Chapter Four
Month Two

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tatianaarenas Ocean is two months today! She has started smiling and I'm even more obsessed.
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charmbarbeau Awe motherhood looks good on you
tanyaarenas ❤️❤️❤️

"Ocean turned two months today," Joshua said, breaking the rhythm of our meeting as he scrolls on his phone.

The group of us—Paul, Joshua, Jonathan, Sefa, Jacob, Alipate, Tevita, and me—were gathered around a table, brainstorming ideas for our latest bloodline storyline. I glanced over at Joshua's screen, where a picture of Tatiana holding her tiny daughter was glowing back at me. I felt a familiar warmth spread through me.

"Who is Ocean?" Paul asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Joe's daughter... well, not exactly his daughter, but he delivered her in a parking lot of the mall, so we're claiming her," Jonathan said with a laugh.

I chuckled along with the others, but I could see the puzzlement etched on Paul's face.

As my cousins took turns explaining how Ocean and her mother, Tatiana, came into our lives, I leaned back, letting their voices wash over me. "So, Ocean's birth certificate has Joe listed as the father," Joshua explained. "And now they have to go to court to prove that Joe is not the father and change Ocean's last name."

"Wow," Paul replied, his eyes widening. "So, like, legally she's your daughter?"

I nodded, trying to sound casual. "Yeah, but we're working on fixing that error."

"Doesn't seem like you're moving fast enough to fix it though," Jacob chimed in, a teasing grin on his face.

I made a face at him. "What do you mean?" I shot back, genuinely confused.

"I mean you guys did everything that the court asked, but why hasn't anything happened since then? I think you want Tatiana and Ocean to keep coming around," Jacob explained, his smirk growing wider.

I rolled my eyes, feeling a mixture of annoyance and something else—something like guilt, maybe.

"It's not my fault the court is moving on their time," I protested. "And I haven't seen Tatiana and Ocean in weeks."

"Liar!" Joshua exclaimed, laughter bubbling up around the table.

"Uce, you know you've seen them," Jonathan added, shaking his head at me.

I smacked my lips, fighting a smile. "Okay, I saw them four days ago, but still, I ain't the one hindering the case," I said defensively.

"Is Tatiana and Ocean aware that they have been adopted by y'all?" Alipate asked, and laughter erupted again.

"I would hope so," Sefa said. "Because we see her more than her own family does at this point."

The joking continued, each quip feeling like a small thread pulling me deeper into this bizarre situation. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was aware of how unusual it was for a group of grown men to be so invested in a baby and her mother.

Just then, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen—it was my lawyer, Bill. "Excuse me," I said, standing up to step outside the conference room.

"Hello, Bill," I greeted him, trying to shake off the lighter atmosphere of the meeting.

"Hello, Joe. Sorry to call you, but we have a problem," he said, his tone grave.

"What kind of problem?" I asked, feeling my stomach drop.

"Our file was lost at the court," Bill said. "Now I have to reconstruct it with our own files and declarations to reflect what was in the original court file."

Shock washed over me. "Does Tatiana know about this?" I asked, my heart racing.

"I think we shouldn't tell her about another error made," he replied.

I nodded, understanding. Tatiana was already dealing with so much; I didn't want to add to her stress.

"Okay, well, thank you for letting me know," I said, and we wrapped up our conversation.

As I walked back into the conference room, I could feel the weight of the news pressing on me.

"What was that about?" Jonathan asked as I sat down.

"Bill said our court file got lost," I said, the air in the room suddenly feeling heavier.

"It's a sign from God," Jacob piped up, leaning back in his chair.

"What sign would that be?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Tatiana and Ocean are meant to be a part of this family. That's your woman and child," Jacob replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Okay, those locs must be tight," I shot back, trying to keep the mood light. "You better tell Reeva to loosen her grip when she does your hair."

Jacob kissed his teeth. "My baby does my hair just right. I'm telling you the truth and you know it," he retorted, his grin infectious.

"Hey, did you ever get the DNA results back?" Jonathan asked, clearly eager to steer the conversation away from Jacob's hair.

"Bill said we should get them back in a day or two," I replied, my mind drifting back to the impending results.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something monumental was on the horizon.

