Chapter 6 #5
Before I could respond, the doorbell rang. I jumped up with a deep breath to go answer. When I flung the door open, a delivery person stood on the other side from a florist. A large display was in his arms, an assortment of tulips, which I loved.
“Delivery for Chevelle.” He announced.
“That’s me. These are gorgeous.” I inhaled with my face in the flowers and observed a card tucked.
“And this is also for you. “He handed me a rectangular box.
“Thank you.”
“Have a good day.” He bobbed his head and I watched him walk over to his vehicle and climb inside before I closed the door.
I set the vase on the center table in the foyer and fingered a few of the flowers while admiring them. Taking the card out, I read over it.
I’m sorry. It’s always only you. -K
“Fucking Knowledge,” I grumbled, chest fluttering happily at the gesture.
I tore into the box on the table to see what else he had done.
Inside were two brand new toys. One for Laiyah and the other for Landyn.
The fact that he had even thought of them left me with butterflies.
Ledge was not the sweet, sentimental kind of nigga, so this was a reach for him.
I found myself smiling. He was trying something new.
“What’s that?” Landyn perked up as I strolled back inside toward him and his sister.
“I guess your daddy was thinking of you too.” I grinned and handed them their gifts.
They both gleamed like it was Christmas and it warmed my heart.
I took pictures of them with their new toys and we snuggled to watch movies.
It was the perfect night. The kids of course were out like lights before the second movie credits could even complete.
They’d had a long day visiting my aunt Sheema, and she was known for putting kids to work around her house so I knew their fatigue was legit.
I decided to text Ledge, since I was now up watching Moana by my damn self at this point, making myself fat with all these zoo zoos and wam wams as my granny would have called them.
Me: Got the flowers. That’s not like you.
Headache: Trying to step outside the box.
Me: The kids say thank you for their gifts.
Headache: And what does mama say?
Me: Nice try, dirtbag.
Headache: Love you too.
Ugh!! How was it this fool still managed to get under me?
I tossed my phone to the side and decided that was it for the evening.
I wasn’t about to entertain him. I was tired any damn way.
Dozing off with Laiyah leaned against me on one side and Landyn on the other, I got comfortable.
It was after eleven pm when the house phone trilled loud enough to wake me.
Me and the kids were still stretched out, and the home screen for the Roku TV was displayed.
I sat up, reaching for the phone and not even bothering with the caller ID.
“Hello.” I snapped, wondering who the fuck was calling me this late to begin with.
All I got was heavy breathing on the other end.
“Who the fuck is this!” I brought the phone from my face and glanced at the display.
I didn’t recognize the unknown number. Before I had the change to hang up, the line clicked.
I tried not to give it a second thought.
I took the kids up to their beds and then went to shower and get comfy myself.
Shit felt off. Ledge not being around and knowing he was going through some shit was also leaving me paranoid.
I checked all the damn locks in the house before retiring to bed, alone.
I kept a .45 in the night table beside me, and I knew how to use that shit, so I managed to sleep a little lighter.
The next day…
It was Sunday, and I began my day like any other. I was up before the kids and my granny was calling on my way downstairs to whip up breakfast. My kids didn’t do that cereal shit. That was a snack to them for breakfast, so I always had to end up making something warm for them to even eat anything.
“Good morning, baby doll,” My grandmother greeted me as I went to brew some coffee on my Keurig.
“Hey, Granny,” I greeted her.
“How are you and ’dem babies doing?” Granny asked, voice as sweet as honey like always.
“Oh, we are good. They still sleeping.”
“Mmm, okay and how are you doing?” Granny pressed.
She knew that Ledge and I were toxic and had been since day one. She called it and had been hanging on to that shit.
“I’m okay.” I lied, still feeling some kind of way about the phone call I got last night.
I tried to let that shit go, but my nerves were too bad for this shit.
“You know it’s okay not to be sometimes, baby. This task is not easy or light. Being a woman is one thing, but a black woman bears a different kind of burden. The battles we face are heavy compared to anybody but a black man.” She reminded me.
“I know, Granny.” I sighed and stuck my coffee in the Keurig so it could brew.
