Chapter 19 Mia
“Well, who is this cutie pie!” Dr. Baxter asked, scratching behind Bleu’s ears.
“This is Bleu,” I said, hugging her to me. “Titan stole her from his parents.”
“I didn’t steal her,” he protested. “I re-homed her. There’s a difference.”
Dr. Baxter chuckled. “Either way, she’s adorable. You seem attached to her.”
“She’s become my emotional support animal.”
She smiled. “Those are important relationships. Service animals provide comfort, companionship, and stability, especially to those to people with mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. I know most people think they aren’t necessary if they aren’t for medical use, but that is the furthest thing from the truth.
They significantly help with reducing loneliness, lowering stress, boosting ‘happy hormones’, providing routine, and improving your overall daily functioning.
I find that the unconditional love and presence they provide is such a powerful addition to traditional treatments. ”
I nodded. “She gives me another reason to get out of bed in the morning.”
“How are you feeling mentally?”
I sighed. “I’m getting there. Trying to get back into old routines to feel like me. I went out by myself the other night.”
“How was that for you?”
I looked at Titan and he looked at me. Dr. Baxter raised an eyebrow.
“What’s that look?” she asked. “Did something happen?”
I cleared my throat. “Well. . . I was minding my business when this man came over trying to get at me. I told him I was married, showed him my ring and all, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Titan just so happened to show up and overheard the exchange. Things got a little heated.”
“By heated, you mean?”
“I beat his ass for calling my wife out of her name,” Titan answered.
Dr. Baxter palmed her face. “As a married woman, I commend you for defending your wife’s honor.
As your therapist, you know you could have handled it better.
Sometimes, we feel like disrespect warrants hands being thrown.
Trust me, I’ve been there in a former life.
But as your therapist, I implore you not to resort to violence if possible.
You’ve stated that your relationship was toxic before. We’re trying to move forward.”
Titan sighed. “I get that, Doc, but I’m not about to let blatant disrespect fly at any time.”
“It’s a work in progress,” Dr. Baxter said. “Next time, remove yourselves from the conflict before it escalates. Now, how are you feeling, Titan? Mia has Bleu to help her cope. What do you have?”
He shrugged. “I mean, I have her. My parents. My best friend and her sister. They’ve been my backbone this whole time. They were the people I went to when things blew up between Mia and I. There was no judgment, just support.”
“It’s good that they were a safe space for you. I know you two were on the outs. Mia, did you ever feel any type of way about your sister being there for Titan?”
“Honestly, she’s his family too. Her husband is practically Titan’s brother.
She grew closer to him in my absence, so I can’t be mad at that when she’s shown me just as much love.
To know my sister is to know that if she loves you, she’s ten toes down behind you.
I joke about having to share her with him and her husband, but it really doesn’t bother me.
One thing about my family, once you’re a part of it, we’re locked in for life. ”
Dr. Baxter nodded and made a note before continuing. “Speaking of family, how is everyone adjusting to the news of you two being married?”
I blew a breath. “Whew! It’s taking some getting used to, especially because I’ve told them a million times that I can’t stand this man and would never be with him.”
Titan chuckled. “Look at you having to eat those damn words. Can’t deny me now.”
I rolled my eyes and playfully mushed his head. “Whatever.”
He bucked at me, and Bleu let out a low growl.
“That’s right, baby,” I said, rubbing her. “Tell him to stop playing with your mama.”
“Remember who picks up your shit,” Titan said, ruffling her head.
She let out a loud little bark. Dr. Baxter giggled.
“I’m happy to see you two in good spirits. I want you to keep this up. Your assignment for our next session is to plan and go on a date night. Whatever you want to do, I just want you to connect on an intimate level. Now, I know this may be hard, but by intimate, I don’t mean sexual.”
Titan frowned. “So I can’t get no ass?”
Dr. Baxter laughed. “Not on your date. This is about connecting as a couple. It’s about bonding and spending quality time.
I want you two to enjoy each other’s company without it leading to sex at the end of the night.
Sometimes, sex complicates things that should really be so simple, so take it off the table. ”
He sighed. “Fine.”
“I promise, you will survive, Titan. Now, I have a few more things to discuss with you two before we end for the day.”
We continued for another twenty minutes or so before she released us. Back in the car, Bleu settled in my lap with her head out the window, enjoying the breeze. Every so often, she bit at the wind blowing in her face.
