10 MINUTES EARLIER

Yemi is driving her G Wagon as she converses with Veronica through the truck's Bluetooth.

"I called my punk ass cousin twice this morning but he hasn't called me back. And I left him a voice message, which I never do."

"Well, yesterday he told me he didn't wanna hear you going off on him about how everything went down. Maybe that's why he hasn't answered?"

"I'm not even calling him about that. If he checked his voicemail, he would know that."

"I'll make sure he calls you. Are you sure everything is alright?"

"Please tell him, Yemi. It's very important."

"Do you want to tell me what it is? And then I can tell him."

"No, don't condone his bullshit. Just tell his ass to call me immediately. He needs to hear this shit from me."

"Okay Veronica," Yemi responds, slightly defensive.

Veronica sighs in response to Yemi's tone of voice. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just a lot going on, right now, and Sam is really making it harder for me."

"I'm pulling up to the gym, right now. I'll grab his phone and call you from it."

"Okay, thank you so much. I miss you and I'll call you later today."

"Miss you, too. Bye." Yemi ends the call as she pulls into a parking spot, right in front of the gym's entrance.

She hops out, and grabs her bag before closing the driver door. As she gets closer to the entrance, a woman's voice comes through the propped door. Yemi opens it and sees Jasmine, who she's never seen before. She hears the end of Jasmine speaking Spanish to Sam, and Yemi furrows her eyebrows at Sam staring at the woman, intensely. It's when Jasmine whispers something to Sam that pisses Yemi off.

"Sam!" Yemi watches him snap is neck to look at her before he looks down and says something under his breath. She looks Jasmine up and down, skeptically, as she makes her way towards Sam. "What's going on?" She questions Sam, her eyes still inspecting Jasmine.

"I was just getting ready to tell her to leave."

Yemi finally looks over at Sam, squinting disbelievingly.

"Now Sam, you know good and well you were too wrapped up into my words to tell me to leave," Jasmine interjects.

Sam looks away, stopping himself from saying anything crazy to Jasmine. Yemi grabs his hand and throws her other hand over her hip. "Who is this?"

"Jasmine," Jasmine immediately answers for Sam and Yemi does a double take at her. "And you are?"

"My wife," Sam fires back.

Yemi shifts her neck so hard to look back at Sam. She can't believe those words came out of Sam's mouth.

Jasmine's eyes get big as she looks down at Yemi's ring finger. "Whatever Sam. She doesn't even have on a ring."

"Okay, you know what..." Yemi steps closer to Jasmine. "You are clearly not wanted here, so you need to leave."

A look of shock appears on Sam's face.

"Honey, all because you're his little girlfriend doesn't mean you can speak for him. I'm here for our son."

"Whatever is going on with Sam, affects me. I don't see your son with you, so what's your real purpose here? "

Jasmine gets into Yemi's face and Sam steps right in the middle, causing Jasmine to back up.

"You're not doing that with her," Sam remonstrates with Jasmine. "As a matter of fact, if I don't see Brent by tonight, I'll just let the court handle this shit."

"Really, Sam? I told you he's not comfortable, yet."

"Then what the fuck you're here for? Huh?"

Jasmine rolls her eyes, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm not playing this game with you Jasmine. Do what you need to do to make the shit happen."

"Sam-"

"Did I fuckin' stutter?" He cuts her off, slightly raising his voice. The bass in his tone causes the women to jump.

"What time do you leave here? He has practice tonight?"

Sam sighs, trying to figure out a plan.

"Baby, there's no one here, so I will cover for you while you're there with him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I told you I got you always, remember?"

Sam grabs Yemi's face and kisses her forehead. "Thank you."

Jasmine rolls her eyes at their connection. "You're gonna have to come to my house, though," she adds.

Sam mean-mugs her. "Hell no. I'll meet y'all at the park."

"Sam, if you're going to force him to meet you, you can at least respect him enough to do it in the comfort of his own home."

"Jasmine-"

"Baby. Don't you think that's a good place to- you know, figure things out?" Yemi suggests, giving Sam a knowing look.

Sam understands what she's referring to, so softens his face before grabbing a paper and pen from the desk. He places both items in front of Jasmine. "Give me your address."

Jasmine writes it down as Yemi walks around and behind the front desk. Jasmine throws the pen down, and walks off. "Be there within an hour," she tells Sam with an attitude.

