6. Patience
Patience
Way back when…
Daddy keeps crying. He never cries. Most of the time, I’m the one crying, and he’s making me feel better. But now he’s the one crying, and I’m the one patting his back and telling him things will be okay.
Mommy’s gone back to the Land of Endless Summer.
That’s what he told me last week when he brought my brother Cochise home.
He said Mommy’s gone home, and Cochise will be with us from now on.
I’m glad he’s here, though, even though he’s just a baby.
He’s my favorite out of all of us. My sisters are mean to me, and say bad things about Mommy.
Cochise is still a baby and can’t say much, but he babbles and he claps and smiles at everything I do.
When I asked where his mommy is, Daddy got mad and told me his mommy was my mommy, even though that’s not true.
I remember his mommy. She always had cookies whenever Daddy brought me to her house, and she was always nice to me when I saw her in the casino.
But I don’t like it when Daddy is mad, so I’ll tell a story this time and say my brother’s mommy was my mommy, too.
Daddy let me keep one thing from Mommy before he took her stuff to the bonfire.
I grabbed her necklace. She told me she wore it when she married Daddy, and I would wear it when I get married.
That’s the only thing I was able to keep, since when people go to The Land of Endless Summer, you’re supposed to burn everything so they can be at peace.
But I think that’s why Daddy keeps crying when he thinks no one sees.
I check on Cochise. He’s asleep on the floor with pillows around, so I get up and walk along the dark walls until I get to Daddy’s office. The door is open a little, so I walk inside.
Monty’s here, sitting on the couch. His face is red and his hair is pulled up in a messy puff ball. I look from him to Daddy, who’s drinking that nasty brown stuff.
“Daddy, what’s Monty doing here?”
Daddy breathes loudly and gets up. He comes and places a hand on my shoulder. “Monty’s going to be staying with us.”
I feel my eyes go wide as I look between them again. “Will I have to say his mommy is mine?”
Monty looks at me crazy, but Daddy just shakes his head no. “No, Foxtail. Monty’s dad has to go away for awhile, and a mighty chief always takes care of his own.”
My lip pokes out at hearing that. Uncle Taylor always had the best jokes. Monty was funny, too, in class, and always got the best score on spelling tests.
When he looks at me, I smile at him as big as I can. “It’s really fun here, Monty. We get ice cream every Friday for a treat. And my baby brother Cochise is here, too, so we can watch him together. He makes the funniest faces.”
Monty wipes his face and smiles back at me.
Daddy pats my head before pulling on one of my braids. “My sweet, little Foxtail. You’ll be the best chieftainess.”
Present
Even though East Kenton is mostly self-contained, there’s always a chance I could run into someone from my old life. Autumn and I love a good brunch. The Galleria is the best mall in the city. And I’m an emergency room physician.
But I still try to be cautious. I avoid Tomahawk Casino like the plague.
East Kenton in general, really, but definitely the casino.
My social media is private, and Autumn doesn’t post me on hers.
And before I went away to school, I legally changed my name from Foxtail Beverly to Patience Fox.
My college girlfriend was heavy into the dark web, and through copious amounts of orgasms, I had her construct my identity online, in case someone ever wanted to look into me.
Clearly none of that shit matters now.
I knew Autumn’s twin sister was a rapper, and ran with the Get Money Crew from East Kenton, but I also knew Autumn and Wynter were very estranged.
Estranged enough for me to know Autumn wouldn’t tell Wynter anything about me.
On the flip side, that meant Autumn didn’t talk about her sister at all, nor would she ever feel the need to mention her sister dating the up and coming East Kenton rapper Cochise.
And damn me for not keeping up with the hot gossip of the city.
The look on my baby brother’s face when I opened the door…
my first instinct was to jump in his arms. It’s been, damn, more than fifteen years.
We’re five years apart, but he was always my best friend, and closer to each other than our siblings in between us.
Leaving him behind was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but it was necessary.
And now, seeing him is more bitter than sweet. Because I know at this very moment, he’s telling my monster he found me.
I snap out of whatever fugue state is letting this nigga hold me and wrench myself from his arms.
“I gotta get the fuck up outta here.”
I stand and go deeper into the closet for my luggage, suddenly thankful I’m on a leave of absence, so I don’t have to worry about work. I’ll tell Dr. Enoch I want to be a fulltime mother, contact Dr. Patel at my practice once I’m settled. I started over once, I can do it again–
“Where you going?”
