Chapter 12
BALTIMORE
Every time I checked the security cameras back at Seven Bell Place, Mrs. March was somewhere in frame. The fact that her ass was supposed to be packing and getting the fuck out of Maddie’s house but was walking through there like she owned the place irritated the fuck out of me.
She was used to bullying her daughters. I wasn’t her daughter though, and after seeing the way she upset Maddie, her ass had to go.
Just as I thought it, a text came through on my phone. The location wasn’t too far, and if I left before noon, I could make it back home before it was too late.
Kissing Maddie’s lips, I said, “I’ll be back.”
“Okay,” she mumbled.
Her focus was on Maja, who was still sedated.
Quietly, we’d been sitting here listening to Maja’s monitor beep.
Adir wanted to keep her sedated for a few more days until her blood pressure regulated.
The stress of witnessing her father murder her mother and sustaining a gunshot wound herself, played a major toll on Maja’s heart.
Maddie’s concern for the young girl made her a little stressed too. With the weight of meeting Maja on her shoulders, Maddie didn’t need the likes of her mama waiting back at Bell Estates. So, I had to make some shit shake.
“I love you.”
Maddie said it so softly and casually that I was sure I was hearing shit. With my heart in my hands, I retraced my steps and stooped down in front of Maddie.
“You love me?” I whispered.
She nodded and smiled. “Is that okay with you?”
Leaning up, I kissed her like this was our first time kissing.
“I love you,” I told her in between the sloppiness of it all.
She giggled and replied with, “I know.”
Heart still pounding, I pried myself from my lady, left out of the room, then went in search of Heir, who had Genesis in her possession. She was upstairs inside one of the apartment units. Genesis laid on a palette in the middle of the floor fast asleep.
“You need anything?” I asked her.
She smiled and shook her head. “How’s Mom?”
“She’s good for now. I’m about to run back to Bell Estates. Genesis good wit’ you?”
Heir playfully smacked her teeth. “Yes, he is.”
Chuckling, I replied, “Just makin’ sure. You need anything from the house?”
She thought for a second, then said, “Yes, my book bag. It’s on my bed.”
“Okay, I’ll send it back with Jahdi. That’s cool?”
She nodded. “Thanks, Cooley.”
“It’s nothing.” Heir was an extension of Maddie, and I’d known her since she was four. I’d give my life for her just like I would her mama. In my eyes, she was now my daughter. Hopefully, she would one day see me as a father figure.
“No… I mean, thanks for everything. Including being there for my mama. Will you promise me that you’ll never break her heart?”
This was what a mama and daughter bond was supposed to be like. A daughter’s protectiveness over her mother was a testament to the deep love and admiration she had for her mother.
“Do you believe that people can keep their promises?” I asked her.
“Yes. My mom has never broken a promise.”
I made note of the fact that she didn’t mention her brother or her daddy. That shit was fucked up. I put her concerns on my back, though, and carrying them would be nothing.
“I promise that neither of you will ever have a care in the world, and that your hearts are safe with me.” Maddie’s heart was connected to her daughter’s heart. Hurting one would hurt the other. I would never do that.
Heir’s eyes misted over, but she blinked the moisture away. “Thank you, Cooley.”
I offered her a small smile. “Get some rest, aight. Jahdi will bring some things for you and Genesis. If he gets outta hand—”
She smacked her teeth again, then laughed. “I got him,” she assured me. “You just make sure the Wicked Black Witch hasn’t put Toast in the toaster. I’ve been keeping her in my room since the witch has been there just to keep Toast safe.”
I burst out laughing because that sounded like some shit Mrs. March would do.
“I can’t let her do shit to that dog. Maddie would lose her mind.”
“Exactly,” Heir seconded. I was still laughing when I got on the elevator to go back to the lobby.
A little while later, I arrived at Seven Bell Estates.
As I walked through the house to make sure everything was in its place, I prayed over the place where my family laid their heads.
I wasn’t sure if Maddie would ever give up this place.
Renovations were ongoing, and this was where all her memories were.
If she decided to stay here, then I was moving the fuck in.
Hell, our memories began inside her bedroom and merged onto the patio.
Therefore, I had memories here too, shit.
Finding everything in place, I headed to Maddie’s room to pack her a duffle bag. Once I was done, I retrieved Heir’s bookbag, then headed to Genesis’s room to get him a bag together. Finally, Mrs. March appeared at Genesis’s door.
“My daughter isn’t an opportunity for you to dig your claws into her wealth,” she said.
Frowning, I turned to her and said, “I thought Maddie told you to leave.”
“You have her feeling emboldened. Trust me, she doesn’t want me to go anywhere. Who’s gon’ be here to pick up the pieces when you discover she’s not what you want.”
Chuckling, I replied, “Standin’ here wastin’ my energy on you is the last thing I wanna do. However, since Maddie is no longer my boss and she’s now my woman, I won’t stand here and let you be reckless at the mouth when it comes to her. Matter fact, when it comes to her or the children.”
She chuckled. “So now all of a sudden, you’re this great guy? Where the hell were you when Duval made that baby on her? Huh? Where were you when he was putting his hands on her?”
I bit my back teeth to keep my anger under control. Mrs. March knew how to get under my fucking skin.
“Mrs. March… Don’t ever mistake me for a fuck nigga, aight?”
She gasped.
“Ya daughter asked you to leave, yet you’re still here. I’ma take a wild guess and say there’s trouble in paradise.”
Although she glanced away, I caught the truth in her eyes.
“Mind your business,” she spat.
