be. But really thank you so much Mimi." Mimi smiled and gently lifted her head to Roger's and lightly kissed his cheek. He gave her a small, tired smile and brushed his hand gently over hers before heading out the door and down the hall. Mimi turned to face the two men in her living room who were both giving her looks that had an emotion on them that was simply impossible to describe.

"What are you doing Meems? I've never heard you talk about a person with so much hatred in my life, and then you're sitting here holding hands with him?" Mark finally asked.

"You guys just don't understand."

"Understand what?! How somehow we wrapped you around his finger and got you to allow this? And make you think he's a better person, because yeah I'd actually like to know how he managed that." Collins said.

"I've been waiting 4 years Collins. 4 years of waiting for him to come back. I've thought about this day for 4 freaking years! He didn't have to convince me of anything because I know that him coming back at all means he's a good person."

"No, it doesn't." Mark said firmly.

"I want him here, with her and me! I've wanted him here since the day he left, to come back and apologize and want to be a family!" Mimi cried.

"Meems, I hate to say it because I love you and you're an amazing person but what if he didn't come back here for you?" Mark added. Mimi didn't say anything.

"He didn't. He came for her but I don't care, she deserves a real father, and he wants to be one and he's ready I know he is, he left because it was the best for us."

"Is that the shit he told you Mimi?" Collins asked.

"He doesn't deserve to be in her life, or in yours. He's put you both through too much already!" Mark cried.

"Well it's getting harder, she looks like him more everyday, acts like him, she's been asking about him more than ever too."

"She wouldn't have to ask if he never left. Mimi you remember the first time he left? You said it yourself then, he's always run away hit the road, don't commit. If he's told you anything about how much he cares and has always cared and how much he changed, he's full of shit." Collins said coldly. Mimi didn't believe him, Roger always loved the beauty in her eyes, but what she loved about his were that you could always see what he was thinking, how he was feeling. She could always see the truth in Roger's eyes and she had seen the truth when he told her how sorry he was, and how different he is, and how much he loved her and regretted leaving.

"I know that you both have done so much more for Sophie than Roger did, and that she looks at you guys like Dads, and maybe he may not deserve her but she deserves him. And that's my decision. Take it or leave it."

"How is this fair Mimi, to anyone?" Mark asked. "It's not fair to us because even though we've done so much for you and Sophie you're just making huge decisions without us. It's not fair to Sophie because I'm sure you'll make them meet even if she doesn't want to…"

"If she doesn't want to meet him she doesn't have to. I won't make her, and Roger will understand." Mimi said firmly.

"Yeah or he'll be the same backstabbing jackass he's always been and take you to court for custody!" Collins fired at her.

"He wouldn't do that!" Mimi cried.

"You're just like him, you think you know it all."

"No I don't know it all! But I know what's best for my daughter better than anybody, even you guys! Maybe you're the one who thinks you know everything, ever think about that professor?!" Mimi yelled at Collins.

"It's not fair Mimi." Mark whispered, breaking the horribly tense silence that followed her comments. "Sophie wasn't even born when he left the first time, what it he leaves again? She's old enough to understand and she's smart enough. I was the one with you the day he left, what if this time she's the one next to you? I had to watch my best friend be a coward and abandon you. What if she has to watch her father abandon her? You don't think that's going to hurt her? And what about you….?!"

"He's not gonna leave again! And this isn't about me, I don't care if he wants to get back with me or not, I care that he's good to Sophie! That's all that I care about! I don't care about our relationship, or your opinions, or anything! Just that Sophie finally has her Dad around." There was another silence.

"If he wanted to Mimi, would you get back together with him?" Collins asked in a very calm, and caring tone. Mimi thought about it for a moment.

"I think I would." She whispered, not looking at either of them in the eye.

"And so you're saying that if he didn't want to be with you again you'd still want him around?" Collins asked in the same tone.

"Of course I would, what are you talking about?" She asked.

"Mimi is this really about Sophie or is this about you wanting what you and Roger once had?" Mark asked.

"You really think that I would make a decision that's not the right one for my daughter just so I could have a relationship!? Have I been that bad of a mother to prove that I would actually do that!?" She screamed.

"Of course not Mimi!" Mark said. "You're an amazing Mom. And she's an amazing girl , and she became one without him in her life. Neither of you need him here Mimi. I don't think it's a good idea to have him back around here again."

"What is this about Mark?" Mimi asked. "Is this really about whether Rog is a good person or not, or whether he'd be a good father or whether we can trust him again? Is this really about what's best for me and Sophie like you're selling it as? Or is this about you not getting what you want?"

"What?" Mark asked.

"Please Mark, you know that in my will it says when I die you get custody of Sophie. And you also know that if Roger's back in the picture that all of that is going to change. We were talking about you adopting her, becoming her Dad a few months ago. So is this really about what's best for her or about what you want?" Mimi asked angrily and accusingly.

"She may not be my daughter but I love her like one and you know that Mimi. So do you really think I would make a decision that's not the right one for her just so I could have my name on a few of her documents? Am I that selfish, or is the selfish one her real father?" Mark said coldly.

"Guys, I don't NEED your approval or acceptance to let him meet her, and my lack of it isn't going to stop it from happening. But I don't want you guys just taking the high road because he's around. I want you to understand that she needs to meet her father. Aren't we lucky that he even came back? Lucky that he's offering to pay child support instead of fighting in a court saying he shouldn't have to? A bad person who didn't really care wouldn't have come back and you know that. Sophie and Roger are going to meet each other. Whether you like it or not. That's my decision take it or leave it."

