Hey guys! Here is another chapter! I hope you enjoy it! Stay safe and blessed out there!


Sam walked into the house and froze; he heard singing in the kitchen and walked towards it. He smiled as Mercedes and Laya signed "Love On Top." He pulled out his phone, recording it because it was beautiful; it was everything he wanted.

Mercedes handed Laya a wooden spatula, and the two sang, spinning around, harmonizing in the most beautiful way. His heart swelled at the vision in front of him, and if this was how he spent the rest of his life with Mercedes and Laya, he would be the happiest man in the world.

"Daddy!" Malaya screamed as she ran to Sam, mid-spin. Sam held her close, picking her up as he did. Was there anything better than being greeted by his girls?

Mercedes watched them for a moment, a tight smile on her face as she started plating the eggs, bacon, and Waffles.

"Hey Lay! You are happy this morning!" Sam said as he put her down.

"I am! Because Nana called, she and Grandpa are taking me to the ranch for Spring break. I get to ride horses, and I get to see you during training!"

Looking at Mercedes, who nodded, Sam smiled, happy that he could see his daughter, but he could tell he was in the dog house. She was angry, but she was putting on a good show for Laya, which he appreciated. "That sounds pretty great! I can't wait to show you all about life on a big ranch."

"Laya, let's eat before our food gets cold, honey. Hunter will be picking you up for school in a bit."

"We made enough for you, Daddy!" Malaya said happily.

Sam smiled, moving to the table. "Breakfast with my two favorite girls? How can I resist?"

Sam sat next to Malaya, knowing Mercedes wouldn't want him near her; he listened as she talked about school and friends and spent his time looking over at Mercedes, willing her to look at him.

After breakfast, Hunter stopped by to take Laya to school, and while Sam was grateful for the help, he wasn't ready to talk to her about what was happening.

He had replayed what happened last night over in his head the entire flight, the entire drive, and the only thing he could think to say was that he was sorry because he was. He was genuinely sorry he hurt her. Sorry, he didn't tell her the truth, sorry he didn't just come home immediately.

After kissing Layla and seeing her off, he went to the kitchen, watching Mercedes wash the dishes, trying to ignore him; he found her adorable when she wanted to show him she didn't care, but also was mad at him. Her face may have been unreadable, which was worse than anything because he didn't know if she hated or could forgive him, but her body told him everything.

Moving behind her, Sam wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck as he moved to her ear. "It's not what you think. I promise she wanted revenge, and she got it."

Mercedes turned towards him. "What are you talking about?"

"Penny, I had no idea she was there or was kissing me."

"KISSING YOU?" Mercedes shoved him away, "You ditched me to make out with your ex!"

"No!" Sam said as he stared at her, confused. "Ummm, you're pissed at me because of last night; I am just trying to explain."

"Sam, what the hell is going on? I am mad at you because of this!" She pulled out a piece of paper and shoved it at him. "But I guess I shouldn't be surprised with you and Penny going back to each other."

Mercedes moved away from Sam as he read the paper. "Mercedes, I swear I have never seen this before."

"Really? Because it has your signature. Taking me to court for full custody, Sam? Really? After…how could you just-." She shook her head.

Sam reached for her. "Mercedes, I swear I didn't…"

Mercedes moved from him. "Get your stuff and get out! I trusted you, Sam! I let my guard down with you!"

Sam shook his head, moving over to her. "No, Mercedes, I lost you once. I refuse to lose you again. I don't know what the hell is happening. I never filed any papers, and I never in a million years would take her from you! Please."

Sam lifted her face to his, cupping her cheeks so that he could wipe her tears. "Please, if you never believe anything I say, please believe that. Please believe me."

"How? You lied." She said looking away.

Sam turned her face to his as she looked away. "I didn't want to hurt you. I thought I would announce her and be done with it; I had no idea she was going to kiss me. She is probably behind all of this! I will get to the bottom of it. I promise."

