chapter eight

I was deep into my workout, the sounds of weights clanging and music pounding through my headphones, when my phone buzzed in my gym bag.

I wasn't planning on checking it, but then the name "Ma" flashed across the screen. I didn't know why, but something in my gut twisted.

It was the kind of feeling you get when you know you're about to hear something that's going to change your life, and not in a good way.

I pulled the phone out and answered without hesitation. "Ma? What's up?"

The panic in her voice hit me like a ton of bricks. "Isayah! Isayah, something's happened! A girl just dropped off a baby! A two-month-old baby, Isayah, and she says that... she says that you're the father!" Her voice cracked, and I could hear her starting to hyperventilate. "She... she signed over her parental rights, Isayah. The baby's yours. She's here, Isayah, she's here!"

My heart skipped a beat, but I couldn't process the words at first. "Wait, what? Hold up, slow down. A baby? What are you talking about? What do you mean I'm the father?"

"I don't know! I don't know, Isayah, but she says it's yours. And she left her here with me!" Ma gasped. "I don't know what to do. I'm just holding her, and she's so small, Isayah. What do I do?"

I couldn't even think straight. "I'm coming, Ma. I'm coming now."

I didn't even wait to hang up. My mind was already racing, my body reacting on autopilot. I grabbed my gym bag, shoved my stuff into it, and headed out of the gym, barely remembering to grab my keys from the locker.

As I drove toward my mother's house, my thoughts were all over the place. How the hell could this be real? A baby? A two-month-old baby that somehow, impossibly, was supposed to be mine?

The closer I got, the more my brain tried to make sense of it. But the reality was, it didn't make any sense. But if my mom was telling the truth, if the birth certificate did say I was the father—well, then there was no escaping it, was there?

I pulled into Ma's driveway, my pulse thundering in my ears. I couldn't breathe right. My palms were clammy. I had no idea what to expect when I walked into that house. But as soon as I stepped through the door, I saw her.

My mom was pacing the living room, holding this tiny baby in her arms. The girl was so small, so delicate, that it looked like she could break if you breathed on her wrong. My heart thudded in my chest as I stood there, frozen in place.

"Ma!" I finally said, my voice coming out strangled.

She stopped, turning to me with a look of relief in her eyes. She wasn't exactly calm, but at least she wasn't hyperventilating anymore. She was trying to keep it together. "Isayah, this is India," she said, her voice soft.

I stepped closer, my eyes never leaving the baby in her arms. Ma had her back turned to me as she gently patted the baby on the back. The sound of the baby's little grunts and whimpers filled the room, and my heart did something strange in my chest. There was a moment—just a moment—when everything in my life felt like it might fall into place. But then the reality of the situation hit me hard.

I couldn't take my eyes off India. She was tiny—too tiny for her age—and she had this soft, cherubic face. She looked so helpless, so innocent, and I didn't even know her. But looking at her... I knew something in me had shifted. I couldn't explain it, but my arms reached out before my brain even told them to.

Ma hesitated for a second, but then, with a gentle sigh, she handed me the baby. I felt the weight of her in my arms, her little body so light and fragile, and for a split second, everything felt surreal.

"She's mine. She's really mine," I whispered, almost to myself, as I looked down at this perfect little creature in my arms.

Ma was standing there, her hands clasped in front of her, tears welling up in her eyes. I glanced up at her, and I could see the pride and the awe in her expression. "Yeah, you're on the birth certificate, Isayah. We'll get a DNA test, of course, but... she looks just like you."

I swallowed hard. I didn't know what to feel. I was scared, confused, overwhelmed—and somehow, for some reason, I felt connected to her already. I couldn't explain it. But there was something in her tiny hands, her soft brown eyes, and her delicate little face, that made me feel like this was where I was supposed to be. Like I was supposed to be her father, even though I hadn't asked for this.

"You sure about the birth certificate?" I asked, needing confirmation, needing to believe what she was saying.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "I'm sure. Of course, we'll get a DNA test just to be sure, but—" She paused, shaking her head. "She looks like you, Isayah. She really does."

I nodded, but my mind was already racing again. I needed to figure out what came next. How the hell was I supposed to handle this? How the hell was I supposed to tell Kayla?

