Chapter 9 Good, Bad, & Ugly #3
“Hurry up and eat, so we can go look at this house.” Giselle checked her watch.
“I passed the background check, so if it’s up to par, we can move in immediately.
I don’t have a lot of furniture, but I did arrange for a truck to deliver what I could salvage from our house. It’s supposed to be here tomorrow.”
“Wow, look at you, all prepared and shit. Let me find out you grew up out here,” Maisie teased.
“You can always stay here tonight if it doesn’t work out,” Remi assured her. “I’m heading out. Somebody do the dishes and put the food away.”
The afternoon sun filtered through the lace curtains of the average size living room.
Toys the twins brought with them were scattered across the hardwood floors of the small house on Danner Street that Petal showed Giselle.
Her kids were full of noise and motion, exploring nearly every corner of the three-bedroom home.
A plastic truck banged against a baseboard as Giselle laughed with Petal.
Harlee raced past, swinging her little black baby doll around as her feet thudded against the hardwood floors.
“Lord, these babies got more energy than a lightning storm!” Petal chuckled.
“Aside from daycare, they didn’t get out much in the city. Sorry about the noise.”
“It’s been so long, I almost forgot what it was like to have a house filled with that kind of noise. No apologies necessary.” Petal guided her down the hall to the kitchen and pulled out a chair from the small circle table.
Giselle joined her, clasping her hands in front of her nervously.
Viggo had stopped by because he had heating and cooling skills, so he’d been in the basement checking the hot water tank and furnace to make sure everything was good.
When Giselle walked in, he was like a tiger on a prey.
Leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, he simpered as Heir crawled past him, pushing his hot wheels along and making car sounds.
“I swear they’re good kids.” Giselle sighed, trying to hide how exhausted she really was.
Having her own place meant something to her. She didn’t care what it cost. She already had a few job interviews lined up as well. At that point, she’d never been more determined to start fresh.
“Just a handful.”
“Well, the house is yours if you want it. I need $800 for the deposit, and first month’s rent is $1,100. Viggo or my other grandson can cut the grass for you if you want. They do it for all the other properties. If you need any repairs, they can handle that too,” Petal voiced.
Heir looked up at Viggo, his brown eyes locking on him before tilting his head.
It reminded Viggo of Heavy, the same shit he did when he was studying a car engine or instructions for something.
When he flashed his grin, Viggo couldn’t help but straighten up as Harlee came crashing into the room again with her purple unicorn dress and jelly sandals.
Viggo froze. Nah, it couldn’t be, he thought.
“I really appreciate this, Petal. I know you’re doing this because of Remi—”
“Partly. Those babies also need somewhere to stay.” She nodded to Heir and Harlee standing near Viggo. “Remi is practically family, and we look out for each other. Now, you plan on sticking around this time, right?” Petal rose from her chair.
“Yeah. They deserve somewhere stable and safe to grow up.” Giselle leaned back in her chair.
She took in the small kitchen. The entire house was half the space she was used to, but she had ideas she was going to put together for the kids to make it feel more like home. With everything on one floor, she enjoyed the ranch style floor plan.
“Is cash okay for the payment?”
“Sure. Let me go get the paperwork from my car and the keys. Viggo, everything good with the hot water?”
“Yeah. You’ll just need to go to the utility company and get the lights, and everything put in your name.” He pushed himself off the door frame, and Petal moved past him.
Giselle followed, ending up in the living room beside the fireplace. She loved the stone crafting of it and the little space for her to sit and watch the logs burn if she wanted to. Another car pulled into the driveway, and she heard voices along with Petal, all heading toward the front door.
“You sent me this long ass list, and Viggo already here?”
It’d been years, but she knew that voice.
Sometimes she yearned for it. Every now and then, she would close her eyes and replay that last moment together in Remi’s hallway.
Immediately, it registered in her core, and she slowly closed her eyes, savoring it, but also mentally preparing for it all to change.
He was bound to be angry, resentful. All things she earned.
Coming home, she knew there was inevitably no way around this.
“Hush. I wanted you to come do an inspection anyway in case he missed something,” Petal argued.
Footsteps hit the hard wood floors, and Giselle remained seated in front of the fireplace.
“You know that boy a little slow,” Horace piped up.
“Aye, I heard that!” Viggo came strolling down the hall from the kitchen. “Y’all be talking hella shit when I ain’t around.”
“I’ll say it to your face too,” his grandfather quipped, crouching and playfully swinging on Viggo as Heavy appeared in the doorway.
Gripping an old, rusted toolbox in one hand, he filled out a pair of cargo pants, a black t-shirt, and black steel toe sneakers.
A black fitted hat rested on his head, and his warm eyes latched onto Giselle instantly in surprise.
His cologne slowly filled the space, some kind of bergamot that blended well with his natural man scent.
Giselle didn’t know how to react, but her lungs were constricted, robbing her of air as she waited for him to say something.
One glance, and she’d stolen his next breath. It was subtle as his light eyes raked over her curiously and his grip tightened on the toolbox.
“Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in.” Horace pushed past his grandsons and admired Giselle with a grin. “Giselle, right?”
She cleared her throat and smiled, although it was obvious she was putting on.
Somberness rested in her big, doe eyes, and Heavy took note of it.
There was something else, but he couldn’t name it, drinking in her womanly curves in the tight jeans, t-shirt, and cardigan.
There was no make-up, but her nails were in an almond shaped French tip design as she locked her fingers together.
“Yes. Horace, right?” She examined his bruised face and the hospital band on his wrist.
“I’m hard to forget, ain’t I?” he teased, playfully hiking his brows.
“Yeah, because you an old fool,” Petal spoke up, rolling her eyes. “Even all black and blue.”
