Her mouth poked out in a pout as her middle craved him. “Please?” she begged. Dru looked conflicted for a second but slowly pushed her away.
“Man, get dressed. Sue made breakfast.” Dru smacked her on the ass while biting his lip before leaving the room. Marli was a little disappointed, but she headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
After taking care of her hygiene and dressing in a cute three-piece chill set, she joined Dru downstairs in the kitchen for breakfast. Dru’s private chef, Sue, had fixed them the works, complete with pancakes, sausage, and omelets. Marli sat at the candle-lit table, eyeing Dru. Everything was so beautiful, and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why he’d done all this for her.
“This is so beautiful, Dru.” She took a bite, but the first bite made her stomach instantly turn. Getting up from the table, she ran to the bathroom, releasing the eggs down the toilet. The soft gentle strokes of Dru’s hand on her back as he held her hair out of her face was so comforting.
“Our baby doesn’t like eggs, noted.” Dru helped her up from in front of the toilet.
“I’m sorry.” She moved around him to rinse her mouth.
“You good. My baby a picky eater; it’s cool.” He led her out of the bathroom and back to the table, pulling her chair out for her and making sure she was comfortable before taking his seat at the other end of the table. Marli was glad Sue had exchanged her first plate with a plate of fresh fruit. The rest of breakfast, they sat enjoying each other’s company as they reminisced. Dru even admitted how not talking to her for four years was the hardest thing he’d ever done. Marli couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with love and gratitude as she looked across the table at him. This pregnancy was making her soft, because all she could think about was how amazing Dru was. Since he’d found out about the baby, he had never failed to surprise and pamper her. His support was making this pregnancy so smooth. She was thankful to be experiencing pregnancy without the possibility of two baby daddies. It was refreshing. As they finished breakfast, Dru handed Marli one last gift. It was a tiny box neatly wrapped with a gold bow. She was nervous to open it, scared of what it might be. The box was reminiscent of a ring box.
“Dru… I can’t… you… um, you’ve already done enough.” She attempted to pass the box back across the table. Dru stood from the table and made his way toward her. Her heart sped up. Is this a proposal? Dru lowered himself to the ground. Marli looked around the room. Sue was looking on, amused.
“Marli,” Dru took her hand. “Will you move in with me officially and be my live-in baby mama?” Dru opened the box, revealing a gold key. Marli sighed in relief as she stared at the door key. Picking up the key, she read the engraving.
Live in pussy, eighteen to life.
The caption had her smirking hard. Sue ran over and swatted at Dru with a spatula.
“You play too damn much, boy. I thought I was witnessing a beautiful moment!” she fussed. Dru and Marli burst into laughter as they embraced.
“Let me know when you ready, baby mama. And I’ll upgrade yo’ title to wifey.” He kissed her lips just as both their phones rang. Dru sighed.
“I gotta take this. I’ll be at the studio today with Money. Pull up for lunch?”
Marli nodded as she took out her phone. It was Erica. She was happy to see her best friend calling. They hadn’t talked since she’d been on her way to the clinic to find out if she was pregnant. That was over a week ago. It wasn’t on purpose or anything, but she’d been busy with the many transitions her life was taking this week. As Dru exited the house, yelling at whoever was on the phone, Marli swiped to connect the call.
“I know damn well you didn’t move without telling me! ’Cause why am I standing in your half-empty condo.” Erica’s voice thundered through the phone. Marli couldn’t help the smirk that came across her face as her best friend’s beautiful chocolate face came across the screen. She was indeed standing in her empty condo. Marli hadn’t told anyone but her sister about the move yet, and Kay only knew because Marli had called to curse her ass out for snitching to Dru about her pregnancy.
“That’s what you get for popping up unannounced.” She giggled. Erica rolled her neck, causing her bob to swing in the camera.
“I was trying to surprise my bestie, but I guess the surprise was on me.” Erica paced back and forth through the empty apartment, the sound of her heels bouncing off the empty walls. It wasn’t strange that she had let herself in. Marli had given Erica a key when she’d first moved in, six years ago.
“My bad. It was a quick move.” Marli chuckled.
“Quick… huh.” She stared past her at her background. “Where are you? It looks nice.”
