by Dotson, P.
Marcus rolled his eyes up towards the sky. Dealing with Cassidy was one thing, but dealing with China is a whole other story. He knew Cassidy wouldn’t take the news well, but if push came to shove he would simply throw her ass out and send her on her way, but China wouldn’t back down so easily. She’s a pit-bull in a skirt.
“Well, they might as well hear the news together,” Ciara said trying to lighten the mood, even though a hint of fear now circled her heart. She rubbed her stomach and prayed for the safety of her unborn child.
Marcus stuck his key in the keyhole but didn’t need to use it because the door was already unlocked. Nervous beads of sweat covered his forehead and his throat was dry but he couldn’t understand why. This is what he wanted. He and Cassidy have been over years ago, he was no longer attracted to her, she picked up a lot of weight, he couldn’t stomach the thought of even touching her in the bedroom, and she just wasn’t fun like Ciara. The love he once held for her no longer existed, drifted off some place never to be seen again.
“Cassidy,” Marcus yelled as he and Ciara walked into the living room.
“What Marcus?” Cassidy hollered with an attitude marching down the steps with China in tow. Cassidy was ready to tear Marcus asshole in two until she noticed someone was with him. “Ciara?” Cassidy asked in shock. “When did you get here? I didn’t even hear you come in. I’m surprised to see you though, you’ve been acting a little funny lately,” she said rolling her eyes at Marcus and giving Ciara a hug.
“Hey sis,” China said following suit, giving Ciara a hug, while giving Marcus the ice grill.
“Um . . . well, you know with my job, I like to sleep in during the day,” Ciara laughed half-heartedly. This is awkward, she thought to herself.
“Cassidy we need to talk,” Marcus intervened.
Cassidy sucked her teeth. “Oh, so now you want to talk?” she said with a lot of attitude.
“Cassidy this is important,” Marcus said growing impatient.
“What is it now Marcus?” she snapped showing her ass in front of her sisters. This was out of character for her and she knew this was the wrong time and place but she still carried the sting of his words from earlier that day, and she wasn’t in the mood to pretend like everything was okay.
“Okay,” Marcus said briefly pinching his nose. He was growing tired of her attitude, and was ready to crush the balls she seemed to have grown overnight. “So do you want me to give it to you standing up or sitting down?”
Cassidy swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared hard at her husband. Something was up and her senses were now on full blast. She could feel it in her gut that Marcus was ready to deliver some news that she didn’t want to hear. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest.
“Cassidy?”
“You need to talk to me now?” she asked looking from China to Ciara.
“Cassidy.”
“Just say what you have to say Marcus,” Cassidy said as tears begin to well in her eyes. She could feel the bad news that hung in the air.
“Let’s have a seat,” Ciara suggested. “I think it would be best for all of us,” she said walking over to the couch. Marcus followed suit while Cassidy and China opted to remain standing.
“What the hell is going on here?” Cassidy yelled, immediately picking up on the chemistry between Ciara and Marcus as they sat on the couch beside each other. Just the sight of them together now, all of a sudden made her sick to her stomach.
“We’re all adults here, so I will get straight to the point,” Marcus started clearing his throat. “Cassidy you know things between us have gone bad over the years. I have love for you because you are the mother of my first-born. But-,” he said pausing and taking Ciara’s hand into his. “I’m in love with Ciara. I haven’t felt this way in years, she makes me happy.”
Ciara smiled back at Marcus but as soon as she looked at Cassidy her smile evaporated. The tension in the room was so thick you could slice that shit with a knife.
“Bitch, is you crazy?” China asked stepping to Marcus. “Did you really just roll up in here and drop some shit like this,” she asked jabbing him in the forehead. “Nigga you got me fucked up because it’s about to be all the way live up in here,” she said taking off her earrings.
“China, keep your hands off me,” Marcus said standing up.
“What, you gon’ hit me?” she asked bouncing around. “Nigga I wish you would,” she said slapping him hard in the face.