Mercedes blinked a few times, tears spilling from her eyes. "I want to trust you, Sam, but I…."

"I know I have a lot of making up to do, but please just let me prove my innocence before you end things. Before you walk away from me. I am still learning, Merce, how to be a father and be the man worthy of you. I wouldn't jeopardize losing you or Laya for anything or anyone."

Mercedes stared at him, wanting to believe him, but her heart was victim to his sweet words before. She had to protect herself and her daughter. "Figure out why someone is using your name to take my daughter away, and then we can talk." She pulled away from him.

"I will, and I won't stop til this mess is over." Sam gripped her hand, pulling her back to him, wrapping his arms around her, and kissing her deeply. Mercedes tried to pull away, but he moved her against the wall, placing her hands on his shoulder as he wrapped himself around her.

"Sam…" left her lips as he kissed a trail down her neck.

Sam moved to her ears as he held her close. "Feel that, Merce, you

can feel how I feel about you, what I feel for you. I wouldn't hurt you."

He could see her eyes softening and feel her loosening up against him. Sam nipped her lips as she closed her eyes. "Don't do this to me, Sam." She practically begged. "Don't make me love you just to hurt me again. Leave me again."

Pulling away, he stared at her. "I love you. I have loved you since I was 15 years old, and I love you now. I will fix this. I am going to call Mike, and I am going to get this taken care of."

Sam kissed her once more before walking away as he pulled out his phone.

"Hey Sam, I was just about to call you."

"Mike, where are you?"

"My hotel room, about to catch a flight out. When are you heading back to Ohio?"

"Mike, I don't know. I need you to look into something. Someone on our team used my name to file for sole custody, and I need to know who."

"Oh, that was me, or rather your team."

Sam stopped walking. "Mike, you need to start talking now."

"What? Sam, look, you hired me to take care of you and your life. Mercedes wasn't going to move to Ohio, and you were not going to leave without your daughter, so problem solved. Tina and I went over everything, and Biff drew up the paperwork. This is what is best for your career."

"My ca- My CAREER! You are trying to take someone's daughter! My daughter is away from her mother! Take it back!"

"What? There is no going back; you have a court date set up."

"Mike, tell me that you are kidding; you wouldn't do this? You would not hurt me like this."

"No? Sam, I have been cleaning up your messes since even before you joined the NFL. Sam, when you first got started, and you got black-out drunk, who covered it as if you had appendicitis? When you got arrested for speeding, I covered to make it look like you were rushing to your mother's bedside because she was sick. I am the reason you are the clean-cut player you are!"

"I know, but my love life, Mike-"

"Sam, do you remember when You first started dating Penny? What did you tell me when she thought she was pregnant after a month of you dating?"

Sam thought back and frowned. He hadn't thought about that in so long, he knew Penny wanted more than he was willing to give, and she could very well try to screw him over with a child. So Sam made up a petition for sole custody so that if any kids ever came up, he could make sure he was the father and the child would be protected.

"Mike, that was for Penny! You know Mercedes is an amazing mother."

"What I know is your career means everything to you."

"My career means nothing if it means I don't get my family. No money is worth losing them." Sam ran his hands through his hair. "What can I do? How can I fix this? Mike, I swear you will lose your job if you don't fix this."

"You're gonna fire me?" Mike asked in surprise.

"If I lose Mercedes, you lose your job. Period." Hanging up, Sam frowned, looking at the letter.


They had a meeting set up for a few weeks from the date on the letter, which was last week; if Mike didn't fix this, he could kiss his relationship goodbye.

"So what are you going to do, Sammy? I can't imagine Mercedes is okay with any of this." Mary said, sitting next to him.

"I am pretty sure this situation ruined my chance with her. This is a mess." Sam placed his hands on his head.

"Have you spoken to her?"

Sam nodded. "Briefly, she said she would come for the meeting and bring Malaya here. I tried to stop the filing. I tried to convince her that Penny is crazy, but it's all too much. If I were her, I would hate me."

