by Wahida Clark
“Yes,” all three of the boys said in unison.
“I’ma pick y’all up early in the morning, so be ready, and when we come back we all are going home.” He looked up at Tasha as he said that.
He knew Tasha was still mad at him but it was too bad. If he had to drag her ass back to the house he would. He did it once and he damn sure would do it again. He needed his family at home with him.
“You’re not even going to thank me for bringing your favorite treat?” Trae decided to mess with Tasha. “I got you something else and I’m glad I didn’t give it to you.”
“Mommy, Daddy is talking to you,” Caliph said.
“I hear him, baby.”
“We going back home when we come from Nana’s?” Shaheem asked his mother.
“We’ll see, Shaheem.”
Tasha fried Trae’s fish up in silence as he talked with and answered questions from his inquisitive sons.
When she finished frying the fish, she fixed the boys bowls of ice cream, fixed Trae a plate and sat down to eat hers.
“Daddy can’t get fed?” Trae leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“We haven’t spoken to one another in, what, two weeks? You’re mad at me and I’m even madder at you. But you show up out of the blue telling me I’m coming back home and wanting me to cook for you and feed you. Did I miss something?”
“I’m tired of fighting, Tasha. We need to come to a resolution. Shit has gotten way out of hand. Don’t you think so?”
“Whose fault is that?”
“It’s mines but we have a family, baby.”
“I know that. But you weren’t thinking about your family when you were fucking up. You… Never mind. Why don’t you leave? I can’t talk to you right now.”
“Oh, you are going to talk.”
“Trae, I need time to heal. Physically and emotionally. I am not up to talking to you right now. You just want me to forgive you and act like everything is normal. I can’t do that.”
“C’mon, y’all, time for your bath.” She stood up, waved the boys over and they all marched out of the kitchen.
Trae sat there deciding whether to leave or stay. He ended up straightening up the kitchen, rolling up a blunt and parking his ass on the living room couch.
Tasha took her time bathing the boys as they played in the tub. She then dressed them for bed and sent them into the living room with their father. She then cleaned up the bathroom and ran herself a hot bubble bath. She took her time, hoping that by the time she got out the kids would be asleep and Trae would be gone.
But no such luck, well almost. By eight the boys were knocked out on the couch and Trae was sitting there watching TV.
“Damn, I was beginning to think you drowned in there.”
“I was hoping you would be gone by now,” she snapped. She picked up Caliph and took him into the bedroom and tucked him in. Trae came behind her carrying the twins.
She then grabbed her blankets and pillow and took them into the living room, where she began turning the couch into a bed. As soon as she finished, Trae plopped down and began flicking channels.
“Uh, excuse me. It’s time for you to go.”
“Tasha, sit your ass down. You look like you gained a few pounds. It looks nice.”
Tasha sat down and pulled the covers back.
“Are you done trickin’ my pussy away or what?”
Before she knew it she had swung at Trae, hitting him in the mouth. He went to grab her but hit her in the eye by mistake.
“My eye, Trae!” she screamed, as he now had both her arms above her head. “My eye! Get off me!” They had tumbled onto the love seat.
“That was a mistake, Tasha.”
“Get off me and get out,” she yelled.
“Shut up before you wake the kids.”
“Get off me.”
“Not until you say you’re going to stop acting crazy.”
“Get off me.” She gritted. “You hit me.”
“You hit me first. Plus I didn’t mean to.”
“What about the last time? Did you mean to beat my ass then?”
“Yeah and no.”
The thought of those ass whippings brought Tasha to tears and took the entire struggle out of her. The Trae she had married wasn’t this man here. The Trae she had married would never put his hands on her or cheat on her. Her Trae worshipped the ground she walked on and would never hurt her.
“I don’t know who you are,” she mumbled through tears. “You beat on me, you cheated on me.”
“Baby, listen to me. You know damn well I didn’t mean to do that shit. Be for real, Tasha. All bullshit aside. Admit it, you know I didn’t mean that shit.” He was now hugging her tight as she cried.