Petal accepted a long time ago that her husband was a flirt.
He’d never cheated on her, that she knew of; he just liked to entertain women.
He didn’t get inappropriate or disrespectful, even when his wife wasn’t around.
Although she worked every nerve he had, he loved Petal Sapien from the top of her thick, naturally curly hair that she wore wild, like the late Angie Stone, to the sole of her bare feet.
She was his heart in human form. He could talk all the shit he wanted about her but let anybody else come at her incorrect, and he would be ready to knock them back a decade or two.
Finally able to catch his breath, Heavy listened and thought his ears were deceiving him when he heard the laughter and little voices as the pitter patter of small feet raced in their direction. He damn near caught whiplash when Harlee and Heir cut through him and Viggo to get to Giselle.
“Mommy, Heir scared me. He jumped out the closet and made monster noises!” Harlee hugged her mama’s leg and peeked around it at her brother with a cute pout.
Heir was still laughing and smiling mannishly.
When he turned, he examined Heavy, craning his neck to take in his large frame.
The man was in a trance, looking into the little boy’s eyes.
The curve of his grin, the shape of his face, and his rich, caramel skin…
all familiar. His eyes drifted to Harlee, still holding onto her mama’s leg and peeking around her with a furrowed brow.
Sienna colored curls like him and Henna, and a serious stare damn near a mirror to his own on her pretty little face. Twins.
The realization landed like a punch. Heavy looked up into Giselle’s eyes, searching.
She didn’t speak. She didn’t need to. Every answer was written on those two little people’s faces.
A long silence stretched between them, and Heavy lowered the toolbox to the ground.
So many thoughts swam through his head; he almost felt dizzy.
“Whoa!” Horace expressed. “Petal, you see these babies?”
“Yes, Horace. They’re gorgeous.”
“Damn that. Who they look like?” Horace questioned. “And they twins!”
“I need a minute with Giselle,” Heavy announced.
“Viggo, show me around. Let’s see if I can find something to break… I mean fix.” Horace tittered. “Come on, twins, follow me. We on a mission.”
Petal and Viggo picked up on the tension with Heavy and Giselle while clearing the room. Slowly swiping his beard, he took a breath before shaking his head.
“What the fuck is this?”
Giselle swallowed hard. Eyes on the ground, she fidgeted with her hands.
“I need to hear it from you, Giselle. Are those my fucking kids?”
“Yes,” she cracked, lifting her gaze guiltily.
Although he’d seen them with his own two eyes, he still found himself in disbelief. She was blowing the high he caught on the drive with Horace. His chest tightened, and he pushed out another harsh breath. Not one to easily compose himself, Heavy counted backward to keep from lunging at her.
“You could’ve fucking told me.” He managed to speak through gritted teeth.
“I didn’t know when I left here and would it really have changed anything back then?” she questioned.
“It would have changed every fucking thing!” he roared, turning on her.
Flinching, she couldn’t meet his eyes.
“I was scared, and… I thought leaving was for the best, for both of us.”
Nodding slowly, he lowered his gaze, anger still brewing in his chest.
“And I was wrong… about everything.”
“Why are you here now?” He faced her again.
“Because we need somewhere to live. My husband…” She paused before scoffing and shaking her head.
“The man I was married to… he left. Took everything, cleaned out our accounts. So, here I am… somehow right back where I was a couple years ago.” She tossed her hands up.
“Except this time, I have them. I didn’t know where else to go. ”
Heavy absorbed the information, not ignoring the part about her husband but trying to process it all. He still had so many questions, but the most important thing was he had two children. Nothing topped that in this moment.
“Still selfish as hell,” he grumbled.
“I’m not asking you for anything.” She got defensive, which was all she had left because pride had gone out the window the minute she rolled within the city limits.
“Don’t get bold now, princess. The only reason you came back is because you didn’t have many options. You really sat back and raised my kids with a muhfucka who walked out on you!”
“I understand that you’re angry—”
“You don’t understand shit! If you did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now! You had almost four fucking years to tell the truth! And the only reason you doing that shit now is because you need something!” He aimed an accusing finger at her.
“Alright, are we done with placing blame and screaming?” Petal strolled into the room. “Because there are two little innocent, sweet faces who can hear everything you two are saying to each other.”
“We’re done. For now.” Heavy looked Giselle up and down before snatching his toolbox off the floor and stomping off.
Petal stood there, empathy etched in her face as Giselle sniffled and did her best to keep her composure. It was obvious the situation had rattled the girl.
“So, twins. I remember when Toussaint had Heavy and Henna. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.”
“I’m not a bad person.” Giselle voiced, tone shaky, unsure.
“Oh, I don’t believe you are,” Petal conceded.
“Scared. Confused. Those things make sense. People make bad decisions when they are emotional and their backs are against the wall. The important thing is you are here right now, and so are those kids. They’re beautiful and obviously happy, and they adore you.
Those are the things that matter. Heavy will be angry; we can’t control that.
I’m sure you knew that would happen coming back here. ”
“Right along with Remi and everyone else I know. They hate me, but it’s hard not to love them.” Giselle snickered.
“I doubt anybody really hates you, Giselle. Disappointed, absolutely, but you can’t let that get to you. You still have to be their mama. Now, let’s go load some of that stuff from the car into this house. Chile, it looks like you packed your entire life in that thing,” Petal kidded.
Giselle walked toward her and the woman threw her arm over her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. It was the only warm welcome Giselle had received.
“I basically did. We got a little furniture coming tomorrow, though.”
“Well, let’s get things inside. I think it’s supposed to rain here soon, and I want to make sure you all are settled in for the night. I’ll have Horace light a fire before we go.”