20. Shante #2
Malik leaned over and kissed my forehead carefully before helping me out of the truck.
“Go lay down.”
“What about you?”
“I’m about to go grab my family some ice cream.”
“You always feeding me.”
“You carrying my son and daughter,” he grinned proudly. “You gone eat. I’ll be back,” he said before kissing my forehead one more time. Then he pulled off and the second his truck disappeared down the street, my smile disappeared too.
I walked into the house and kicked my shoes off slowly before lowering myself onto the couch carefully.
Everything hurt lately, my back, my feet and my conscience.
I stared down at the ultrasound pictures sitting in my lap.
One boy and one girl a complete family for Deuce and Kim.
And I was stuck in the middle of it all slowly falling apart.
A knock suddenly sounded at the door. Malik literally just left so I knew it wasn’t him. I pushed myself up slowly before opening the door. There stood Deuce with a Detroit hoodie and Detroit fitted gold chain hanging against his chest.
“The fuck you doing here?” I asked.
He brushed past me anyway, shutting the door behind him.
“You ain’t answer your phone.”
“I was at the doctor.”
That made him look up quickly.
“And?”
“I’m having twins.”
Everything about his face changed.
“Twins?”
I nodded slowly.
“A boy and girl.”
I saw genuine excitement hit Deuce's face.
“Oh shit.”
He started laughing while rubbing his beard.
“My kids really deep in there. You happy?” he grinned looking at the ultrasound pictures.
“Happy?” I repeated staring at him in disbelief.
Deuce expression shifted slightly noticing my tone.
“What I say now?”
“You got some damn nerve.”
His brows furrowed immediately.
“The fuck is your problem?”
“My problem?”
Tears filled my eyes. “You got Malik walking around calling these babies his!”
Deuce sighed, already looking annoyed.
“Here we go.”
“No!” I snapped louder. “You don’t get to act irritated!”
I threw the ultrasound pictures onto the table angrily.
“That man loves these kids already!”
“So?”
SO? I stared at him like he lost his damn mind. He talking about names! He posting ultrasound pictures! He rubbing my stomach every night! He fucking excited!” My breathing got shaky instantly. “And I gotta sit there looking stupid every fucking day!”
Deuce rubbed his face. “Ain’t nobody told you to tell people shit.”
That statement stunned me. “What?”
“I told you from the jump what you should’ve did.”
“Oh my God.” I yelled.
“You should’ve left like I said.”
There it was that dumb ass plan again. “You sound stupid as hell,” I snapped.
“Nah,” he replied. “You wouldn’t even be in this predicament if you would have just left like I told you! Fuck Malik I don’t like his ass no way.”
I stared at him in complete disbelief. “You think I wanted this?” I asked.
“You should’ve handled it smarter.”
“SMARTER?” My voice cracked. “How the fuck was I supposed to handle this smarter Deuce?!”
He folded his arms. “You getting attached.”
“I’m getting attached?”
“Yes.”
I pointed toward my stomach aggressively. “I’m carrying these babies inside me every day!”
We both knew this wasn’t simple anymore for anybody.
“This some bullshit I should have just said fucking no!” I snapped.
Deuce looked away.
“You get to go home to your wife every night. You get to disappear when shit get uncomfortable. You get to pretend this ain’t real until it’s convenient for you.” Every word came out shakier. “But I’m the one living this every second.”
“You done?” Deuce asked.
“No the fuck I’m not done!”
At this point tears streamed down my face freely.
“I got Malik over here loving these babies like they his!” Alisha planning gender reveals! And your weird ass side bitch stalking every day for an update!”
That last part made him look at me. “I’ll handle her.”
“No,” I snapped quickly. “You handle this.” Then I pointed at my stomach.
Then finally Deuce sighed heavily.
“You panicking.”
“No shit.”
Before he could say anything else, another knock sounded at the door and both of us froze. Malik wasn’t supposed to be back that fast. My heart started beating so hard it felt painful. While Deuce looked around quickly already calculating.
