Waking up the next morning in his childhood bed, Lupe felt a mixture of confusion and familiarity. However, after rubbing his eyes, he remembered where he was and why we were here. Vee. He immediately texted her after waking up, letting her know that he was at his mother’s house and was ready to see his supposed “baby”.

Traveling into the kitchen, Lupe could smell his mother cooking bacon, eggs, and sausage. No one in Compton could hook up a meal like Califa Jones. She had been the baddest thing on the block in her prime and with those piercing green eyes, she could still turn heads.

His mother must have heard him before she saw him because she started talking without turning around.

“Good morning young buck. What it do?”

“Ma, how you know I was even in here?”

“Boy, you know I got eyes in the back of my head. I been telling you that since you were young. Now, did you text Veronica?”

“Yeah, Ma. That was the first thing I did.” Lupe said, going behind his mother to give her a kiss.

“Yeah, boy. I can tell you didn't brush those teeth first thing.”

“Aww Ma! Really?”

“Awww nothing! You could probably smell that breath from Long Beach.”

As Lupe got the plates, he could see the track marks from the numerous IV’s his mom had to get in the last year. Although she was the same woman that he had always joked with growing up, this morning she looked frail; like the slightest touch would break any of her bones. He touched his cross and said a small prayer to God hoping his mother would be able to beat cancer.

As Lupe sat down in front of his meal, he readied himself to ask one of the hardest questions he would ask on this trip.

“So Ma, what the doctor's been saying?”

“Oh boy, you know I don't pay attention to those silly doctors.”

“Ma!”

“What? You have bigger fish to fry than to be worried about me.” Pulling out a cross identical to his own, except thinner, his mother reminded him of her promise to him. “Have a little faith baby. God got me.” Then she began digging into her food. Maybe she was right, he thought, she had lived with the disease for this long. Maybe it's going away.

Just as he started feeling good about coming home, the text message he had been dreading came through.

Vee: I’ll b over there later 2day. I'm bringing LuLu.

Lupe: Who’s LuLu? I'm supposed to b LuLu.

Vee: Ur daughter.

Lupe gulped hard at the thought of seeing his supposed daughter. What if she didn't like him? Hell, he didn’t even know her name. How was he supposed to be this kid’s father?

Lupe: O. Word. U rememba da address?

Vee: I wuz there last week silly. + I culd neva 4get.

He and Vee had spent many nights sneaking her inside his house. Not to have sex, but because they couldn’t sleep without each other. Of course, she hadn’t forgotten.

As he prepared for Vee’s arrival he remembered the last time they had been together.

To Be Continued...