“China,” Ciara said standing up to defend her man, but before Ciara could get another word out she was greeted by the back of China’s hand.
As all the drama unfolded Cassidy dropped to her knees and grabbed her chest, unable to handle the news she just received. She was in her own pit of misery, ignoring all the commotion that was going down right before her eyes. She just kept replaying Marcus last words in her mind. “She makes me happy.”
What about me? She thought. I don’t make you happy?
“Watch your hands China and stop acting so damn ghetto,” Marcus yelled.
“Believe me baby, I ain’t actin’,” China snapped.
“Are you okay baby?” Marcus asked, helping Ciara sit up caressing her cheek that was now red from the hard slap China had sent her way.
“Yeah she a’ight,” China snapped, kicking Marcus in the kneecap. Marcus eyes bucked and he buckled in pain. She couldn’t believe Ciara and Marcus’ gall, to come into Cassidy’s home together and flaunt their affair like this. It was one thing to cheat but with your wife’s sister. Drama!
“China stop being so damn childish,” Ciara said helping Marcus to his feet. “We wanted to come here and have a civilized conversation and discuss this like adults.”
China screwed her face in disgust. “Bitch shut the fuck up and sit down. What the fuck is so civil about you sleeping with your sister’s husband?” China snapped mushing Ciara in the head. China found it a little odd that Ciara wasn’t putting up much of a fight. Hands down China knew she was quicker with her hands but Ciara would give her a run for her money.
“Stop it China damn, she’s pregnant,” Marcus blurted out. He’d had enough of China. He was two seconds from hauling off and smacking the shit out of her.
“What?” Cassidy yelled.
Everyone had been wrapped up in their own emotions they forgot about the key player in this chess game, Cassidy. All three of them stared at her awkwardly; she was still on the floor, the look of pain embedded in her face. Tears continuously rolled off her cheeks.
“She’s what?” Cassidy repeated again. She stood to her feet and walked over to her husband. She shook her head from side to side. “How could you do this to me Marcus? What did I do wrong?” she cried into his chest. “The only thing I ever did was love you. I gave you nineteen years of my life, and you mean to tell me you’re going to sit here and throw it all away.”
Marcus stood motionless while Cassidy poured her heart out to him. The only words he had for her were, “I’m not in love with you anymore Cassidy.”
“Why Marcus? We can make it work. I’ll do anything,” she begged once again dropping to her knees. “Please, Marcus don’t leave me.” She cried and continued to pour her heart out to him. She felt as if she’d been punched in her chest and the air was being sucked from her lungs. She needed this man, he was her world. She’d practically made this man her everything, her world revolved around him and without him in it she couldn’t possibly see herself going on.
“Cas,” China said holding back tears as she kneeled down beside her older sister. Seeing Cassidy like this tugged at her heart, and had her on the verge of breaking down, but she knew she had to keep it together for Cassidy. “He’s not worth it.”
“But I can’t China. I can’t make it without him.”
Marcus grew impatient as he watched Cassidy’s little outburst. He was over the melodramatic scene already and wanted them both gone. He sighed loudly and decided to give Cassidy the rundown of how things were going to
be. He’d already had things mapped out, and he knew Cassidy was weak and wouldn’t fight him on anything. That’s just how much control he knew he had over her.
“Look, you will be well taken care of. I bought you a nice little house in the same housing development as your mother and father. And don’t worry about Junior, he is staying with me.”
The cool, calm, and collect tone of his voice as he ripped her once fairytale life apart broke her spirit. He’s leaving her for her sister, taking her son and now he was kicking her out of her own home, confirming his dismissal of her as his wife. She felt like throwing up; this was all too much to handle.
“Oh . . . hell . . . no. Nigga I know you didn’t say what I think you just said,” China snapped standing back up to face Marcus. “Did you just say you bought her a house? Nigga what the fuck? This ain’t Tyler Perry, you can’t make her leave. You cold Marcus this is a low blow even for you. Making her leave, taking her son,” China said as tears leaked from her eyes. She looked over at Ciara, who immediately looked away. “I hope he is worth it Ciara,” she whispered feeling her emotions begin to boil over. She kneed Marcus hard in the groin.
