“We aren’t trying to make you feel bad, but we want you to live in your truth. If you still love him, it’s okay.”
“I agree with Dominique. There used to be a time when I thought the two of you would have a love story for the ages. You don’t think about what the two of you lost out on?” Nova probed.
Her question made me pause as I tried to gather my emotions. The truth was, it was all I used to think about for a long time. Then I realized I needed to snap back into reality and face the facts. As much as I loved Keynauri, we weren’t meant to be together.
“At one point, I loved him with everything inside of me. He was one of the only people I could count on in life, but things changed. I cried a lot when I was pregnant with the twins because I was heartbroken and wanted him to come home. After a while, I realized I needed to move on with my life. He wasn’t coming home, and there were two babies who needed a healthy momma.
“I’m happy Keynauri has gotten his freedom back, but there is too much pain and bad blood between us. I think the best thing we can do for our children is learn how to co-parent effectively.” My eyes began to water, but I refused to cry. He didn’t deserve any of my tears.
I hated the way his presence in my life unearthed so many emotions I attempted to bury over the last few years. I spent so many years trying to erase him from my memories, and now he was back, shaking my foundation.
“Yeah, okay. We’re not here to judge you, and I got your back regardless. I’m about to get dressed for our lunch date. Call that man so you can check on your babies. I can see that sad ass pout on your face, and I don’t have time for your bullshit today. We are about to go to the spa, grab some drinks, and enjoy our day. Now get off my phone, heffa. Put on something cute and comfy and get ready! I love y’all. Dominique, I’ma call you back later . I need you to help me with my makeup.”
“I got you, boo. I’m about to go out for drinks, but I love you both. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do while I’m gone, and remember to wipe from front to back. I can’t be hanging around stank pussy bitches. Bye!” Leave it to them to put a smile on myface. I still didn’t have all the answers, but I was going to try to look at the positives in all of this.
Nova and I were scheduled to be at the spa at two o’clock, and it was currently a quarter to one. I took a shower when I woke up, so the only thing I needed to do was get dressed and do something to my hair. We were getting facials as well, so makeup wasn’t needed.
Since we were gonna be pampered, I decided to keep my attire simple with a two-piece olive-colored athletic outfit, which consisted of leggings and a crop top. I examined myself in the mirror and couldn’t help but admire my body. The twins helped me fill out into my grown woman's body. Although I was still considered slim-thick, my hips were more defined, and my breasts and booty were larger.
Once I was satisfied with my outfit, I tossed my hair into a bun, put on some lip gloss, and slipped into my matching slides. My toes were freshly manicured with white polish. The gel polish lasted much longer than the regular one, which was great for someone who was constantly on the go like me.
As I sat on the edge of the bed, I gripped my phone in my hands. Nova made very good points, and I couldn’t keep avoiding the inevitable. At the end of the day, I wanted to speak to my kids, and Keynauri was the only way to do it. My finger lightly tapped the FaceTime button. My leg bounced as I waited for him to pick up.
“What’s up?”
The sound of his voice pissed me off and made my pussy thump at the same time. I rolled my eyes the moment they landed on his devilishly handsome face.
“I’m calling to make sure my babies are still alive over there.”
There was a frown on his face for a second, but it was soon replaced by an arrogant smirk. The camera shifted and landedon three matching faces covered with ice cream and what I assumed was chocolate sauce.
“Say hi and tell your worrisome momma that you’re alive.”
“Hi, Mommy! We're alive, and we’re having so much fun!” Kiaya squealed, then licked the sprinkles off her spoon.
“Momma. Our dad’s house is huge. It’s way bigger than ours, and he even has a basketball court so I can practice,” Keyaire informed me. He was much calmer than Kiaya, but I could tell he was excited.
“I’m happy you guys are having fun. I miss you, though.” My lip poked out, seeing how happy they were. A part of me expected them to be sad and ready to come back home. We didn’t have a huge support system, so they rarely spent much time away from me, unless they were with my momma or at school. Luckily, they were on summer break, so I didn’t have to worry about them missing school.
“We miss you too. You should come over to our dad’s house. He has a lot of rooms. You can sleep in one of them,” Kiaya suggested matter-of-factly.
“Umm, I don’t know about that. When are you planning to come home?”
“Daddy is taking us to the zoo and the aquarium tomorrow. Then we are going to the LEGO museum, so maybe we’ll come home after that,” Keyaire replied, focusing on his bowl of ice cream. I wanted to demand they come home tonight, but I decided to hold my tongue.
“Don’t you have a busy schedule? I would much rather you bring them home than push them off on strangers.”
Keynauri’s face returned to the camera, and my nipples instantly hardened.
“I think you want to piss me off, but it’s not gonna work. To answer your assumption, yes, I do have a busy schedule. I’ll be traveling a lot for the next few weeks to do some appearances.”His eyes were piercing through my soul, and I found myself squirming.
“Okay, well, I can come get them whenever you’re ready. I wouldn’t want to interrupt the superstar’s schedule.”
He chuckled, but it wasn’t because he found my words funny. His jaw clenched, letting me know I'd hit a nerve.
“I’m gonna get off this phone before I hurt your feelings. You clearly want my attention, but I don’t have any to give you right now. I’ll be in touch to let you know when I’ll be dropping them off. I’ll be getting with my lawyer to set up a visitation and child support agreement with you soon. With my schedule being so busy, I won’t be able to see them the way I want, but I’m hoping you’ll be willing to compromise with me so I can be present in their lives.”
My heart dropped, and my stomach grew sick. He was being so formal, and it only reminded me of the fucked-up situation we were in.
