Marcus's face lit up with a teeth revealing smile as Keyshia announced they were having a baby. Wrapping his arms around her, as tears of joy pricked down the corners of his eyes. After 4 years of trying, enduring insults from Marcus's family, they couldn't wait to welcome their first child. 

 Keyshia had a request, "I don't want you in the delivery room." She said in soft and raspy voice 

"What? Why not?" Marcus asked. Keyshia wouldn't meet his eyes. "I just... I need to do this part on my own. Please understand." He didn't understand, not really. But loved his wife and respected her request as hard as it was for him.

Keyshia's due date approached, Marcus's grew unease. The night before she was induced, he was tossing and turning around, unable to shake the feeling that something big was about to change. The ice cold sterile air in the hospital lobby filled with silence, suffocating him as he waited for news.

Finally, a doctor emerged, his hands covered with gloves, his face grave. "Mr. Johnson, you'd better come with me." Marcus's heart raced, as he followed the doctor to the delivery room. Keyshia was there, looking exhausted but alive. He felt a Relief that was short-lived.

The baby had skin as pale as fresh snow, wisps of blonde hair, and eyes, blue as the ocean. Marcus eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched, and his voice dropped to a low growl 'What the hell is this?'He demanded, his words laced with accusation.

'i carry a rare recessive gene that could cause any child I conceive, to have pale skin and light features", Keyshia explained, which the doctor confirmed to be true.

But he wasn't having it.

Forcing Keyshia to yell, "the baby has the same birthmark as you"  she said with every ounce of hope.

Upon hearing so, Marcus quickly checked. seeing the birthmark, identical to his, planted a ray of believe, as he began to see the possibilities of being the father of the baby.

Fuming and reeling, Marcus conceded.

Discharged from the hospital, they brought the baby home, as the smell of the new born filled the room, only to be greeted by Marcus's family's explosive reaction. "What kind of joke is this?" His mother demanded. As her mind raced with worries of what the community will think. Remembering the pain of being ostracized when Marcus's father had left. Not wanting to experience that pain again.

Accusations began flying, with Marcus caught right in the middle.

“You can't seriously expect us to believe this” Marcus's hot head teenage sister Tanya, said; accusing Keyshia of lying “you're just trying to ruin our family.” finally getting the attention she wanted, she wasn't about to  let Keyshia and her baby steal that from her.

His brother Jamal pulled him aside, speaking in a low voice. “Bro, I know you love her, but you gotta face facts. That ain't your kid.” Jamal's expression betraying his concern. 'Marcus I'm just trying to protect our family; he said, his voice low and even, 'we need to know the truth about this baby."

Marcus's mom, with a dark gaze, scrubbed the baby's arm, attempting to rub off it's birthmark, convinced it was fake. With Marcus stepping in  just in time stop her, ' that's enough" his voice shock with rage; "get out now"."

Keyshia suggested a DNA test to reveal the baby's paternity. Marcus, hesitant at first, agreed. The wait was antagonizing for the couple, each day having it's own drama.

The test results arrived. In front of the family; unraveling a piece of paper, the doctor announced “Mr and Mrs Marcus Johnson you're both.........a sudden pause filled the room with hearts beating fast and loud as a drum.., the parent of this child”, watching as they read the undeniable truth.

One by one, they apologized. With his mother, the last to speak, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry," she said. "Can you ever forgive me?" Marcus's eyes drifted away, loosing his gaze in the memories of the