Chapter 27
I was home. That steady buzzing of the tattoo gun was a sound I missed and didn’t realize how much until I came back. I had been wanting to get back to my studio, but with getting Charlie settled into her new reality and buying a new damn house, the time just wasn’t there. I didn’t know what to expect when I made the post on my social media about my books being open again.
I guess I didn’t realize the demand my name brought. To say my DMs were flooded was an understatement. But, it felt good to be back and even the other folks who worked in the shop with me were excited. For the first time in a minute, shit was finally going back to normal.
I finished up the tattoo then allowed the client to check it out.
“Damn, this shit is nice as hell. I’m glad you’re back. I’m gone need to book you again to finish this sleeve before yo’ ass goes on another hiatus.” He joked.
I shook my head and smirked. “I hear you.”
We chopped it up for a little while longer while I checked him out. He was my last client of the day. I had at least an hour to clean up the shop before Willow got here. I planned a date for tonight; I just wanted to be close to her without my child. Her ass was a big cock blocker and had practically stolen my damn woman any time she came around. I loved the fact that she wanted her around because I did, too; but damn, I wanted a little attention, too.
I laughed to myself at the thought of me complaining about my daughter stealing my girl. I had never felt that way since she was born. Clearly, Charlie and I were in the same boat. I locked the door as my client left, then my phone rang from the back room. I jogged to the back to grab it before it went to voicemail.
“What’s up, baby?” I answered.
“I need you to unlock the door in like ten minutes! I went by that new smoothie spot. It was so damn good that I drank it too fast now I have to pee.” she whined.
I laughed and shook my head. I put her on speaker, then moved toward the supply closet to grab the broom and other cleaning supplies.
“I hear you. The door will be unlocked. You don’t have to front for me. If you’re coming here to blow up my bathroom, that’s all you gotta say.” I told her.
I tried to hold in my laughter as she kissed her teeth.
“Ugh, I really have to pee for your information, Mr. Davis.”
I laughed as I swept the room.
“Mmm hmm, if you say so. I’ll have the door unlocked by the time you get here. I can’t have my woman shitting on herself.”
She groaned and then laughed. “You get on my nerves real bad.” she told me in between her giggles.
“I doubt it. You told me you loved me and now I don’t hear nothing else.” I joked.
“Bye, Mr. Davis. I’ll see you when I get there and then we can discuss this selective hearing you’ve got.”
I shook my head. “See you when you get here. Drive safe.”
“Always do,” she responded before ending the call.
I walked to the front of the shop and unlocked the door. I highly doubted that anyone would stop by this late. Not to mention, we used up about that whole ten minutes she asked for on the phone. I walked back to the supply closet to swap out the broom for the mop.
The bell chimed over the door, letting me know Willow had gotten here. The thought of her had me smiling, and I hadn’t even seen her yet.
“Damn, you made good time,” I called out, still inside the supply closet.
I walked out and made my way to the front. I froze because I couldn’t believe my fucking luck. I slowly walked behind the counter.
Tierra stood still in front of the door. Hair tangled. Eyes glassy. Something in her hand—something metal, but not clear. Could’ve been a blade. Could’ve been nothing. Her mouth twitched like she was trying to hold a thought still long enough to speak it.
I didn’t reach for the gun in my waistband. Not yet.
“I thought we were gonna figure it out,” she said softly. “You said that to me. That night. In our bed.”
My pulse kicked. I eased a step back toward the silent alarm under the counter. “Tierra, that wasn’t?—”
“You said it.” Her voice sharpened. “You looked me in my face and said it wasn’t over. But then you threw me away for her. You think I don’t see you playing house like I never existed?”
I craned my head to the side, trying to see the same woman I once was fond of. But the woman who stood before me today was a version of her that I never thought I would see. This woman had lost her damn mind.
“Tierra, be real. Us being a family was never going to happen if you didn’t want Charlie. You know that.”
Her eyes began to twitch, and her shoulders lifted and lowered dramatically.
