Almost reaching the end of the road to see who would win the race, Joey made an instant right in the grass and ran towards the huge oak tree in the middle of their front yard. It had taken Iris a few seconds to catch on and when she finally did, she turned around and jogged towards her nephew. Lovette and Joseph watched from afar as they waited to see what their son had been up to.
Finally catching up to Joey, he stopped in front of the tree and looked up as if he had been searching for something inside of the branches. Not saying anything, Iris waited to see what he would do next.
Pointing up and smiling, Joey whispered “Granny and paw.” Turning towards Iris, he smiled.
“What did you say?!” questioned Iris. Her nerves were on edge. She had heard exactly what he said clear as day but needed him to confirm what she had heard.
“Granny and paw. ‘No crying’,” said Joey. Feeling as if she had heard the words from her mother’s mouth herself, Iris dropped to the ground beside Joey and began to weep. As soon as Lovette saw the scene unfold, both she and Joseph ran towards the tree to see what had happened.
Lovette began to panic. “What’s going on?! What happened?!” Joey was patting his aunt’s shoulders as she cried uncontrollably. He had gone from smiling to looking terribly sad thinking that he had said or done something wrong.
Once she had gotten her crying under control, Iris had repeated everything to Joseph and Lovette. Letting out a sigh of relief, Lovette and Joseph then calmed down themselves.
Iris had dreamt of her mother on numerous occasions. Each dream, Trudy would end by telling her that they were at peace and to stop crying. Iris hadn’t been big on dreams and just thought they were the underlining meaning of her deepest desire for them to be at peace.
But, hearing her nephew confirm the almost exact same words had brought her a great deal of peace. Iris would always miss her parents and would never consider herself “over” their death. She’d always miss and mourn them but Joey had made things that much easier on her.
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Flicking the spinner, Joey was in a trance as he watched it spin around and around. His head moved in circles as he waited for it to stop. When it finally had, he was stuck staring at its final position.
“Umm, Joey. You plan on telling us the next move before I collapse on my face?” asked Iris. She had been halfway stuck under Lovette, who couldn’t keep from laughing because she knew she would win the game soon.
“Joey?!” repeated Iris. Shaking his head and looking up, he forgot that he had been playing the game.
“Left foot on yellow.” As soon as Iris slid her foot on to yellow circle, Lovette got shaky and fell onto the floor. Iris had won the game and it had been her very first Twister victory.
“You know I let you win, right?” said Lovette in between laughs as she rolled over off of the game mat. They had played the game every time Iris came back home to visit and she had finally been beat by her little sister.
“Yea, yea, yea. Take your loss and don’t be a sore loser like your daughter over there pouting,” replied Iris. She got up and walked over to Mary giving her a playful pinch on the belly and kissing her at the top of her head.
“We can play again before I head back home, Bug. Okay? Just me and you,” continued Iris. This instantly made Mary smile and she ran up to her room filled with excitement.
As soon as Mary left the room, so did Joey. He loved his aunt but couldn’t deal with just her and his mother together. They would start laughing and cackling louder than anyone he knew. Leaving them to themselves, he headed upstairs to get dressed. He had plans to hang out with his friends later tonight.
“I know I’ve said it before but oh well, I’m going to say it again anyway. I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you so much and just wish you would think about moving back home. Can’t you see yourself doing this more often? Doesn’t it feel good being with family?” said Lovette. She had started her rant but Iris knew it was coming. And, she had to admit-it did feel really good being home.
“If I said, ‘I’ll think about it’, will you stop harassing me already?!” Iris replied while folding up the game mat and placing it in the box. She knew that if she moved back to Shawford, Lovette would only insist that she lived in their house and that wasn’t something she could do. Iris was able to stay a few nights and enjoy her family but what she couldn’t do is live there. She hadn’t been mentally ready for that.
This had been enough to satisfy Lovette for the time being. Nodding her head while smiling, she dropped the topic and put the game away in the hallway closet. Iris would be headed back to New York in the morning and she would miss her terribly.
Chapter 17: Happy Anniversary
September 15, 2001
Joseph and Lovette had invited their closest friends to their wedding anniversary party. They had decided to rent out a nearby venue instead of doing the usual events at home. Even though all of the planning had been done by Lovette, she was promised a cleanup crew and it gave her relief knowing that she wouldn’t have to do so the after the party.
Lovette and Joseph had danced the night away. Both of them were now sitting while they continued to sip their champagne. Joey was in the corner hanging out with his friend Jaxon and Mary was in another corner leaned up against the wall as if she were ready to go.
Just as Lovette was about to suggest they wrap the party up, a petite female walked past Mary towards the bathroom. Feeling herself boil with rage, Lovette proceeded to follow after the woman.
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September 16, 1988
It had been Joseph and Lovette’s 6 year anniversary. It was an adjustment for the both of them being married but an even tougher time for Lovette. For the first two years, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Mike should’ve been the one she was married to. Shortly after, she gave up the thought and let it go. Joseph had grown on her and she had actually fallen in love with him.
