Chapter 17
“He don’t needto know that you and Gentry aren’t together anymore. That ain’t his fucking business. That’s only gon’ make him think you’ll do whatever he wants you to do. Fuck him,” Shy said.
I nodded in response as Vegas added, “Plus, I feel like y’all gon’ work this shit out.”
I took a deep breath, hoping he was right. I missed Gentry, but I knew this was what was best. Until I could get my shit in order, I couldn’t effectively be who he needed me to be. The kids and I had been staying with my parents for the past week. I didn’t have the energy to even try to move back to my place, along with work all week.
My mama had been talking to me every day, helping me through the pain and stress I was feeling. It was helping tremendously. She helped me to talk through everything, including how wrong I was for how I treated Gentry. He was desperately trying to understand me, begging me for my attention, and I pushed him away by ignoring him. He didn’t deserve that.
I had to be better for myself and my children before I could be better for him, and I could only hope that I was on the right track. “Will it look weird that Gentry isn’t here to defend himself?” I asked Shy.
“Not weird but questionable, since legally, he’s still your husband.”
“He hadn’t filed papers that maybe I haven’t received yet?”
“Nope.”
“That’s why I said what I said, sis. That man loves you,” Vegas said.
I was pretty sure they’d been talking. Choosing not to respond, I kept walking, following Shy into the building. Skyler was working on another case and couldn’t be here. She was pissed about it too. We’d talked for over an hour the other night. My mama wanted to come, but I told her that I would be okay since Shy and Vegas would be with me.
Vegas had only been introduced to Clayton once, and Shy had never met him. So there was no relationship to try to preserve. Besides, their relationship with me would trump all that anyway. When we stepped inside the building, I could feel the nerves course through me. Vegas slid his arm around me and said, “No fear. Show that nigga that he ain’t doing nothing but wasting his fucking time.”
I nodded and lifted my head as we continued to the elevator. With Shy and Vegas at my sides, I felt like I could conquer the world. The minute we got off the elevator, I saw Clayton standing outside of the office we were about to enter. While I wanted to roll my eyes, I didn’t even want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I was acknowledging his presence.
I walked right by his ass like he wasn’t standing there, but I didn’t miss the mean mug Vegas gave him. Shy caught it too, because he did the same. I didn’t know why I expected that nigga to show up with his grill in, but when he smiled and revealed white teeth, I was shocked. He could only chuckle and say that he knew how to look the part.
Once the receptionist brought us to the conference room, Clayton and his attorney entered not long after us. Shy stood and shook hands with the attorney but just stared at Clayton’s outstretched hand.
“Well, I can see we’re getting off to a great start,” his attorney said. “I’m Finley Oxford. Nice to meet you, Mister Berotte and Missus Fleming. And you are, sir?”
“Joel Knight, her brother.”
He nodded. “I was expecting Doctor Fleming to be here, but I can imagine work has him busy, being a veterinarian. Let’s get started, shall we?”
I nodded, and Shy said, “Let’s, because this is a waste of everybody’s time.”
I almost smiled. He looked the part, but that attitude was still screaming thug. Vegas’s face remained stonelike as he stared at Clayton. I would definitely feel threatened if he was staring at me that way.
The attorney cleared his throat. “Mister Freeman is requesting custodial custody of Kizzie King and Dakota King, meaning Miss Fleming would see them every other weekend, and they would split holidays and summer vacation.”
No one said anything for a couple of minutes. Finally, Shy said, “And what gives him the audacity to think he deserves that? As you plainly said, their last names are King, which is Missus Fleming’s maiden name. I request that you pronounce that handle correctly. That means she assumed primary responsibility of her children.”
“My client insists that her decisions have posed a threat to the children’s safety. She married a man she doesn’t know and had never met.”
“Apparently, I don’t know Clayton either, since we’re sitting in a lawyer’s office,” I said as Shy held his hand up to shut me up.
“First and foremost, my client is a mother. Her children are her main concern. She went through a reputable company for this. She didn’t just pick the first man off the street she came in contact with. There is a stringent process and a hefty fee for services. Someone that isn’t serious about finding love wouldn’t dare go through all of that, especially not hard-working people like Missus and Doctor Fleming. However, to prove she understood Mister Freeman’s hesitancy, she allowed the kids to stay with him while he had the opportunity to get to know Doctor Fleming a little better.”
“Sorry, I’m late. My appointment ran over.”
My mouth fell open as I saw Gentry enter the office. Vegas stood and slapped his hand. That was the first time he’d taken his eyes off Clayton since we’d all gotten inside the office. Vegas left the office, and Gentry sat next to me and kissed my cheek then grabbed my hand. He didn’t hold my gaze. I quickly recovered and gave my attention back to the attorney.
“Thanks for joining us, Doctor Fleming. We’ve made introductions. I’m Finley Oxford, and I’m sure you know everyone else.”
Gentry nodded. God, he looked so good. It had been a little over a week since I’d seen him, and my body was responding like it had been a lifetime. Clayton’s attorney continued. “We’ve only discussed Mr. Freeman’s disdain with the way in which Missus Fleming introduced you into the children’s lives.”
Gentry again nodded. “Now that we are all up to speed, I’d like a response to what I said,” Shy said.
This nigga was something else. “During the first meeting, Mister Freeman disagreed with the way Doctor Fleming presented himself and doubted his ability to be able to be a parental figure to his children.”
