“You better.” Jah laughed.
We watched Siya strap her daughter in and pull off in her car. Once everything was clear, the officer left us with the house. For a minute, my feelings got the best of me. How could I forget barging in this same house? All the pictures were still in the same place. The last time I was in here, the house was a little cleaner. Now that the baby was a toddler, I understood the toys and fruit snack wrappers.
“Wow! Is this what you saw that night you caught him?” Jah walked around looking at the pictures.
“Pretty much. I didn’t really look hard enough, but he actually looked happy in these pictures. Maybe she is where he really wanted to be. I was just in the way, trying to make some shit work.”
“We’re not about to do that.”
We took the stairs and I entered the master bedroom. I wish I had beat his ass a little more that night. Standing in his ass in a towel and lying to Siya, saying he had to run off. She had no idea about me and that’s why I felt bad for her at first. It was only when I found that she was still messing with him when we got back together that made me turn cold towards her. Now she was left homeless and didn’t know where her man was.
After Jah called his people to come and clear the house out, we headed home for the evening. I had a taste for some salmon and Jah knew how to cook it just right. We sat and ate dinnertogether when the news flashed across the screen of Siya crying on the news about her husband being missing since yesterday morning. The picture of Kileen came across the screen.
“Shit, they got married before we did,” Jah joked.
“Kileen is not missing. His scary ass is somewhere embarrassed because he didn’t want to tell that girl the truth. I feel bad for her.”
Jah grabbed the remote and turned the television off.
“Let sleeping dogs lay, baby. That chapter of your life is over,” he said, leaning and giving me a kiss.
I guess in the end, karma always circles back around. In the words of my girl Casi,God don’t play about me.
TWENTY-SIX
TATIYONNA
“Tatiyonna, this is my last time telling you to get the fuck off that ladder,” Jah fussed as he walked in her studio with lunch for the girls and me.
“I tried to tell her to let one of us do it, but she refused,” Lonni said, helping me grab the food.
He knew when I wanted to spend my last few weeks up here before the baby got here that I was going to be up to no good. I was so excited about the studio that he couldn’t keep me locked up in the house. As my man, he supported whatever I wanted to do. After having my desires suppressed for years, it felt great to have the support. But when it came down to me hurting myself while carrying his baby, that’s when we had a problem.
“Jah, she doesn’t listen. We’ve been friends most of our lives, and she never listens,” Casi stated.
“I like y’all nerves. I told y’all to let me know before he walked in here,” I said, as he helped me down.
“Nah, they did right. Letting me catch you in the action,” Jah stated.
I was glowing. My hair was pulled up and had grown so thick since I had gotten pregnant. I wasn’t a fan of how swollen my face had gotten, but Jah thought it was cute. Being able to feelmy baby move and kick made me forget all about the wide hips, heavy breathing, and frequent urination.
“Thank you for lunch, baby,” I said, kissing him.
“You’re welcome. Please don’t be up here too long. I’m going to call before I make my last rounds on this site, and if you’re still up here, we’re going to have a problem.”
“I’ll make sure she’s home, sir,” Lonni joked.
Lonni and I had become closer over the last few months. I thought Casi was a trip, but them together kept me on my toes. I was glad to see Lonni finally getting out the house and hanging out with us. Jah told me it took pressure off him, so he didn’t have to do all the girly things with his sister anymore.
“Aight, y’all be good,” Jah told us before he walked out the door.
Now that I had the sign up and everyone knew what the building was, I took the plastic off the windows so people could vaguely see inside. Jah had tempered glass installed for when I do my couples date night sessions in the future. I didn’t want people to get any free shows. If they wanted to see what I was about, they would have to pay the fee to join the classes. I watched as he disappeared around the building before I joined the girls. We fixed our plates and I turned some music on. I had just put a forkful of food in my mouth when Jah walked back in with a frustrated look.
“I thought you were gone. Is something wrong?” I stood up.
“Siya is outside, and she wants to ask you a question. Now, if you don’t want to talk, I can send her on her way,” Jah let me know.
“Nah, let me talk to her,” Casi said, getting up.