"Sam, she doesn't hate you. This will all work itself out, and you will get your family back." Mary said softly.

"Mom, I really was okay with seeing Laya when Mercedes wanted."

"Sam! What are you doing here? Here to have mom plan your wedding to that crazy woman?" Stevie said, laughing as he walked into the house.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Stevie, just shut up."

"How about you tell Penny to shut up? You know she is in talks to be on Real Housewives, my girlfriend told me, and I was shocked. I didn't know she was a housewife."

"She's not! At least not with me! I don't know what game she is playing, but I am ending it all."

"You better because, but first, you should watch this."

Stevie handed Sam his phone; he fumed, seeing Penny as she sat with a talk show host, looking solemn and glum.

"So Penny, you have definitely been through the wringer. First, your engagement falls through when Sam Evans discovers he has a daughter. Then, suddenly, you two are back on; some people say you are a clout chaser, and Evans is your meal ticket."

"Those people would be wrong. I am famous in my own right, with my modeling and new line coming out. And Sam and I were together for years before this came out. But we talked it through. It may have taken a while and a lot of groveling on Sam's part." She shows off a ring and bracelet. "But we agreed that we love each other, and in the midst of that, we deserve a shot."

"So you are going to support him in this custody case?"

"Support him? It was my idea; this woman has been using her child to get money from Sam, and my poor honey gives it to her because he wants to know his daughter. But we have already found the perfect boarding school for little Leia; it's one I went to and loved. And she will want for nothing."

"You mean Laya?" the interviewer asked.

"That's what I said. It's short for Naliea, but we will change her name; give her one to be proud of."

"The girl's name is Malaya. Shouldn't you know the name of your soon-to-be stepdaughter?"

Penny waved her off. "As if it matters, this is about me anyway."

Sam shut it off; he didn't want to see anything else. Grabbing his phone, he shook his head.

"Hey, Sam." Came to Mike from the other line.

"Mike, I need you to get me an interview."

"What do you mean?"

"I have been letting everyone write my narrative, letting people who don't even know my situation or me speak about it. Penny is saying that we are getting married and putting Laya in a boarding school. I want to get ahead of this, and I want to do it now."


"I don't know how clearer I can be. I never filed this petition." Sam growled angrily.

"I hear you, Mr. Evans, but your team filed it on your behalf. And so now we are here. Is it your testimony that you do not want custody of your daughter?" The court-appointed mediator asked.

"I mean I do, she's my daughter, but-"

"Okay, then we shall proceed with your petition for full custody and get the date set."

Sam looked across the table at Mercedes, who was trying her best not to break down. Sam could have murdered his team. Mike tried his best to unring the bell, but everything spiraled out of control once the team's Lawyer got wind of it.

He was having Sam step up as a father, which looked good for his image. And the tabloids and papers had a field day. Some called him a great father, saying he and Penny would be amazing parents. They assumed the two were going strong, and though Sam quickly denied it because of her interview, they figured he was protecting her privacy.

Others thought Sam was a bastard for trying to take Laya from Mercedes. Heading back to Ohio, he was glad he got to spend time with Laya in Ohio, and he had asked Mercedes to fly to Ohio so they could try and get the hearing canceled.

With spring break underway, Malaya assumed that Mercedes wanted to see her at the ranch. But now they were sitting in a room at the courthouse with a mediator, trying to convince them that he didn't want custody, even if a part of him really did.

As the door opened, Sam was taken out of his thoughts, and Penny walked inside. "Sorry I am late; I am here to support my husband and future daughter." She sang.

Sam looked over to Mercedes and watched as hands balled into a fist, and Sebastian reached over, trying to calm her down.

"We are not together! And I am not your husband!" left Sam's lips. He may have ruined things with Mercedes, but Penny was never going to get him, ever.

"Well, Biff and I figured since we were in a courthouse, you and I could hurry and get married today; that way, When you get full custody, your daughter will come home to a loving family. We also already found a house, your honor, and we found a great boarding school for her to attend."

