Hey guys. I am sorry for the absence. I have been really sick. I caught the flu from the boys, and with my immune system, it's not that easy to move. I have to be very careful about what I do right now; unfortunately, all my boys are sick too. But I don't want to leave you guys with no stories. I promise I will be back with my other stories, but for now, here is a Christmas Story just for you all. Stay safe and healthy. I love ya.

I want to send a special shout-out to my partner in Crime and an official GOAT Keshbeast. Since I am sick, I had her help edit to make sure the story was ready for your guys, and even on Hiatus, my girl stepped up like always. I love you girl!


TW: Racism Issues


Mercedes tucked Malaya into bed and smiled down at her eight-year-old daughter. "Okay, nugget time for bed. We have a long road trip ahead of us tomorrow."

Malaya smiled. "We are going to see Mommom and Poppy?"

"Yes, and Uncle Miles, his wife, Aunt Bri, and Aunt Mariah."

Mercedes looked at her daughter and could see the wheels in her head spinning.

"Alright, what's on your mind, nugget?"

She sighed, linking her hands together. "Mommy, are Christmas wishes real?"

Mercedes smiled down at her. "Christmas wishes? I believe they are; why?"

"Barry, at school, said that you can get one Christmas wish, and he was wishing for a new bike."

"Well, that's a great wish to make with Christmas coming up. So are you ready to pray?"

She nodded. "Dear Lord, please bless mommy and my grandparents and family. Please let me get all the toys on my list for Christmas and let me get my Christmas wish. Amen."

"Care to tell me what your Christmas wish is, nugget?"

Malaya looked down at her hands. "I don't want you to be mad at me."

Mercedes frowned. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"I wish I could meet my daddy…." She said barely above a whisper.

Mercedes's heart stopped in her chest as she heard her daughter's request.

"You want to meet him?"

She nodded. "There's a daddy/daughter dance at the end of the year, and I finally get to go, but I don't have a daddy to go with. And all my friends have daddies." She continued.

"Oh baby, I don't know if that will be possible, but maybe we can ask Poppy or one of your uncles to take you," Mercedes said.

"Oh, Okay," Malaya said sadly.

Mercedes bit back a tear. She knew this would happen, her wanting to know her father; she just didn't think it would happen this soon; she thought she had time. "Come on, let's try to sleep. I love you, Lil nugget."

Malaya nodded and laid back, closing her eyes. Kissing her forehead, Mercedes stood, walking out the door, closing it slightly. Walking back to her room, she fought the urge to cry; she didn't want to have to tell her that she was abandoned, but eventually, she knew that conversation would have to happen. She had to tell her the truth, or she would forever wonder.

Grabbing her cell phone, she plopped on her bed and frowned, dialing her best friend Sebastian's number.

"Hey, bea, what do I owe this phone call? Shouldn't you be reading my baby a bedtime story?"

"Bas, she is not a baby anymore. Are you ever gonna stop calling her that?"

Sebastian laughed. "Nope, considering I met you when my dad delivered your daughter, she will always be my baby. But what's up?"

"Laya asked me about Christmas wishes, and when I asked her about hers, she told me she wanted to know her father."

"Wow." He breathed. "What did you say?"

"What could I say? How can I tell her that her father decided it was more important to live his life than to be a dad."

"You still haven't told me who he is; I know he is someone you grew up with back in your hometown; I know how he walked away due to his Grandfather. But don't you think you can tell me the whole story now? This way, I can help you figure out what to do?"

"You sure you wanna hear it."

"Girl! I have really been trying not to hound you, but if you are gonna tell my baby about him, then you need to tell me first!"

Mercedes sighed. "Okay, well, it started back in the tenth grade for me and ninth for him... That's where I met her father. He was funny, could do voices, and made me smile at the drop of a hat. He became my best friend; our parents just knew we were destined to be together."

"So what happened?"

"High School happened. We dated up to the end of my senior year; we were so in love, and he was everything to me. And then I found out I was pregnant."

"He dumped you?"

Mercedes ran her hand through her hair. "No, he didn't. He did something much worse. He gave me hope. Told me that he would be there for our baby and me. And so we planned to be together. I was about to graduate and then get a place. My parents were very understanding, and he wanted to talk to his family and let them know what happened. But His Grandfather found out about us…about the baby.

"See, he lived with his Grandparents because his dad got a job out of state. He didn't want to lose his friends, me, and he had a great chance at a football scholarship if he stayed. So his grandparents let him stay there, and he would visit his parents during breaks."

Mercedes sniffed as she relieved the night that broke her heart.

"Mercedes, what happened that night?"

"Something I never expected."


Flashback


A little less than Nine years ago


Mercedes had stopped by Sam's place after her appointment. He wanted to be there but had football practice, so her mom went with her. She sat on his porch, waiting for him to come home, and smiled as he walked up to her.

"Merce, what are you doing here?"

"I told you I would stop by after the doctors, and I have news." She said excitedly.

"Merce, let me take you home; my grandpa should be coming home soon."

