A Love Like This (Book 1) (25 page)

“
No I thought you were cooking something,
”
 
Doug says his eyes never leaving the television.

She kisses the baby and places him on Doug
’
s lap,
 
“
very funny change him,
”
 
she says tha
n walks away to check on the other kids.
 
She picks up toys as she walks down the hall.
 
She reaches the end of the hall and hears a ruckus in the twin
’
s room.
 
She pushes the door open and sees the girls pretending to be a ballet dancer and choreographer.
 
Heaven is wearing a pink and purple tutu and Trinity is wearing all black. Trinity is yelling out instructions to Heaven.
 

“
Now spin around,
”
 
she says making circular motions with her little hand.
 
“
Faster, if you want to be a famous dancer you have to work.
”

“
Heaven do you like this game?
”
 
Keisha interrupts.

Heaven stops spinning and looks over at her mother,
 
“
No Momma
,
”
 
she says
 
panting;
 
her caramel colored face
 
is
 
streaked with tears.
 
“
Trinity watched So You Think You Can Dance last night and she
’
s been making me dance all morning,
”
 
Heaven says with a little hiccup.
 
Keisha puts the toys down and picks Heaven up.
 
They are fraternal twins.
 
Trinity is petite and fragile looking but she has her mother
’
s temper. At nine she is the biggest diva Keisha has ever known.
 
Heaven is tall, sturdy and the sweetest gentlest child of all the five kids.
 
Keisha feels like she has to protector her from her other rough necks.

“
Look I
’
m just trying to get us a trip to Hollywood,
”
 
Trinity says with her tiny fists defiantly balled on her hips.

“
Leave your sister alone Trinity.
 
If you want to get to Hollywood, you practice dancing and just so you know Hollywood is only about thirty minutes from here.
”

“
I can
’
t work under these conditions,
”
 
Trinity says throwing her hands in the air.
 
“
When I
’
m in charge of everything you will all be banished,
”
 
She waves her hand around the room and stomps out.

Keisha puts Heaven down then kneels down to talk to her.
 
 
“
Don
’
t let your sister bully you.
 
If you don
’
t like something you have to stand up for yourself.
”

“
Ok mommy I will,
”
 
Heaven says wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
 
Keisha kisses the girl on the nose then heads back towards the living room.
 
Little Xavier, DJ and Noah are all on the couch watching the game with Doug.

“
It
’
s Sunday Doug,
”
 
Keisha says.

“
Yep,
”
 
Doug replies.

“
Well do you want to go or not?
”

“
Go where?
”
 
He asks annoyed.

“
Doug I
’
ve been telling you all week that I got a baby sitter so that we can go to Tabitha
’
s party.
”
 
Tabitha has been Keisha
’
s best friend since high school.
 

“
Key I work hard all week.
 
Your daddy is a slave driver at that construction site.
 
I just want to watch the game and relax.
 
Who has a party on Sunday anyway?
”

Keisha shakes her head and wonders when they became so complacent.
 
When they first got married they would party all night but now she
’
s lucky if he stays awake long enough to kiss her at midnight on New Year
’
s Eve.
 
He
’
s a decent
man.
 
He pays the bills, he
’
s faithful and sex has never been an issue.
 
In fact most mornings she sneaks
 
out of bed before he wakes up for
 
a morning romp.
 
On the surface their relationship appears perfect but he doesn
’
t see her anymore.
 
He looks at her the same way if she
’
s wearing a new dress or a bathrobe.
 
“
Fine I
’
ll go alone,
”
 
She says hoping for a reaction, a protest anything at all.

“
Ok, have a good time and bring me back some of them ribs if she has
 
em.
”
 
 
He says
 
with
 
his eyes still glued to the TV. Keisha stomps off to her bedroom and sits on the edge of her bed.
 
She looks over at her reflection in the full length mirror near her bathroom door.
 
She takes the head scarf off and her long black hair falls down around her face.
 
