“Are you two finally having a baby?” Papà asked.
“No.”
“But of course, she doesn’t want to mess up her figure. You should’ve had kids back when she was the old Zoe. I don’t know who she is these days,” Mama fussed.
“If he had kids with her back then, can you imagine the regret or the type of mother she would be now,” Corinna countered.
“It doesn’t matter because we’re getting a divorce,” I spoke up when everyone had started chiming in.
“I’m so sorry to hear that, Ashton.” Elonica was the first to speak up, while everyone else looked at me in shock and surprise, including my mother who no longer cared for my wife.
“Baby, I’m sorry to hear that. I know that I’ve felt my way about her through the years, but I was praying she would grow up or become the old Zoe. I never wished this on you two,” Mama declared.
“It’s all good, Ma.”
“Are you okay, Figlio?” Papà asked.
“I wasn’t at first, but I am now,” I lied. I was not okay about terminating my marriage, but I knew that Muffin wasn’t going to stop screwing around. So it was either kill her and them niggas or divorce her. I’d had a few back and forth battles with myself about what to do when I finally decided I couldn’t avoid putting off filing for divorce any longer.
“Well, we’re here for you whatever you need, Ash. You know this, right?” Nicole asked, reaching out and grabbing my hand.
“I know, Sis. Thanks.”
“Including whupping her ass . . . Excuse me, Mama,” Elonica stated.
“That part,” Corinna stated, pointing at Elonica.
“I’m right there. Say when, and I say wham,” Nicole added.
“Nah. We’re not doing that. She’s still family,” I declared.
“She ain’t no family of mine. The way she’s been acting out these last few years, uh-uh,” Corinna argued.
“What brought the divorce on, though, Figlio?” Papà asked.
I didn’t want to say anything, but I hadn’t made a career out of lying to my parents, and I already lied and claimed that I was okay.
“She’s been messing around for the last few years.”
“What? Are you fucking kidding me?” Corinna popped up off the couch.
“Sit your feisty ass down,” Giorgio declared.
“No, that’s my brother. All these years he’s been nothing but faithful to her long neck ass, and this is how she repays him? No, sir.”
“Baby, calm down,” Jason added, tugging on his wife’s hand.
“Listen, y’all, this is my battle to fight. I don’t want or need anyone jumping in it for me. I appreciate the love and support, but I know how I want this thing to go. I’ve worked too hard to build my marriage, and I’m gonna be the only one to tear it down, brick by brick. Right now, I just need y’all’s love and support and to have my back if I do need some female’s ass whupped,” I expressed, looking at Corinna who rolled her eyes. Nicole’s lips twisted, and Elonica lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t want it to be any uglier than it already is. But I promise if I do need something, I’ll let y’all know. I took a while to tell y’all because I didn’t want these reactions.”
“I hear you, big bro, but I hope that I don’t see her ass on the street. Or I’ma drag her,” Corinna professed.
“I understand y’all being upset, but you’d better watch your mouths,” Mama warned, pointing a finger at all of us.
“Well, that’s all I’ve got. If no one has any more questions, Titan and I are about to dip up outta here,” I announced.
Titan popped his head up, and seeing me standing, he got up and walked to where I stood, bumping his head against my hand. I rubbed his head as I waited for my parents to stand. I gave them a hug and kiss before doing the same with everyone else.
Muffin had finally come to town to visit her mother. I had sent her a message, asking her to come see me when she visited. I told her we needed to talk. I didn’t give a damn if Alex had told her about our fight or not, but she and I had a conversation that had to be held.