As soon as Jasmine is out of sight, Sam smiles and leans down to kiss Yemi, but she blocks it. "What was she saying to you in Spanish?"

"That I need to stop talking to her the way I do if we're going to co-parent."

"And that's what had you all googly-eyed?"

"Googly-eyed? You're wildin', ma."

"Sam, you couldn't see your face when you were looking at her. I could."

He shakes his head in embarrassment.

"You definitely have feelings for her still."

"Wait, ma. I realized in counseling that it's not the type of feelings I thought they were."

"But they're still feelings, Sam."

"Resentful feelings."

"Fine, whatever. Is Spanish her native language?"

He sighs. "No."

"Did you teach it to her?"

"Yemi, come on, let's not do this."

"No, I want to know. Your mom said you don't ever speak Spanish to anyone other than your grandma. But your ex was just speaking it to you, and it turned you on."

"I wasn't turned on, Yemi."

"Did you used to have conversations with her in Spanish?"

"Yemi, stop."

"I guess the answer is yes, since you won't answer."

"Yemi, I don't want to say anything that will get you mad."

"I'm not going to get mad; I'm just trying to understand the hold she has on you."

"She doesn't have a hold on me."

Yemi eyes him seriously.

"Okay, but not in the way you're thinking."

"Just answer this, and I'll leave it alone."

Sam sighs and then tilts his head, questioningly.

"Did you talk Spanish to her during sex?"

Sam sucks his teeth and then slides his hands over his face.

"You did."

"Yemi-"

"I'm not mad. But now I know why you oppose speaking Spanish tome and why you only did it that one time." "

"Ma, stop this. You and I have something better than that."

She rolls her eyes and then places her bag on the desk. "Is there anything I need to know about this front desk before you head out to see your son?"

"I'm not leaving until I know you're good."

"I'm fine Sam," she lies to him.

"When I get back, I want us to have a talk about us, alright?"

She nods, uninterested. Sam kisses her neck, and then gives her an apologetic look.

___

NEW YORK

Veronica paces in her bedroom, glancing every now and then at her phone. A knock on her door breaks her focus. "Come in."

The door opens and Larry walks in holding a plate with a sandwich on top. "Babygirl, can you give this to your aunt? I need a break from seeing her like that." Veronica nods and puts her phone into her back pocket before taking the plate from him. "Thank you." Veronica steps out and walks towards Larry and Liliana's bedroom. Larry walks in the opposite direction.

Veronica enters and sees Liliana lying down on the bed with her knees pulled up and her fists clenched. Veronica shakes her head, helplessly. "Here's your food."

"I don't wanna eat."

"So have you completely lost your appetite?"

"It will pass Veronica. Stop worrying."

"Look at you. You're clearly in pain, and you haven't eaten all day and it's almost 3 o'clock. You need to go to the hospital."

"All because your mother died from cancer doesn't make you an expert."

Veronica scowls at her. "I should've never come back here." She flounces out and slams the door behind her.

"V!" Liliana tries to call her back, but it's too late.

V grabs her car keys out of her room and then runs down the stairs, storming past her uncle.

"V, what's wrong?"

She ignores him as she leaves out the front door. She unlocks her car and gets inside before tears fall from her eyes. "Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!" She yells out, releasing her pent-up anger.

She notices her Uncle coming out of the Brownstone, and so she quickly starts the engine and guns it before he can approach her car.

As Veronica weaves in and out of traffic, she takes her phone out and calls Nate. It connects to the Bluetooth right before he answers the phone, but there's a lot of background noise. "Nathan I need to talk to you."

"I can't hear you V!" He shouts out into the phone, surrounded by a bunch of people at a skiing party in Toronto.

"Go somewhere quiet! It's important!"

"Can't hear you! Text me!" He ends the call and Veronica exhales forcefully.

She then calls Stephen who is at the same party but in a less rowdy area. "Yurrrr!"

"Stephen can you hear me?"

"Yeah, but I'm not trying to hear you," he says jokingly.

"Stephen your mom is-" Her phone beeps, cutting her off. She looks at the screen and sees it's Yemi calling. "Let me call you back, I think that's Sam."

"Wait, what's up with Ma? Y'all beefin' or something?"

Veronica switches to the other call, not bothering to answer Stephen's question. "Sam?"

"Veronica, I'm sorry. I just remembered that I was supposed to have him call you."

