Sugar

by S. L. Jennings

  She heard his sharp intake of breath and continued with, “So now, let’s pass Go, collect $200 and let me pull that Get Out of Jail Free card. Because your brothers and your mother have been on Free Parking and soaking up our life like we’re the Community Chest. Now I’m ready to take a Chance and hit the Boardwalk.”

  “Really?” he yelled. “Trying to end our marriage on a Monopoly analogy?”

  “It’s all been a game to you. And y’all played it well,” she said, sliding off the bed and winding her way through the suite to the window overlooking the Chicago River. “Don’t give me any credit for anything of importance. And you weren’t like that the first day I showed up for a school that was so different than the private ones I’d known all my life. That was never your deal.” Her gaze followed the progression of the Chicago Lady yacht as it sailed toward the mouth of the river that led into Lake Michigan. The yacht, from her view, was so tiny that it resembled the little ship, one of the metal pieces in that game his family loved so much.

  “You know what’s funny? You and your brothers play that game six, seven hours at a time every Sunday and don’t even realize it was originally created by a woman—a woman, smart enough to create a game that taught the negative effects when something only benefits one person and leaves everyone else lacking.

  “That’s what this marriage feels like,” she confessed. “That woman, Lizzie Magie from right here in Illinois, was smart enough to have her shit together. When a man illegally sold it himself, the Parker Brothers came calling. They changed the name from The Landlord’s Game to Monopoly trying to find a way to steal it out from under her to keep the profit all for themselves.” She chuckled. “They still had to come see her because she’d been smart enough to patent it twice. A woman did that.”

  Zach sighed, and she wondered if he’d process that unknown bit of information or brush her off.

  “Let me tell you how much the game is like our marriage,” she said, pacing the room. “In the original Monopoly, no one was eliminated. Players who couldn’t pay their bills were sent to a corner of the board that was called “Poor House”—it eventually became Free Parking. On an emotional level, I’m in the poor house. Y’all have been parking all over me for fourteen years …”

  The fact that Zach, the major conversationalist, was silent, spoke volumes. Why did it take leaving for him to shut up and listen?

  “Baby, this isn’t no kind of right, you leaving me and the kids like this and you know it.”

  She laughed. She wasn’t being right? “I’m playing by a different set of rules. I’m doubling my peace of mind, I’ll be working towards my own goals. You can have it all. The house. The accounts. Boardwalk, Park Place. All of it—the children. Even as cold as that sounds. That’s how much I don’t care anymore. You wanted them, now you’ll have everything you always desired.”

  “Except my wife.”

  “I’m not your wife,” she roared. “I’m your maid, your cook, someone you sleep with when you feel like it. I’m doing all the giving, everyone else is doing all the taking, including your sorry brothers and Monique’s trifling ass. I have nothing else to give.”

  Minutes ticked by before he responded with, “I still think we should go to counseling.”

  “And I’m telling you, again, we are way past that,” she admitted. “I need to do some things for me. And I can’t do any of them being married to you.” She inhaled and released her breath slowly. “I can’t even lay blame for this at your feet. I take full responsibility for enabling everyone.” She paused to take a breath. “Do not call me. Do not text me. I will contact you when I’m ready. If you insist, despite the fact that I’ve asked you not to, I’ll turn the phone off altogether. Or I’ll let my lawyer handle things.”

  “What am I supposed to do with the kids?”

  “You’ll learn just like I did,” Shannan said, dragging her fingers through her curls. “You’ll be alright.”

  “You know I’m deeply Catholic,” he said. “Divorce is a sin.”

  “Then looks like I’m going straight to hell, because I’m tired of your kind of heaven.”

  She disconnected the call, turned over in the bed, and for the first time since she could remember, she had a full night’s rest.

  Tomorrow would take care of itself.

  Chapter 4

  “Mommy, don’t leave us here with them. Mommy please,” London pleaded as the FaceTime video kicked on.

  Shannan jolted upright in the bed, tossing the novel to the side. “What’s going on?”

  “They’re making me do everything,” she said between sniffles. “All the time. By myself.”

  Shannan was still a little pissed when she received a text from Jackie saying that Zach had scooped up Kriss and London and that he’d bring them back for the weekend.

  “It’s quiet on that end,” Shannan said, shocked by the lack of noise and chatter on a Friday night—only five days after she’d been gone. “Where is everyone?”

  “They went to the Bulls game and left me and Kriss here to clean up. He was actually supposed to go to the basketball game, too but stayed to help me.”

  Shannan’s heart slammed against her chest so hard, taking a breath was hard to manage.

  “Mommy look at this,” London said and the live feed switched to the room itself.

  Shannan resisted the urge to throw the phone across the suite. The living room and the den looked as though Satan had a wrestling match with his ex-wife and minions and the minions won.

  Clothes, bottles, containers, dishes everywhere. The Monopoly game was set up on the floor, awaiting the players to give it a go. And they were out having a good old time and left her babies to do all the damn work. Oh no, that was not how this was going to happen.

  “I had to leave school three times this week because I was going to get in trouble if the house wasn’t clean by the time Daddy got home,” she said. “I can’t do this, Mommy.”

