Prologue #2
He sat there frozen in disbelief. He had every intention to tell her about this situation, but this was not the way he wanted to tell her. His hand rubbed down his waves. This shit here! “Marsha, baby, I’m so sorry. I never meant for this to happen.”
She adjusted her body to sit back in her seat. “What exactly are you apologizing for, my love? It was clear that you meant to stick dick to Barbara and Barbara-Ann. Are you sorry for not using protection or not pulling out?”
Kisa’s nose scrunched. “Why do you keep calling us Barbara and Barbara-Ann? That is not our names.”
Of the two baby mamas, she was most annoyed that Marsha didn’t respond to them like they wanted.
They assumed that when they showed up at her doorstep, she would curse them out and possibly try to fight them.
To their surprise, she invited them in and offered them sweet tea or lemonade.
They had a calm conversation. When either of the girls popped an attitude, Marsha was quick to shut it down.
Marsha put her finger up to her lips to shush Kisa.
“Please be quiet while the adults are talking.” She stood from her seat and walked over to a bar area that was in the loft.
She reached inside the refrigerator to grab something before she took something from the counter of the bar.
Marsha walked over to Kisa, set the items on the table in front of her, then said, “Here’s a juice box and a fruit snack. Keep yourself occupied, lil baby.”
Gia’s eyes enlarged. Yes, she came over there with Kisa, but she was the least confrontational of the women. This whole pop-up was Kisa’s idea. She followed Marsha home one day from her shop to find out where she lived. Gia wanted Marsha to know, but she didn’t necessarily want any smoke.
Kisa was at a loss for words. If she knew what Orion did, she wouldn’t find them either. This was the calm before the storm.
“I’m sorry for being a fuck nigga, Marsha,” Orion said. His hands rose in surrender. “As loud as it’s known, I don’t know if their babies are mine.”
Marsha took in his words. Her heart was completely broken, but she would never wear her emotions on her sleeve in front of some flawed bitches.
This was Orion’s fault, but she had to also take accountability for allowing it to go that far.
This was the first time that a female ever confronted her about him, but she had snooped in his phone multiple times to know that he was cheating.
She never confronted him because her stance was that if she didn’t plan to leave, then she would let him cheat in peace as long as disrespect didn’t come to her doorstep.
“Okay, well, here is what we will do. When you two have your children, he will be there to take a paternity test, and we will go from there.” Marsha stood to her feet. “I wish you ladies a healthy and safe pregnancy. Kisa, make sure you take your snack with you. Gia, would you like one as well?”
Gia was ready to get the hell out of there. She stood with her big belly, shook her head, then gazed at Orion. It sounded to her like this pop-up was for naught. Marsha proved herself to be a ride or die bitch like she was known to be. “Thank you for seeing us. Kisa, let’s go.”
Kisa stood with her defeat plastered on her face. She wanted Orion badly, but she knew that would never happen. Any female that he messed with, he made it known that he would never leave Marsha.
Marsha escorted the two downstairs to leave, while Orion remained upstairs still in a daze of shock. He didn’t want to move a muscle until Marsha came back. After what felt like forever, she came upstairs with two plates of food in her hand. She stood in front of him. “Here, baby.”
He skeptically stared at the food. “Um, you didn’t poison this or nothing, did you?” He chuckled, but he was serious. She was way too calm for him.
She giggled. “Orion, no matter how much you hurt me and break my heart, I would never intentionally hurt you. I love you. Let’s eat.”
She sat on the couch across from the love seat where he sat. She turned the television on to the game. They sat there watching the game and silently ate. After they finished eating, Marsha washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. Orion was nervous for the entire night.
After they finally climbed in bed, he wrapped his arm around her. “I promise that I’m going to make this up to you. That fuck boy shit is over with, Marsha, I swear. I love you and Euri so much. I fucked up. I know I did.”
She felt his tears on her neck. Her body shifted to turn. Once she faced him, she cupped his cheeks. “I know you will, Orion. I love you too.”
