Realistic or Modern A Path I Can’t Follow

[decadent-rider]

"Mmm, will do, but you need a day off papí." She murmured to him, kissing his nose and smiled, "You haven't had a full day off in two weeks." She pointed out, her arms snaking around his neck, "'m gonna have a shower, care to join me?" She smiled and pecked his nose again, getting up and heading to his bathroom, stepping into the shower.

He sniffled some and shook his head "No I want one now!" He cried loud, pushing her away some and tried getting of the bed to get back to his room

 

[Forever6A7X]

Pero gave a small nod "Yeah I understand, I'll take it easy." He murmured and quickly got up when she mentioned a shower. He got out a bit later with her and ran a tpwel through his hair to dry it off giving a small sigh when he saw the time

Max sighed heavily shaking her head some "Baby don't go its okay I promise." She murmured pulling him to cuddle her some "Mommy has to work today okay? So you'll go to day care."

 

[decadent-rider]

"You make my Daddy go away!" He whimpered and pushed her away more, getting upset now and ran off to his room, slamming the door behind him as much as her could, running to his bed and hiding under the covers.

Carmen smiled some and kissed his cheek as she brushed past him, "If you really get restless just chilling... Why don't you head down to the market, pick up some stuff off the list I put on your fridge last week and I'll make us dinner tonight yeah?" She smiled at him, grabbing her bag and sorting her shoes and socks out while she watched him.

 

[Forever6A7X]

Max frowned and got up quickly following him and sighed heavily as he slammed the door "Roman blue! You know not to slamm the door." She said sternly before she went in and sat on the edge of his bed "Roman I didn't make Daddy go away....he made some wrong choices and he had to leave. Its hard to explain but one day you'll understand."

Pero nodded some "Yeah I might do that after I see my friend." He murmured as he slipped some fresh boxers on and made his way over to her "Have a good day alright? I love you." He said before kissing her softly

 

[decadent-rider]

She smiled and pulled him in close, kissing him quickly. “I love you too.” She murmured to him and kissed his nose, leaving after that reluctantly to go to work.

Danny got himself ready to go meet Pedro for a coffee, getting there really early, he just wanted to know his kid and if this was how he was gonna do it then so be it.

 

[Forever6A7X]

Pero sighed heavily as he got ready and made his way down to the coffee shop he told Danny to meet him at. As he got in he immediately saw Danny and couldn't help but laugh at his blonde hair "Now you tryin to be a white boy eh?" He said as he sat across from him

 

[decadent-rider]

Danny frowned some and raised an eyebrow, "I am white, mostly... And so are you Spaniard... Thanks for meeting me." He told him and sat up a little more, rubbing his hands on his trousers, "I uh... I need some help... I need to get straight and get a job and show my ex that I've changed.... I wanna know my kid Pero, I was hoping you could give me a hand, I know you got a restaurant you run and I was wondering if you'd give me a shot working in the kitchens or as a waiter or something?" He asked him.

 

[Forever6A7X]

Pero crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair noticing how he rubbed his hands on his thighs like he was withdrawled "How long you been clean? And don't fucking lie to me either." He muttered giving him a seriously look while he watched his old friend

 

[decadent-rider]

He frowned some and shook his head, "Since I went in three years ago... I'm just... jittery y'know... I only got out a couple weeks ago, still not used to freedom, feel like someone's gonna come and tell me I gotta go back." He muttered, "Pero I wouldn't jeapordise your life anymore now than I would have back then, please... I'm just asking for one shot.

Carmen had had a rough lunch shift and was dealing with twitches herself towards the end of it. Josh had received another couple complaints against him and he'd blamed both on her plus she'd been rushed off her feet but she eventually finished up and headed out, making her way down to the place Max worked at to talk to her, hopefully get her mind off of things.

 

[Forever6A7X]

Pero frowned some but gave a small nod "I need a dish washer and bus boy, think you could handle that for now?" He asked raising an eyebrow "Got a spare room in my apartment you can use too. I've got a girl though, she needs to meet you before you move in." He said not moving from his stance "You slip up one time and you're out."

Max looked at Carmen as she came in around her lunch time smiling happily "Hey there." She said happily hugging her some "Ready for lunch?"

 

[decadent-rider]

Danny chuckled some and nodded, "That's more than I thought you'd offer... Thank you.. so much." He told him, "You have a girlfriend? Tovar... with someone?" He chuckled aain "Never thought I'd see the day." He muttered.

