Brion and I talked for another thirty minutes before she had to get on her mommy duties. It surprised me how much I enjoyed our conversation. After the call ended, I found myself sitting on the couch wondering how long I would have to be with a woman before I proposed to her. Marriage wasn’t something I’d ever jump the gun with, but I also didn’t think it took seven years to decide if I wanted to marry someone. Especially if we had three kids together. If I didn’t plan on going anywhere why not get married?
I couldn’t judge that man though because I didn’t fully know Brion. I won’t say there could have been a good reason to keep her around and not marry her, but maybe there was something about her that made him simply not want to marry her. Only time would tell but so far, she seemed like good people. She seemed like a good mother. She also wasn’t the in the club every weekend chasing a baller type. We talked for almost an hour,and she didn’t mention a Chanel bag that she had been eyeing or a pair of shoes that she wanted.
Her and her ex didn’t work out, and she seemed like she was doing whatever she had to do to be okay even if that meant working two jobs, and I could only respect that. In fact, I respected it a lot. I was still sitting there in my thoughts when Huncho walked in the house bringing the aroma of marijuana with him. His eyes were bloodshot red and narrowed into slits.
Studying him as he ambled through the door with a sheepish expression on his face I tried to figure out if I was going to say anything. Never in life had I been afraid to speak my mind. In fact, my first year in the league, my mouth almost got me in trouble more than once. I had grown a lot in those years, and I was learning to pick my battles. Everything wasn’t worth my energy. Maybe I should just let Huncho get in too deep until he didn’t have a choice but to come ask for my help. But what if that never happened, and he had to face the consequences of getting in too deep?
“What up?” he mumbled avoiding eye contact. “Good game.”
“Thanks.” My tone was flat and void of emotion.
“How is moms doing?”
“Maybe you should answer the phone for Divine and find out.”
“You’re right. I’ll do that.”
Huncho walked toward the kitchen, and I bit my tongue. Saying less seemed to be the move, and I was going to make the effort to stick with that plan.
CHAPTER 8
BRION
When my mothersaid she wanted to take me and Josie’s picture, I blushed. The moment Josie’s mouthy butt told her I’d been invited to a game by one of the players, my mother almost had a fit. She acted like she was seeing us off to the prom or something. I actually felt very stylishly dressed in baggy denim shorts that stopped past my knees, a white fitted shirt that stopped right above my belly button, a black and white striped cardigan that hung past my butt, and black hard bottom flip flops. I looked like a mom, but it was giving cute. My hair was in a ponytail with loose curls, and I had done my makeup like I was going to walk somebody’s red carpet.
When our mother finished gushing over us, Josie walked to the door, and I followed. She stopped walking abruptly, and I almost ran into the back of her. As soon as she sucked her teeth, I peeked over her shoulder and saw the reason for her behavior. Corey was walking up to the door, but I didn’t see my girls. Pushing past Josie, I stepped outside first.
“Where are the girls?” he was supposed to be taking them to school on Monday. I was confused why he was in front of me on a Sunday, but I didn’t see my children.
By the way he drew back, I could tell Corey was stunned by my appearance. It had been a very long time since he saw me looking somewhat stylish with a full beat. “Where you going?” he looked me up and down.
“To an NFL game, fuck nigga,” Josie answered making me shake my head.
“Where are the girls?” I asked again with more attitude.
“NFL game? Since when did you start going to games? My mother wanted to take the girls to the park, so I came over here to talk to you. My kids shouldn’t have to keep telling me they want to come home. We need to figure something out.”
“We don’t need to do shit. I love my daughters, but I’m not being unhappy for anybody. Just be glad I don’t tell them the real reason we aren’t there is because you’re a cheater.”
I walked off making my way to Josie’s car. When I got in and closed the door, she busted out laughing. “That nigga is mad! Look! I swear I see smoke coming out his ears.”
“You’re childish,” I chuckled pulling the seatbelt across my body. Corey was still standing in the yard. The longer he stared at Josie’s car the harder she laughed.
“I told you getting your lick back was going to be fun. Look at his face. That nigga is sick. I bet he can’t even breathe,” she started the car engine.
I wouldn’t admit it out loud, but it did feel good. It felt damn good actually. The way his eyes ballooned when he saw me confirmed that I in fact looked good as hell, and I didn’t have to be half naked to make people take a second look. The fact that my appearance visibly shocked and angered him let me know that I had done something right. I couldn’t care less about him knowing I was on my way to a game. It was none of his business actually just like I didn’t worry about what or who he was doing.
“He has some nerve,” I stated as his words ran through my brain.
“Exactly. Trying to guilt trip you into going back home. He wasn’t thinking about the girls when his trifling ass was cheating. I can’t stand men like him.”
“Now that he knows I’m actually getting out of the house, and I’m not sitting around crying and sad, watch he stops getting the girls on the weekend.”
“And I already told you that me, mom, and dad got you. When I’m traveling, mom and dad will keep them with no questions asked. They are five, Brion, and I can count on one hand how many times you’ve spent the night away from them before you left Corey. You are always with your children. Don’t feel guilty about wanting time to yourself, and I’ll say that until I’m blue in the face. And you for sure have a village that doesn’t mind watching them.”
Lord knows if it wasn’t for my tribe, I probably wouldn’t have made it through my breakup with Corey. My friends and family were holding me down for real, and I appreciated it. Hymn had invited me to a game not out on a date. I wasn’t sure how far things would go with us but if it ended up not being anything serious, I wouldn’t be out actively looking to date. And it would for sure be a minute before I let the girls meet anyone.
I had a revelation that made me chuckle. “I wonder just how much the girls are actually with Corey. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was his mother that was really keeping them, and he just popped in here and there.”
