ProsecutingAttorney at Law
A smirk crossed my face as I pocketed the card and headed to a table in the corner. I wouldn’t use it, even though I badly wanted to. Somehow, I knew our paths would align again, and maybe then, things would be a little different.
I pickedup my ringing phone from the counter and saw Leo’s name flash across the screen. I hurriedly answered as I bounced my baby girl in my arms.
“Hello?”
“Hey, what’s up? I see you called me a few times. What’s wrong?”
Is he serious?
“Leo, I have to go into the office today. I need you to come be with the kids for about an hour.”
“Babe, you know I can’t leave work right now. We’ve been getting calls all day. We’re about to head out now to go put out a fire.”
“Leo, I need you! You know Ms. Shelly is sick. I don’t have anyone else.”
“Can’t your mom keep them?”
My teeth gritted. “You know she’s on vacation with my aunt. She won’t be back until this evening. Amir isn’t equipped to watch them, and Raeley stays too busy. I don’t ask for much, butit would be nice if their father didn’t act as if he didn’t purposely impregnate me, then act like I fucked myself and created them!”
“Oooh, Mommy said a bad word!” Chloe exclaimed.
Shit.
“Bad word, bad word!” Carlee chanted in my ear.
“Don’t mind Mommy, baby. Eat your lunch.” I placed Carlee in her high chair, then walked out of the kitchen.
“Alicia, I’m sorry I can’t be there whenever you need me. I’m going to give my mom a call and see if she can come over to keep them for a minute.”
“You cannot be serious. Your mother hates me. Do you really think she’s going to drop everything to come help me?”
“Well, what do you want me to do, Ali?”
“Be here! Do your job and help me with these children we’ve created. They have more than one fireman, Leo.”
“Listen. I have to go. I’ll call my mom. She’ll come. I promise.” The line disconnected, and I swore I wanted to hurl my phone across the room. Since Ms. Shelly had gotten sick, I had to postpone the anniversary trip. I needed to meet with my new client, and my cousin Raeley was busy at the hospital. There was no way I could ask my little brother, Amir, to watch my kids. I’d come home to crayon markings on the wall and my kitchen looking like a raccoon raided it.
Frustration coursed through me because, while Leo may have made me breakfast in bed, bought me flowers, and gifted me a new iPad for our anniversary, that didn’t make up for his lackluster parenting skills.
Somehow, I knew he was lying about there being a fire. I promised I wasn’t trying to downplay his job, but I knew Leo like the back of my hand. I knew when his ass was lying because he always rushed me off the phone when he didn’t want to keep lying to me, or he’d leave the room when he didn’t want to answer me.
The shit was getting beyond ridiculous, and I was afraid we’d never recover from the rough patch we were having.
My phone rang in my hand. I looked down at it, seeing my mother-in-law’s name on my screen. I rolled my eyes and put on the fakest voice I could muster when I answered.
“Hey, Mama Leanna. How are you?”
“I’m fine. So, you do know how to pick up a phone,” she stated.
“What do you mean?”
“Why is my son calling me, asking me if I could come be with the kids for an hour? You don’t know how to pick up a phone to call and ask for yourself?”
Here we go.
“I do. I literally just got off the phone with him.”