The thought of telling my girlfriend made me break out in a cold sweat. Kayla... Kayla would freak out. We'd been together for a while now. We'd never talked about kids—not in any serious way, at least. And suddenly, here I was, holding a baby that, for all I knew, I'd never even known about.

I sank onto the couch, India still cradled in my arms. She was still too little to make eye contact, but I could tell she was calm—content, even. And as I sat there, looking down at her, the weight of responsibility settled in. This wasn't just some random situation that could be brushed aside. This was real. This was life.

"How am I going to tell Kayla?" I muttered aloud, more to myself than to Ma. But she heard me, and she nodded.

"You're going to have to tell her now, Isayah," she said softly, sitting down next to me on the couch. "If you wait, it'll only make things worse. It's better to come clean now before anything gets too complicated."

I sighed, rubbing my face. "I know. But how do I even explain this? A girl drops off a baby I didn't know existed? And somehow, I'm the father? What the hell is that gonna look like?"

Ma patted my shoulder. "You tell her the truth. Exactly what you told me. The girl came, said the baby's yours, signed over her rights, and now the baby's with us. That's the story, Isayah. It's the only story you can tell."

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to imagine how Kayla would react. Would she understand? Or would she think I was lying? Or worse, would she leave me? We hadn't talked about having kids. Hell, we'd barely talked about anything beyond the next few months. This was something neither of us had ever planned for.

But as I sat there, looking down at India, I knew I couldn't let her go. She was mine now—whether I was ready or not.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and hesitated for just a second. I needed to talk to Kayla, but I had no idea how to even begin.

With a deep breath, I opened FaceTime and called her.

The phone rang, and I watched the screen, waiting for Kayla to pick up. As it clicked over to her face, I could see the confusion in her eyes. She'd been out with some friends, probably expecting me to want to talk about dinner or something mundane.

"Hey, babe," she said, smiling at me. But then she saw the look on my face—the look of a man who was about to drop a bombshell.

"Isayah? What's going on?"

I swallowed hard and steadied my hands. "Kayla, I need to tell you something. Something big. And I don't even know how to say it... But... there's a baby. A two-month-old baby, and... she's mine."

The silence on the other end was deafening. Then, Kayla spoke, her voice a mix of confusion and disbelief. "What? Isayah, are you serious?"

I nodded even though she couldn't see me. "Yeah. I don't know how, but it's true. I'm on the birth certificate. The woman... she says I'm the father."

Kayla's face contorted with confusion, her eyes wide with shock. "But... how? How is that even possible? You didn't know about this?"

I shook my head, my chest tightening. "I swear, I had no idea. This is out of nowhere, Kayla. I don't even know what the hell to do. But I couldn't keep this from you."

Kayla bit her lip, processing everything. "You're telling me a stranger just showed up and said you're the father of her baby? Just like that? With no warning?"

"That's exactly what happened," I said, holding India close, her tiny body curled against my chest. "I'm just as confused as you are. I'm trying to figure this all out."

Kayla didn't say anything for a moment. I could hear the wheels turning in her head. She was probably just as stunned as I was.

Finally, she sighed, and I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. "I don't know what to say, Isayah. This is... a lot. But I'm not going anywhere. We'll figure this out together."

Relief washed over me. I didn't know what I expected, but hearing her say that made this whole thing feel a little less impossible.

"Thanks, Kayla. I really appreciate that," I said quietly.

She gave a small smile. "Of course. But we need to talk about this in person. I need to meet this baby."

"Yeah," I agreed. "We can do that."

After hanging up with Kayla, I sat there for a moment, looking down at India in my arms. She was so small, so innocent. I had no idea what her life had been like up until now, but one thing was for sure—she was my responsibility now.

Leata watched me closely. "You okay?"

I nodded, though the weight of everything felt heavier than ever. "I think so. It's just... a lot."

My mom smiled gently. "You're gonna be a great dad, Isayah. You're strong. You'll figure it out. And I'm here to help. We're all here for you."

I squeezed India a little closer to my chest, feeling the quiet bond already forming between us. No matter what, I knew I'd do whatever it took to be the father she needed.

But first, I had to figure out how to navigate the mess this was about to create in my life.