Page 59 of Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming
“Yes. I’ve had dalliances and dated casually, but I’ve never committed to anyone. Sheila is an ER nurse at St. Augustine that I dated briefly and hooked up with a couple of times after the breakup. She got pregnant during one of our hook-ups. She saw it as a come up and thought she would become Mrs. Patrick Bryant. I told her that wasn’t going to happen, but that I would take care of her and Courtney, and I have.”
“How did your grandmother take the news of the pregnancy?”
“Baby, I got a woman I wasn’t married to pregnant. She was not pleased. Hell, by that point, she had given up on finding me a “suitable” bride because I’d told every woman she introduced me to that I never wanted to get married. It’s always been you or no one, Aimee.”
“You can fuck me senseless, now.”
“With pleasure.” He smirks.
4
AIMEE
Aimee looks at her friends, waiting for their reactions. She just finished telling them about her date with Patrick. They sent texts earlier in the day, asking how it went, but Aimee wanted to wait until she saw them today so she could tell them face-to-face.
“I would have molly whopped Ms. Sheila’s ass,” Lyric finally speaks.
They’re at Linden’s Bookstore in a back room that serves as a makeshift green room for Aimee. She’s a participating author for a Q&A and book signing. She and the ladies got there early to set up and have a gathering.
“Seriously! What was she doing, acting like she’s the lady of the house at a house that ain’t even hers?” Bridget adds. “And can we talk about Patrick’s dig regarding Courtney always calling him instead of her?”
“What about it?” Aimee asks.
“Dr. Brown, you want to take this?” Bridget asks.
Suchi nods, “Certainly. While I don’t want to prescribe to harmful generalizations, Aims, if a female child who is at a very pivotal age—first menstruation, transitioning from elementaryto middle school, maybe even having her first real crush—is more comfortable talking to her father than the primary parent she lives with, who is also female, then that speaks volumes about how Sheila’s parenting style probably doesn’t mesh well with Courtney’s personality. You said she has her own show, right?”
“Right.”
Suchi pulls out her phone. “What’s it called?”
“Holding Court with Courtney Bryant.It’s on the Kids Space app.”
Kid’s Space is an app similar to IG, but for kids ages 12-17. And the folks that run that app don’t play. If an adult even whiffs around it, they’re flagged and banned immediately. Parents have to download their own parental app to send messages to their kids. The Kid’s Space app itself is strictly for children.
Suchi has access to the app through her work with kids. She looks it up, and they watch a few minutes of Courtney’s show.
“Hi! And welcome toHolding Court with Courtney Bryant.The show where I talk to kids about their dreams, goals and accomplishments. I’m your host, Courtney. Today, we’ll be talking to eleven-year-old soccer phenom, Gabriel Vasquez, about how soccer has helped shaped his life and made him more confident. Stay tuned after a word from our sponsors.”
“Babygirl has sponsors. Damn, I can’t even get sponsors,” Bridget says, impressed.
“I see an amazing child with a bright and beautiful personality that she probably has to stifle around her mother. The best thing you can do, Aimee, is let Courtney know that she’s safe to be who she is around you.” Suchi explains.
“Really? That’s it. I feel like I should do more, Sooch. I want Courtney to like me.”
“And she will. Making her feel safe may sound obvious, but since we know that doesn’t always happen, doing so will make a huge difference.” Suchi pats Aimee on the shoulder.
“Patrick did say Sheila saw getting pregnant as a come up. If that’s the case, then Sheila may be realizing that using Courtney isn’t going to work much longer, and now you’re entering the picture. I’m telling you, that woman sees you and Courtney as threats,” Lyric says.
She takes out a compact from her purse and adds a dab of powder to Aimee’s nose. “You were shining,” she says when she’s done.
“Thanks.” Aimee smiles at Lyric. “Okay, me, I can see as a threat. But her own daughter? That’s just sick.”
“It is, but it’s no less prevalent. L’s right. To Sheila, Courtney’s usefulness is quickly ending,” Suchi asserts.
“Yep. Courtney already has a close relationship to her dad, so she doesn’t need her mom. He fills the parental role for the both of them,” Bridget adds. “Look at me, Lamar and the kids. I’m doing double duty in the parenting department my damn self. And Lamar? I can’t remember the last time LJ and Tanya even talked to that man. And they seem perfectly fine with that.”
“That’s a good point, and six years will go by in a flash. Next thing she knows, Courtney will be eighteen. And if she wanted to, Courtney could comfortably go no contact with Sheila,” Aimee comments.
