Chapter 22
Sunday dinner was going much better than expected.
I hated to say that going public was easier because my son wasn’t here, but it was.
It made me think long and hard about some shit.
While I loved my son with my entire heart, I realized I gave him a little too much power as my protector.
I felt like I subconsciously put pressure on him to take on every one of my problems.
Deuce was a natural observer.
Even when you didn’t think he was watching, he was. He paid attention to body language and emotions and could always sense when something was wrong or off. If he asked about it, he had an inkling and the worst thing to do was to lie to him. He’d been like that since he was a kid.
Being that he could remember several instances of me leaving his father, I was sure he thought he was the bad guy. That conflicted with the love he had for Senior and what was imbedded in him about protecting those he loved. He and his father needed to have a conversation, but so did he and I.
“Jesus.”
I groaned as pressed the ice pack to the back of my neck. I was having a hot flash and being outside didn’t make it any better. I knew it would pass, but shit, did I hate it.
“You okay?” I heard behind me.
I turned to see Stanley standing there with some sort of blanket in his hands.
“No,” I said, fanning myself. “What’s that?”
“A cooling blanket. Mama had an extra one upstairs.”
He opened the blanket out and came to me. I placed the ice pack down as he draped it around me. The groan the left my body as the cool fabric covered my skin.
“Oh, that feels good,” I said, clutching the blanket around me. “Thank you. I felt like I was about to melt.”
He chuckled. “We can’t have that.”
Leaning in, he pecked my lips several times before the kiss turned into something a little more intimate. We were so wrapped up in each other, that we didn’t hear the front door open or the approaching footsteps.
“Pardon us for interrupting.”
We parted lips to see Maddie and her husband, Bronx, standing there. Now, we had been around each other since she learned of the affair Senior and I had years ago. We never talked about it. She basically ignored me, and I didn’t pay her any mind because I had no beef with this woman. Never did.
I sighed. “Maddie. Bronx. Nice to see you.”
“Well, it’s nice to be seen, not viewed,” Bronx said with a light chuckle. He extended his hand. “Good to see you, Senior. Stephanie. We just came to pick up TJ. I have a work trip this week and we want him to tag along.”
“I’m sure he’ll enjoy that,” Senior said. “He’s always excited to go with y’all.”
Maddie and I stared at each other in silence. Senior’s arms still lingered around me, making this a little awkward. In her eyes, I was sure I was the woman he told her not to worry about and look at us now.
She cleared her throat. “So… this is a thing again?”
Senior nodded. “It is.”
“Hmmm. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. History tends to repeat itself.”
“Do we have a problem, Maddie?” I asked, removing the blanket. “You wanna get something off your chest?”
Senior’s grip on me tightened. “Steph.”
Maddie smirked at me before turning to her husband.
“My love,” she said, touching Bronx’s arm. “Could you two give us a minute to talk?”
He gave her a stern look. “Baby.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “It’s long overdue.”
Senior pinched the bridge of his nose. “Please don’t be in here tearing up shit.”
“Shut up, Stanley!” Maddie and I both snapped.
He raised his hands in surrender as he and Bronx left the room. Maddie went into the cabinet and grabbed a wine glass before going to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of wine. Ms. Rebecca always had a bottle in there chilling. She poured herself a glass and took a seat at the island.
After taking a sip, her gaze settled on me.
“While I’m over Senior, and have clearly moved on, this conversation is long overdue.”
I clasped my hands together. “So, what do you need to say?”
She chuckled. “The hostility I’m sensing in that tone isn’t matching the fact that you were the one fucking a nigga that was my man at the time.”
“I absolutely was.”
“And you’re proud of that?”
“No, I’m not. Can I take it back? No. It’s been years and I’m not about to go back and forth with you over that man. You went back to him after that, so what are we really talking about? Clearly, neither of us could leave him alone back then. You held on to this animosity and it’s very telling.”
“It’s not telling of shit. Not that you owed me anything, but damn. I guess since my name isn’t Tavia or Allison, I didn’t get that respect, huh? You know, since y’all are family and all. You wouldn’t back door them.”
I scoffed. “Please don’t come in here acting like you were an outcast, Maddie. You never made an effort to have the relationship we have with each other with any of us. Especially not me.”
“Why would I smile in the same woman’s face that wanted my man?”
“And he wanted me too. Senior told me you said out of your own mouth that you always suspected he still had feelings for me. You said that, love. So why would you knowingly put yourself in a position to have your heart broken? Again I ask, why are we having this conversation?”
She glared at me. “I loved him. If you weren’t who you were to him and Deuce, I would have killed you.”
I shook my head. “You might be a trained assassin, but I don’t give a fuck about none of that.
Make no mistake, baby. I can protect myself by any means.
” I pointed to the other room. “That man in there made sure of that. While I don’t need him to protect me, he would never let any harm come to me.
As harsh as it may sound, if it came down to me and you, it would always be me. Every time.”
I walked around the corner of the island and stood in front of her. We stared at each other for a moment before I felt my resolve soften.