“So why did you do it?” she bawled.
“I snapped. Shit, I lost control, Tasha. I didn’t mean for it to go down like that, but we can work through this. We made a promise to each other that we would work through anything, remember that? I’m not going to lose you, Tasha, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit back and approve of you dancing off into the sunset with another nigga. I’m ready to work through any and everything—no more lies, no more bullshit. I’m just asking you, Tasha, to meet me halfway,” Trae pleaded.
“You begged me to take a chance with you, remember that, Trae? And I did, went against my gut and I did. I didn’t want you to hurt me. And you did.”
“Baby, no marriage is perfect. I’m still here and I ain’t going nowhere. And I damned sure ain’t letting you go. I just need you to meet me halfway.”
“I can’t go back to that house, Trae. We gotta move. It has too many memories. It reminds me too much of who we used to be but are no longer. I can’t go back there.”
“Okay, we’ll move. What else do you want? I just want to make you happy again.”
Tasha got up and went into the bathroom to get herself together. When she came back into the living room, Trae had turned the TV off and was sitting on the couch.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he told her.
“Me too. I’m not sorry for giving you a dose of your own medicine. But I am sorry that we turned out like this. If it weren’t for the children, Trae, I wouldn’t have come back.” She wanted to tell him that she liked Kyron, but their family was more important. She knew she had to let Kyron go and take this one for the home team.
Trae wanted to say, Oh, you were coming back. Coming back willingly or in a coffin. But he decided to keep his thoughts to himself.
“Come here.” He patted the spot next to him and she sat down. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the forehead. “I miss you, girl,” he whispered.
“I miss the way you used to love me. I miss us,” Tasha said as she hugged him.
“Used to love you? Don’t get it twisted, I never stopped.”
“Did the boys miss me?” She had been dying to ask him that.
“Aww, man, did they? I think we were running neck and neck. That’s when I came and got you.”
“I’m sorry,” Tasha said.
“Can you forgive me?” Trae asked her.
“Trae, we probably can forgive each other but can we forget? That’s where our challenge will be. I don’t think things will ever be the same again.”
“This is us, baby. We won’t know until we give it a try,” he told her.
“I’m sorry, baby.”
“Me too. Looks like Cali was a total bust.” Trae hated to admit.
“Yeah, it was. Look at us. Marvin and Kyra. A nightmare. I can’t believe she hasn’t even called me.”
“He’s on the lam and took his family with him.”
“She still could have called.” Tasha got up and disappeared into the kitchen. She came back with her chocolate-covered apples and strawberries and some napkins. They began feeding each other and smearing chocolate all over each other’s lips.
“You got some whip cream and chocolate syrup in the kitchen?” Trae asked her.
Tasha giggled because she k
new it was now on. Whip cream meant that Trae was ready to eat some serious pussy. “Let me check.”
“Hold up, let me get some of that chocolate off your lips.” She leaned over and he gave her a kiss that said I love you more than anything and I miss the hell out of you. Tasha took his hand and led it to her pussy. She didn’t have on any panties under her nightgown. When he felt how wet she was, he grabbed one of the chocolate-covered apples and began to tease her pussy, rubbing the chocolate slice lightly over her clit until she was on the verge of coming.
“Go get the whip cream,” Trae commanded. Tasha had her eyes squeezed shut. Her legs and knees were getting weak as she grabbed his head, urging him to eat the chocolate right then and there and he did, bringing her to a much needed orgasm.
As she lay on her back catching her breath, he stood up and began undressing. When she saw his dick standing straight out, she spread her thighs seductively. Trae climbed between them, she grabbed his rod and guided him in. The both of them moaned and went to kiss each other.
“No more lies, baby,” Trae promised her. “We can get through this, we can get through anything. You wit’ me?”
“No more lies. We can get through this, together forever. Now shut up and fuck me.” She wrapped her legs around his back and he began hittin’ it hard. “Slow down, baby,” she whispered.
“Turn over.” He pulled out and flipped her over so he could hit it doggy-style.