Titan shook his head. “Your dog is slow,” he said with a chuckle.
“Don’t come for my girl. She just fights back against all weapons formed against her, even the wind.”
“Enabling ass.”
“Anyway! So. . . this date. We haven’t been on one in a while. Come to think of it, I don’t think we’ve ever really had a real first date.”
“Nah, we haven’t. We just be doing shit. I’ll take lead and plan something.”
“You don’t even know what I’m in the mood for.”
“I know you, Mia. Trust me, I got this.”
“We’ll see.”
“Matter of fact, I’m picking your clothes for this one.”
“That’s a negative. You are not about to dress me.”
He kissed his teeth. “Don’t act like a nigga don’t be looking good.”
I had to give it to him. Even dressed down, my husband was always fine as hell. Still, I had reservations about him dressing me.
“I’ll pass.”
“You heard what I said, woman. Let your husband handle this shit.”
“You wanna throw that husband card in there so damn bad!”
He laughed. “I don’t have to hide it anymore, so yeah, I’m about to over fucking do it.” He grabbed my hand and kissed it. “It’s nice to see my ring on your finger.”
I pulled my hand away and flexed my fingers. “I guess it grew on me.”
“The trees that grew the paper to make the money that bought you that ring grew faster than you.”
“I’m here now, nigga.”
“I mean, it’s nice to finally be claimed. Real shit, I’ve been dying to my wife a nigga to death like your brothers.”
I laughed. “They do go overboard with that. Niggas fell in love, and it became their entire world.” I twiddled my fingers as I looked away from him.
“I get it. You know. . . loving somebody more than you love yourself. Caring for them. Protecting them. Building a life with them you never even knew you wanted.”
I finally looked over at him as we came to a stoplight.
“I, um, I think I want that. Not their version of love, but ours. On our own terms. I’ve been thinking a lot about it, and I want us to be happy and healthy, Titan.
Losing Eden made me realize how short life is.
It can be taken from you in an instant; we lost our biggest blessing because we couldn’t get it right. ”
My voice cracked, and tears rushed to my eyes.
“More than anything, I want to get it right.”
He leaned over and cupped my face. “We will. I promise.”
Pulling me to him, he sealed that promise with a kiss to my lips. It quickly turned hot and heavy until the car behind us started blaring their horns. We parted to see that the light had turned green. The asshole behind us was damn near stomping on the horn like an idiot.
“Hold her for a minute,” I said, passing Bleu over.
“Where you going?” he asked as I opened the door.
“I’ll be right back.”
Hopping out the car, I walked to the car behind us. The window rolled down, and a woman looked at me with anger in her eyes.
“Don’t you see the fucking light?” she spat.
“I’m sorry, are we holding you up?”
“Yeah, kinda. People have places to be. We don’t have time to sit through a green light while you kiss your little boyfriend.”
“I was actually kissing my husband. If I wanted to, I’d sit at this fucking light and make him eat my pussy and you know what, there ain’t shit you can do about it. Blow that horn again and you’re gonna be swallowing that muthafucka.”
She glared at me. Clearly, she had no idea that she wasn’t safe because the bitch blew the horn again.
I chuckled, and to anybody who knew me, that would have meant to watch themselves.
Before she could blink, I reached into the car, grabbed her by her hair, and slammed her face into the steering wheel.
“Bitch, I just left a therapy session where I was told not to resort to violence, your stupid ass is making me resort to violence!” I slammed her head again. “Blow that muthafucking horn again. I dare you.”
When I released her, her nose was bloody and there was a big ass knot on her forehead.
“Keep getting road rage and you’ll keep running into bitches like me that will fuck you up.”
She held her face, tears spilling from her eyes as I walked away. I climbed back into the car to find Titan’s eyes on me. He shook his head as he pulled off from the scene.
With a chuckle, he said, “So much for therapy.”
“Can I just say it’s nice to have you here?” Shar said.
We were sitting in her living room sipping mocktails because she refused to let us drink if she couldn’t.
Since Romi seemed to stay pregnant, she was right on board with this shit.
Since Smoke couldn’t stay off her, she could very well be pregnant and didn’t want to take any chances.
Jaeda was pregnant and wasn’t a heavy drinker anyway, so she didn’t care.
It was just me, Renay, Dinah, Salima, and Kaylynn who were sitting here salty as hell.