Synergy

by Georgia Payne

  When the doctor told them he would carry out an ultrasound to see the baby, the two of them didn’t know what to say. They held their breaths until they heard a heartbeat other than her own drumming away, and when they saw the baby on the screen, Jason couldn’t believe it. Dee was sure he saw tears in his eyes, and she couldn’t front, because she did too. It was amazing to see it on the screen, to feel it was really real, to remind yourself that you are carrying an actual human being and you’re going to be a parent again. She loved Tushaun more than anything in the world, so she knew she would love this baby just as much.

  The doctor told them the baby was small, but that he hoped it would grow rapidly in the coming months. He’d then printed out two copies of the ultrasound picture so that each of them could have a copy to show their families. While Dee was happy to see her new baby, worry plagued her mind over the doctor’s comments. He was small for three months of pregnancy; she knew it didn’t sound good. She thought about the past three months before she knew she was pregnant, of all the times she had drank and smoked since sleeping with Jason the first night.

  She thought about the party at Shaneeka’s and all the shots they’d consumed while playing party games. She thought about all the cannabis she’d smoked, unaware she was pregnant. On her way out of the doctor’s office, Jason could tell there was something on Dee’s mind. While he was chattering away about how amazing it was, and looking back over the picture, Dee walked silently back to the car. Once inside, Jason turned to her and asked if she was okay, before she burst into tears. It was a shock to him because it was the first time he had seen her cry, and he never expected it. At first, he thought she was just over-emotional at seeing the baby, but she didn’t look like she was ready to laugh it off.

  “Hey, what’s the matter?” he’d asked her, brushing her hair behind her ear affectionately.

  “It’s my fault” She’d blubbed.

  “What’s your fault?”

  “The baby. The baby’s small ‘cause of me. I smoked so much and drank and I didn’t know I was pregnant. I’ve stunted its growth” she’d sobbed.

  “Hey, come here” He’d said, as he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. She cried into him for a minute and he told her how it wasn’t her fault. How was she supposed to change her actions when she didn’t know? She hadn’t done it purposely, he knew that, and he knew she’d given everything up once she did know. He hated to see her so upset, but in a weird sort of way, it was nice to see her emotional, so raw. It made him see a lighter side of her, a more vulnerable side, and he wanted nothing more than to protect her and make her feel better.

  “If you’re worried about it, we can book another appointment, talk to the doctor about it.”

  “No. He’ll judge me.”

  “He won’t judge you. You haven’t done anything wrong.” He said, as she came up for air away from his chest and wiped her face.

  “Hey, if the doctor was worried about it, he would have said something, and he didn’t did he?”

  Dee shook her head and slowly, she started to look composed again.

  That evening, after Jason had dropped her home, Dee had shown her mother and sister the photo, and they’d all gathered in the kitchen and cooed over it. Monique had come round to the idea of her daughter having another child, and though she had her reservations still, she had apologised to Dee for hurting her. Well, as close to an apology as her mother could get, it was good enough. Monique’s reservations were mostly about Jason. Dee had explained their situation, and she knew now that Jason was famous, she’d even been able to sing one of his songs.

  While Jason had already mentioned his family to Dee many times, and suggested that they needed to meet, Dee had held back on agreeing so quickly with him, mostly because she knew her family weren’t what Jason’s would be. She worried that they wouldn’t get along, that her mother would be rude and Jason would be put off joining her family. She was starting to have strong feelings for him, though she would never admit it to anybody but herself. She was a guarded person, and she figured that’s the way it would stay for a while. However, she couldn’t deny that time was moving fast, and they needed to get organised in time for the baby. She knew she didn’t want the first meeting with his family to be when she showed up with his baby, and she certainly didn’t want her mother harassing Jason once the baby had already arrived. She much preferred the harassing happened now.

