said to come in. I walked in to tell everyone that I was home. Monique raced over to hug me.
MONIQUE
How was your trip Pop?
JACOB
It was great. Exhausting but great. How about yours?
MONIQUE
It was exciting.
MATTIE (under her breathe)
I bet.
MONIQUE
I really loved the campus. I got some brochures and other material that I am going to read over.
JACOB
Ok cool. So Auntie, I thought that you were going to babysit but instead you had to housesit. Are you ok?
ARETHA
I am fine Papadopoulos. Mattie came over and kept me company.
Jacob suggested that they go in the living room where everyone else was. When they reached the living room Aretha saw her attorney.
ARETHA (surprised)
Mr. Hartley, what are you doing here?
JACOB
You know Dennis?
Dennis was surprise to see Aretha there.
ARETHA
Yes. He is my attorney that is handling Edgar’s estate.
DENNIS
I just bought Jacob home from the airport. We had a conference in New York.
JACOB
So this is who you where on the phone with. This is a small world.
DENNIS
Yes it is.
MATTIE
So how do you two know each other?
DENNIS
We went to college together.
MATTIE
Really? Ok. So you knew Ellis.
DENNIS (laughing)
Yes I did.
JACOB
Ms. Mattie why are you so nosey?
MATTIE
That is my job.
Ian, Jeremy, and Teddy were killing themselves laughing at the conversation. Teddy received a text from his dad asking if they had made it back. Teddy replied with a quick yes and that he would be home soon.
I asked everyone were they hungry. Even though I was tired I decided to take everyone out for dinner.
SIXTEEN
It was a cool Friday afternoon in November when Monique came home from school. She did not speak, give me a hug or kiss as she normally does. She came in and went straight to her room.
I was watching the ThunderCats on DVD. That was one of my favorite cartoons but I was concerned about her actions. I got up to go check on her. I knocked on the door to her bedroom. A faint call said to come in. I opened the door to find her laying face down on her bed.
JACOB
Are you ok?
MONIQUE
Yes Pop.
JACOB
You didn’t speak when you came in.
MONIQUE
I didn’t see you.
JACOB
I was sitting in my chair.
MONIQUE
Pop I didn’t see you.
JACOB
Is Teddy coming to pick you up for the football game?
MONIQUE
Yeah.
Monique got up and sat on the edge of her bed. Her face was without expression.
JACOB
Monique, are you sure you are ok?
MONIQUE
Pop I didn’t go to school today.
JACOB
Why not?
MONIQUE
I wasn’t feeling well. I went to the doctor.
JACOB
What did he say?
MONIQUE (looking over to me)
I am three months pregnant.
JACOB
Say what?
MONIQUE
Pop I don’t know how this happened.
JACOB
What the hell does that mean? Either you don’t know how babies are made or you been having sex and that one time you didn’t use protection. Which one is it?
MONIQUE (walking out of her room)
You know what I mean.
JACOB (following behind her)
Whose is it?
MONIQUE (looking very upset at Jacob)
What do you mean?
JACOB
WHO IS THE FATHER?
MONIQUE
Why are you yelling? It’s Teddy. You talking like I have been fucking everyone in town.
Before I knew it I slapped Monique across the face. Monique grabbed her keys to her car. I snatched them from her.
MONIQUE (screaming)
You make me sick. I didn’t mean for this to happen.
JACOB
Monique I think we both need to settle down before we say something that we will regret.
MONIQUE
You are asking me who the father is like I am a fucking everybody in town. You know that Teddy is the only boy that I have been seeing. I go to school, work, and come home. I am not out there. If you get out the house sometime you would not worry about me so much.
JACOB
You got one more time to curse in front of me.
MONIQUE
Or else what?
JACOB
Lil girl you are getting beside yourself.
MONIQUE
Tell me Pop – Why did