  Shannan’s heart broke. So did her resolve.

  “And I’m trying to help,” Kriss chimed in. I couldn’t let Lon do this by herself. This is too much for anybody. Even you. And you’re Wonder Woman.”

  Shannan’s heart melted. Her youngest son’s love of comic books was legendary.

  “How long ago did they leave?” she asked.

  “About an hour.” Kriss said, then pointed behind them. “We got the kitchen straight, though.”

  “And they’re where?”

  “The United Center. I think,” Kriss replied, scratching his curly hair.

  Shannan calculated how much time they would need to gather up things and for her mother to go get them and said, “Pack whatever you can and whatever you think you’re going to miss.”

  “You’re not coming home?” London said, her golden face filled with hope.

  “I’m sending grandma.”

  “Yes,” Kriss said, pumping his fist. “Storm to the rescue.”

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Zach said, causing London to pull up short so fast that Kriss almost slammed into her. The other five sons filed through the front door and into the living room and spread out, exhausted after a game that had gone until double overtime. The Bulls still lost.

  “Grandma’s,” she squeaked, and her eyes were as wide as saucers. “She’s here to get us.”

  Kriss nodded.

  Anger ripped through Zach faster than he could imagine. “Take your little behinds right back upstairs. You’re not going anywhere.”

  “But—”

  “Upstairs.” He pointed. “Now.”

  A single tear slid down London’s face as she looked to her brother, who took her bag and trudged toward the stairs.

  Zach swung the front door open while Jackie still had her fist poised for that first knock. “They’re not going with you.”

  “That wasn’t something that was up for debate,” Jackie shot back. “They’re going to stay with me until all of this is sorted out.”

  Out of the corner
of his eye, he observed London and Kriss tipping back down to the middle point of the stairs.

  “You don’t get to come here and just take my children from my house,” he snapped.

  Jackie stepped over the threshold, and soon stood only five inches away from Zach. “Did you know London missed three days of school this week?”

  Zach’s head snapped to London, who cringed.

  The older sons filtered out of various points in the house to witness the scene. Zach put a glare on them. “I gave everyone chores, split them so no one person had to do it all.”

  “Well they,” she said, gesturing to Arec, Aaron, Alan, Andres, and Alex. “Didn’t get that memo. They left it all to London and Kriss.” She placed a hand on her hip, glowering at him. “She left school as soon as she got there to run back here to get things done. Thought her daddy wouldn’t love her anymore because she couldn’t keep the house clean.”

  Kriss gripped London’s hand and she inched closer to her brother for support. Zach focused a steely gaze on his older sons who didn’t seem to be the least bothered by the fact that they had unfairly dumped their responsibilities on the babies of the family, much in the same way his own brothers had done growing up. Zach could never do anything right.

  Now, he had made his own child feel that way. Made his wife feel that way.

  “Go on,” he said to London and Kriss.

  “I’m sorry, Daddy,” London cried. “I just couldn’t do it all myself.”

  Zach stooped so he could look her and Kriss in the eyes. “You shouldn’t have to. I love you, baby girl. You too, Short Stack.”

  “I know, Dad.” Kriss puffed out his chest. “Next time, I’ll come home with her. We’ll do better. I promise.”

  “No, I’m going to do better,” Zach admitted, then watched as Jackie ushered them from the house, but not without giving him a sorrowful glance that served to make a point.

  Get your shit together or you’re going to be truly sorry.

  Chapter 5

  A few days later, Zachary Hallerin was so focused on finding the one piece that held his family together, that everything else was falling apart. He had to take a leave of absence to learn the budget, where all the money was held, all the arrangements that were in place, handle parent-teacher conferences. He delegated responsibility to each son in an effort to be fair about things. Somehow, he still came home to a house in such disarray he couldn’t get a good night’s sleep. Dishes and laundry seemed to be marrying each other and making porcelain and polyester babies.

  Shannan was a magician. That’s what it all came down to. He couldn’t get a handle on how she managed everything.

  “Dad, I gotta be at practice,” Arec said, sliding a soccer ball under his arms.

  “Okay,” Zach said, sighing as reality was back on the main part of his life’s menu making regrets a side order. He leaned over, picking up the clothes off the stairs. “Have fun.”

  Arec looked at his brothers then back to Zach. “Um, I don’t think you’re hearing me.”

  “I heard you,” Zach said.

  Alex perched his lanky frame on the edge of the sofa. “Mom takes us.”

  Zach thought that over, then calculated the one mile it would take for them to get there. “And it’s in walking distance.”

  “Mom drops me off at soccer then takes Andres and Aaron to—”

  Aaron’s hazel eyes seemed a little panic-stricken. “We’re gonna be late.”

  “Where’s London and Kriss?”

  “They left about fifteen minutes ago,” Alan said tossing the basketball up, catching it, then tossing it up again before throwing it to Arec.

  “Together?”

  “Yeah. They’ve got gymnastics and soccer.”

  Zach put the laundry basket on the threshold, whipped out his cell and texted his youngest two. They texted back that they were safe. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. He faced the rest of his sons.

  “Let me get this straight,” he said, facing the boys. “The youngest of the crew wanted to be on time and they walked to get there.”