  Jason had already mentioned trying to organise something with his parents, to possibly get them to come to Detroit as he knew Dee had her son here and asking her to go away for a few days might be a little much for her. Dee knew it would have to happen sooner or later, but she thought him meeting her family first would be a better idea, saving the best till last and everything. When Monique mentioned Dee’s cousin Brooke was having her engagement party that weekend, she thought it would be a good idea to mention it to Jason. After all, if everybody had a bit of drink inside them, they might be more relaxed.

  As she’d stood in the kitchen, Dee mentioned telling Tushaun about the baby to her mother and Kiki. They collectively agreed that it was about time, and so as she put him to bed that night, she took the scan photograph up with her and before she read him a goodnight story, she showed him the picture. She explained that mommy had a baby in her tummy, and it was a new baby brother or sister for him. She wasn’t sure whether he fully understood at his age, but the most important thing was that she’d told him, so there would be no surprises when a baby did suddenly show up. She felt a relief wash over her as she got into bed that night. Her son knew, her family knew, and now there were no more secrets. ‘Except to Trey’, she thought, but he could wait. As she lay comfortably in her bed, she text Jason and asked him if he wanted to come to the engagement party at the weekend.

  “Sounds like fun” he’d replied. He had no idea.

  Chapter 17 – First Impressions

  As Jason buttoned up his shirt that evening, he took a look at himself in the mirror a few times, double and triple checking himself to make sure he looked okay, to make sure he would make a good impression. He was nervous to say the least. The prospect of meeting many people as headstrong and opinionated as Dee was overwhelming. Most people in Dee’s position would have said something to comfort him, something along the lines of ‘you’ll be fine’, except Dee wasn’t most people. Dee was honest, sometimes brutally honest, so when she admitted to him that she was ‘shitting her pants’ about him meeting her family, it didn’t exactly make him feel welcomed or at ease. He knew there was probably nothing to worry about, but he’d done the whole ‘meeting the parents’ thing before and it was never a picnic, even if you all get on well together, it’s bound to always be a little awkward. Jason had already brought up meeting Tushaun to Dee; it was something he felt was important, and though she agreed, she was still worried it was too soon, though she finally said it could happen once he’d met her other family members.

  Dee had asked him to come over to her mother’s place before they set off for the party. He figured it was probably a good thing to meet her mother and whoever else would be there before he was thrown into the deep end at a party. He knew once drinks started flowing people would probably forget everything he’d said and in some cases, may not even remember meeting him. Jason had chosen his least flashy car to drive up in. He didn't like to judge, but it wasn't exactly the safest area for crime, so he didn't want to draw any attention to himself. Dee had told him he was free to stay the night if he wanted a drink, and he decided to take her up on the offer.

  It was a warm August evening, and people were out in their numbers all along the streets. People sat in deck chairs outside their homes, beer bottles and cigarettes in hands. Most had music playing, or were sat with a deck of cards. Once he parked up, Jason made his way to the front door of Dee’s mothers. He had been in this house before, when he met her brother, but it seemed so long ago now, and her mother wasn’t in the house at the time. It felt different now, knowing the
home owner was here. He’d heard things from Dee about who her mother was as a person. She’d told him she wasn’t a very good mother growing up, but then she’d also told him she works three jobs to support them. He couldn’t understand the two conflicting statements, because to him, he didn’t see how she could be a bad mother when she worked hard and contributed like that, but Dee was never one to go into detail. Whenever he asked her a further question, she shut down. He could tell she was still very guarded, and he told himself her past relationship may have affected her, but that didn’t mean she would be like that forever. He knocked firmly on the front door, waiting for somebody to answer. He heard noise as somebody approached the door, and as it opened, he saw the familiar curls he’d become so accustomed to before Dee’s face appeared. She smiled as she saw him, and he automatically returned it.

  “Hey beautiful” he said, as he took a look at the rest of her. She was wearing a long maxi dress that went down to her ankles, and on her feet she wore strappy heels that showed a red polish on her toes. Her fingernails matched her toes, and in her ears were her usual gold hoops.