Parking her car and walking into the store, Lovette had her usual long list of items that she had to buy before their party. She usually didn’t make it a habit to wait until the last minute but Joey had just gotten over from being sick and planning a party was the last thing on her mind.
The anniversary party was being hosted at their house. Lovette had wanted to go all out due to her actually being in love with her husband now. It had taken some time but Joseph had always remained consistent with the type of father and husband he was. He had made her happy and Lovette knew that he was good for her.
Gathering her items one by one and strolling down each aisle making sure she didn’t forget anything, a woman walked towards her with a basket on her arm wearing the prettiest lipstick she had ever seen. Her face was beyond captivating and Lovette just had to ask her where she had gotten her lip color from.
“Excuse me. I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful your lipstick is! Do you mind if I ask what name and brand it is?” asked Lovette. She didn’t normally talk to strangers but she just had to know where this particular lipstick had come from.
The lady smiled and before she could open her mouth to respond, a voice from the next aisle over called out a name.
“Monica…Where’d you go that quick, woman?! This is why I don’t go shopping with you,” he said. Lovette had known that voice. Before she could react, the voice along with its flesh came walking around the corner onto the aisle she was on.
He stopped in his tracks and looked from one woman to the next. Repeating the same movements once again, the lady with the red lips cocked her head to the side with suspicion.
“I’m right here. I was just about to tell her where I had gotten my lipstick from. You look like you’ve just seen a ghost. Am I missing something?” she asked him while looking back and forth between him and Lovette. “Because, obviously you both know one another,” she continued.
“Um…
Monica, this is Lovette. Lovette, this is Monica,” said Mike. He felt butterflies throughout his stomach and it felt as if his knees were going to give out at any second.
“Lovette? THE Lovette? Ahhh. The woman who hurt my man,” replied Monica while looking Lovette up and down. The smile that was on her face was long gone and had been replaced with a stale impression.
“Um, I have to go. Never mind that color. I can tell it’s only made for bitches!” sneered Lovette. She had known this woman for all of 30 seconds and she had been rude to her off of the strength of the things Mike’s had told her.
“Oh, HELL NAW!” shouted the woman. Stepping back to hand Mike her basket, Monica started taking off her earrings and walking towards Lovette. Mike snatched her up by the waist before she could get any closer.
“Let me GO!” she shouted over and over again. Lovette laughed a mad woman’s laugh and turned around to leave before the owner of the store had kicked them both out. Leaving her basket in the middle of the aisle, she left and decided it was best that she did her grocery shopping elsewhere.
“It was nice seeing you, Mike. Oh, you can do better,” said Lovette over her shoulder. This only made the woman holler even more. Lovette continued to laugh all the way to her car.
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As soon as Lovette had almost reached the exit, Mary stopped her complaining of a stomachache. “Mommy, I want to go home. My stomach is killing me and this party sucks,” she whined. Stopping her from reaching the exit, Lovette turned around and bent down to feel Mary’s head.
“You feel okay. Wait right here for one second. As soon as I get out of the bathroom, we can leave. Okay?” Mary nodded her head and waited for her mother to return.
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September 17, 1988
Everyone that was invited to Joseph and Lovette’s anniversary party had showed up with plenty of gifts. Lovette had told everyone that there was no need for gifts but she was very pleased to see that people still felt the need to bring them.
Joseph had been on the grill and was wearing a custom made apron that Lovette had gotten as one of the many anniversary gifts. It was all black and had “World’s #1 Dad” printed in white cursive on the front. Joseph had loved the cheesy meaningful gifts like these and Lovette loved giving them to him.
Lovette had been on her third glass of wine and was enjoying the party. Scanning the yard, everyone had a smile on their faces and this satisfied her. It made her happy to know that everyone was enjoying themselves.
Taking a bite of a piece of chicken fresh off of the grill, Lovette closed her eyes and savored the flavor. Joseph knew how to work a grill and the chicken she had just bitten into had been the evidence. Feeling someone plop down beside her on the bench, it startled her and the plate on her lap fell to the ground.
Opening her eyes, it was Stephanie. She had no idea who invited her or when she even showed up but Lovette had been two seconds from losing her cool. Not wanting Joseph to feel some way about her getting angry over the past, which had included Mike, Lovette calmed her nerves and greeted her.
“Hey, Stephanie. I’m guessing Joe invited you…?” said Lovette. She had been giving her the side eye. She couldn’t believe her husband had the nerve to invite the girl who possibly had slept with her old boyfriend causing them to break up. He wouldn’t do something like that.
“Well, no,” she replied. She had aged terribly. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and her dress looked like it had been worn one too many times. She took a long swig of the beer she had in her hand, let out a loud belch and wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.
“I came with a friend. Y’all invited umm…what’s his name? Kyle? Yea, I met him and he was giving me a ride but said he needed to stop here first to congratulate y’all on the anniversary,” replied Stephanie.
“You know, I don’t see how you stayed married to Joe after what he done went and did to you,” she continued. Lovette was confused and waited for her to finish. She was a drunk mess but Lovette still wanted to see what she had to say.