“You don’t know what you’re saying! I love Charlie!” she yelled.
I kept my mouth closed, not wanting to anger her a second longer. I just needed to keep her emotions down until the police got here. I also knew I needed to keep her talking.
“What’s Charlie’s full name?” I asked.
Tierra finally met my eyes, hers wild and looking around the room like the answer was going to pop out at her. Like I had it written somewhere in here to give her some kind of clue. But I didn’t.
“Tell me, Tierra. You love her. Tell me when she was born? What’s her favorite color? What does she do when she is sad? What’s one thing she doesn’t play about?” I asked.
I knew she couldn’t answer a single question. She lost herself in her fit to have me. I wasn’t and would never be on the table for her.
She gripped her hair and pulled as if it would give her all the answers. She screamed and began pacing.
“Why do I need to know those things to love her! I gave birth to her! She is mine and so were you, until that stupid bitch came around.”
“Watch yo’ muthafuckin’ mouth, Tierra. You lost it all long before Willow came around. Be real with yourself, you lost it to your selfishness, your drugs of choice, and liquor. You don’t get to blame anyone else besides your damn self.”
She shook her head while gripping both sides with her hands. I knew she didn’t want to hear the truth but too damn bad.
“You lied.” She stepped forward. “All that time we had together. I loved you and you never made me your woman. You only wanted to fuck me. You used me!”
“I used you?” I echoed. “How did I use you, Tierra? We were two consenting adults. You never brought up us being together until after you got pregnant. A baby wasn’t going to keep me and as soon as you realized that, you decided you didn’t want to be a mother.”
“I could have come around to it?—”
“Come around to it? It’s been six fucking years! How much time did you need to come around to being a mother to your seed! I’ve been doing this shit by myself! You didn’t want her, and your people said fuck her, too!”
“We can get past that!” Her eyes were wild and full of delusional hope. “If you just give me a chance?—”
“No.”
“You promised me!” she screamed.
She picked up one of the potted plants and hurled it at my head. I ducked just in time for it to crash into the wall behind me.
“You’re a fucking liar! What does she have that I don’t?”
“Y’all aren’t even on the same playing field, Tierra. Willow is different. She’s just her. I can’t tell you anything other than that. You aren’t her.”
She started walking toward me, gripping whatever was in her hand, and I reached for the gun in my waistband. I didn’t want to shoot her. I didn’t even want to put my hands on her. In spite of everything, she was the mother of my child and I just couldn’t take her out like that.
I looked down briefly, only for the door to chime again. Tierra stopped and my head snapped up towards the door. Willow was walking in, holding her smoothie container and looking down at her phone. She bumped into Tierra, still not fully recognizing her as she walked around then apologized.
“Baby, where is the bathroom at again?” she asked.
I was silent, so she glanced up, her eyes widening as she finally took in the moment.
She groaned. “Fuck.”
I couldn’t find the words to say. I wanted to tell her to go, but it was too late. She had gotten too far in to keep her out of the line of fire that was Tierra.
“You just don’t give a fuck about me, about us! Why the fuck is this bitch here?” Tierra asked, her tone cold.
I dragged my hand down my face because I was doing everything in my power to keep it cool. But I’ve had enough, and it was time for this shit to end.
I stepped from around the counter.
“Willow, come here,” I called her.
Without a second thought, she walked to my side without taking her eyes off Tierra, who watched her every step. Once Willow reached me, I pulled her behind me and stepped forward. I could see this was the last straw for Tierra and something in her clicked by seeing me protect Willow.
She stormed over to the waiting area, then snatched the vase from the table, tossing it against the wall. I would not give her ass the attention she wanted, so she kept going. She picked up the table and tossed it through my business's front window, causing it to shatter. Her ass was like King Kong in this bitch. I prayed she didn’t bring her ass over here because I didn’t want to have to knock her ass out.