Pushing my back to the counter, I shook my head as thoughts of Ledge filled my mind.
“Speaking of, how is that shiesty ass baby daddy of yours?” She queried, making me fall over laughing.
“Ledge is preoccupied with work, Granny.”
“Hmm, I’m sure he is.” She muttered.
She never cared much for my baby daddy. From the day she met Knowledge she told me that he was damaged and in need of healing.
She didn’t think he was necessarily a bad man, just not the best for me at the time.
My Granny was always able to see through anybody.
She was part creole and growing up in the south she claimed she was a visionary and could see things that other people couldn’t.
It was eerie sometimes how right she was.
“I was just calling to check on you. I had a funny feeling and wanted to make sure you and them babies were safe.” Granny conveyed.
“We are good. I’m getting them ready to head to school now so that I can get to work.”
“Well, I won’t hold you up. Just keep your eyes open at all times and watch out for snakes.” She worded, confusing me.
Sometimes she gave me that cryptic ass shit and I never knew what it meant until the shit was happening.
“I will. I love you Granny.” Annoyed, I pushed my eyes back into my head and chuckled before we hung up.
The doorbell rang just as I was pouring my coffee.
It was early, so I checked my digital watch.
The kids were still sleeping. I grabbed the remote off the kitchen counter and turned on the monitor above the fridge.
It was surveillance of the property. It was another delivery.
Trekking toward the front hall, I went to open the door.
They dropped the package and walked off like it was your average delivery, so I thought nothing of it.
With my mug in hand, I opened the door and glanced down at the long, rectangular box.
Stooping down, I lifted it, but it seemed pretty heavy for it to be more flowers like the outside had described.
Frowning, I lifted the lid and nearly lost my fucking hand.
A bunch of fucking slithering snakes started to pop their little heads up, snapping and hissing at me.
My loud screams probably woke up the entire fucking neighborhood.
My mug slipped from my hand, shattering to the ground in pieces as one of them began to slither out of the box.
I sprinted back into the house, slamming the door shut.
Frequency
Barely getting any sleep the previous night, I sat on the small sofa in my office.
Stretching with a yawn, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and kept my head low as the sunlight streamed into the room.
Glancing around, everything felt off. My pistol was waiting right next to me.
When I stood, I tucked it into my waist and went to start folding the throw cover.
With my back to the door, a nigga could sense Harbor nearby.
Going taut where I stood, I was doing my best to keep my composure.
I didn’t put myself in this position. The feelings she left me with were new to me.
Was I jealous? Fuck yeah. I didn’t want her thinking about another nigga period.
I thought we had established more between us by now than to be playing this game.
“Morning.” Her soft voice seemed sad, tugging at my heart and making my chest tender.
Turning slightly, I looked her up and down.
She was dressed for the day. Skinny jeans hugged her hips, a tank top clung to her breasts, and she wore this Chanel blazer over it with a pair of matching heels.
To see her blossom over the last few months was nothing short of amazing.
She had gone from this unrefined, yet elegant girl to this bonafide woman.
“Good morning,” I greeted her, turning back to the sofa.
“I made breakfast. Celine has been upstairs since last night. I got Ivy fed and she’s waiting in her room so that she can be dropped off. I can take her if you want.” She offered, timid ass fuck, like she was walking on eggshells.
That’s not some shit I wanted between us.
“If that’s what you want to do—”
“Free.” She whined. “I’m sorry. Can we just talk and fix this? I can’t go another night like last night with you.” She was pleading as she took steps closer to me.
Her energy was potent as fuck the closer she got.
She was carrying my seed, so our DNA was already mixed together and creating something inside of her.
I took that kind of thing to heart, because I wasn’t sloppy or slipping when I ran up in a chick.
Spinning around to confront her, I folded both arms over my chest. Right now, I didn’t like what she left lingering inside me.
For the first time I had a few doubts about us going forward.
Her level of loyalty was in question, and I didn’t want to dwell on that.
“You love this nigga, Harbor?” My jaw locked automatically.
Yeah, I was tight about this shit.