Neighborly Intentions

by Falon Gold

  “It’s me, Anna.”

  It was a hoarse female’s voice that I didn’t recognize, but I got an idea of who it was when Anna hissed, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me” before opening the door. “Why are you here, Shelly? How do you keep finding where I move to?”

  I took as Shelly kept up with Anna for one reason; to show up, drag Anna back down to where she co-existed with pain, remind her daughter that she couldn’t get away from the bad parts of her world. It was time for me to take out the bad guy one more time.

  “Shelly?!” Anna’s mother croaked. “You’re still disrespecting me by calling me by my government name instead of addressing me as your mama. I ought to slap the piss out of you for that, and this is a small town. Everybody knows everybody’s business.” The woman’s indignant tone moved through the living area, so I assumed she was walking and talking, inspecting the place and contaminating as I slid into my camouflage pants.

  “You tried putting your hands on me for that the last thing you showed up like the devil, Shelly, and it didn’t work out so well for your nose, did it? Now, get out my house. Do not ever come back. You know you are not welcomed wherever I am.” Anna’s tone was high-pitched. She was beyond livid.

  “Girl, you may have this fancy house now, but I’ll always be here to remind you that you still ain’t shit.”

  “If I’m not shit, it’s because I came from someone that wasn’t shit, but I don’t have to live on your level because you refuse to do better. I never was like you as much as you wanted me to be, and I won’t ever be like you who’s miserable, alone, and a waste of space. You really are the devil. Now leave before I haul your ass out of here myself, but I rather not touch you this time.”

  Now, I knew for sure why Anna’s faith in herself was so low; her mother had browbeat it out of her, and I was pretty sure that someone had done the same to Shelly once upon a time. The vicious cycle ended here.

  I threw on my shirt quickly, not bothering with shoes before exiting the bedroom to go stand by Anna’s side at the front door. She heaved air liked an angry bull beside me. I knew it wouldn’t be long before she was tearing off in her mother’s ass.

  Shelly stood in the center of the living room, looking me up and down with a small smile playing on her face with a predatory gleam in her eyes. “And who are you?”

  God, this woman had no boundaries, could’ve been her daughter’s twin if Anna had stringy, greasy blond hair that hadn’t been washed in days, bloodshot eyes, more than her fair share of wrinkles, and was as thin as a stick. Shelly’s dingy t-shirt and jeans hung off her emaciated frame.

  Doubting if she’d last the year if she didn’t get into rehab soon, I opened the front door for her. “How could you call yourself a mother and tell your daughter she isn’t shit? You’re supposed to be the first person to build her up, not tear her down. You’re a disgrace to single parents everywhere who love their children and struggle to give them the best, and you’re most certainly not welcomed around any children we have. Monsters will never be welcomed around them.”

  Shelly sniffed. “Just because you’re screwing my daughter doesn’t mean you can call me names and keep my out of her life. I am her mother after all, so you should respect me, and you still haven’t told me who you are.”

  “Respect starts at home, Shelly. Just because you’re had Anna doesn’t mean I’ll stand by and let you drag her down as is your intended purpose for being here. But, you don’t have to lift Anna up. I will. You don’t have be there for her when she needs someone to tell her everything will be okay. I will. You don’t have to make sure that she starts believing she is a beautiful person inside and out. I will. That’s all you need to know about me who’s going to marry your daughter one day, give her kids that will be raised in a healthy, happy household that I’ll throw your ass out of bodily if you show up one more time to spit insults and untruths about her to her.”

  Anna pointed at her mother. “You don’t have a daughter. You never did. You were never a mother, you’re an egg donor. There’s a difference, and I can keep you out of my life. We are done. Forget you know me. Forget where I live or move to next. Forget trying to bully me for the rest of my life to make sure that I’m as miserable as you. That I become you. Be grateful I don’t take out a restraining order on you.”

  I tapped my chin with a finger as if I was thinking. “You know, Anna, I think a few years in jail would be good for Shelly. How about I call the cops and get the ball rolling on that restraining order? I may only be a soldier, but I have plenty of influence with the boys in blue.” Anyone that truly served and protect would always stand together and work together for the greater good.

  “Why the fuck would you call the cops?” Shelly hollered. “I only wanted to see my daughter!”

  I took my phone out of my pants pocket and began dialing. “No, you came to cut your daughter’s accomplishments down and make sure she never became more than you because you don’t know the first thing about being a mother who puts her children before herself, and that stops today.”

  Shelly flew past us and out the opened doorway.

  “Good riddance!” Anna slammed the door shut then wrapped her arms around my waist. “I think that was the last we’ll see of her, and FYI, soldier, a soldier is not all that you are. You’re my everything.”

  “Ditto, Anna.” I held her close.

  She gazed up at me with that smile that turned my insides gushy. I’d never admit to that with the guys, I’d never hear the end of it.

