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“I don’t want to talk about it,” Oliver said to Benjamin.

“That’s too damn bad. You were so outta pocket.”

Benjamin was pissed.

“I was outta pocket? What about him?”Oh, Oliver!His voice was so full of hurt. She was still upset at his earlier behaviour, but this situation was ravishing her family.

“Our father? I don’t know, man. Yes, this shit is messed up. I just know it was mad disrespectful to speak to him that way?—”

“Come on, Ben?—”

“Nah! You were wrong. You know that shit wasn’t just disrespectful to Dad, it was a hell of disrespectful to Mom, too. They didn’t raise us like that. You were talking to Dad all crazy. You’re lucky he didn’t put his hands on you. I would have.”

“Really?”

“Yes! It was that bad. You really made things ten times worse. I don’t know what’s going on with our parents, all right? Something isn’t right. But the fact is, I don’t know.” Benjamin stopped for a moment. Ivy couldn’t see them, but she could imagine how flustered her middle child was. He didn’t like uncertainties.

“What I do know is that Dad has always been there for everything! Remember when Ishia broke your heart and Dad stayed up with you all night even though he had a board meeting the next day?”

“Yeah, I also remember him telling me how we had to be respectful of women. How he got on me when I was in eleventh grade and was dating those two girls at the same time?”

“That’s because you were being a fuck boy!”

“But Dad gets to be one?”

“That’s the thing. We don’t know that he is.”

“Mom wouldn’t put him out for nothing!”

“If you were listening, you would have heard they agreed to this. Before you say anything, it doesn’t sit right with me either. However, it is not enough to ruin my relationship with my Dad.

How many times have we heard how lucky we are? Remember when that cop pulled me over for no reason? Dad didn’t stop until he lost his job, and his supervisor was suspended. When Mom said maybe let it go… what did Dad say?

Fuck no!Cause it wasn’t just about Benjamin.He was doing it for all the young black boys out there whose father didn’t have the clout to crush racist assholes.

So yeah, I am disappointed, but we actually don’t know if it’s true. Dad is a straight shooter, so I don’t know what to think. But don’t be a dumbass and burn the fucking bridge while you’re standing on it.”

Ivy had heard enough. She couldn’t have said that shit better herself. Hopefully, Benjamin’s wisdom would wear off on Oliver… and soon. She stopped two doors down and knocked.

“Come in.” Sage’s shoulders sagged in disappointment when her mom walked in. Daddy’s girl was probably expecting him to come to talk things out with her.

“Hey, Saggy.” Ivy walked over and sat on her daughter’s bed. The child’s room was a whirlwind. It drove her father crazy. Ivy, on the other hand, understood the chaos. Sage had her own organizational system.

“Hey, Momma.” Her little girl looked the part. Her hair was up in one great puff, and she wore her Smurfette onesie.

“I don’t understand why Daddy has to go.” Sage’s eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked like she was on the verge of crying again at any moment.

It was a horrible cop-out, but Ivy didn’t know what else to say. “Saggy, it’s complicated.”

“But you guys still love each other, right?”

This was easier to answer. “Yes, very much.” Ivy nodded.

“Then you guys should be together.” Sage crawled out of her bed and rested her head on Ivy’s lap.

“It’s not that simple.”

“Love should be simple, though.”

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