Me, You, and Mason

29

Sage beat Darcy's father to the visiting room. Not expecting any visitors, Dallas wondered what he had possibly done to be summoned by guards.

His surprise was reflected in a mean mug as his shackled shuffling halted at the sight of Sage.

"What'chu doin' here?" Dallas scoffed as he was uncuffed and seated.

Sage sat, contemplative as he watched his promise ring gleam in the sunlight, pouring in through the wide window of the family room in which they sat. 

The sound of cooing babies and soft chatter and laughter filled the void that Sage's silence left.

Once he had his words, he sat up and sighed.

With eyes that lasered right into those of Dallas, he spoke. "Darcy's pregnant."

Dallas, typically known for his poker face, couldn't hide his mix of emotions.

"I don't know if she's gon' keep it, and I'm sure that if she is, she's gon' tell you... eventually... but I'm tellin' you now."

"Why?"

" 'Cuz she's scared, and I don't know what to do."

Dallas scoffed, "And here I thought you was the big man that she loved. You can't handle making her feel secure?"

"With all due respect, sir, this is bigger than a boogeyman or a human evil," Sage deadpanned.

Dallas, now growing a bit concerned, leaned back in his seat a little with his chin raised. "What is it?"

"She thinks she'll fuck it up."

"All parents are scared of that," he scoffed.

"No... sir," Sage shook his head. "This is... deeper than that."

Dallas awaited an elaboration.

"She thinks she'll end up like her mother, sir."

"And what'chu tryna say wit' that? Her mother's a beautiful person."

"I ain't mean nothin' by that, Mr. Clarke. Those were her words, not mine," Sage defensively put his hands up.

Dallas relaxed a bit, believing it to be true, especially since Darcy never had the best relationship with her mother.

"I just came to ask... How do you love somebody through the worst of it? I mean— when they shut you out, when they not puttin' in on the relationship no more, when they can't... when they just can't."

Sage's eyes held a desperation that poured in heavy like a bucket of rainwater. "Mr. Clarke, I know you loved her mother very much— still do— so I just need to know... I know this shit ain't gon' be easy and-and peace ain't always peaceful, but... if you could just... give me a word of advice."

Dallas sighed deeply, hating seeing the boy on the verge of what had to be a breaking point.

He saw too much of himself in him. That's what made him begin, "One thing about Cheryce, she was a tough broad, respectfully... She was no-nonsense and expected the best— out of everybody, including herself...

"Everybody couldn't handle that, bein' checked about the bullshit they did and bein' poked until they owned up or exploded— whichever came first.

"That kind of pressure separated the boys from the men. It was that kind of pressure that made her who she was, but everybody ain't built for the shit...

"But she was... until she wasn't, and when she wasn't... it got hard."

Dallas glanced away from Sage, jaw clenched as he thought about her.