His Proposal

Chapter 2

It was cold, but the sun was shining so bright on the morning Gavin decided to return home. The birds were chirping, and the leaves were falling from the trees, fall was here. When he pulled up to the house that morning, he sat in his truck for a while thinking about me and our children. He thought back to a time when we were happy. This was one of the times he missed what they had, and at the same time, he thought about the woman he had been seeing for almost a month. He knew he was hurting me, but he felt like he needed to do him, for a while. He just didn't know how long that would be.

He stepped out of his truck, slammed the door shut, pulled the handle to make sure it was locked, and made his way up the driveway.

He walked up to the front door and stopped before he put his key in the lock. He sighed because he knew he was about to walk right into some drama. He had been gone for three weeks without a legit explanation. He thought about what I might be doing. I was probably sitting on the couch waiting for him, so I could curse his ass out. He turned his key, unlocked the door, and let himself in.

I was sitting on the couch browsing through a health magazine. Gavin walked over to the couch and sat down. I looked up at him, we locked eyes for a few seconds. I nonchalantly looked down at my magazine again. He bent down and went in for a kiss like he always did, but I stopped him.

"I don't know where your lips have been."

"Oh you've got jokes woman; you know I've been working."

"Most working men come home to their families after the day has ended. I don't know where the hell you have been. It doesn't take three weeks to install the cable. You must be installing cable on another planet."

"I don't know what you're talking about I had jobs back to back to back."

"What's her name, Gavin? The pussy must've been extra special, hell she got three weeks."

"Woman, you need to simmer down with all of that nonsense; I told you I've been working."

"Um you are just the cable guy; I know what the cable guy does. Are you installing cable in Egypt?? That job doesn't require a three-week leave. Did I miss something? Do me a favor and clue me in."

Gavin threw his hands up in the air, mumbled something under his breath, and walked out of the room. I went back to the couch and grabbed my magazine. I opened it, threw it at the wall, and began to cry. Gavin heard me crying and came back into the living room, and sat down on the couch next to me.

"Adassa you have an overactive imagination, and you need to stop accusing me of cheating when I'm not."

I wiped my eyes and blurted out.

"You are so full of shit, you are cheating on me, and you've been cheating on me. You can save your lies for the next woman you marry Gavin."

"Hold on! What are you talking about?"

I laughed.

"What does it sound like Gavin? I've had enough of this bullshit. Divorce is looking real good to me."

"Lower your voice woman, my children are here, and you are not going anywhere."

"Oh that's a classic comedy, now you are worried about your children. You haven't seen them in weeks."

Gavin walked over to me and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt. He was so angry at that moment, I honestly thought that he would hit me.

"You are not going anywhere, we took vows, woman, remember for better or for worse, and 'til death do us part?"

I felt like that might be an idle threat, but I chuckled.

"Oh, now you want to honor vows. You have got to be kidding me."

"I'm serious there is nothing funny about what I'm saying to you. I love you Adassa."

"You sure have a funny way of showing your love for me, and your children."

"Everything that I say falls on deaf ears, and I'm tired of talking."

He walked past me, grabbed his keys off the table, and headed for the door.

"Where are you going now, haven't you been gone long enough?"

"I refuse to stand here and be accused of something I haven't done."

Gavin walked out the front door and slammed it behind him. All that I could hear was the screech of truck tires as he sped out of the driveway. I picked up the phone to call my sister; I really needed to vent.

The phone is ringing, and Kendra answers. I felt like I got caught in the rain; there were so many tears rolling down my face.

"This is Kendra, and this had better be good."

All that I could do at that moment was breathing into the phone. The words just wouldn't come out.

"Hello, is anyone there? The playing on the phone is not funny."

Finally, the words came out of my mouth.

"Kendra, it's Adassa don't hang up."

"What the hell? Why do you sound like you've been crying?"

"I got into a fight with Gavin; I threatened to leave with the kids."

I started mumbling through my tears.

"Wait. What? Adassa, I need you to bring it down to a three. I can't understand you."

"I confronted Gavin about cheating on me, and he lost it."

"What happened? What did he say? Where are the kids?"

"The kids are fine they are in their rooms. He snapped at me, said he wasn't cheating, and to stop accusing him. I told him to tell that to the next woman he marries. He grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and choked me. He left, and I'm not sure he's coming back."

"Goodness, are you okay?"

"I'm fine now; I just needed to vent, and get it out."

"Well get ready to vent some more; I'm on my way."

"No, you don't have to come all the way out here."

"Yes, I do; you need someone to baby you for a change. I know you would do the same for me. I'm on my way."