Two days later, the DNA test results arrived. I opened the email and stared at the screen in disbelief. The test stated that I was the father. "That's impossible," I said aloud, my heart racing.

Suddenly, there was a knock at my front door. I opened it to find an angry Tatiana standing there, Ocean in her carrier, fussing. "Is this some sick joke?" she demanded, shoving a paper into my chest. It was her copy of the DNA test results.

"I'm just as confused as you. How is it possible?" I asked, the shock still coursing through me.

Tatiana crossed her arms, glaring at me. "Have you ever donated sperm before?"

I hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I mean, I did it once a long time ago," I admitted.

"Did you do it at Xytex?" she shot back, and my stomach dropped.

"Yeah, how do you know?" I asked, feeling a cold sweat break out on my forehead.

"Because I used Xytex," she replied, her voice laced with frustration.

"Fuck," I whispered, a sense of dread creeping in.

Jacob might be right; this had to be a sign from God. But how could it be? It had been ten years since that stupid bet during my bachelor party when my cousins and I thought it would be funny to visit a sperm bank.

"Damn," I muttered, running my hand through my hair as the implications settled in. "There's no way my sperm should have lasted that long."

Tatiana seemed to soften slightly as she watched me process everything. "You should probably talk to your cousins because most likely they got kids running around," she said, shaking her head.

"I didn't think it was still viable," I replied, feeling a mixture of anxiety and disbelief.

Tatiana sighed, frustration evident in her eyes. "This isn't just a game, Joe."

"I know," I said, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. "I didn't plan for any of this."

"Neither did I," Tatiana shot back, her voice sharp. "But here we are."

As I looked down at Ocean, I felt a strange pull. She was tiny, just two months old, and yet I felt an inexplicable connection to her. "What do we do now?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Tatiana's expression shifted, a mix of anger and vulnerability. "We need to talk about this. We need to figure out what happens next."

"Yeah, I know," I replied, my mind racing. "This is all happening so fast. I thought I was just a bystander in this whole thing."

"We both are," she said, her voice softening again. "But we have to handle it, for Ocean's sake."

As I stepped back to let her and Ocean inside, I felt the gravity of the situation more than ever. I hadn't wanted any of this, but now I was connected to both Tatiana and this beautiful baby in a way I couldn't ignore.

Sitting down with them, I knew we had a lot to unpack. The uncertainty of my role in Ocean's life loomed over us like a dark cloud. "We need to figure out the court situation first," I said, feeling the urgency.

Tatiana nodded, her expression serious. "And we need to talk about our roles. Are we co-parents? Friends? What does this look like moving forward?"

I ran my fingers through my hair again, the weight of it all pressing down on me. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I never thought I'd be a father of six, especially not like this. But I want to do right by Ocean. I just don't know how."

"None of us do," Tatiana said, her tone softening. "But we have to try."

Looking at her, I could see the determination in her eyes. Despite the chaos, there was a spark of hope. I took a deep breath. "Okay, let's figure this out together."

The next few weeks became a whirlwind of activity. We arranged meetings with lawyers, talked about custody, and discussed how to handle our families. Ocean became a constant in our conversations, and I found myself surprisingly excited about spending time with her. Tatiana and I began to find a rhythm, almost like a partnership, even if it was unorthodox.

Every time I held Ocean, I felt something shift within me. I was no longer just a guy who accidentally ended up on a birth certificate; I was a father again, even if it was a role I hadn't anticipated.

Each time I cradled Ocean in my arms, her tiny form nestled against me, I was struck by a powerful realization: I couldn't just walk away from this. She was part of me now, in ways that transcended biology and legalities.

As the days turned into weeks, I found myself spending more time with Tatiana and Ocean. We started to create our own little family unit, albeit an unconventional one. Tatiana and I would share parenting duties, from changing diapers to midnight feedings, and each moment brought its own challenges and joys.

One evening, after a long day of juggling work and our new responsibilities, I sat on the couch with Ocean resting on my chest. She was asleep, her soft breaths calming my racing heart.

Tatiana was in the kitchen, preparing dinner, and I could hear the faint sound of her humming a lullaby. The melody wrapped around me, and for a moment, everything felt right.

[A|N: Thank you to KaylaLove143 and eliza994 for this storyline that now has spawned a second book called Falling In Love.]