Once she seemed to grow tired, she stood, glaring at me, panting heavily. Sweat coated her skin and her hair was all over the place.
“I hate you…” she said in a low voice. “I hate you and I hate that bitch! You think I’m just gonna let her have you and play mommy to my kid?”
“Play mommy?” Willow echoed. “I’m not playing anything. I love that little girl, something you’ve never felt.”
“Shut up!”
Tierra tried to run at Willow, her hand raised with whatever metal she was clutching. This time, I pulled my gun, causing her to stop in her tracks.
“I’m done playing these games. You need fucking help and I’m gonna make sure you get it. Tierra, whatever the fuck you have in your hand, put it down now!” I practically barked. My tone left no room for a response.
Tierra’s eyes widened as she released the heavy metal object, causing it to clank against the floor. I glanced down to see it was nothing but a damn wrench.
“You… you would shoot me?” she asked, tears in her voice and eyes.
“I don’t want to shoot you. I don’t want to hurt you at all, but you have to stop this. If you do nothing else for our child, spare me having to kill you and then explain that to her. I’m begging you, Tierra.”
She stared at me, so much confusion and hurt in her eyes. Maybe she was finally getting it. Police sirens became clearer the closer they got. Tierra glanced every which way, looking for a way out.
I stepped closer to her. “It’s over. Just go with the police and we can end this.”
Tierra shook her head as she side-stepped me. “No. Please, just let me go. You let me go before. I promise, I’ll leave town and I won’t brother you again. Honest.”
I shook my head. “I can’t do that.”
Willow stepped from behind the counter and moved over to stand in front of the hall that led to the back exit. I knew the moment Tierra realized that was her only way out. The amount of hate she had for Willow could have been bottled and more would be left. You could see it clearly in the way she looked at her.
The shit happened so fast; she ran full speed at Willow. By the time she made it to her, Willow cocked back her fist and hit her between her eyes. The momentum caused Tierra to come up off her feet and fall. Before she could stand up, the police rushed into the shop, reaching down to grab her.
“I fucking hate you! I hate you!” she shouted over and over as one deputy cuffed her, then took her out of the shop.
Wes walked inside with wide eyes. “Are y’all okay?” he asked.
I turned to face Willow, taking her hand into mine so I could check her knuckles. They were a little red, but fine. The moment I released her hands, she wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me. I knew she felt that moment deep down in her chest. Shit, I did.
We held each other for a while, we both needed it.
* * *
ONE WEEK LATER…
I just left my lawyer’s office, and I never knew an envelope could be so heavy. Not literally, but figuratively. After everything that had taken place with Tierra, I had to take the one step I dreaded. I always wished she would get her shit together, always had this idea that one day, she would open her eyes and realize she could be better. But that day never came. If I was truly honest with myself, if Willow hadn’t come around, maybe I would have stayed in this cycle forever.
I wanted Charlie to have what I did, two parents who loved her without a need to question it. But that wasn’t the case with Tierra. So, it was only right that she signed over her rights. I couldn’t have her getting out of jail and deciding that she wanted to take her from me out of spite. Not when she truly didn’t give a damn about her. I hated to say it like that, but it was true.
I pulled up to Rose Haven’s Detention Center; it was all brick with no sunshine. I could see how people lost every piece of themselves here or got a reset on life. I hoped for the latter with Tierra, but just not with my baby involved.
I parked and sat for a moment to collect my thoughts. Once I was certain I could handle this, I grabbed the manilla folder and made my way to the entrance. One of the guys I used to kick it with in high school worked here. He granted me access to have a face to face visit with Tierra. This was one of the positives of small town living.
Once I followed all the procedures necessary to enter the building, Delaney walked over and gave me a nod to follow him. Normally, whenever we saw each other, we had more to say. But this place didn’t feel like the outside world. It was sterile and cold. The hallway smelled like metal and cleaning fluid. Every step I took echoed just a little too loud off the cement walls.
“This way,” Delaney muttered, unlocking the last door.
