“What did you do?”
“I bought you some land to build another house. This time, you get to build it for your family. Now it may not be ready before the baby gets here, but we can get it started. I know you’re comfortable here, and you got your other house, but I wanted us to have something. We both established that without each other. This will be our home for our children and grandchildren.”
He pulled the picture out and it was over seven acres. I don’t know how many children he expected me to have. We didn’t need that much space, but I was appreciative as hell.
“That’s a lot of land, Jah.”
“Well, I want the kids to be able to play outside and not have to worry about anyone. You can have all these damn birthday parties and shit there. I just feel like this house is too modern for what you want to do.”
“Thank you, baby.”
“Why don’t you sound happy?”
“Because I had a house built for the same reason and we see how that ended up.”
“Man, I ain’t going nowhere. Are you?” He lifted my chin.
“Not unless…”
“Don’t play with me, Tatiyonna. I’m strict with the dick, and who can compare to you, baby? You’re carrying my first child; you get along with my family. Your dad is my partner. Like, what the fuck do I look like messing all of this? I’m not the man that chasing a woman, and when he gets the woman, he dogs her out. That ain’t even in my character.”
“I believe you. Every now and then, I need the reassurance.”
“And I’ll reassure you every time. We locked in, baby.”
He held his hand out for our handshake.
The next morning, Jah and I got dressed to head back to see if Kileen and Siya had vacated the premises. The police had a court order, and if they hadn’t packed, they had to leave and everything in the house was now in my possession. Jah helped me out of the car and we walked in hand in hand with the police officer leading the way. Before we could knock or ring the doorbell, Siya snatched the door open with her crying daughter on her hip.
“Please, I need a few more hours. Kileen never made it home last night, and I’ve been trying to pack up my daughter’s stuff and a little of my stuff,” she pleaded.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but we have a court order. You need to leave the premises now,” the officer told her.
Hearing that Kileen didn’t come home wasn’t a surprise. Being how he played tricks with me, he was probably already on to the next best thing. As she continued to plead and cry with the officer, I didn’t say anything. I warned her yesterday that this would happen, but she waited around on a nigga that didn’t give a shit about anything but himself.
“She can have thirty minutes to get her and her daughter some clothes, after that, she has to go,” I said loud enough for her to hear me.
Jah and I sat in the car while I watched her struggle to get as much as she could in thirty minutes.
“I want to help her, but a part of me loves what I see,” Jah said.
“I wish you would get out of this car and help her.”
“Ohhh, my bad. I thought I was being a gentleman.”
“I don’t mind you being a gentleman but be it to someone who’s deserving. Had she kept her legs closed, she wouldn’t be in this situation.”
Jah looked over at me. “Had she not, we probably wouldn’t be together.”
“Actually, you had booked your appointment before I found out Kileen was cheating. We would’ve met either way,” I told him.
“Not if you didn’t find out about the cheating. You would’ve looked right past me because you had a loving husband at home.”
“Ehh, I would’ve looked at you. I mean, you were fine as hell the day I met you. Would I have had sex with you? No. But you would have got looked at for sure.”
“Oh, so you got wondering eyes when you see a fine man. Let me know now before you become Mrs. Grant. I would hate to pluck your muthafuckin’ eyes out.”
“I’m going to be Mrs. Grant regardless. You know I only got eyes for you, baby.”