  “You know, Roland, your threats work better than mine with her. I called the cops before and they took us both to jail for fighting.”

  I smiled back. “I’m not a soldier for nothing, sweetheart, and I promised to keep you safe, and I will use every influence I have to do it.”

  “Maybe I should go into the Marines.”

  “Oh, hell no, this city would have a tank rolling through it if someone bullied your child.”

  She nodded. “Damn straight.”

  “Yeah, no, no military for you until you take anger-management classes. Rolling over a school of elementary kids and teachers to get to a bully is a bad thing.”

  She harrumphed. “Not if it protects our child.”

  And then, I kissed her before she thought of what else she’d do to protect our child.

  ********

  Epilogue

  Five months later

  ~Anna~

  I whirled around in a circle in my styling chair, growing bored while waiting for my customer to come back from the bathroom. I could hear her puking over the R&B music playing low through the wall mounted speakers in the salon.

  “Oh my God, Kay! Stop being sick already! Everyone knows you’re pregnant but you and everyone knows that being pregnant is contagious!” I yelled then rubbed my round belly growing around a four-month-old fetus.

  Roland and I forgetting to use a condom during our first bath together had come back to bless us. He was already running himself ragged with preparing for his child’s birth, the wedding, and talking to Kay about the baby shower that would happen months for now. No one would ever say he was a slacker and a failing as a father. Life was good. Finally.

  “Shut up, Anna!” Kay hollered back huskily. “And you too, Tocara!” Then, Kay heaved up some more of her lunch.

  Tocara Buford was owner of Nu Impressions Salon. She giggled from her booth next to me as she worked on an older, black woman who had been a regular customer of the salon since Tocara opened it ten years ago. A few years later, she bought the whole building she started her first business in. Every other year, a new extension was added to accommodate a new service Tocara wanted to provide and give others a chance to start or grow their own business.

  There was a beauty parlor, barber shop, nail salon, and spa with their own areas. Usually, she and I were the only ones working on Mondays when business was usually too slow for opening up either part of the areas unless the technicians had a special customer who warranted the
trip.

  Tocara’s grandmother and Kay certainly counted as special customers as well as Roland and his old unit mate, Kurt Jansen, another soldier transferring to Dalton to work at the base in Ringgold under Hayden. Kay had talked Kurt into coming in today for a haircut, so I could freshen up his mohawk. But, I knew the real reason she wanted to get him here today; Kay was on her matching-making kick again, had decided to do something about Tocara’s single status unbeknownst to the lovely Tocara with skin the color of an iced latte and bouncy curls cascading down her back.

  She was even shorter than Kay, but I didn’t see Kurt missing or resisting her plush lips, wide hips, honey-colored eyes, tiny waist. He certainly would spot her she independent streak that was a mile wide. When she wasn’t working on her next extension to the building, she was a recluse in her home on the north side of town. She was also tired of meeting Mr. Wrong.

  Kurt was moving in her area in about a month thanks to Kay. He was bringing his larger than life personality which matched his size with him, often flitting around like a butterfly, getting to know everyone because he was so friendly it was ridiculous. He and Toccara were total opposites.

  Since there would be none of the usual distractions in the building today, Kurt and Toccara wouldn’t be able to help noticing one another. His was even bigger and muscular than Roland, so yeah, she’d notice him blocking out the sun. Maybe, they’d start talking to one another and opposites would do what opposites do; attract. Afterwards, maybe they’ll go on a date. Then, maybe, they’ll attend together my wedding to Roland after the baby was born.

  The End!

  Thank you for supporting this work. I truly hoped you enjoyed it. Definitely, leave a review if you feel up to it. If not, I more than appreciate you just letting me entertain you. It is a privilege that I hope to access again and again in the future. For updates on Falon Gold’s latest releases not promoted in this work, click these links and follow me on social media and Amazon. I follow back. Have a beautiful life and excellent reads always at your fingertips.

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  Coming August 20th, 2018

  Neighborly Intentions 3

  The last full-length installment in the Perfect Hearts series. Kurt and Tocara’s story will be available for Preorder in July.

  Kurt Jansen and Tocara Buford are about as opposite as opposites get, but there’s an old saying about opposites for a reason.

  Coming October 2018

  Neighborly Intentions 3.5

  The first of many short romances in the Perfect Hearts series.

  Once high school sweethearts, business owners Sienna Tailor and Leonard Townsend, who’s also a retired sailor, reunite to do business. After parting ways to fulfill their dreams over twenty years ago, can they reignite the flame that used to burn bright between them?

  Available

  My Mother’s Footsteps

  When family becomes one woman’s salvation and her downfall.

  http://bit.ly/MMFebook

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Falon Gold is one of many writers now living her dream of being a published author, as well as a wife and mother to three beautiful girls in Griffin, GA.