The Ex Factor

Chapter 17

"Yes, he was here and he'll be back in a little for lunch... I invited him." My mom replied with a twinge of mischief in her eyes.

"Where's the loyalty mom? Why would you let him in while I'm looking like this?" I jumped up from the stool needing to hurry and fix myself up.

"Girl please, the man seen you give birth; this is nothing." She said with a smirk flashing her pearly whites at me.

I rushed out of kitchen, almost slipping on the freshly waxed floor, having to brace myself on the table top. I turned the corner of the kitchen, crashing right into a little body. Cam basically tackled my legs, wrapping his arms and legs around my body, holding on for dear life. I glanced down at his puffy cheeks and gleaming grin knowing that I had been caught.

"Mommy! Daddy took me back to the zoo and we went to sea world and I got to ride dolphins." Cam rambled on in excitement.

In the midst of it all I felt a set of eyes on me. I looked up from my son and saw his father standing there; he was dressed casual in a pair a of jeans, a black t-shirt, and Rolex adorning his wrist. Now Aubrey has always been attractive in my eyes, but there's something about him these days that's making him more and more irresistible to me. Maybe it's the added pounds he's been packing on that fit his body perfectly; or the freshly groomed beard he's been growing in, but whatever it was, it was making me weak.

"Hey, I didn't hear the door." I spoke, ignoring the awkward feeling in the as I tried to smooth some of the stray hairs back into my bun.

"Oh I heard him pull up, so I just let him in." Grams called out from the living room seconds before appearing right in front of me. "I didn't want the doorbell to wake you." My grandmother had this shifty grin on her lips that matched my mother's in the kitchen making me wonder what scheme they're up to.

Trying keep up my unflustered front in front of Aubrey I gave her a stale smile while silently telling her off; it was all in the eyes. "Thank you Grams."

"You're so very welcome Raven!" She sarcastically beamed in a cheery tone. "You might want to fix yourself up if you want to get your man back." She whispered in my ear and then walked past me to enter the kitchen to refill what I'm guessing isn't iced tea in her cup.

Her words snapped me right back to reality realizing how tore up I was looking. Aubrey opened his mouth to say something, but I put my finger up to stop him. "Hold that thought, I'll be right back... right back." I speed walked out of the dining room so fast, I almost slipped again.

Karris was sitting in the living room with her beats snugs over her ears singing very loud and off key to Lauryn Hill's "Killing Me Softly" in her Black By Popular Demand t-shirt. I swear, every since she went away to Howard, she's been on this cultural awareness kick; embracing her roots if you will. She traded in her blonde hair dye for Poetic Justice braids and I have to say, I'm liking this transition on her. 

Interrupting her little groove session, I grabbed her by the hand and dragged her up the stairs with me all the way to my bedroom. Once we got inside I closed the door and locked it. Karris snatched her headphones from her ears staring at me in confusion.

"What's wrong with you? Why did you drag me all the way up here?"

"I need help finding something to wear." I stepped into my closet, sorting through hangers upon hangers of clothing.

"Look at you, trying to get cute for your husband." Said Karris, flopping down on the chaise watching me in total amusement.

"Stop calling him that, and I'm not trying to get cute... just presentable." I mumbled that last part under my breath walking over to the other side of my closet.