“You seemed like a good man…I mean, woman. I feel so bad for going over there and starting up that mess. I didn’t like Mike in that kind of way. You need to know that, I promise.”
Lovette began to steam inside. She felt like she knew what Stephanie was getting at but she needed her drunk lips to reveal a bit more before she reacted in the way she saw fit.
“What are you talking about?” she replied.
“That day I had went over to Mike’s house and told him I was selling raffle tickets, Joseph had called me and told me to go next door and wait for the phone to ring. He told me that he would pay me to act like I was fooling around with Mike. I asked him ‘Why?’ and he told me to do it if I wanted to make some money,” said Stephanie.
The fire from her feet rose and shot out of Lovette’s ears. The day she had been in his house confiding in him as a friend, he had taken advantage of that moment. She had remembered him going into the other room for a moment but she didn’t think anything of it. Unsure if what she was saying was true, Lovette took a deep breath and questioned her further.
“How do I know you aren’t making this all up, huh? Why come here on our day and tell me this now? You had every damn opportunity to tell me this YEARS AGO!” shouted Lovette.
Everyone had turned to see where the yelling was coming from, including Joseph. Seeing the sight of Stephanie sitting side by side with his wife made his stomach feel as if it were sinking into the ground beneath his feet.
Storming over to where Lovette and Stephanie had been sitting, Joseph took Stephanie by the elbow and attempted to take her as far away from his wife as possible. He hadn’t been able to move fast enough before Lovette continued her scene.
“Oh, no. Where do you think you’re taking her? What is this talk about you sending her over to Mike’s house to pretend to be having sex with him?!” Lovette spat out. She was filled with rage and could feel every single tiny hair on her body standing at attention.
Stopping in his tracks with his back still facing Lovette, Joseph let go of Stephanie’s arm. He dropped his head and remained that way for a few seconds.
“I know you hear me!” shouted Lovette. Everyone had their full attention on the event unfolding before them. Some people started gathering their children and leaving while others stayed glued to the lawn.
Kyle scurried over to get Stephanie, yanked her by the arm and pushed her into his car. Speeding off down the dirt road, Lovette wished she had stopped him from taking her so that she could explain to Joseph exactly what she had told Lovette. But, judging from Joseph’s guilty demeanor, she had already known what Stephanie had said was true.
“Honey, let’s not do this here. Right now…in front of everyone. We can talk about it later. Okay?” This had only made Lovette even angrier.
“Fuck later! How could you do something so low?! You took how I was feeling and manipulated me that day!” shouted Lovette. One of their neighbors had taken Joey in the house and started shooing everyone away to leave the party. “You were my friend and I trusted you! Why would you do something so messed up like this?!”
“He wasn’t good enough for you,” Joseph confessed. “He didn’t care about you the way I did and still do. I’ve been in love with ever since we started hanging out and I knew it was meant to be. Don’t you see that? Look at everything we’ve built, Love.”
Love. No one had ever called her that but Mike. This had been the icing on the cake. Before Lovette knew it, she hopped on towards Joseph and was windmilling all over his head.
The anger that she had been holding in the last few minutes had erupted and was now being unleashed on him. In her mind, he had deserved every single blow that she had delivered. Doing nothing in return, Joseph allowed her to release her emotions.
He deserved it. He deserved every
ounce of anger she had been feeling at the moment. Lovette hadn’t been his from the start and he had intervened with something that could’ve been great. But, he had loved Lovette and no one else was supposed to have her.
Joseph allowed her to continue the attack until she had gotten too tired to go on. It was the least he could do. Bill, their neighbor, came running out of their house in attempt to calm Lovette down but she had already finished the smallest part of her anger.
“Go home, Bill. This is between me and MY husband,” whispered Lovette. Her tone was low and dark. She had completely sobered up and had contemplated on attacking Joseph again. The hurt and betrayal she had felt was threatening to come out again.
Not saying a word and turning to leave towards his house, Bill understood. There had been rumors in the past about what Joseph did to get with Lovette and he had been surprised that she hadn’t learned about them sooner. He didn’t feel bad for Joseph but he did hope that the poor girl just didn’t kill him.
“Lovette, I’m sorry. I know it’s hard to accept right now but I’m really sorry. I never meant to hurt you. You have to believe me. I didn’t mean…”
“I should’ve known you were up to something. You hit on me right after that damn phone call. You couldn’t WAIT to sink your teeth in to get a taste, huh? All of that friend shit was to just get closer to me just so you could find the opportunity to get in good,” said Lovette cutting him off.
She had now been pacing in the yard back and forth. She had been too angry to realize that her knuckles on both hands had been bleeding. A few more paces in, she began to feel the stings on both hands.
“You’re bleeding. Let me help you,” said Joseph while walking closer to her.
“If you touch me, I swear…” said Lovette while backing up. She had never expected Joseph to hurt her in this way. She had finally accepted their life together and actually loved him. To find this out at this moment, she had been confused. He wasn’t perfect but he had been a great husband and father. What was she supposed to do? The irony of it all was that Mike was in town.
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