"Sam, we have been dating for three years, and you have been living with your grandparents for six months. We are going to have a baby; I think it's time we tell them; my mom and dad said they would help us tell them."

"Mercedes, we can't, okay, not yet." Sam said as a car pulled up.

Mercedes had only met him once, which was in passing; she didn't understand why Sam kept them apart. George and Pauline Evans stepped out of the car, and Pauline smiled softly.

"Sam, I didn't know you were having guests over."

"Um, yes, this is Mercedes," Sam said.

Pauline smiled. "My son and daughter have said wonderful things about you, Mercedes. And Sammy seems to be taken with you."

"Why is she here!" George said, looking at her.

"I am here because Sam and I were hoping to talk to you about something," Mercedes said softly.

George cut his eyes at her. "I don't see what you could possibly need to talk to me about; see your friend home, Sam…NOW!"

"Girlfreind not friend." Mercedes said. "And it's important that we talk."

"Girlfriend? No, Sam wouldn't date someone like you."

Mercedes frowned. "Someone like me?"

"George, please don't," Pauline asked.

"Yes, someone like you." He spat. "My father would roll over in his grave if he saw you with her!"

"Grandpa, that is enough! Mercedes is amazing, and I love her!"

"Love! Ha, what the hell do you know about love? You are only seventeen." He said bitterly.

"I am almost eighteen, and I know enough!"

Mercedes stared at them and took a step back, putting her hands on her stomach as if to protect their child from the hate Sam's Grandfather was spewing.

Eyes widened as George zeroed in on Mercedes. "Samuel, please tell me she is just fat, and that is not a baby bump."

"Wow…" Mercedes said, looking at the man. "You are not just ignorant, and you are rude as well."

"Grandpa, I wanted to talk to mom and dad about it before…."

"Before what!? You ruined the Evans name by breeding with the likes of her!"

Mercedes shook her head. "Breeding? What am I, cattle?"

George looked at her. "Yes, breeding is what animals do, right?"

"George!" Pauline said.

"So because I am black, I am an animal? What the hell kind of time are you living in?! This is 2014!"

"I don't care! No grandson of mine will father a mixed-breed child!" George growled. "You are ruining your life, Sam! Seventeen years old and a Jr. In High School. You think you can raise a child?"

"I don't know! But it's my choice!" Sam defended.

"You don't even know if it's yours! Her kind like to sleep around! I bet your mom has five different baby daddies, right?"

"Excuse you, you racist misinformed Jackass! Sam is the father, and my mom has one husband and one father of her children. I love Sam, and I know it might be hard with this baby, but we will be okay." She said, looking at him. "We will be okay."

"Sam, end this relationship right now, or you are cut off from this family," George said.

"George, just calm down. This is a situation that needs to be talked to calmly and rationally."

"Pauline! You stay out of this!" He spat. "Now, Samuel, you say goodbye to this harlot!"

"Grandpa…"

"If you won't, I will!" He turned towards Mercedes. "Sam has a bright future! You are here to ruin it! Ruin him!" He turned back to Sam. "You have scouts coming this year to see you play football. Do you think you can play college ball while being a father? No, you will end up working part-time at a pizza joint, barely surviving."

Mercedes looked at him. "It will be hard, but we can do this together."

"How do you think your family is going to take this, Sam! No, we will go inside this house and act as if this didn't happen, or you can leave now. And never see your family again." George said, eerily calm. "I will have none of this! Your father left you here because he was out of work and finally got a job. They can't afford another mouth to feed. Are you really going to do this to them?"

Pauline looked as if she wanted to say something, but she shrunk back down when George cut his eyes at her.

"Make up your mind. Now!"

Mercedes looked at Sam. "Sam…"

Sam looked at her. "Mercedes, you should go."

George smiled and ushered Pauline into the house. "Samuel, come on."

"Just give me a minute. Please." Sam moved closer to her. "I'm sorry, just let me talk to them, and I will call you."

"Sam, don't leave us. Your daughter, she needs her father." Mercedes said. "I need you too."

"Daughter? She's a girl?"

Mercedes nodded. "Yes. she is. We need you."

Sam linked his hand with hers. "I promise I will call you this weekend. I love you." He said, walking away from her, and she leaned against her car, tears streaming from her eyes.

Heading home Mercedes stepped inside and broke down. Amelia Jones walked into the living room and frowned, seeing her daughter.

"Cedes? Baby, what's going on?"

"It's horrible, momma. He just…" She cried.

"He what, baby?"

"His Grandfather is such a racist…he threatened to cut Sam off from his family if he stayed with me…with us…I have never…."

Amelia pulled Mercedes to her as Miles and Mariah walked in with their father, Matthew Jones.

Matthew walked over to her. "What happened?"

Amelia sighed. "Sam's grandfather was a bigot who put our daughter down and threatened to disown Sam if he took care of her and the baby."

Matthew nodded. "Okay, I am going out for a bit. Miles, let's take a ride."

Amelia shook her head. "Don't go over there. Sam has to make his decision himself."