Marsha made sweet love to Orion. He’d never felt the connection with her that he did that night. The experience was transcending.
A Few Days Later . . .
It had been quiet for Orion. He and Marsha hadn’t spoken about the situation outside of the plan for the paternity tests.
She still came home and cooked dinner. They still spent family time with Euri, and they still slept in the same bed as well as had sex.
He thanked God that she wanted to still be with him.
The entire situation had scared him and his dick straight. That was a hard feat since his dick for sure had a demon curve. His ass reached out to his hoes and told him that it was a wrap, before he blocked their asses. He refused to tempt God and do his gift dirty again.
“Man, my boys are going to wipe the floor with your team! Be prepared to hand over that thousand. My baby wants a new bag anyway,” Orion told Jet.
They were on their way to Orion’s house to watch the game.
Orion texted Marsha earlier to make sure it was cool, and she told him that it was fine.
She asked him whether he wanted her to make some of their favorite wings and potato balls.
She made the best potato balls, and all his friends loved them.
When they pulled up to the house, Marsha’s car wasn’t in the driveway. That wasn’t anything strange since she parked in the garage most of the time. They got out of the car and walked to the front door. Orion put his key in the lock, but it didn’t work. What the fuck? He tried it again.
“Aye, what’s that right there?” Jet asked. He pointed at a piece of paper taped to the window on the side of the door.
Orion pulled it down to open it. He recognized Marsha’s handwriting immediately. His eyes scanned the letter before he actually read it.
Orion,
Here we are at a crossroad that I hope we’d never be at.
I wanted so badly to think that we could get through this, but my mind and heart know better.
If you’re reading this then you know that the locks on the house have been changed.
I need some time away from you and all of this.
I need you to pick up Euri from day care and keep him for a week.
Please just give me grace in this heartbreak.
I will never keep you from your son. When I get back, we will further discuss how we will co-parent. I know you have a place to stay, so I assume that you will be there.
I love you so much, Orion. This decision not to be with you doesn’t mean that I love you any less. It just means that I love myself more.
I will talk to you when I get back
-Marsha
A tear splashed on the paper before he smacked the next tear away.
She really left him. He never thought that he would see the day that she left him.
When he turned around, Jet had an expression of sympathy.
He warned his friend continuously about his faithfulness to Marsha.
He knew it would all come to a head at some point.
There was no need to stand there like an idiot at a door that he no longer had access to.
Jet followed him back to the car. The honeycomb hideout that Orion rented was less than fifteen minutes away.
He shook his head when the key in that door worked as he thought about the key to the house he really wanted to be at, not working.
The second he crossed the threshold, he stopped. His face tightened. The apartment was open concept, so from the door, you could see into the kitchen. Covered pans on the counter baffled him because they weren’t there when he left. Jett beat him to the counter to uncover the pans.
His head popped up. “Bro, Marsha is diabolical, and my heart truly hurts for you. This is a pan of mild and garlic parmesan wings, and the other pan is her potato balls. Hold on, what is this?”
He lifted a piece of paper that was on the counter in front of the pans. He read in silence. Now there was a sense of pity on his face. “She said that she fixed some sweet tea and lemonade that’s in the fridge. Also, your clothes and things from the house are folded and put away.”
Nah, there’s no way that she came in here and put my stuff up. The fact that Marsha knew about his place blew him. He walked to his bedroom and pulled open the closet door where nothing should have been. Now it was full of his wardrobe that once hung in the home he shared with his love.
Damn, this couldn’t be how it ended. This was not how he would let it end. Orion knew since he was a teenager that Marsha would be the woman that he married and got old with. None of that would change in his mind. It would just take longer to get to the goal.
Marsha had shown herself poised in the calm of the storm.
Now she had presented him with the actual storm.
He was hurt, but he also knew that after every storm there was a rebuilding period.
He would be patient because the rebuilding would happen if it was the last thing done with his living breath.