“You first. And ya business is in Texas, not here at Bell Estates. Once you learn how to communicate and come at Maddie wit’ some sense, then you’re welcome back here. Otherwise, you have ten minutes to pack, so I can get you home.”
“You can’t force me to leave,” she argued.
“I can. And I will. Either you’re getting on a plane wit’ ya shit, or you’re not. That’s up to you.” She stared at me in defiance, but I tapped my watch. “Nine minutes.”
Before stalking off, she glared at me. I wasn’t fazed. She had to get her negative ass up out of here.
Dallas, Texas…
The last time I sat through anyone’s church service was when my maternal grandmother died. Her funeral was packed from wall-to-wall and the only thing I remembered of the preacher’s sermon was that my granny was a good woman. And she was.
As I sat here listening to Minister March give his speech, I listened for anything that was slightly off. So far, he seemed to know what he was talking about. He was able to hold my attention for the forty-five minutes he spoke, and I even stayed after to hear the closing remarks of other speakers.
After service was over, I moved from the aisle and walked towards Mr. March. He saw me coming, and his eyes bugged.
“Is Maddie okay?” he questioned. The gentlemen standing around him looked at me curiously.
“Maddie is perfect. I’m here to see you. Got a minute to catch an early dinner?”
“Uhm…” He glanced at his watch.
Stepping a little closer, I said, “The answer is yes… Yes, you have time for dinner.”
His gaze bounced between the other men, then back to me. He chuckled nervously. “Yeah, sure.”
Thirty minutes later, we were at a steakhouse down the street from the convention center where the conference was being held. Mr. March was uncomfortable the entire ride here. He started loosening up once he ordered his food.
I let him get comfortable, even listening to him relive his glory days, his time in the pulpit, and his extensive travels. Patiently, I listened and waited until his dinner was before him before I decided I had enough of his mouth.
“When you finish ya dinner, I want you to go back to ya hotel, pack ya shit, and go back home to ya wife,” I said as I cut into my steak.
He sputtered. “Excuse me?”
“I didn’t stutter, Mr. March.”
“Minister—”
“Yeah, I know. I respect you as Minister March, but I don’t respect Mr. March in the least. I gotta talk to you the way ya daddy should’ve talked to you. Therefore, I’m talkin’ to Mr. March right now.”
His eyes widened, and his food was forgotten. This steak was good as hell, so I kept eating.
“I’ve heard you talk about the good life you have, and not once have you mentioned ya daughters or ya wife,” I said.
“I love my daughters,” he defended.
“And ya wife?”
He glanced away and fumbled with his drink before taking a sip. “I uhm… I filed for divorce a few weeks ago.”
“Take it back.”
“What?” he asked incredulously.
“I said take it the fuck back,” I barked lowly. “Now, stop actin’ like you can’t hear me. You finna piss me off.”
“But…but…” He stuttered horribly. “I can’t. Sherma has changed—”
“When did she change?” I questioned.
“I don’t know, over the years. She’s become this woman that I don’t even remember marrying.”
“Hm. How long you been in ministry and traveling the way you do?”
“Well, I… I mean, it’s my job—”
“You ever thought that she switched up because you did?”
His mouth clamped shut as he glared at me.
“You can look at me crazy all you want to. I guarantee you ya crazy doesn’t match mine.”
The lines in his forehead dissipated.
“Now, I want you to do exactly what I said,” I told him. “How the hell you ‘round here telling other folks how to live when yo’ house is all fucked up? The resentment you show ya wife, she turns around and shows to ya daughters.”
“She’s not an angel—”
“Did I say she was?”
He shut up again.
“I can imagine she’s a lil’ hard to deal with, but you married her. You knew before you said I do that you loved her. Then, you decided to switch up on her. She raised ya kids, kept ya fuckin’ house in tip top shape, and meanwhile you were off doin’ you.”
“It’s my job—”
“Please don’t say that shit no mo’.” Now I was getting frustrated. “I respect what you do, you just gotta find a different way to do it. What you not gon’ do is divorce ya wife. You gon’ find a way to win her back.”
He laughed and shook his head. “You’re out of your mind.”
“Not yet,” I replied, “but we can take it there if you want to.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he shook his head.
“Cool. Finish eating ‘cause I got a plane to catch. And while I’m tellin’ you what to do, ya daughters better not ever hear of this divorce shit. Pretend like you don’t even know what the word is.”
Hesitantly, he picked his fork up and started back eating. All the while he watched me as if I would reach across this table and jab him in the throat. A minute ago, I was close to doing so.
It was nearing eight in the evening when I crept back into Dr. Bell & Associates. I ran into Adir in the hallway as he was preparing to leave for the evening.
“You sure you cool with this?” he asked.
Without any hesitation, I replied, “Absolutely.”
We dapped each other.
“I won’t be mad if you make things official,” he said. “Neither will everyone else.”
“Good to know,” I mumbled.
“And I expect you to be at the next event the family holds as her nigga and not no damn security.” We chuckled and dapped on that too. “Later, bruh.”
“Later,” I responded. Minutes later, I found Maddie where I’d left her before sneaking off to tend to her mama and daddy.
“Where’d you disappear to?” Maddie asked, dashing away thoughts of her parents. I kissed her cheek, took Genesis from her, then sat next to her on the sleeper sofa inside Maja’s recovery room. She was still heavily sedated but stable.
“I had a meeting,” I answered.
“Oh. Did it go well?”
I kissed her again, and replied, “It went great.”
Mr. March had two days to update me on his divorce filing. By the time we left Dr. Bell & Associates, I wanted him and his wife halfway back down lover’s lane. Their foolishness wasn’t about to continuously bleed over to their daughters. It was time out for that shit.