She sighed. “Look at your fucking shirt. You think that I don’t know that you had a fight?”
Ishrugged.“And?”
“And?” She bucked her eyes. “Why would you go over there fucking with that boy?”
Ibreathedout.“Iwantedtotalk.Thatniggawastheone tripping.”
Shefrowned.“HeaintgottasingKumbayawithyou.And
201
that’s okay. In this situation, you’re supposed to play defense. Not offense. That means that you do absolutely nothing, unless he does something first.”
“Girl,Iwasn’ttryingtodonothing.I—”
“You was tripping. That’s what you was. You’re so used to having full control over everything, and you wanted to put him in his place. Stake your claim. But that shit is lame, Face. Now, I understand that you might be uncomfortable with our past, but you chose me. You knew what I had going on. And that man has every right to exist. He can call my phone about that apartment. To find out where’s the keys to the storage. That’s not something that we need a third party for. I want to do what’s right, without having to tiptoe around your feelings. Now, will there come a time where me and Too Low have nothing to discuss? I’m sure that we’ll get there. But this is a delayed break-up. Sometimes we’ll have to talk. And I just want you to respect that. Also know that me telling the man where I put his birth certificate doesn’t mean that I suddenly don’t love you no more.”
I lifted my hands in surrender. “Okay. It’s overstood. I’ll let you handle this.”
She lightly smiled. “And that’s all that I’m asking for.” “I got you.”
“But all bullshit aside, Face, you are too damn old to be going out to the hood to fight.”
“You tripping. I’ll go to war with the whole world behind ya.
Pleasebelievethat.”Ikissedherlips.
She cracked a wide grin, while hooking her arms around my neck. “You love me?”
“Without a doubt.”
“Ooh.” She shuttered. “Then that means that you’ll let me sit on your face tonight.”
I laughed. “Any excuse to smother me, huh, big mama?” I popped her ass. “But I can dig it.”
Three Months Later…
“Hello?” I answered my phone, while chilling poolside in my backyard.
“Hey, Christian. How are you?” Tera questioned.
I sighed into the phone, wondering why the girls’ mama was calling me. It had literally been over a year since we’d spoken directly, and I was perfectly okay with keeping it that way. “I’m good, Tera. What’s up?”
“How’sthegirls?”
“They straight. At school right now, though. But how can I help you?”
“Umm…”shehesitated.“DidthegirlstellyouthatIwas moving back to the city?”
I sighed. “Yeah, they mentioned it. A few times. First, you was gonnacomebacklastyear.Thenitwasatthetopofthisyear.
Then the summer. So, at this point, I’ll believe it whenever I see it.”
“Right. Look, Christian, it’s really not like that. I don’t want you to think that I’m giving out false hope. Things just kept coming up—”
“Was those things more important than your fucking kids?” I snapped, tired of hearing the fucking excuses.
Tera had honestly blown my mind. She had been the textbook good girl. Stayed out the way. Was loyal to a nigga. Even when I wasn’t ready to do the same. I can admit that I played around, and fucked several bitches while we were together. But I loved her. I also took care of her, and did my part. Or at least I thought I did. In hindsight, I could now see how I hadn’t been doing enough, but I digress.