“Baby, slow down, you’re hurting me,” Tasha moaned. When he pulled out, she looked back at his frowning face. “What are you doing?”
“You’re pregnant, Tasha.”
“What?” she asked in disbelief. “What are you talking about? What is the matter with you? Stop playing, Trae, and fuck me.”
“I know how my wife feels when I’m fucking her pregnant. Tasha, you’ve been pregnant three times. I know my wife’s pussy.” He was now putting on his clothes. He had a look of disgust on his face, as if she smelled like rotten food.
“So why are you getting dressed, baby?”
“Whose baby is it? Mines or the nigga you was fuckin’?” he spat, still gritting on her.
That bomb landed on Tasha like a ton of bricks.
“Whose baby is it, Tasha? And when or were you planning on telling me?”
“Trae, you never cease to amaze me. So now you’re a fuckin’ ob/gyn?”
“Yeah, I’m your fuckin’ ob/gyn. I don’t even know why I stuck my dick in your triflin’ ass. Around here letting niggas hit it raw.”
“Oh, look at the pot calling the kettle black. You got some fuckin’ nerve.”
“I’ll be back to pick up the boys at seven. You got a couple of days to figure this shit out.”
Tasha had snapped. She jumped up off the couch. “Why do I have to figure it out? What happened to we can get through this? Me and you together? No more lies?” she screamed. “No more lies, right? Well yeah, I fucked him. I fucked Kyron. There, I said it. You’re probably pulling this whole pregnancy shit, just so I can say I fucked him.”
“Kyron? You fucked Kyron?” Trae stood there staring at her. “Aww, bitch. I can’t believe you. Who the fuck are you? Bitch, go get my wife back. My wife would never pull some shit like this. I guess you had to keep it in the family, huh?”
“You the bitch. It doesn’t feel nice to be betrayed, does it?” She smirked. “And if I am pregnant, which we don’t even know or not, no, I don’t know whose baby I’m carrying.”
“No more lies?” Trae spat. Trae raised his hand but caught himself. “Nah, I’m not going to fuck you up but I got something for you. You ready for this? Okay, well, Charli is pregnant. That’s why she left the country. I told her I was going to kill her if she didn’t get rid of that baby. So she bounced. You said no more lies, right?”
“No you didn’t, Trae,” Tasha gritted. “You fucked that bitch raw and got her pregnant?” Tasha charged at him. “I’ma kill you and that Chinese bitch. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
He grabbed her, threw her down onto the couch and left. So much for forgiveness, no more lies and getting through anything.
Two days later and no word from Trae, Tasha went out and bought a pregnancy test but refused to use it and ended up throwing it away. Trina had noticed that her big sister had been moping around. But when she tried to ask her what was wrong, Tasha wouldn’t say anything. She was now trying to get Tasha to go out with her.
“C’mon, Tasha. You’ve been sitting around this house and I’m getting tired of looking at you like this.”
“Is that your subtle way of telling me to get out?” Tasha asked her.
“No. I just want you to go out with me tonight. C’mon, Tasha. I want to go out but not by myself,” Trina whined.
“You’ve went out without me before,” Tasha snapped as she got up, then went into the bathroom and slammed the door. She pulled the pregnancy test out of the trash and opened it.
“You’re turning into a couch potato!” Trina yelled.
“Fuck you!” Tasha yelled back.
“Fuck you back.”
When the phone rang, Trina was going to ignore it, but when she looked at the caller ID she saw that it was Angel, she hit the speakerphone button.
“Angel, it’s me, Trina. What’s up?” Trina was glad to hear from her.
“Where is your sister? I can’t believe this shit.” It sounded as if Angel was throwing stuff around, and she was not hiding the fact that she was ready to hurt somebody.
“She’s in the bathroom. Is everything all right?” Trina wanted to know. It seemed as if everyone was starting to go crazy.
“No, it’s not. Just tell her to come to the phone. As a matter of fact, I know you got something to do with this shit. Your trick ass probably talked her into this.”
“What?” Trina asked in shock.