"You left the gym already?"

"No, I'm here. But he left like 15 minutes ago to take care of something. "

"Fuck."

"I promise, as soon as he gets back, I'll tell him to call you."

"Please Yemi, don't forget."

"I'm going to write it down, right now."

"Thank you."

"Can you please tell me what's wrong? I'm concerned."

"I'll talk to you about it later. I promise."

"... Alright."

"Is everything okay with you and Sam, though?"

Yemi takes a deep breath.

"Uh oh. What happened, now?"

"I think it's best if Sam tells you."

"If he ever calls me," she says sarcastically. "Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because I don't think it's my place."

"It's about Jasmine, huh? I'm going to go out there and whoop her ass. Have you seen her, yet?"

"Yeah, I saw her. But I'll call you later okay?"

"Alright Yemi. Don't let that bitch win."

"I won't. Bye."

"Bye."

___

Sam pulls up to Jasmine's apartment tower and sees her outside waiting. She watches Sam hop out the truck and walk towards her. She bites her lip at his presence, trying to hide her smirk.

"Hi."

"He's inside?"

"Yeah, but I didn't tell him you were coming. So please let me speak to him first."

"Yeah, let's go." Sam follows her into the building and onto the elevator. They both look away from each other awkwardly as they wait to reach their designated floor. The doors open and Sam allows Jasmine to step out first.

"Still a gentleman, I see," she looks back at him grinning.

Sam shakes his head as Jasmine leads the way to her apartment.

They enter and Jasmine closes the door behind Sam. "You want something to drink?"

"No."

"Brent!" She calls out into the hallway.

Moments later, Brent comes out with his eyes glued to his phone.

"Brent, put your phone down. We have company."

Brent glances up at Sam before dismissing him. "That's not my company. I don't know him."

"Don't be rude, Brent. Say hello to Samuel."

"What's up, bro?" Brent says to Sam, not even bothering to make eye contact with him.

Sam furrows his eyebrows in confusion, and then shakes his head at Brent's behavior.

"Don't mind him. I can never get his attention either."

"Yo Brent. Imma need a swab of your saliva, 'cause your momma told me I'm supposed to be your father."

Jasmine is flabbergasted as Brent quickly looks up, scowling at Sam.

"My dad is dead."

"Maybe so. But since your mom is saying something different, we gotta make sure."

Jasmine pushes Sam aggressively, "why would you say that?"

"As a matter of fact, the last time I saw your mom, we were back in college when she cheated on me in my own bed. So imagine how I'm feeling, finding out 13 years later that I might have a son."

"Mom?" Brent looks at her with disgust in his eyes.

"Go in your room."

"For what? I didn't do anything."

"'Cause I don't want you listening to this man. That's why."

"Oh, so I'm just a man, now? No longer his father?"

"Shut up!" She retorts before focusing back on Brent. "Brent! Go in your damn room."

"You told me to come out here, now you're yelling at me to go back? I'm confused, mom."

"Brent, man..." Sam reaches for the back of his shirt, and pulls an envelope out. "Do us both a favor and take this quick test."

"No Sam!"

Sam ignores her, still looking at Brent. "You will never hear from me again after this, unless I'm actually your father."

"Damnit Sam! I told you to let me talk to him."

"Yeah, because you were trying to be slick, hiding shit from the both of us."

"I don't have anything to hide. And I am not making my son do that test."

Brent shakes his head. "Ma, you know I just witnessed my friend find out his dad ain't really his dad, and now you basically got me going through the same thing?" He looks back at Sam. "I hope you're not my father. Only because I can only imagine what you would have to go through co-parenting with her."

Jasmine gasps loudly, hurt at her son's words. "I'm your mother Brent."

"Don't I know it," he responds, sarcastically. He reaches for the test, and Sam opens the envelope, taking a container out with a swab inside of it. Jasmine tries to knock it out of his hand, but Sam uses his body to block her.

"Mom, stop being dramatic."

Sam swabs Brent and then drops it into the container. "Appreciate it. If you don't hear from me, then that means it came out negative."

"Those things are not trustworthy," Jasmine blurts out as Sam turns to leave.

"So are you saying he is my father? 'Cause that would mean you lied to me," Brent scolds her.

"GO. IN. YOUR. ROOM!"

"Gladly."

Brent leaves and Sam exits the apartment, both shaking their heads at Jasmine's shenanigans.