Carmen nodded. "Yeah... I just uh, I just finished my shift... Pero wanted me to meet him at the coffee shop, said someone was there with him I gotta meet," She smiled at her some, "Where's Roman today?" She asked her seeing at the little boy was usually tied to her hip even when she was at work, "Did he manage to go into day care?"

 

[Forever6A7X]

Max gave a small nod at her "Yeah he did....said I made his daddy go away so he didn't want much to do with me." She said softly giving a small sigh "But anyways Pero wants you to meet someone huh? Finally opening up a bit?"

Pero nodded some and chuckled starting to relax some "Yeah I know, shocked me too. Surprised you haven't found a lady friend. You were always the ladies man until you met Maxine." He said starting to remember the good times they used to have

 

[decadent-rider]

Danny frowned some, "I uh... She was the one man... let her slip through my fingers though, lost my job after you went inside... nothing I did, just wasn't needed anymore... Will pulled me in, promised me we would make tons of money off his net heist, he left me behind to get arrested." He muttered sighing some "So I lost her... Now I just wanna know our son at least." He muttered.

Carmen shrugged a little, "I'm sure he'll forget about it by tonight." She tried to reassure her as they walked, "I dunno... I told him about Dylan, and my addictions...but O think it's gonna take a while." She mumbled, "Apparently this is someone he used to know, way back in the day." She smiled tiredly, heading into the coffee shop with her and smiled seeing Pero sitting with someone "There he is." She mumbled, walking over "Hey babe!" She called to him, freezing when she saw the man sat with him.

 

[Forever6A7X]

Pero gave a nod and frowned a bit more "Sorry piece of shit." He muttered shakimg his head a bit turning when he heard Carmen's voice and smiled waving at her some. Though his smile faultered when hers did and he saw the woman with her. He had only met Max a hadful of times, but he did remember her face for sure.

Max walked with her and nodded some "Yeah I hope so." She murmured giving a soft sigh before she got into the restaurant going a bit wide eyed when she saw Pero and also Danny. She knew who Pero was and what he had been involved with and it scared her to see Carmen with someone like him and to see Danny back in that life.

 

[decadent-rider]

She frowned some and went over to him, "Babe this is uh... this is Max.... and I already know you." She muttered looking at Danny, "He's an old friend?" She asked him frowniing. She had already had the conversation of looking to their future not the past but this might be different.

Danny frowned some seeing Max and Carmen there. As long as Carmen never spilled the beans to him or Max, he could still make this work... but if she told either of them what he had been doing on the side, that would be it for him. "Hi... Well this is uh... A group of people huh?" He chuckled nervously, rubbing his hands on his trousers againa dn looked to Max, "I got a job.... and a probably place to live that isn't the halfway house." He told her.

 

[Forever6A7X]

Max frowned more at her ex and gave a small nod "I said a month Danny, keep it a month." She mumbled before she sat down and took a deep breath starting to get a bit anxious about all of this. She had no idea the history that Carmen had with Danny other than them knowing eachother through her. She had no clue Danny had been selling to her.

Pero nodded some and bit his lip "Yeah um...he is trying to get his life in order. I wanted to help him out. He'll be a dishwasher and cleaning tables at the restaurant." He explained watching Max some "I didn't know this was Max, we've actually met a few times."

 

[decadent-rider]

Danny nodded and frowned , "I'm going to... I was serious about wanting to be the best Dad I can." He promised her.

She frowned and nodded "Alright... Long as there's no trouble... I'll meet you at my place later okay? Max and I are gonna go get some food." She told him, pecking his cheek and getting Max out of there quickly. "You couldn't have mentioned that you used to know a Pero as well? I mean how many are there in one city?" She muttered as they walked out of the coffee shop. She didn't want to be in that situation any longer than necessary.

Danny looked over to him and frowned. "You know that time I tried to set you up with someone?" He asked him and smirked some. "I was tryna set you up with Carmen." He told him. "The only woman I've ever known who would work for you." He shook his head and sighed watching them leave. "Small world huh? Thank you for this opportunity Pero.... I won't let you down. I'll see you tomorrow at the restaurant then?" He thanked him againa nd left him to get on with his day

 

[Forever6A7X]

Max frowned and quickly left with Carmen shaking her head some as they walked away "I think I met him a total of 5 times Carmen, and it was all at parties that I never fully remembered his name." She explained giving a heavy sigh "I'm so so sorry....you know I would have something had I known." She said before making her friend turn to look at her "Hey deep breaths okay? Deep breaths." She said seeing the panicked look in her eyes