Marcus doubled over in pain as he fell down on the couch. “Get out,” he whispered as he held onto his manhood and kept the tears that wanted to escape his eyelids at bay. Ciara sat down beside him and gently cradled his head in her lap, gently rubbing his back.
“Cassidy come on let’s go.” China wanted nothing more than to cuss Marcus and Ciara out but she knew it would upset Cassidy even more. Besides she knew it wouldn’t be of any use because it was clear they both had made up in their minds that they wanted to be together at all costs.
“No! Marcus please don’t make me leave,” she begged making one last attempt to save her marriage. “Please don’t make me leave.”
Marcus wouldn’t even look at her. He continued to rest his head in Ciara’s lap. The show of affection cut Cassidy deep. She couldn’t remember the last time she and Marcus touched each other affectionately.
Cassidy simply nodded her head in final understanding. China grabbed her arm and began guiding her to the door. She’d finally come to the harsh reality that she couldn’t make Marcus love her. Without looking back she turned and walked out of her home.
Chapter 4
Cassidy continued to stare out the window crying uncontrollably. Her chest heaved rapidly up and down as she allowed her anguish to be released through her tears. Her heart hurt and the pain was unbearable. She let out a gut wrenching howl and pounded the dash board. China pulled over and grabbed her sister hugging her tightly, gently rocking her back and forth.
“How could he do this to me China?” Cassidy cried as she held onto her sister for dear life.
“I don’t know Cas. I don’t know,” China answered unable to keep her own tears tucked away behind her eye lids. “It’s going to be okay Cas, I promise. You will get through this; you’re going to be okay.”
“I can’t make it without him,” Cassidy sniffled.
“Don’t talk like that. You don’t need him Cas, remember that. He needed you. If it wasn’t for you he wouldn’t be where he is today. And the way he treated you today clearly shows that he doesn’t appreciate or deserve you.”
“I just want it to go away. It hurts China. It hurts.”
“I know Cas, but remember weeping endureth for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Remember that? And remember that song mom always likes to sing.”
“Yeah I remember.” Cassidy whispered.
“She told us to sing it whenever we were feeling down just think of that song.”
“Yeah,” Cassidy sniffled.
“Come on Cas sing it with me. It’s one of your favorites,” before Cassidy could object, China begin to sing. “Even though your winds blow, I want you to know. You caused me no alarm because I’m safe in his arms. Even though your rains fall I can still make this call. Let there be peace, now I can say goooo away. I command you to move today. Because of faith I have a brand new day. The sun will shine and I will be okay. That’s what I told the storm.”
Cassidy smiled because her sister hasn’t sang in years. Her powerful and angelic voice along with the message behind the words temporarily put her mind and soul at ease. She listened until she cried herself to sleep. China wiped away her tears and kissed her sister softly on the forehead, she could identify with her pain of losing someone. But in Cassidy’s case she deserved so much better. She’s truly a sweet and genuine person with a big heart. Marcus should rot in hell for what he did to her today.
“It will be okay Cas, I promise,” she whispered as she put her truck in drive.
China pulled up to her parent’s house and took a deep breath. Cassidy was still asleep. She looked so peaceful and she didn’t want to disturb her, but as soon as she opened the door Cassidy jumped.
“Aarrgh,” she moaned grabbing her head. She had a pounding headache.
“Well, since you’re awake, are you ready?” China asked.
Cassidy looked towards her parent’s house. She sighed not ready to deal with her mother. “Not really but I might as well get it done and over with.”
“Hey babies!” Pearl beamed greeting her daughters at the door. Pearl was a short petite red bone, with a feisty attitude. She was still attractive at the age of fifty-five and she knew it too.
“Hey Ma,” China said giving her mother a hug.
“China you just skin and bones,” Pearl said squeezing China’s arm. “You ain’t on that bag is you?”