The visitation room was plain—concrete floors, gray walls, one metal table bolted to the ground with two chairs on either side. Another officer stood near the back wall, arms crossed, eyes tracking everything.
I sat down and placed the envelope on the table in front of me.
Two minutes later, the door on the other side clicked open, and Tierra walked in.
Her hands were free, but the way she moved looked like she was still carrying weight. Her hair was pulled back into a tight, frizzy bun. No makeup. Eyes clearer than I’d seen them in months. Still tired, though. Still hollow.
She sat across from me without a word, just staring at the envelope.
“They treatin’ you alright?” I asked.
She shrugged. “It’s jail. Not a damn spa.”
I nodded once, then cut straight to it.
“I think it’s time to end this and to cut our ties.” I told her.
I lifted the envelope and pulled the contents out. She shifted in her seat and glanced around the room before looking back at me.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Parental rights termination papers. All you have to do is sign?—”
Tierra shook her head and held her hand up to stop me.
“You doing this because of a few little mistakes? You know what? I know what it is. You’re doing this because of that bitch?—”
“Enough.” I interrupted her spiel. “Aren’t you tired, Tierra? Because I am. This has nothing to do with Willow, and you know it. All these years, I’ve given you chance after chance to get things right with Charlie. But you just couldn’t do it. Your daughter wasn’t enough of a motivation for you. Shit, you claimed you wanted me, but I wasn’t enough motivation, either. Not until Willow came around, and in your eyes, she was competition.”
I paused for a moment, trying not to get heated. I needed her to understand that we were never an option. She would have only ever been a parent to Charlie, never my girl.
“Tierra, be real with yourself for once in your life. Do you want to be a mother to Charlie?” I asked, although I already knew the answer.
She looked off at the walls, not wanting to meet me head on. Then, she released a sigh before looking back in my direction.
“No, okay? No, I don’t. I had her for you and when she came along, she took you from me. Is that what you wanted to hear? That I don’t have a single connection with the one person who came from me!” she yelled as tears streamed down her cheeks.
The officer on the back wall stepped forward, ready to reprimand her, but I held my hand up to let him know it was alright.
“It’s not what I wanted to hear, but I think you needed to hear it. Every antic you do breaks that little girl’s heart further. Give her a chance. Life is already hard, and you know that better than anyone. Let her go. Let me go.” I told her while sliding over the papers for her to sign.
She hesitantly reached out for them and read every word until she made it to the last page. She glanced up at me with tears still slowly falling, now onto the paper, causing little damp spots.
“If I sign this, she is gone forever from me?”
“I had it notarized yesterday. You sign this, it’s done. Legal. Charlie becomes mine in full. No back-and-forth. No more threats. No more chances for this to get worse than it already has.”
She nodded and reached out for the pen I was holding. I handed it over and she went through, signing each part and initialing where needed. Once she was finished, she pushed the paperwork and pen over to me, then looked up at the guard.
“I’m ready to go back to my cell,” she told him.
He nodded, then walked over to help her stand. They walked over to the door she had entered through. Before she left the room, she glanced at me once more over her shoulder.
“Take care of her, and when she can truly understand. Tell her I’m sorry I couldn’t be the mother she deserved.”
I nodded as the door clicked, then opened for them to walk through. The moment they closed behind her, a weight seemed to have lifted from me and a peace settled in its place. I just wanted to be back home with my family.
* * *
BACK HOME
I stopped by my lawyer’s office on the way home so he could file the paperwork. The need to be home with my girls was intense after being in such a cold and uninviting environment. I needed to be able to feel the warmth and love that they gave without thought.
I pulled down the long driveway and opened the garage so I could park. On my way back, I had stopped by a floral shop to get both of my ladies flowers. I wanted to show them how thankful I was for them. The moment I stepped into the house, the aroma of potatoes and steak hit me. My stomach growled as if I hadn’t eaten all day.