“That’s cap,” Shy said.
“Excuse me?” Attorney Oxford asked with a slight frown on his face.
I wanted to laugh. Gentry had a slight smirk on his lips. Shy may as well had worn his grill with the way he was behaving. I knew he was smart as hell, but the nigga didn’t have any sense at all. “He’s lying. I can see right through that pitiful story, and I know you can too. If you can’t, you shouldn’t be an attorney. Clayton, since he hasn’t given me a reason to respectfully call him Mister Freeman, is whole fool.”
“Hol’ on! You don’t know me!” Clayton said and was about to stand from his seat.
Shy chuckled and slid a folder across the table that he pulled from his bag. “This man running women in and out of that house while my client has been at home depressed and crying her eyes out. His neighbor has home surveillance. How dare he be upset about my client marrying a man he hadn’t met. His problem is that he knows those kids will admire Doctor Fleming more than they admire him. He doesn’t want them calling another man daddy.”
Shy shook his head then continued. “It’s not looking good for the home team, huh, Clayton? I have video footage of you blasting vulgar rap music with the kids in the car as well. Your neighbor filed a noise ordinance on you last month. So you telling me you’re a better fit than Missus Fleming? Not hardly.”
The lawyer looked over the pictures in shock. Apparently, he was as slow as Clayton. He should have done better research on Clayton and not just Gentry and me. He would have known all this already. “Are we done? I have a plane to catch.”
“This isn’t over,” Clayton said.
“Yes, it is. I can’t believe you drug me here, knowing all the bullshit you’ve been into. I didn’t expect you to be perfect, but when you demanded that of me, it only shined a light on you. With all the bull Kizzie told me, I will be filing for full custody. I should have been a better judge of character, not with Gentry but with you,” I said.
Clayton’s eyes drifted over to Gentry. When I saw the frown that ensued, I glanced at Gentry to see the smile on his lips. He was so damn petty. “We’re done, Mister Berotte. I’m sorry for wasting your time, sir,” Attorney Oxford said.
They stood and shook hands, then we all left the office. I was so grateful for Shy’s diligence. “Shy, thank you so much.”
“That was light work,” he said then kissed my cheek. “I have to head back, baby girl. Call me if you need me.”
Vegas came and hugged me tightly then shook Gentry’s hand. They said some things to each other that I wasn’t privy to, then Vegas left out with Shy. He turned to me, but he didn’t say a word. Grabbing my hand, he escorted me to my car. Gentry was literally about to walk off until I grabbed his shirt. “Thank you for being here for me. After all I put you through, you still proved how much you love me.”
He nodded. “You’re a good mother, and I didn’t want to see you or the kids suffer because of his insecurities.”
He walked away without another word, and that shit nearly killed me inside. I got inside my car and allowed the tears to fall then headed to my mother’s house where the kids were. I called Yunique on my way. “Please tell me Shy did the damn thang.”
“He did. He’s going to file my papers to request full custody. I’m on my way to my mother’s house to get my babies. Gentry showed up.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but he said he came because I was a good mother, and he didn’t want to see my kids get taken away from me. Yunique, what am I gonna do? He won’t answer my calls. I fucked up something so perfect.”
Tears fell down my cheeks as she said, “Don’t cry, G. If he showed up today, someone is in his ear. Things will work out.”
“Yeah. Vegas. For some reason, they’ve taken a liking to each other. Daniel is right here in Tallahassee, but they don’t have near ’bout the relationship he has with Vegas.”
“Hmph. That H-Tine is strong, baby girl. Don’t get it twisted.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. I’m almost to my mama’s house. I’ll talk to you at work tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
I ended the call and turned onto the driveway, wishing I would have said more to Gentry. I didn’t know what to say though. Had I said I wanted him back, I knew he would have had some smart shit to say. He was a critical thinker, and he was totally right about Clayton. As long as I wasn’t in a serious relationship, there was no threat to him. However, he should have concentrated on being the best father he could be to his children instead of worrying about someone taking his place.
No one would be able to take his place if he showed our kids they were a priority to him and not just on the weekends. His activity outside of his time with the kids was his business, but having them all the time showed him exactly what I went through on a daily basis. Technically, he still had it easy since I was there every day, spending time with them.
When I got out of the car, my mama came out the front door with a hopeful look on her face. When I smiled, she did the same. The minute I was close enough to her, she pulled me in for a hug. “Shy bust that nigga’s balls, didn’t he?”
I fell out laughing. My mama rarely engaged her hood voice, but when she did, the shit was funny as hell. “He did. Shy don’t play. It only took us about thirty minutes.” I pulled away from her. “Gentry showed up.”
“I know.”
I frowned slightly as she walked inside the house. I followed her inside to see the kids sitting at the bar, eating breakfast. It was only a little after nine o’clock in the morning. “Mommy!”
“Hey, baby. Eat your food.”
I kissed their heads and went to the couch with my mama. “How did you know Gentry was there?” I asked her.
She only smiled. Before I could ask her what was going on, Gentry walked in the back door with my dad. He must’ve parked his car in the back. I stood from my seat in shock and swallowed hard. “Mister Gentry!” Kizzie yelled.
Even Dakota tried to say his name. “Mi Gen!”
I couldn’t stop the tears as Gentry stared at me. This was where God’s grace and mercy kicked in. He didn’t allow me to get what I deserved and chose to bless me with what I didn’t deserve.