When Shayla’s Baby Says “Uncle Arby” in Front of Anthony! 😳

 When Shayla’s Baby Says “Uncle Arby” in Front of Anthony! 😳

Scene: A quiet Saturday morning — Anthony, Shayla, and their toddler are sitting in bed in their cozy apartment. Sunlight filters through the blinds.

Anthony:
(grinning as he watches the baby try to open a snack container)
"Man, he’s getting smarter by the minute. Look at him go."

Shayla:
(smiling and brushing her son’s curls out of his face)
"I know, right? It’s like every day he’s learning something new. He tried to count to three yesterday… well, more like 'one, two, uno!'"

Anthony:
(laughs)
"Hey, I’ll take that. We raising a little genius."

(The baby claps his hands and starts babbling happily, then suddenly says clearly—)

Baby:
"Uncle Arby!"

(Silence falls over the room. Anthony’s head slowly turns toward Shayla. Her smile fades. She freezes.)

Anthony:
(squinting, confused)
"What did he just say?"

Shayla:
(nervously chuckling)
"Oh… you know how babies are, just repeating sounds. Probably heard it from TV."

Anthony:
(firmly, eyes locked on her)
"TV? He said ‘Uncle Arby,’ Shayla. That ain’t a cartoon character."

Baby:
(smiling and clapping again)
"Uncle Arby! Uncle Arby!"

(Anthony puts down the snack he was opening. The air is thick now.)

Anthony:
"Why does he know that name?"

Shayla:
(sighs, trying to stay calm)
"It’s not like that, Anthony. I never planned for him to say it. He just… he heard me on the phone, maybe."

Anthony:
"Phone? So you’re still talking to Arby?"

Shayla:
"Not like that. It was just… here and there. He checked in a few times. That’s all."

Anthony:
(staring in disbelief)
"Checked in? Shayla, we said no more secrets. After everything that happened, you still got that man’s name floating around our baby’s mouth?"

Shayla:
"It wasn’t intentional. I swear. He’s just been around more when things got messy—"

Anthony:
(cutting her off, raising his voice)
"Messy? Shayla, we been working to fix this! And now I gotta hear my son call some other dude ‘Uncle’?"

Shayla:
(teary-eyed)
"I’m sorry. I didn’t want it to get this far. He just... he helped when you weren’t there."

Anthony:
(hurt, leaning back against the headboard)
"You let him in our life enough that our son thinks he’s family."

Shayla:
"I didn’t plan it! I was just trying to hold everything together when you were distant. When you were out late, not answering, doing your own thing."

Anthony:
"That was before! I came back. I owned my part. We said we’d rebuild. And now I’m finding out from my kid that this dude's still hanging around?"

Baby:
(noticing the tension, looking confused)
"Mama?"

Shayla:
(scooping him up, gently)
"It’s okay, baby. Everything’s fine."

Anthony:
"Don’t lie to him like you lied to me."

Shayla:
(voice trembling)
"I never lied. I just... I didn’t tell you everything. I didn’t know how."

Anthony:
"That’s the same thing, Shayla. You think this is something small? Do you know how it feels hearing my own son say another man’s name like that?"

Shayla:
(softly)
"I messed up."

Anthony:
(shaking his head)
"This ain’t just about a name. It’s about space. Boundaries. Respect. You told me you blocked him. You showed me, remember?"

Shayla:
"I did. But he found ways. Reached out through other people. Then one day I answered. I was weak. I just wanted support."

Anthony:
"And now my son knows his name. Probably his face too."

(He stands up from the bed, pacing. The baby watches him quietly, sensing the shift.)

Anthony:
"You still got feelings for him?"

Shayla:
"No! I love you, Anthony. But I was broken. And he was just... available. I never meant for him to become part of our child’s world."

Anthony:
"But he did. And that’s something I can’t unhear."

(Long silence.)

Shayla:
"What do you want me to do?"

Anthony:
"You want to prove it’s over? Then make it over. For real this time. Not just blocking his number. I mean cutting ties. No conversations. No check-ins. Nothing."

Shayla:
(nods slowly)
"Okay. I will. Today. Right now."

(She grabs her phone, deletes old messages, changes settings to restrict all communication from Arby. She sets the phone down.)

Shayla:
"I’ll even explain it to our son. That he only needs one daddy. One protector. And that’s you."

Anthony:
(sits back down, rubbing his hands over his face)
"It’s not just about fixing what broke. It’s about protecting what we still have."

Shayla:
"And I want to do that. I want to be better—for you, for him, for us."

(The baby crawls back into Anthony’s lap, wrapping his tiny arms around his neck.)

Baby:
"Daddy."

(Anthony’s eyes well up. He kisses the top of the baby’s head.)

Anthony:
"I’m his father, Shayla. And you—you're my heart. But if we ever go back to secrets again, we won’t survive it."

Shayla:
(tearfully)
"I understand. And I’m all in now. Nothing hidden. Nothing halfway."

Anthony:
"Then let’s move forward. But this time… together. For real."

(Scene fades out. The room is still. Quiet. But stronger.)
The baby giggles as his parents pull him close. The past still lingers—but love is louder.)

---

Let me know if you’d like a continuation scene titled something like:
"When Arby Shows Up at the Daycare Unexpectedly!"
or
"When Anthony Finally Calls Arby to Set the Record Straight!"