Marli didn’t answer her. She knew Erica would drag it. This news would have to be given in person. Exiting the call for a second, Marli texted her Dru’s address. Erica spent a lot of her time away for work, and she couldn’t wait to see her.
“I’ll send you the address,” Marli replied.
“Um huh. I’m gon’ downgrade yo’ secretive ass to associate. I find out more of your business on Hollywood Tearoom,” she mumbled as she walked toward the door.
“Girl, just bring yo’ ass. I got a lot of tea.”
“Oh, let me hurry up. I’ll see you in… thirty.” She disconnected the call. Marli stood from the table and walked back to the bedroom. She wanted to move some of the equipment that Dru had brought her into the spare room where she would be making her office. Maybe she could have Erica help her set it up. A dinging on her phone caused her to stop and check it. Seeing it was an email from the DNA company, she quickly clicked it. She already knew the results, but she was still dying with anticipation. Clicking the link in the email, she signed into the online portal to view the results. She was surprised to see the results of the boys’ test also in the portal. They hadn’t had this fancy portal the first time. Plus, last time, Janel had handled everything. By passing the boys’ test, she clicked on the most recent one. A smile immediately crossed her face as she read that Dru was one hundred percent the father of the baby she was carrying. She screenshotted the results and then swiped out the screen. Just because, she scrolled up to the boys’ test and clicked the link.
Instantly, Marli stood frozen, her phone shaking in her hands. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Deuce and Tres weren’t related to Max. The man she thought was their father for the last four years wasn’t. As she stared down at the test, she marveled over Dru’s name. He was their father. How could this be possible? She had always suspected that something was off. Tres had gray eyes. She’d seen the results though… still had them saved on her phone. Pulling up her original results, she went back and forth, comparing the two tests. They said two completely different things. As the reality of the situation set in, Marli felt a wave of emotions wash over her. Shock, anger, betrayal, and confusion all mixed in her mind. She couldn’t even begin to process how this could have happened. Was this a mistake of the medical professionals? Tears streamed down her face as she thought about Dru and how heartbroken he’d been that the boys were not his. Now, she was staring at paperwork that said otherwise.
“Oh my God!” She gasped. Her heart ached for her children, but she knew she had to be strong for her boys. She would do whatever it took to make sure they were okay and to get to the bottom of this mix-up. The doorbell rang, and Marli was still frozen in place on the stairs. Sue opened the door, revealing Erica. Marli took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. She would find the answers she needed and make things right for her family. And no matter what, she would always love and support Deuce and Tres, no matter who their biological father turned out to be.
“Dru’s house!” Erica yelled as she rounded the spiral staircase. Her voice was happy and cheerful before Marli came into view. She looked on, confused, moving up the remaining stairs, two at a time to get to Marli.
“What happened, bestie? Why are you crying?”
Marli didn’t say anything. She just turned her phone around and shoved it into Erica’s face. She watched as Erica read the boys’ paternity test results. Erica’s hand flew up to her mouth.
“Oh, bestie!” She squealed as she joined Marli on the floor, wrapping her arms around her.
“Dru’s their daddy… Dru is Tres and Deuce’s daddy!” Marli cried into Erica’s arms.
Nineteen
Dru
“What the fuck?” Dru blurted, his eyebrows bunched up as he stared down at the DNA test that Marli had just sent him. Nothing could have prepared him for what he was looking at. There it was, in black and white, the very results that would change his entire life. He swiped in between Marli’s unborn child’s, Deuce’s, and Tres’s tests, all three saying the same thing.
The alleged father is not excluded as the biological father of the tested child. Based on the testing results obtained from analyses of the DNA loci listed, the probability of paternity is 99.9998%.
How could this be happening? Dru rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
“You good, boss man?” Money asked from across the boardroom table. Looking up from his phone, he noticed all eyes were on him as he held Money’s album cover art in one hand and his phone in the other. His heart was thumping loudly in his chest. Deuce and Tres were his? He was confused. Dru had been in the middle of a listening meeting for YFN Money’s tenth studio album when Marli had sent the pictures with no explanation.
“Boss man?” Money called again, but Dru ignored him. Quickly, he stood from the table and exited the conference room. He needed to confirm what he was seeing. He thought to call Marli but decided to call the number listed on the top of the DNA test results instead. He needed confirmation.
“Saint Louis Lab Services.” A man answered the phone.
