Providing Mom with the exact timeline of my relationship is something she isn’t entitled to know. Ultimately, I am Caleb’s only parent, so I’m the only opinion on this and every other equation my son is concerned about. Today nor tomorrow will be the day I let Mom guilt me about the mistake she isn’t willing to release me from. With that thought in mind, I prepare to walk away before Mom grips my arm tightly, lowering her tone so only I can hear her words.
“Don’t get cute with me because you decided that being a slut was the ultimate way to repay me for my sacrifices. Like I’ve said before, don’t bring another bastard baby for me to help you raise because that buck stopped with Caleb.” Snatching away from Mom, I grimace when her nails puncture my skin slightly, yet myfeet move quickly to the nearest bathroom without making eye contact with anyone.
I’m sick and tired of taking her fucking verbal abuse. However my existence came to be between her and whatever pitiful nigga she laid down with, if she felt so strongly against the blessing of my life, she should have chosen to have an abortion.
Pacing the floor of Nana’s half bath ten minutes later, I angrily swipe at my tears while my thoughts echo loudly in my mind. I’m thirty-fucking-two. Why am I still letting Mom’s hateful ass get me off my square? You have to?—
*Knock, knock*
“Somebody’s in here,” I inform whoever is knocking on the bathroom door.
“It’s me and Mr. Germayne, Mommy. Are you okay?” Caleb’s sweet voice sounds through the closed door, bringing me an instantaneous smile.
“Open the door, Cha-Cha,” Germayne probes.
“Why do you call Mommy that?” Caleb laughs.
“You have a unique name to call her, and I needed one so I could be cool like you are,” Germayne tells Caleb, melting my heart.
“Give me a second,” I say, turning on the water to wet my face in hopes of removing the evidence of my emotional display so I don’t worry either of them.
Once I’m semi-satisfied with my appearance, I turn the lock and open the door, and a wide smile bursts upon seeing Caleb and Germayne patiently waiting. Both of them are displaying concerned expressions and somewhat standing inthe same protective posture. Caleb’s little body moves quickly, surrounding my bottom half with his little arms, hugging me tight. Patting his head, my bottom lip trembles slightly, causing me to bite it to contain the sob in my throat.
“Come on, Mr. Germayne. I can’t reach Mommy’s top half,” Caleb urges.
“I got you, little man.”
“Can you give me a unique name like Mommy, Mr. Germayne?”
“What if I call you C?”
“I like it. Thank you.”
“Say less, C.”
Tears slip from my eyes when Germayne hugs the top of my body with one arm while locking his other around Caleb and me.
“We got you, Cha-Cha. Fuck anybody trying to destroy your peace,” Germayne whispers so only I can hear.
Seeing how well Germayne was fairing with the rest of my family, I asked Nana if it was okay if I invited his grandmother. I told her that Germayne’s grandmother and her would get along great and provide her with someone to hang with when she didn’t want to be bothered with us. Nana happily allowed me to extend the invitation through Germayne, so we await Grandma Jolene’s arrival.
“Are you sure you didn’t need to go pick up Grandma Jolene?”
“Nah. She’s straight. Picking her up would have offended her since she knows I’m already here. She swears that Dad’s trying to prevent her from driving, although she’s only seventy-two,”Germayne informs me, and something in his statement has my eyebrows hiking.
“Wait, she’s not your mom’s mom?”
“Nah. What made you think that?”
Scratching my forehead, I recall what she said about Mrs. Adele the day of the wedding.
“She called your mom her daughter, so I just assumed.”
“Oh. That’s because she and Ma have a close relationship despite Grandma Jolene saying Ma had Dad sniffing her pussy like kitty litter.”
“She’s a mess.” I giggle before lifting my phone to see what time it is due to my anxiousness about her arrival.
“Okay, she’s here. I’m gonna go get her so she doesn’t have to walk through the crowd alone,” Germayne tells me before I can say another word.