  As Dee opened the door wider, she allowed space for him to step into the room and greeted him with a peck on the mouth. He could tell she was feeling awkward, and the feeling transferred onto him, though he tried not to let it.

  “You want a drink?” she asked, as she shut the door behind him.

  “Sure” he agreed, following her into the kitchen which was located through the living room. He had been in the living room before, but he’d never been in the kitchen, so he took note of his surroundings, looking at the pictures of the family on the walls on the way through.

  As he stepped into the kitchen, he saw two women standing near the kitchen counters straight in front of him.

  “Jason, this is my mom, Monique.”

  “Nice to meet you,” he told the woman, holding out his hand for a handshake. The woman looked him up and down before taking his hand and giving it a limp shake. “You too” she said, though her face told him she wasn’t sure.

  “And this is my sister, Kiki”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you,” he said, smiling her way.

  “Better all be good!” Kiki joked, and Jason laughed politely.

  “Oh, it was”

  Kiki definitely didn’t have the same unsure look on her face. Hers was warm and welcoming, and Jason relaxed a little.

  “That’s Kiki’s boyfriend, J” Dee said, as she pointed toward one of two men sat at the kitchen table to the right. The one she pointed at had cornrows in his hair and dark skin, and though he looked older for his age, he presumed he was a teenager. The other man sat with him was of lighter appearance, with a shaved head, and though he was sat down, Jason could tell he was tall.

  “That’s Tip, my best friend in the world.” Dee said gesturing to the other man, before she grabbed a beer bottle from the side and opened it. Jason said his hellos before Dee handed him the beer bottle, and he took a few swigs immediately.

  “So, you’re the one that got my daughter pregnant” Monique said matter-of-factly, causing Jason to almost spit his beer out. He never expected that sentence to come next, and he wasn’t sure how to reply.

  “Mom!” Dee scolded.

  “I’m just stating a fact”

  “Well you don’t need to, we all know already”

  “It’s okay” Jason said, hoping to keep the peace.

  “I know its okay, that’s why I said it” Monique said in reply, and he felt Dee cringe next to him.

  There was an awkward moment for a second, before Tip spoke up from the table.

  “Yo Jason, you play poker?”

  “Yeah, sometimes”

  “Come have a game with us.”

  Jason looked at Dee for a split second to see her approval, before he joined the men at the table. He sat on the chair next to Tip, and smiled at the men, as J dealt him some cards. As J dealt, Tip looked over at Jason.

  “Don’t mind Monique, she a crazy bitch, but you’ll get used to her.”

  After Tip spoke, Monique piped up from the other side of the room.

  “Don’t think I don’t know you talking about me Thomas”

  “Miss Monique, I’m just saying what a pussycat you is really.”

  “Pussycat my ass!” she stated, and the boys began to laugh at the table. It was clear they understood her ways, and Jason hoped she gave everybody the same chilly reception at first. He certainly hoped he wasn’t the only one to receive it.

  On the other side of the kitchen, Dee and Kiki were giving a pep talk to Monique about first impressions and not being rude to people. Dee knew it would fall on deaf ears, because Monique had never listened to anything they said, she knew her way and her way only, and she’d be damned if she changed because of what somebody else said. This stubborn trait was something that Dee had picked up herself. She had always been a headstrong character, but when it came to being polite, she must have learnt that from somebody else, because it certainly wasn’t from her mom.

  “You should make an effort for Dee” Kiki told Monique, sipping on her homemade cocktail.

  “Oh stop being so sensitive, if he can’t handle me, he ain’t gonna fit in this family.”

  “Just be fucking nice, how hard is that.” Dee spat, as she pulled herself up onto the kitchen counter, a mad look on her face. She didn’t want her mom to ruin things for her. Luckily, Monique had seen Dee’s ‘sulky face’ a lot as she was growing up, so she knew when something was important to her.