“I know you loved him,” I said quietly. “I should have respected your relationship, same as him. I should have had more self-control, and ultimately more self-respect at that time. Honestly, I should have had more respect for you off the strength of my son alone. You came in the picture, and you showed his big grown ass nothing but love and I know you have protected him the same as you protect Mia. I’m sorry for the part I played in you having your heart broken.
You didn’t deserve it. That is real and I mean it. ”
I extended my hand to her. She looked down at it, then back up at me. Much to my surprise, she shook my hand.
“Thank you. All I really wanted was for you to admit you were wrong, too. At this point, we’re family. I love your son. You love my daughter. We both love these grandbabies.”
“So, we can dead this shit?”
“It’s really nothing to dead. We just never had a conversation about it, and it needed to happen.”
I placed my hands on my hips. “Well, I hope you got what you needed to say off your chest, because I don’t wanna talk about this shit again. At this point, you have the man you deserve so there should be no concern about what’s going on over here.”
She chuckled as she took a sip of her wine. “Trust me, I don’t want him and I’m not concerned. I’ll leave that for you.”
“Is that shade, bitch?”
She pinched her fingers together. “Just a little.”
I rolled my eyes as I went to grab a wine glass of my own and poured myself a helping.
“I’m gonna let you slide today.”
She laughed. “I’m just saying. It’s clear that you two are end game after all this time. I hope it works out this time. Lord knows he’s been trying to get back to you long enough. How is Deuce handling this?”
I sighed. “He’s not happy about it.”
She waved me off. “He’ll live. I’m sure he knew it was coming at some point. He’ll get over it.”
“He doesn’t have a choice.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
We clinked glasses and each of us took a sip of the wine.
“Soooo…” I said, dragging out the word. “Since we got that out of the way, are you ready to join the sister circle?”
“I mean, am I welcomed?”
“We already share a baby daddy. We might as well share a few laughs, drinks, and some fun. Let’s face it, we are too old to not be able to get along. We were stuck with each other. Might as well make the best of it.”
She smiled softly. “I guess I could use a few new friends.”
“Sisters,” I corrected. “We might not be where I am with Tay and Allison, but we can get there. I mean, we can’t trade war stories about field life, but we can have a good time and talk some shit about these kids. Lord knows they give us enough to talk about.”
Maddie giggled. “Say that again.”
We shared a laughed. I set my glass down and opened my arms to her. She followed suit and we shared an embrace.
“Y’all good in here?” I heard behind us.
We parted and turned to see Senior and Bronx looking around the corner at us. I rolled my eyes.
“We’re good, Stanley.”
At that moment, TJ came running into the kitchen. Mia, Senior, Bronx, and Titan followed behind him.
“Grandma!”
Maddie smiled big as she scooped him up and smothered his cute little face with kisses.
“Hi, my big boy. You ready to go with Grandma and Grandpa?”
“I’m ready.”
“You be a good boy, TJ,” Mia said, poking his belly.
“I’ll be good, Mommy.”
“You better listen to grandma and grandpa too,” Titan warned him.
“I promise.”
He leaned into both his parents and wrapped his arms around their necks while they loved on him. After seeing how broken they were after losing their daughter, I was so happy they had this little boy. He was the light of their lives and it showed.
“What we got going on in here?” Titan asked, pointing between the two of us. “Y’all good? I don’t see any bruises or weapons.”
Maddie smacked him upside the head. “Shut up, boy.”
“Right,” I agreed. “Stay out of grown folks’ business.”
“I am grown folks.”
“You ain’t more grown than either of us,” Maddie said, pointing at him. “Don’t make me take off my belt.”
Titan grinned. “Ma, you got the drop on me in Paris. I’m not finna let you do it here too.”
“So, you’re gonna hit me back?”
“That’s what I heard,” I said, crossing my arms. “You must want to get jumped.”
Titan looked confused as he looked between the two of us. “Man, nevermind. I’ma shut up.”
“Good,” we said in unison.
Maddie shook her head. “We’re about to head out. I’ll call you two so TJ can say goodnight.” She kissed them both on the cheek. “I love you.”
“Love you too.”
She hugged me once more, then mushed Senior’s head before they left the kitchen. He pulled me into his arms and pecked my lips.
“I take it that was a good conversation?”
“Meh. It got a little catty for a moment, but we said what needed to be said and we’re good.”
He smiled. “Grown woman shit.”
“Always.”
“You ready to get out of here?” he asked, kissing my neck. “I’m trying to keep you in this good mood.”
“Daddy!” Mia exclaimed. “Stop being fresh!”
Senior waved her off. “Girl, please. This is my woman, you hear me? Mine.”
“I get that, but damn Daddy. I’m really not trying to be Deuce. Y’all scarred my brother for life. I don’t want that fate.”
“You remember how you two thought y’all were alone in Paris?” Senior asked, pointing between the two of them. “Yeah, it’s like that. We’re about to dip. I love y’all, goodbye.”
He didn’t give me a chance to say anything before he was scooping me up over his shoulder and heading for the door.
“Don’t drop me!” I said between laughs.
He slapped my ass as we hit the front door. “The only thing I plan to drop in you is some dick when I get you to this house.”
I shook my head.
What was I gonna do with him?