“You don’t understand,” he began again.
The judge gave him the evil eye before looking off over his head. “Ma’am. You . . .” She pointed behind us and I didn’t dare turn around to look at who or what she was pointing at. “Yes, you. Please stand up . . . if you can. What is your relationship to Mr. Eckhart standing in front of me?”
“I’m his fiancée.”
My jaw dropped. The judge made the pregnant girlfriend stand up and state her relationship?
The judge’s facial expression remained stoic. “You’re the fiancée of a married man who just stood here and told me he didn’t want this divorce?”
“Yes. Sometimes he says stupid things.”
“Indeed he does. You may sit down. Mr. Eckhart?—”
“Judge, I don’t know why she’s telling you that we’re gettin’ married. I been called the wedding off. Right after she hit me in the head with a frying pan. She ain’t marriage material.” He turned around to face the people on the benches. “Your crazy ass ain’t marriage material. You need anger management or some shit.”
The judge banged her gavel. “Respect my courtroom, Mr. Eckhart.”
“My bad. It’s just that she lyin’, your honor.”
“Why would you bring your pregnant fiancée to your divorce hearing?” The judge questioned.
“She’s not my fiancée. The only reason she’s even here is because she has a prenatal appointment right after this. That’s the only reason.”
Was Xander always this much of a shit show? I asked myself as the proceedings continued. Every time he opened his mouth I felt second-hand embarrassment.
When the judge ruled that the divorce was officially granted, it was a bittersweet moment. Bitter because even though I had my doubts when Xander and I stood in front of the pastor and vowed to love each other through the good and bad, I always hoped we would make it as a couple. It was sweet, because at this point in life, I was more in tune with Bailey. I had a better idea of who I was, what I wanted, and most importantly, what I didn’t want. I was free to explore the possibilities.
“I know everybody’s starving,” my mother announced as we stood outside the courthouse. “Come back to the house. I’ll whip up lunch.”
“Absolutely not.” Bayliss’s head shook in the negative. “Ain’t no way you’re standing over the stove cooking for all these negroes.” I couldn’t help but notice that his eyes were directly on my daddy.
“Let’s go out to eat,” Bright suggested. “Bailey keeps talking about how good the food is in Chicago.” He turned to me with a smirk. “It’s time to show and prove.”
I smiled, ready to accept the challenge. “Flame & Oak.”
“Flame & Oak,” my mother and Church said at the same time.
After lunch everybodywas ready to go their separate ways. My mother and Bayliss were headed back to her place, so they offered to drop Brighton off at Collins’s house. Church went to catch up with old friends, while Perkins headed to the hair supply store. She said she wanted to pick up some things for the girls’ hair that she couldn’t find in the Jackson Falls area. My dad offered to drive me to my mom’s. He said he wanted to spend a little bit of time with me before he had to head back to the airport for his return flight home.
“Thanks for coming to support me, Daddy. It means a lot.” I buckled my seatbelt and settled into the rental car for the ride.
“You knew I was coming, baby girl. I needed to be there to make sure Xander’s ass didn’t try to pull anything funny with you. You know I never liked him, and I never wanted you to marry him. But you’re a grown woman. I had to let you make your own decisions.”
“I know.”
“Besides, I really didn’t have a leg to stand on when it came to giving out relationship advice. I wasn’t the best role model. I mean, me and your mama’s relationship went south when you were just a toddler. Then my marriage to Eva imploded just a few years after the wedding.”
“Don’t worry about all that, Daddy. I’ve never judged you for your relationships. All I’ve ever cared about is the fact that you’re a great dad. You’ve always made me feel like the most important thing in your life.”
“You are. You’re the apple of my eye, Bailey Boo.”
I smiled and basked in the warmth of my daddy’s love.
“Listen, now that this joker is out of the way, I have full confidence that your next choice will be the right one.”
I shook my head. “The ink isn’t even dry on my divorce decree. I’m not thinking about a next choice.”
He glanced away from the road to look at me. “You sure about that? Because I saw the way you looked at that young man who paid for lunch. Now, he’s a class act. Swooping the bill up off the table and paying it without a moment’s hesitation. That’s the type of man I want for you. Classy. Capable. Generous. Plus he couldn’t take his eyes off you. He spent the entire meal watching you and based how he moved on the clues you put down. I like him. I felt like if Xander said the wrong thing to you or about you, young buck was gonna put his head through the wall.”