“Bitch, just get your sister,” Angel snapped.
“Bitch!? Angel, I know you didn’t just call me a bitch. Ho, you always did think you was better than the next man.”
The two girls were going at it to the point that Tasha threw away the pregnancy test once again and came running out of the bathroom.
“What’s going on? And will y’all shut up!” Tasha screamed.
“Tasha, this is the ultimate fuckup,” Angel spat. Her voice was coming across loud and clear over the speakerphone. “Why in the hell did you have to go and fuck Kyron? Kyron, Tasha? Of all people? Now Kaylin is accusing me of knowing all about this bullshit and not telling him. He’s talking about now he can’t trust me and shit and the nigga is going off. I don’t know what the fuck happened, and at this point I really don’t care, but you need to tell him and make him know—and believe—that I didn’t have shit to do with this. I can’t believe you.” Angel continued to rant and rave. “Tasha, what is the matter with you? Hell, you got everybody mad. Trae is mad at Kaylin because he thinks my husband was in on the bullshit. Kaylin is mad at me. Shit, I’m pissed at you. Kyron is pissed at his sister for telling Kaylin she saw y’all outside the club fucking, Tasha. Bitch, that’s not even your husband. You could have fucked anybody in the world, but you had to go and play it close like this? On top of that, you fucked the nigga outside the club. You that pressed for some dick? Fresh-out-of-jail dick at that. You know them niggas come home with all kinds of shit! Y’all bitches done went to California and lost y’all’s fuckin’ minds. Yeah, Tasha. You fucked up for real this time. Say something! I am dying to hear this one.”
“I might be pregnant, Angel. And I don’t know who the father is.”
Both Angel and Trina gasped and were holding their chests.
The next evening Trina was running through the house cleaning up, trying not to appear so obvious.
“How many times are you going to paint your toenails?” Trina stood over Tasha with her hands on her hips.
“Mind your business, Trina.”
“You are my business. I don’t know why you keep polishing them crusty joins anyway. All the color in the world ain
’t gonna help them.” Trina laughed at her own joke.
“Bitch, I got model’s feet and toes. You better recognize.”
“Whatever.” Trina knew it was true.
Someone knocked on the door. Tasha looked up at Trina. Trina looked at the door.
“Are you expecting someone?” Tasha asked her.
“Hell no,” Trina lied.
“Then why are you cleaning up like a madwoman?”
Trina went to the door, looked out the peephole and opened the door. To Tasha’s surprise in walked Kendrick and Kyron.
“Y’all niggas ain’t right, and Trina I know you had something to do with this. All of y’all are crazy and y’all gonna get me killed,” Tasha snapped.
“Chill out, girl. We ain’t gonna let nothing happen to you,” Kendrick told her as he came and kissed her on the cheek. She pushed him away. “Aww, man. That’s cold. I travel all the way across the country to check on you and this is how you do me.”
“Y’all are wrong for coming here,” Tasha said.
Kendrick turned his attention to Trina. “What’s up? Can a nigga get some love?”
“You are what’s up, big daddy.” Trina was all smiles, and Kendrick picked her up and carried her toward the back.
Tasha continued to paint her toenails as Kyron sat down next to her on the couch. He grabbed the remote and put the TV on mute. He took the nail polish from her and closed the bottle. He then leaned over, punched her on the thigh and kissed her on the cheek.
“Oow, Kyron.” She punched him in the chest. “Why did you hit me?”
“Shorty, you got something to tell me?”
“No.”
“Yes, you do.” He punched her thigh again.
“Oow. What’s wrong with you niggas thinking that I’ma let y’all hit me and not retaliate?”
“You got something to tell me?” Kyron wouldn’t let it go.
“I already told you. Our little game playing is over. Me and Trae, we are going to work it out.”
“That’s bullshit, Tasha. You know that shit is over.”
“No, it’s not over. The little game me and you was playing is over.”
Kyron’s cell vibrated. He looked at the caller ID.
“Get out, Kyron.” She tried to push him off the couch.