After fucking with this broad named Tree a little too hard, I stopped coming home. Had Tera crying and pleading with me to do right. And then one day, she just snapped out whatever spell I had on her ass. She grabbed the girls, packed their clothes, and left.
Initially, I thought that Tera leaving me was temporary. Just a phase that we were going through. Then a whole year tipped by, and I’d begged for my family back, but she wouldn’t budge. She went and got herself a boyfriend and all. She was getting serious, and I hated it. Would even pop up at her house and stir up confusion. Admittedly, I was toxic, as fuck, but that was the only way I knew how to express myself.
I used to think that Tera was the perfect woman that I’d just met in the wrong season. I was having too much money. Facing too much temptation. And I folded like a lawn chair. But I wanted her back, and vowed to never love another. Then I became resentful, as I saw that she was living life, not thinking twice about me. I would sometimes intentionally make co-parenting difficult, out of
spite. Then one day, Tera dropped the girls of, and never came back.
Naturally, I went smooth the fuck of. Called her everything but a child of God. We could never hold a conversation without me cussing her out. I felt like she’d gotten with a new nigga, didn’t want the baggage of taking care of my kids. So, she dropped the girls of to start a fresh life with her man, kid-less. Then the fact that she’d moved out of town, and hadn’t seen the girls physically in nearly two years really enraged me. But also forced me to grow up tremendously.
I quickly realized that being the wallet, while hustling and running the streets wasn’t gonna cut it. Plus, even though I paid all of my mama’s bills, she stood "rm and told me that I was keeping my own kids. Not pawning them of on the next person. She pointed out how the girls were going through emotional turmoil, as Tera up and left them. Especially because she’d always been a very involved mother. My girls would often cry and question how could their mama leave them. And I had to be there to wipe those tears.
Having the girls full-time had changed everything in my life, down to who I decided to fuck with. The women who’d I been screwing were nothing like Tera. They were usually "ne as fuck and worldly. They weren’t interested in parenting my kids. Or would pretend to like my kids, before I’d catch them on camera being weird, when they thought that I wasn’t looking. Which was why I eventually stopped bringing women home altogether.
I was forced to look deeper into myself, and release a lot of my selfish tendencies. And sometimes, late at night, I’d watch my kids sleep, and question how Tera could just walk out of their lives. Eventually, I realized that if Tera could abandon the girls, then she was never really the woman I thought she was.
“Nothing is more important than my girls,” Tera’s voice trembled. “You already know that.”
“No, Ion know nothing. I know that you stopped being their mama a while ago,” I responded.
“I never stopped being their mama. It was…it’s definitely not whatever you think it is. And I’d like to share the truth with you.”
“At this point, that shit don’t even matter. The fuck do you want, Tera?”
“Well…” She hesitated. “I know that this might sound a bit weird, but when I come back to the city, I’m gonna have to make up for lost time with the girls. But I’m not trying to uproot their lives with you. So, I was thinking…that maybe I could stay in one of the spare bedrooms at your house.”
“Maaan,” I drawled. “Hell, nawl. That aint happening.”
“And why not? I’m not trying to disrupt your life, Christian. I just wanna be close to my babies.”
As I held the phone to my ear, I watched Babi saunter my way, wearing some tiny boy shorts, a varsity jacket, with a crisp pair of Jordans. The sight was funny as fuck, because that jacket couldn’t button up if she wanted it to, and she was completely shirtless underneath the jacket. So, her swollen bare breasts were bouncing, while her belly was huge, as she was ready to pop any day now.
Her long hair was bushy, looking like she’d just blow dried it, as it bounced with every step she took. Switching those sharp hips, she twisted right over to me, and straddled to the chaise that was directly next to me.
My eyes danced over her, as I smirked. “What the fuck are you wearing, girl?”
Deviously, Babi grinned. “This is referred to as the mating call.”
“Christian, did you hear what I said?” Tera spoke in my ear, reminding me that I was on the phone.
“Oh, shit,” I chuckled. “My bad.”
Babi paused, before frowning. “Who is that on the phone?”
I sighed. “Shi and Aspen’s mama.” “Oh, okay. Tell her that I said hello.”
I nodded, knowing that I was doing no such thing. Me and Tera hadn’t even been on speaking terms, so if she was aware of my relationship with Babi or the fact that we were having twin boys, then it hadn’t come from me.
“Christian, who is that?” Tera questioned. “My gal,” I told her.
“Oh. Does she live there?” “Shit, this her house.” “So…the girls…know her.”
“Of course. They never told you?”
Sheexhaled.“No.IbeentoldthemalongtimeagothatI didn’t wanna hear about the women you were seeing. Especially after you introduced them to your side bitch, when I first left you.” I sucked my teeth, refusing to even play into that. Yeah, I’d introduced the girls to Tree, but like she said, she’d left me. Had
been gone for a long minute before I let Tree meet the girls. “Anyway,” I breathed out. “I’ma let you go. If you really do
move back to Houston, then I’m sure that the girls will be happy to see you.”