She swipes the hair away from her eyes and walks over to the mirror to take a closer look at
 
herself.
 
Having five kids has a way of taking a toll on your body.
 
 
She
lifts
 
her night gown and runs her fingers across the trail of stretch marks on her stomach.
 
She pokes at the bulge of skin on her lower abdomen fondly remembering the days when her stomach was as flat as a board.
 

Her cell phone buzzes on the night stand near her bed.
 
She hopes it isn
’
t someone trying to get her to open the shop on a Sunday.
 
Some women act like a loose weave track is a medical emergency.
 
She
’
s relieved when she sees that the caller ID says Jermaine.
 

“
Hi uncle,
”
 
she says dryly.

“
What
’
s up Key?
 
Why do you sound so down?
”

“
No reason, just having a little pity party.
”

“
How was your trip?
 
Are you guys driving back right now?
”

“
Nickie
 
and I are taking a flight home tonight.
 
She whipped it on some little white boy and he bought us tickets just to keep her around longer.
”

“
What?
 
Nickie
 
cheated on Damian.
”

“
Nickie
 
went buck wild this weekend.
 
We need to meet for coffee as soon as I get home.
 
You will never believe what happened.
”

“
Leila sent me pictures of
 
Nickie
 
dancing on the bar.
”

“
Yeah things got pretty crazy.
”

“
I also got a picture of Leila in a chapel with some white dude.
 
What the hell did you guys do this weekend?
”

“
I
’
m going to have to explain everything to you when we get home.
”

“
Wait a minute, was that picture real?
”

Pookie
 
pauses then exhales,
 
“
I wasn
’
t there but yeah it
’
s real.
”

“
What the fuck!
”
 
Keisha shouts and plops down on her bed.
 
 
“
You let Leila get married?
 
Daddy is going to kill you!
”
 
DJ, Doug and Trinity come rushing into the room.

“
What happened?
”
 
 
They all ask at once.

“
Your auntie Leila---
“

“
Stop!
”
 
Pookie
 
yells into the phone.
 
 
“
You need to talk to Leila before you start telling people and for the record I didn
’
t let her do anything.
 
She
’
s a grown ass woman.
”

“
That
’
s not how daddy
’
s going to see it.
”

“
Yeah I know,
”
 
Pookie
 
says.
 
In Xavier
’
s eyes his baby girl can do no wrong.
 
 

Doug and the kids are staring at Keisha expectantly.
 
 
“
What did Auntie Leila do?
”
 
Trinity asks with her little arms folded.

“
Let me call you back
 
Pookie,
”
 
Keisha says and disconnects the call.
 
 
“
Everything
’
s fine you guys,
”
 
She says to the kids as she gently shoves them out of the room and
closes
 
the door behind them.
 
When only she and Doug remains she says,
 
“
You will never believe what your sister-in-law did.
”

_______

The room is nearly completely dark but I can see the silhouette of Tucker
’
s naked body beside me.
 
He
’
s lying flat on his stomach with his bulky arm around my waist restricting my movement.
 
He
’
s so handsome even with disheveled hair and the tiny drop of spittle on the corner of his mouth.
 
But I
’
m having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that I
’
m married to a man I just met four months ago.
 
I
’
ve never met his parents, I
’
m not sure if he has brothers and sisters, I don
’
t even know if he
’
s a democrat or republican.
 
All I know is that he makes me feel special and the thought of being away from him makes me sad.
 
I maneuver away from his grasp, find my purse near the bed and feel my way to the bathroom in the dark. I flip on the lights look in the mirror and nearly scream at the sight of my scary Medusa hair.
 
The flat ironed look was cute for a while but I look like I stuck my finger in a light socket. I fish around my purse for the comb and brush and gather the disorderly mane into a neat ponytail.
 
I find my cell phone and put it on the charger before getting into the shower.
 
After the shower I towel off and power the phone on.
 
 
I have tons of messages and voicemails all from Keisha,
 
Nickie
 
and
 
Pookie.