This lie was getting ready to destroy all of us.
Another knock sounded at the door right when me and Deuce finished arguing.
My nerves were already shot, so I wiped under my eyes quickly trying to pull myself together while Deuce walked toward the kitchen like nothing even happened.
Then I opened the door and there stood Alisha holding Brittany's hand with shopping bags hanging off her arm.
“There goes my pregnant best friend,” she grinned while walking inside.
But the second she looked at my face; her smile faded a little.
“Damn bitch why you look stressed?”
I forced a weak laugh while closing the door behind them. “I’m tired.”
“That pregnancy kicking your ass huh?”
Hell yeah it was. Brittany ran over, hugging my legs carefully. “Mama said you had a doctor appointment!”
“You find out what the baby is?” Alisha asked.
Little did she know everything just got way more complicated. Before I could answer, Deuce came around the corner holding a bottle of water.
“Aye wifey.”
Alisha looked over surprised.
“Oh, you over here?”
“Yeah,” he replied casually. “Came to check on my sister.”
Meanwhile I stood there trying not to completely lose my damn mind. Alisha sat her bags down while still eyeing me carefully.
“You sure you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Well…” she clapped her hands dramatically. “What we having?”
I swallowed hard before finally saying it.
“Twins.”
“WHAT?!” Alisha screamed so loud, Brittany jumped.
Deuce laughed, shaking his head while Alisha damn near tackled me hugging me. “Bitch you lying!”
“I swear.”
“Boys or girls or a boy and a girl?” she yelled louder.
“A boy and a girl.” I said weakly.
“Oh my God! You gone be huge! Two babies at one time is crazy!” Alisha said excitedly.
Meanwhile I just sat there emotionally numb while everybody celebrated around me. Brittany climbed beside me smiling big. “I get two cousins?!”
This shit was getting weirder by the minute she said cousins, not siblings. I had to sit there pretending like everything was normal knowing the truth underneath all this happiness was ugly as hell.
Alisha grabbed the ultrasound pictures immediately. “Oh my God they already look alike!”
Deuce smirked from the kitchen. “How the fuck you know they look alike from a damn ultrasound?”
“Shut up,” she laughed. “You don’t know nothing.”
The normalness of the moment made me feel sick. Then Alisha looked back at me, smiling huge. “Malik’s probably losing his damn mind right now.”
The second she said his name I thought about it. Yes, Malik was losing his mind, he was loving children that wasn’t even his.
“Yeah,” I mumbled.
Alisha’s smile slowly faded again. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Shante…”
I looked away immediately because if I stared at her too long, I was gone start crying again.
“She overwhelmed,” Deuce answered for me while opening the refrigerator.
That made me cut my eyes toward him. Cause now he wanted to help after basically telling me this whole situation was my fault?
“Well, no shit,” Alisha laughed softly. “She carrying two babies.”
Then she walked over rubbing my stomach gently.
“You okay for real?”
“I’m just emotional,” I whispered.
Alisha's expression softened. “Awww.”
Then she looked toward Deuce.
“Why she look like she been crying?”
“Pregnancy hormones,” Deuce answered smoothly.
That man lied too naturally. “She been crying over everything lately,” he added casually.
Alisha nodded. “I believe it.”
Then Brittany leaned against my side smiling. “Can I help with the babies?”
None of them deserved this Malik, Alisha or Brittany.
Then the front door opened.
“Baby I got your ice cream!” Malik's voice echoed through the house. The second he walked into the living room holding grocery bags, his whole face lit up seeing everybody there.
“Well damn,” he laughed. “Whole family over here.”
Then Alisha squealed dramatically. “MALIK, SHE HAVING TWINS!”
“My son and daughter,” he said proudly while walking over to me.
Every time he said that shit my chest got tighter. Malik leaned down kissing my forehead carefully before rubbing my stomach. Everybody laughed. Everybody looked happy. Meanwhile I sat there feeling like the worst person alive. Because all I could think was none of this joy belonged to me.