“Mommy!” China said a little embarrassed.
“I’m just checking. I’m still your mother. And what’s wrong with you?” she asked taking note of Cassidy’s red and swollen eyes.
“It’s a long story Ma,” China said.
“Well, I ain’t got no place to be,” Pearl said stepping aside allowing the girls to enter.
Cassidy shook her head because nothing has changed since they were kids. Pictures of them as kids still lined the walls and decorated the end tables. Their mother still had that same worn out leather sofa. They couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t let that couch go. It looked terrible, it was fading in spots and it still had pen marks from where they use to write on it as children. So when they had company over their mother would throw a nice silk sheet over it, thinking it would make it look nice.
“So are you girls going to tell me what’s going on or what?”
“Mom when are you going to get rid of this couch?” Cassidy asked.
“Don’t try to change the subject. And this couch is just fine, mind you.”
“Marcus left Cassidy for Ciara,” China blurted out. Cassidy shot China an evil look, China shrugged her shoulders.
“Ci- who?” Pearl asked.
“Ciara,” China replied.
“Ciara who?”
“Ciara Adams, your middle child. And on top of that he made Cassidy move out and he wants custody of Junior.”
“What! Wait a minute you can’t be serious. Hold on, its about to get Poppin like Chris Brown said. Humph and I ain’t tagged nothing in a minute. Cas you alright baby?” she asked taking off her earrings. “China run upstairs and gets my Vaseline.” Pearl didn’t play when it came to her kids. She never cared too much for Marcus anyway. You could call it mother’s intuition.
“Mom I’m fine, and please don’t go over there. I don’t want to make things worse than they already are.”
Pearl gave her oldest daughter a sideways glance. “Well China did you at least handle that nigga?”
“I sure did,” China said nodding her head. “And there’s more.”
“What else could there possibly be?” Pearl asked out loud.
“She’s pregnant.”
“Who is? Cassidy?”
“No Ciara.”
“Oh, Lawd! I need my blood pressure medicine. This is some Jerry Springer shit right here.”
“Can we please drop it,” Cassidy said biting her bottom lip with tears in her eyes. Just hea
ring China relay the story to her mother made her want to break down and cry all over again.
“What’s up Ma,” Junior said strolling into the living room. “Are you here to pick me up?” he asked taking note of his mother’s swollen eyes.
Cassidy turned her head. She couldn’t stand the sight of him; he was the spitting image of his father. It was sickening. She couldn’t look at him and not see Marcus. She felt her heart hardening against her own child.
“No,” she said still refusing to look at him. “Your father will be here to pick you up later.”
“Excuse me,” China said rolling her neck. “Are you seriously going to roll over and let him take your child without a fight, after you endured twenty-one hours of labor?” She understands her sister is going through right now, but to just give little Marcus away so easily didn’t sit too well with her. She could at least talk to the poor boy about it and see how he feels.
“China not in front of the baby,” Pearl interjected.
Baby, I ain’t no baby, Junior thought to himself.
“Baby, go on upstairs. We’ll call you when your dad gets here.”
Junior could sense something was wrong from the look on all their faces, but he knew better than to question his grandmother. “A’ight mom-mom,” he replied reluctantly going upstairs.
Pearl peeked upstairs to make sure her grandson was out of ear shot. “Cassidy is you crazy? Are you really going to let Marcus take that boy?”
“Mom your acting like Marcus lives out of state or something. Junior is only thirty minutes away. I can see him anytime I want.”
“I mean do you think it’s healthy for him to live in that type of environment?” China asked.
“He will be okay,” Cassidy mumbled. She was over this shit, she was ready to go upstairs and put on some Mary J. Blige.
China shook her head in disgust. “I can’t believe you Cas. You just going to sit there and let that boy suffer while you wallop in your own misery. What about his feelings? You’re not the only one that has to suffer consequences because of Marcus’ decisions. Get it together Cassidy, and stop being so damn selfish.”