Damn. I forgot this fool was here. Snatching my clothes off hangers and out of drawers, I keep dumping them into the duffel. “I can’t be here any more. Once Cochise tells–I just can’t be here once he opens that mouth of his.”
“You scared of them Get Money niggas? C’mon, Paypay, you hurting my feelings.”
I actually growl at hearing his annoying, playful voice, but there's no use in responding. He’ll never understand it. If you’re not from East Kenton, you won’t.
Once I pack some clothes that stretch, I go to the safe we keep. Putting in Deuce’s birthday backwards, it pops open and I grab some cash and my passport.
Strong, calloused hands wrap around my arms and I don’t hide the shiver that passes through my spine. Royce’s warm breath caresses the back of my neck.
“Just breathe, take a second and talk to me, Pay. No matter how much you hate me, I’m never gone let anything happen to either one of you.”
Spirits, why does he have to be so caring? So soothing? It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him I don’t hate him, and that's what I hate.
“Is it the First Nations? You mixed in with them?”
I turn in his arms, ready to go off, but we lock eyes and the words die on my lips.
So much concern swims in those almond shaped dark brown eyes of his.
He genuinely is worried about me; there’s not a hint of amusement.
I curl my hands to stop myself from touching him, from reassuring him that I’m not in danger, rather it’s everyone around me.
The life I built for myself. Autumn. Deuce. Foe Dub.
Him.
No, it’s no telling what they’ll do if they find out about Royce. I can’t let anything happen to him. Deuce and Autumn deserve for him to live.
I close my eyes and steel myself. I’m a fox for a reason. This is light work for me, pregnant or not. I open my eyes with renewed vigor, letting it flow through me. Royce notices, but I speak first.
“I’m not involving you in my shit, Royce. Me and Autumn are done anyway, so it’s time for me to go.” My voice is even, leveled, and stern.
This fool smirks. I knew him being serious wouldn’t last.
“My son calls you ‘mama,’ so in a way, you’re like… my second baby mama.”
I swallow the spit that floods my mouth and dart my eyes to the side. His hand slides up my arm and shoulder to the base of my neck, resting there. His thumb swipes back and forth on my throat, igniting every nerve in my body.
“And it’s my duty as a man to always make sure the mother of my seed is not only safe, but happy and thriving.
Right now, you none of these things, and that’s a problem I’m taking personally.
I don’t know if you know this, baby, but I’m solution-oriented.
You don’t feel safe here? Fasho. You’ll move in with me. ”
“What?!” I shriek, shaking my head as his smirk deepens. “Absolutely not–”
The sudden change in the air has me stuck. Royce’s hand somehow slid to the nape of my neck, gathered the loose hair there, and tilted my head up so I’m looking directly at him.
A gasp slips from my mouth as I take him in.
At first glance, you may think his face is blank, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
It’s like he has a switch that can be flipped, and his aura becomes suffocating in the very best way.
It slips out mildly sometimes, when he’s flirting with a woman, or messing with me.
But full on like this, his dominant persona, it’s only come out one other time full throttle.
That damn night in June.
His smirk spreads on those full lips, but he’s about as playful as a hungry lion right now. The two-strand twisted locs that frame his face only add to his allure. Fuck, you can tell he’s a Leo rising.
“I don’t like repeating myself, but I’ll make an exception for you, princess.
You’ll be staying at my crib, with me, until you feel safe enough to tell me why seeing Cochise had you ready to run for the hills.
Now, I’ll give you ten minutes to pack what you need and meet me downstairs.
If you’re not down there in ten minutes, I’ll feel like you’re disobeying me.
And what happens to bad girls that disobey? ”
My juices flood my panties as he leans in.
Our lips are so close that when he licks them, I feel the tip of his tongue.
A wanton moan slides out my mouth and I can’t even begin to care.
It’s been so long, so long, since I’ve come, and something tells me he knows it, just like he knows how horny a woman can get in her second trimester.
His hand tightens around my hair and the other palms my ass, pushing me into him so I feel his hard dick on my lower belly. My pussy clenches, aching and pleading to be filled. “That wasn’t rhetorical,” he growls.
I lick my own dry lips and don’t recognize the voice that comes out. “They get punished.”