Charlie’s giggles carried throughout the house and got stronger the closer I got to the kitchen. It was clear that Willow had brought her on as her own personal sous chef. Although by the look of the kitchen, she wasn’t much help. But if her big smile and wild hair told me anything, it said she was having the time of her life.
I stayed quiet, wanting to soak in this moment a little longer, but my presence wasn’t missed for too long.
“Daddy! Daddy’s home!” Charlie cheered.
I shook my head, but my grin stayed in place. I made my way into the kitchen and wrapped my arms around Willow’s waist, leaning in to kiss her, before handing her the flowers I bought. I released my hold on her so I could greet my other little lady.
“Hi, my baby!” I exclaimed, swooping Charlie into my arms.
She giggled as I rained kisses all over her chubby cheeks.
“Daddy!” she continued to giggle.
I pulled back, then handed her the smaller bouquet. She pulled them close to her chest and leaned in to smell them, just as she had seen Willow do.
“I love it!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms out, nearly busting me upside the head with her flowers.
I took that as my sign to put her little ass down.
“You want me to put your flowers into the vase with mine?” Willow asked her.
Charlie nodded eagerly, then handed her flowers over to Willow. I don’t know when Willow had gotten this vase; she rinsed it out then began cutting the stems of the flowers. Over the time since we had fully moved into this house, things of hers slowly made their way over here. I didn’t mind because to me, that only meant that we would soon all be living under one roof.
I leaned against the counter as I watched Willow maneuver like the lady of the house, which in my eyes, she was. Charlie rushed out of the kitchen and into the living room to play with her toys.
Willow gave me a soft smile as she washed her hands.
“So, how did it go? I didn’t want to ask in front of Charlie.”
I released a breath, then recounted the talk I had with Tierra. Willow stood and listened without interrupting.
She turned towards the stove, cutting off the burners and turning the oven down to low. Then, she took my hand into hers, leading me toward an empty room.
“Charlie, we will be right back.” Willow told her.
Charlie nodded and continued to watch some TV show while playing with her toys.
The moment we got into the room, she closed and locked the door behind her. There was a single chair in the room that she clearly had delivered here. She led me over and had me sit, then climbed into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“Let it all go because after this moment, is your new beginning.”
I heard her loud and clear. All the baggage that Tierra brought into our dynamic had to be left behind. The signing of those papers marked the end of the emotional control she had over our lives. Over Charlie’s life, at least for now. Because I knew someday, Charlie would want real answers.
I laid my head against her chest and allowed all the pain I held to fall. Tears steadily fell from my eyes, but no words were spoken to acknowledge them, just the soothing circles of Willow’s hand on my back and against my neck. This woman unknowingly held every part of me within in her hands. All she had to do was say the word and I would do it.
I looked up in eyes that mirrored my own. She reached out and cleared away any remaining tears. I gripped her chin and slid my tongue against hers. I just needed to feel close to her. She stood from my lap and stepped out of her leggings while I freed myself from the confines of my jeans.
She stood over me, then slowly lowered herself until her breath caught in her throat. I didn’t want her fast or hard. I just needed everything that was Willow Dawson. Her lips latched onto mine to hold in our soft moans and groans. The steady grip her pussy had on my dick took us over the edge together.
If I didn’t know what love felt like before, I sure as hell knew what it felt like now.
A light knock at the door brought us out of our haze.
“Daddy and Ms. Willow, I’m hungry.” Charlie groaned outside of the door.
Willow cupped her hand over her mouth to hold back her laughter.
“We coming, baby,” I called out.
We waited until we were certain she was out of earshot to laugh.
“I guess duty calls, daddy.” Willow said, standing as I slipped out of her.
I smacked her ass, causing it to jiggle.
“Mhm, soon as that child takes her ass to bed, I’m gone need you to show how much you really love a nigga.”
Willow bit her lip. “Is that all?” She made her ass clap a little.
I stood from the chair as she raced towards the adjoining bathroom, giggling.
Damn. I was a lucky man.