Page 27 of No One Like You

One more appeal, this time to the ultimate truth, would win the day.

“Megan, you need to think about what’s best for Sophia! She needs to be raised in a strong Christian home, with good Anglo-Saxon values.”

Tasha snorted loudly. “Anglo-Saxon values? Brad, your last name is Kowalski. Your mother is half Italian. I am more Anglo-Saxon than you!”

“No, you’re not! You’re?—”

“Black? Yeah, and my first ancestor on this continent arrived in South Carolina almost three hundred and fifty years ago… from England. Then he bought another of my ancestors off a boat from Africa. And he raped her. Centuries of slavery, rape, and violence followed. That’s my family history with Anglo-Saxon values!”

“But—”

“Brad, you best think carefully about the next words out of your mouth, because if you are about to spew some state of Florida revisionist bullshit about how slavery was good for Black folks, or how we liked picking cotton and singing fo’ massa’, then I will slap that nonsense right out of your mouth!”

Brad was flailing now. He was used to having conversations with people who agreed with him completely. Facing Tasha’s righteous fury was unnerving. “Having one British ancestor doesn’t mean you’re Anglo-Saxon.”

“Do you see my hair? No Black girl gets hair like this without a shitload of European genetics. Have you ever heard about one-drop laws? They were invented for families like mine. So you can take your Anglo-Saxon values and shove them up your ass, because I know exactly what that bullshit means.”

Brad was stunned into silence. Megan whispered, “Brad, it’s time for you to leave.” As he gathered his wits, all three of them heard the sound of Sophia crying on the swingset. Brad was nearly knocked over as Megan bolted for her child. As he regained his balance, Tasha walked up to him and said in a deadly quiet voice, “You get the fuck out of here and don’t you come back to our neighborhood. Ever!”

Minutes later, Brad sat shaking in the driver’s seat of his truck. He’d screwed up badly. Really badly. He’d done what he thought he was supposed to do—what was right. So why didn’t he win? I’m so fucked. Stanislaus Kowalski did not tolerate failure, and he certainly wouldn’t tolerate weakness in his son. Brad’s world had come crashing down around him, and he had no idea how to fix it.

CHAPTER 18

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

Tasha locked the door as soon as they got home, and then felt her legs go to jelly as the adrenaline faded. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been that angry, but now that anger was quickly being forced back by concern. She looked into the bedroom to see Megan comforting Sophia on the bed, the two of them crying. Tasha felt her own heart break at the sight.

The next few hours were consumed by alternating waves of rage and misery. And lots of pacing. Nocturne emerged from under the couch and head-butted Tasha’s legs briefly before going to the bedroom where her feline comforting skills were most needed.

Tasha fixed lunch for the three of them, delivering sandwiches to the bedroom, and then she collapsed wearily onto the couch. Today had been an emotional roller coaster, and Tasha felt exhausted.

Eventually, Megan emerged red-eyed from the bedroom, carrying two empty plates. She sat down next to Tasha on the couch. Tasha pulled Megan in, holding her the same way Megan had been holding her daughter not long before. Megan burrowed her head under Tasha’s chin and stayed there. After a long time, she asked, “Is Maria as good as she says she is?”

“I mean, I haven’t used her services myself, but I’ve met some of her former clients at various get-togethers. Yeah, I think she’s probably as good as she says she is. Why?”

“I’m going to call Maria and get papers filed. I’m divorcing Brad.”

“About fucking time… Sorry, that’s not my place to say.”

“It’s okay. I probably should have dumped him the first time he cheated on me. I was just scared, though. I was pregnant. Taking him back, forgiving him… It was safe.”

“I get that. Being a single mom sounds scary.”

“Oh, I’m terrified right now!”

“Sorry, I didn’t…”

“It’s still new. I’ll admit, I’m not as scared as I could be, because of you.”

“You mean, free babysitting!”

“No, not that! Although… that sounds good, too.”

They spent the next few minutes in a comfortable silence. Tasha sensed that Megan wasn’t done talking, but she was done for the moment. She waited patiently for Megan to be ready, holding her friend close.

“Brad wasn’t always like this, you know. I think I said before that he went to some bad places during COVID. Now I’m starting to feel that maybe he went further than I knew.”

Tasha grunted in agreement. She’d tolerated Brad back in college only because he was dating Megan. After today, she was more than happy to never see him again.

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