Pero frowned some as they left before nodding to Danny "Yeah sounds fine." He mutteref before he left and went to try and catch up with Carmen so he could talk to her

 

[decadent-rider]

“Danny is trying. God I get it he wants to know his kid but I just..... this is why he hasn’t told me about his past. What if he knows Dylan?” She muttered looking up seeing he was catching up with them. “You’re not staying with him?” She muttered looking up at him. “You got a week.... a week to tell me about your past or I’m done.” She muttered and looked to max. “I’ll catch up with you tomorrow probably.” She muttered and started walking home with Pero, not saying anything with her arms crossed over her chest.

danny made his way out of the coffee shop and down the street, bumping into max on the way frowning some. “Sorry..... hey... can I ask you something?” He muttered, crossing the road with her seeing as he was going the same way anyway.

 

[Forever6A7X]

Max frowned lightly giving a nod to Carmen "See you tomorrow okay? Let me know if you need anything." She murmured before she walked off. She looked at Danny and frowned more "What is it?" She asked quietly while they crossed the street.

Pero frowned some and nodded a bit sighing heavily as he walked with her "I lead a gang....ran drugs and weapons across the city. Got a pretty good name for myself, got my scars because of it." He mumbled taking a deep breath "One of my crew sold me out to take over....cops came and did a drug raid of my office, got locked up for 6 years. Got out on good behavior and swore I'd stay away from that shit because I didn't want to go back to prison. Everyone always liked when I cooked there so I decided to make a restaurant....here I am now."

 

[decadent-rider]

Carmen nodded and frowned. “Like I told you.... I care about our future not your past.... but if Danny gets in the way of that and anything happens to pull either of you back in.... this is finished.” She told him seriously and uncrossed her arms, taking his hand tightly. “Come on, let’s go home.” She sighed a bit, not wanting to worry too much but Danny’s presence had changed things slightly.

“whyuh.... why did you never give me a chance to even meet him? I get that I fucked upreal bad but I always wanted us to be a family. I loved you then and I love you now and I love our son.... but I never got one. Vance to make it right.” He mumbled.

 

[Forever6A7X]

Pero took her hand in his and shook his head some "I'd die before I go back to that life." He mumbled squeezing her hand tight for a minute "Its just so he can see his kid....I felt bad for him." He admits

Max frowned some as she looked at him "Because I didn't want to get his hopes up....I didn't want him to think he had a father and then you go back to that life and put him in danger....I couldn't risk it...I wanted to...so many times did I want to go visit and go back to you....but I knew his safety was my main priority and before you went inside and while you were inside you weren't a safe person." She explained wiping her eyes quickly so he didn't see her tears.

 

[decadent-rider]

She frowned "You shouldn't... He had other options." She muttered shaking her head some, dragging him to the market hall on the way back so they could get food for her to make dinner for once. "How did uh.... You said it's how you got your scars.... what happened with your eye?" She asked him quietly, slipping her arm around his waist while she let him pick out the produce.

He frowned some and looked at her, "I'm sorry you ever felt unsafe with me.... That was the last thing I ever wanted for you." He mumbled, "You were the only family i had Max.... and I wanted us to be a small family.... I'm gonna get this right. I will prove to you that I can know my son." He mumbled, saying goodbye to her as they finally went their separate ways

 

[Forever6A7X]

Pero frowned and tensed up a bit before giving a heavy sigh "That was my first week in prison....rival whites got me and put a shank to my eye. Thankfully they were fucking idiots and missed my actual eye completely." He muttered shaking his head some

Max frowned as she listened to him and gave a small nod "Well I hope you can....he would love to meet you." She whispered before she made her way back to work and into her office

 

[decadent-rider]

She nodded some and leaned into him some as they finished up to head back to her apartment, "Well... I think it makes you more handsome... So rugged... So mysterious." She teased gently and pecked his cheek, heading inside with him to put the food away then took him to the couch, curling up next to him and leaning into his arms while she kicked her shoes off and got comfy "Mmm.... Much better than work." She smiled.

Roman was waiting for her at the end of daycare with his arms crossed and looking grumpy while all the other kids had already been picked up but his mom had to be late.... again... for the hundredth time or so it seemed to him. He eventually saw her walk in and frowned more, holding his bag and water bottle tightly, getting up and walking over to her. "I hate being the last one!" He grumbled