"I don't trust him. Meems you've got to understand that we can't just forgive him and give him our trust back the second he comes knocking on the door. And you shouldn't either." Collins said.

"Well I do. I trust him, you don't understand tonight when we were eating and talking…"

"And making out." Mark interrupted.

"NO!" Mimi yelled. "We didn't, okay? I'm not moving it that fast, you're right he has a little bit of trust to gain back. But tonight when we were eating and talking I felt like nothing had changed, like he never left. Like we were the way that we were. I trust him, not all the way yet. He understands that, he understands that we need to ease into this."

"You do what you want Mimi." Collins said getting up.

"I wish you understood." She told him.

"And I wish that you did." He replied kissing the top of her head. "See you guys later!" He said as he walked out the door. Mark got up off of the recliner he was sitting in and sat down next to Mimi on the couch.

"I know that you don't like this Mark." She said quietly.

"You didn't even talk to us about it. Do we really mean that little to you?"

"Of course not Mark! You guys are my best friends! And you're like her fathers, but I'm sorry Mark you're not! Roger is, so I know that you've always kind of had that role…."

"But I was just the understudy." Mark said sadly.

"I'm sorry."

"She matters more to me than anything in the world." Mimi didn't know what to say.

"Him being around doesn't mean you'll be with her or see her any less." Mark just shrugged. "He's your best friend Mark."

"Was. He was my best friend."

"Did you ever think about him while he was gone?" Mimi asked.

"Everyday." Mimi nodded.

"Me too. Did you ever miss him?"

"Everyday." Mark replied.

"You know I think that maybe the reason that you're so attached to Sophie is because she's a lot like him. Having her around gave you a piece of him, like he never left."

"But he did and he hurt me and he hurt you. But I guess I understand why you want him in her life. I sure as hell don't like it, and I sure as hell don't like him or trust him or forgive him but I understand."

"Thank you Mark."

"Yeah." Mark said as he stood up and headed out. "Cya." He called.

"Bye."

At Roger's Hotel Room:

Roger was laying on his back in his bed, his arms behind his eyes were closed but he wasn't asleep or trying to be. He was just thinking. He couldn't wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow was when Roger was supposed to call Mimi. He could talk to her again, hear her voice which was almost as wonderful and beautiful as her eyes. He would become one step closer to meeting his daughter. "Sophie Marcella Davis." Roger said simply out loud to himself. "Mimi Catalina Marquez….. Mimi Catalina Davis." He said. He liked the second one a lot better.

Mimi's Apartment:

There was a knock at the door and Mimi secretly hoped that it was Roger, coming back to hold her hand and take things from where they left off. And not left off when Mark and Collins walked in, left off as in the days they spent together 4 years ago. She had restrained herself all night from jumping into his arms and attacking his lips with hers. She was still totally and completely in love with him. As much as Mimi had wanted Roger to be standing in the doorway when she opened it of course she couldn't be disappointed when Sophie cried out "Mommy!" and released her grip on Maureen's hand to jump into Mimi's arms.

"Hey sweetie, here come in Mo." Mimi said walking inside and shutting the door behind Maureen. "Sophie say goodbye to Aunt Maureen and go get ready for bed I'll be in a few minutes okay?" Sophie nodded and Mimi handed her off to Maureen.

"Goodnight baby girl!" Maureen said kissing Sophie on the cheek.

"Goodnight Aunt Moween, thank you for having me over youw house." Sophie said in her sweet little voice and kissing Maureen's cheek. Maureen chuckled and put Sophie on the ground and her and Mimi watched the little girl scramble to her room.

"So how was your date?!" Maureen exclaimed mischievously as soon as Sophie was in her room and her door was shut.

"Mo it was NOT a date."

"Of course it wasn't."

"God you sound like Sophie! It wasn't a date we just talked and had dinner." Maureen cocked an eyebrow.

"Who?" Mimi looked at the ground.

"Who!? Ohmigod is it that guy who works at the day care with you because oh my god he is so hot!" Maureen exclaimed.

"No! Maureen it was not a date and it doesn't matter who I was with. Now thank you for watching Sophie." Maureen smiled, cocked her eyebrow and shook her head.

"No problem, goodnight Meems." She said turning and walking towards the door.

"Goodnight Mo." Mimi said shutting the door and heading to Sophie's room.

"Mommy I put awn my jammies aw by mysewf!" She exclaimed.

"Good job sweetie! You look so pretty." Mimi said squatting down and pulling her daughter close, kissing her cheek.

"Do I look boooooooo-tiful?" Sophie asked cocking her head and smiling brightly.

"Yes you do baby girl now hop in bed."

"Did your date tell you that you looked boooooooo-tiful?" Sophie asked with a more mischievous smile on her face as she climbed in bed.

"It was not a date Sophie he's just my friend." Mimi said as she began covering her daughter in blankets.

"Well Natawie told me that her sister Nicowe had a fwend named Tommy and Nicowe told Natawie that they were just fwends but then they were kissing in her room! Are you gonna kiss your fwend in your room?" Sophie winked at Mimi. Mimi laughed.

"Oh sweetie you are 4 going on 14 aren't you?"

"4 and a quarter Mommy!" "4 and a quarter. Goodnight Sophie, I love you."

"I wuv you too Mommy." Mimi kissed Sophie's forehead and turned off the light.