"The hell? Oh, hell to the naw, see, I didn't kick your bimbo ass before, but I will now! Boarding school!" Mercedes yelled out as Sebastian pulled her back.

"Guys! Guys! Calm down now!" The mediator said. "This is not going to happen here!"

"Get her out of here, Mike, now!" Sam growled.

In the room currently was Mercedes, Sebastian, who represented Mercedes, Sam, Mike, his Lawyer Biff, and the Mediator.

"Sam, we may argue, but I can make the perfect wife." Penny purred.

"Penny! I don't want you!" Sam said, exhausted by her.

Mike stood as Penny glared at Mercedes. "This is all your fault. You ruined my life! Took my man; I hope he takes your daughter and leaves you with nothing!"

Sam stood, and he shook his head as he looked at Mercedes. "Merce, please just don't listen to her."

Biff pulled Sam back, making him sit back down. "You should let her stay; she is your fiancee', and I advise you not to talk to Ms. Jones."

"She is not! And no matter how you try to spin it, Penny is nothing to me, and if she doesn't leave, I will have her arrested for stalking." Sam warned.

Penny glared at him before Mike pulled her towards the door. "You heard him."

Penny screamed in frustration as she left the room.

The mediator sighed, rubbing his temples. "Okay, so can we continue, please."

"It's all straightforward," Biff said. "Sam Evans is a staple in the community and the all-American. And this woman knew she had his daughter and spent eight years keeping her away. Just to tell him in front of the world. She is a gold digger trying to get paid. We want full custody to compensate for Mr. Evans's eight long years without his daughter."

"What?!" Mercedes said, finally speaking.

"NO!" Sam said with a fury none had seen from him.

Mercedes laughed, rolling her eyes. "This has got to be a joke. First off, she's nine, you idiot."

Sam closed his eyes. "This, all of this is on me! She told me about Malaya, but because of my family, I walked away. I didn't do this! My team did. Mercedes is an amazing mother; she is amazing, period. She is strong and beautiful, she is the best this world has to offer, and I screwed up. I am only here because my team's Lawyer forced my hand."

"Mr. Evans, you admitted you wanted custody."

"I do. I love my little girl but want full custody with her mother, not sole custody. And I am finally ready to stop letting people control me. I am done. I don't care how this makes the team look; I want all this to disappear. I will give up my rights if I have to."

"What?" Mercedes said, looking at him.

Sam turned to her. "Mercedes, if this is not going to go away, then I will go away. I was the one who came out of nowhere. I was the one who changed things for you. And if that is going to cause you or Malaya harm, then I will leave."

"Mr. Evans, you do realize that is a huge thing to offer. Terminating your rights as her father means you will have no say in her life. Period."

Mercedes stared at Sam and shook her head, "No. Look, Sam is Malaya's father. She loves him, and he loves her. He can have her during the summer, and we can work out holidays. I will agree to anything as long as it doesn't mess with her going to school. I just want this over and done."

Sam looked at her. "Merce…"

She shook her head, looking at the mediator. "Can we do that?"

The mediator nodded. "We can get the paperwork and everything signed, and all of this can be done and over."

Mercedes stood. "Good. Send whatever you need to my lawyer. We will sign it."

"Well, there is the question of child support. Considering he wants custody, Mr. Evans will need to pay his back support of Four Million thirty-two thousand, which comes out to be about 42,000 a month. Is there any question with that?"

Sam stood before Mercedes could speak. "No, I can have that to her within the hour."

"We do-"

"I will have it to you, Mercedes," Sam said, cutting her off.

Biff shook his head. "I don't agree to any of this, but having your daughter part-time is still better than nothing. And if they see you are paying your child support, it shows you love her."

"I do." Sam said, looking at Mercedes, "I love my family."

Mercedes offered him a nod as Sebastain's phone beeped. He looked at it and smiled. "Merce, you should watch this."

"Why?" Mercedes asked, grabbing her bag.

"Just watch it."