  “Ey Jason!” she yelled to the table. “You want one of Monique’s Mimosas?”

  The men at the table looked up from their card game at her question, and J and Tip elbowed Jason simultaneously.

  “Them things are lethal Bro” Tip told Jason, pulling a disapproving face.

  “They’re good, honest” Monique said, as she started to make one regardless of Jason’s answer, pouring different spirits and juices into a jug.

  “You don’t even know what a mimosa is” Dee laughed, watching her mom pour any random concoction into the jug.

  “Oh, and you do?”

  “I do” Kiki piped up.

  “Well go on then smart ass”

  “It’s like champagne and juice, and you ain’t got no champagne, so it ain’t one of them”

  “Well it sounds good though. The M and the M, whatever you call it.”

  “Alliteration” Kiki said, as she sucked up the last of her mother’s last cocktail with her straw.

  “Alright clever ass, go sit over there and make friends.” Monique gestured toward the table, as she lightly pushed her youngest daughter out of the way of her drink making.

  As Kiki made her way to the table, she put her arms around J’s neck and kissed his cheek before he pulled out his seat for her to sit in his lap. Jason was a little surprised they were so open in their relationship; after all, he was awkward as anything with his girlfriends at sixteen, especially if his mom was around. J carried on with the game, looking at his cards in one hand while his other arm rested on Kiki’s waist. It wasn’t long before the noise of the blender had stopped and Monique had made her way to the table with a full jug and plastic cups. She set a cup down in front of each of them at the table apart from Kiki, who still had one in her hand, and began to pour them all a cup of the concoction in the jug. Jason didn’t know what was in it, and he didn’t want to ask. He took a small sniff of the mixture and he could smell how potent it was.

  “Drink up kids!” Monique laughed, after she poured the last of it into Kiki’s existing cup and walked back to the kitchen counter with the empty jug, where Dee still sat.

  “That looks vile” Dee told her mother.

  “Don’t be jealous ‘cause you can’t have any.”

  “Trust me, I’ll be fine” she said, as she hopped down off the counter. Not wanting to be anti-social, she made her way to the table and as she approached Jason, he pulled out the chair nearest to him for her to sit down.

&
nbsp; “Look at that! Pulling out chairs and shit!” Monique exclaimed as she too, made her way to the table. Once again, Jason felt Dee cringe slightly next to him, and everybody else laughed.

  “If you gonna treat her like that, you can keep on getting her pregnant.”

  While everybody carried on laughing, Monique protested she was joking.

  Jason blushed, and drank his cocktail quietly. It was in fact, pretty vile but he didn’t say anything. Not everybody was as polite.

  “What the fuck’s in this shit?” Tip laughed, screwing up his face as he took a sip.

  “My special recipe” Monique replied, happily making her way through her own.

  “What’s that? A bit of everything?”

  “Well it gets the job done!” Monique exclaimed, and they couldn’t argue with that.

  After Monique had made a second round of cocktails, everybody was feeling it, and Jason couldn’t believe he still had a party to make his way to. He didn’t want to be drunk for meeting the rest of the family but it seemed the cocktails were going to keep on coming if Monique had her way.

  Chapter 18 – Domestic

  The venue wasn’t anywhere fancy, just a small community centre in their area which had been decked out head to toe in decorations, banners and balloons. It was pretty busy by the time they’d arrived, and Dee wasn’t surprised, as she knew her cousin Rhea was popular. She was older than Dee by two years but they had practically grown up together, with their mothers being sisters. Her aunt Neesee was younger than Monique and though she was seen as her ‘fun aunt’, she had always been more responsible than her mother. When Monique couldn’t take care of her kids, Neesee often stepped in and took the kids away for a few days, which was why Dee had grown up around her cousin Rhea and her younger sister Nahla. She saw them almost as second sisters at the time, but they hadn’t seen as much of each other as they’d grown up.