Mercedes sniffed. "I just want to go to bed…." She stood and walked up the stairs to her room, her siblings following her. Matthew shook his head angrily. "I will kill them if they hurt her. It's bad enough she's pregnant by him! Her life will never be the same! Now he wants to walk away and leave her alone!"

"I know, I feel the same way. But we have to let them figure it out."

"I don't want to." He growled. "I want to hunt him down and skin him alive for hurting her."


A Week Later


Mercedes was lying in her bed when a knock came. She looked up and sighed, seeing her older sister Mariah walk in.

"Hey Mercy. Can I come in?"

She shrugged, sniffing as she sat on the bed.

"I have something for you…a letter…from Sam."

Mercedes glanced at it then looked at her. She had been waiting to hear from Sam since she left his place a week ago.

She took the letter and stared at it.

"Are you gonna read it?"

"Why did he give it to you?" She asked.

"I found it on the door."

Mercedes sighed, opening the letter and taking a deep breath before reading it.

"Dear Mercedes,

I love you, I genuinely and truly love you, and nothing and no one will change that. I knew you were the love of my life the moment I met you. That my life would be forever changed by you. But I can't do this. My Grandfather was wrong in how he treated you, but he was right in telling us that we shouldn't do this. Mercedes, you graduating, and I am going into my Senior year; I am only seventeen, I haven't even begun to live, and it's going to be hard taking care of a baby and trying to keep up with school and football. I found out my Grandfather had bonds for my siblings and me, and after agreeing never to see you again, he cashed it for me. I have enclosed a check for $20,000; it's the least I can do for this situation. I am unsure what you want to do, but I will sign over my parental rights if it's putting the baby up for adoption. I am sorry, Mercedes, it's all I can say.

Love Sam."

Mercedes stared at the letter, and Mariah moved to hug her. "I am so sorry, Merce."

Mercedes blinked, shaking her head. "He left me…. He left me, gave me money, and doesn't want anything to do with the baby."

"Knock Knock, Dad and I were thinking of taking your all out to eat… what's wrong, guys?" Amelia asked.

Mercedes handed her the letter and the check and frowned.

"No. No, this is not how that is going to end. Come on, Mercedes, let's go."

"Go?"

"We are going to see Sam; if he wants to leave you and my grandchild, he can do it to your face," Amelia said.

Mercedes quickly got up and followed her mom to the car, taking the seven-minute drive to the Evans' house. Amelia stepped out of the car, and Mercedes followed her as she knocked on the door, and Pauline opened it.

"Oh, Mercedes, and this must be your mother."

"Yes, I am Amelia Jones, and we need to see Sam. He left this letter for Mercedes, but she just needs to hear it from him."

"I am afraid you are too late. After we learned about Mercedes, Sam and George got into it, and Sam went to visit his family for a while. I am sorry, Mercedes, about what happened. But I do understand why Sam is torn; he is only 17. He should enjoy his senior year; he is so close to a scholarship, he has to look out for his future."

"And what about my future? The future of our daughter?" Mercedes asked. "What about us?"

Pauline frowned looking behind her. "I am really sorry, dear. Really sorry."

Pauline shut the door, and Mercedes and Amelia walked down the stairs getting into the car.

"I'm sorry, Mercedes; we will figure this out."

"I can't do this… I can't…Mom." Mercedes started to cry harder, and Amelia pulled her close.

"It's okay, Mercedes. He's just a guy, but you are about to be the most amazing mother. You can do this."

"I know I disappointed you and dad. I know you hate me…. I just thought if I could fix this with Sam, maybe you wouldn't hate me so much." Mercedes said through her tears.

"Baby, we don't hate you! No, we didn't want this to happen to you, but we are here; we want to protect you as best we can and help you."

Mercedes looked at her mom. "I know when I first got pregnant, Gigi said I could come out there; I think I want to go to Charleston."

"Baby, it's so far away. Are you sure?"

Mercedes looked back at the house. "There is nothing left for me here. I just want to go where no one knows me, and I can start over. Gigi can help with the baby, and I can work at her restaurant, and I can go to school. I just want a chance not to have to face this here without him."

Amelia hugged her daughter. "We will go home and talk to dad about it; if you go, I go, baby girl."

"But, mom."

"No buts. Your dad and siblings will be okay if I come there every other week."

"But that's so much on you." Mercedes said softly.

"I don't care; you are my child. I love you, and you are going to be okay."


Back to the Present


"So I packed everything I could and drove here, and as you know, I divide my time between here and there for my family."

"Wow, I know there was a reason you moved here, but I didn't know it was that reason. Did you ever find out what happened to your ex?"

Mercedes sighed. "I really don't care, I reached out to him, have reached out every year and nothing, so it doesn't matter, but if I wanted to know what happened to him, I would just have to turn on the TV to ESPN."

"ESPN?" Sebastian asked, confused. "Why in the hell would the sports channel tell you what is going on with her father?" Sebastian asked confused.

"Her father is Starting Quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals."

Sebastian sat up. "Her father is Sam Evans?!"