  “Sounds about right,” Aaron said with a shrug and tossed the ball to his right where Andres stood.

  Zach thumbed in the direction of the front door. “Get to getting.”

  Andres missed the ball. “You’re not going to—”

  “Not happening.”

  “Man, I wish Mom—”

  “You didn’t appreciate her when she was here,” Zach snapped and all five of them put their focus on him. “You’re part of the reason she walked out.”

  “Yeah? And you had nothing to do with it?” Aaron said, as his twin nodded. “Why was Mom mowing the lawn? Weren’t you supposed to do that?”

  Ouch. “She asked one of you.”

  “Yet, you were in here with your bros while …” Andres edged, dropping down to perch on the stairs. “If you don’t, why should we?”

  Alex brushed past him, glaring at him on the way to the door. Evidently taking the hint. “Mom’s the real MVP in this house.”

  Now that stings. “Not so much of a champ if she’s the only one on the team and everyone else is on the bench.”

  “Hard to be a team, when the coach is outside of the stadium,” Alex snapped, then grinned.

  “Asking us to do stuff that you’re not doing,” Andres said, offering Alan his fist for a bump which he obliged.

  Oh, so they could work together when it was to team up against him. “In a minute, you won’t have a choice. She’s not coming back. And all you’ll have is me.”

  Zach let that sink in for a moment. “And let me tell you this. I played a part in not making sure I did what needed to be done in this house and I’m about to feel the consequences. You all, on the other hand, also chose to ignore the fact she said she needed you.” Zach swept a gaze across all five of them. “You all will feel the effects of that, too. Until this house is clean, I’m not shelling out any more money for baseball, football, volleyball, soccer—none of it. Look at this place.” His swept a hand to encompass the mess they created on a daily basis that was piling up. “I’m the only one trying to do something around here.”

  “Wait a minute,” Andres said, tossing the ball to Aaron. “That’s not fair.”

  “You’ll be alright.” He shrugged. “I’m going to invite your mother here for a talk. This house—every square inch, needs to be in order.”

  “What about Lon and Kriss?” Aaron whined.

  Zach waggled a finger at all of them. “That little stunt you pulled lets them off the hook.”

  “Close the door and let’s get to work,” he said to Arec.

  “Now that I’m almost grown, you want to play daddy,” Arec taunted, not moving to comply.

  “It’s never too late to be the father … or the husband, I should’ve been.” Zach picked up the laundry basket and slid it to Alan. “I want my wife and my family. Either you can get with the program or you’re going to be mighty unhappy around this camp. Your choice.”

  Alan, Andres, Aaron, Alex, and Arec came to stand at the threshold of the kitchen.

  Zach nodded and said, “First, we’re going to …”

  Zach picked Arec up from detention and visited Jackie’s home, still trying to track down his wife.

  Arec darted up the stairs to be with London and Kriss.

  “She’s with another man?” he asked Jackie, when she finally allowed him to walk past her into the townhouse.

  “I don’t think that’s the case,” she replied, meeting his gaze head on before making her way to the kitchen to finish prepping the meal. Dinner for two. He couldn’t remember Shannan mentioning that her mother was dating anyone.

  “You expecting someone?” he asked, gesturing to the two wine glasses, two plates, and service for two waiting to be set on the dining room table.

  “Nunyo.”

  “What?”

  “Nunyo,” she said, smiling. “Short for none of your business.”

  “Oh, that’s cold,�
�� he said, chuckling. “I haven’t heard that since grammar school.”

  Jackie put her focus on dicing the scallions.

  “I don’t understand any of this,” he said, settling on a stool at the kitchen island. “I’ve never mistreated her; never hit her, never—”

  Jackie’s head whipped up, knife in hand and leveled at him. “And you’re not supposed to,” she said, her face a mask of fury. “You don’t get brownie points for that.” She stabbed the knife in the chopping block. “And that mistreatment thing is up for interpretation. If she felt loved and appreciated, she wouldn’t be missing in action. Happy women don’t leave happy homes.”

  Zach never realized how much work it took to run their household. Now, right when things were heating up at work—with Macro Dynamics expecting him to turn in the prototype for a prosthetic for children that was controlled by neuro-cybernetics. The kind of piece that would grow with the children for several years rather than having them outfitted for new ones every few months.

  “She’s a single woman in a household of seven children,” Jackie told him. “If I had to tell you the truth, I would’ve left your ass a long time ago. She only didn’t because she, despite the fact that you let your family roll all over you and her, looooooooves you.” Then Jackie shrugged as she narrowed a gaze on him. “Well, looks like love is no longer enough. Grow a pair or you’re going to lose her completely.” Jackie nodded in the direction of the front door. “Now get your whiny ass out of my house and get yourself together. Be the man you’re supposed to be, not the man that trifling woman is trying to make you into.”

  Chapter 6

  Zach and Arec hit the threshold of Jackie’s door. Zach was aiming to find another way to locate Shannan when an all-too-familiar face greeted him at the door.

  “Dad? What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Unlike you, I actually live here.” He sauntered to Jackie and pressed a kiss to her forehead, and she practically melted under his touch.