The Basketball Player's Wife

Chapter Five: Making Up

"I assumed they were from Mr. Green. He usually sends you card less flowers." Kelsey answered.

"Well, thanks Kelsey. I was going to head out to lunch but I think I'll just head home. I don't have any appointments scheduled for today. But, if any of my patients go into labor I have my pager you can reach me through that or call me." I instructed as I set the flowers back down on her desk.

"What do you want me to do with the flowers Dr. G?" Kelsey asked.

"Put them in my office please."

"Okay, will do! Dr. G, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?" I asked.

"When you get home, make sure you get you some from that fine husband of yours. You've been walking around here like someone killed your goldfish. I can't take it anymore, I need the old Dr.G back."

I laughed.

"Goodbye Kelsey. See you tomorrow." I laughed again thinking of how blatant and blunt she was. Our employer-employee relationship wasn't the most conventional.

But it warmed my heart to know she actually noticed something was off with me. My own mother was clueless when she came over to scold me for not bringing Tre to church.

Sometimes I wondered why I even had my mother in my life. Sure I'm grateful she gave me life and raised me. But I held so much resentment and animosity for her that looking at her made me sick to my stomach.

She held this facade that we were such a perfect family for her church.

She was so quick to rub in people's face that I was a doctor when she was the very one who told me I'd never amount to anything.

She's the reason Alex began stripping. And she expected me to follow suit. But I had ambition and dreams for myself even when she didn't.

My mom brought me a lot of pain growing up but a part of me still loved her. A part of still seeks her approval and I hate it.

Because of her, I lost something I'll never get back.

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When I got home, I went straight to my bedroom. I didn't even check to see if Tre was home. I was too caught up in memories of the past.

I was so captivated with my thoughts, I didn't even notice Tre on our bed until he said my name.

"Gabby, I want my wife back. What do I need to do to make that happen? You're the only family I have. All this money and fame don't mean a thing to me if I don't have you in my corner. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love you baby."

"I love you, too." I said emotionally. My eyes were watering.

"Where did I go wrong to make you not trust me? Tell me baby so I can fix it. These last few days with us not speaking has been torture."

"I'm sorry, Tre. It isn't anything you did. It's a me thing. I've always trusted you but even though we're married, I'm still scared of getting my heart broken."

"Damn Gab, don't you know I would never intentionally hurt you. I'm human, I can't promise you that I'll never hurt you...." Tre said holding my face with the palms of his hand.

"I know baby, I know. I didn't mean for any of that stuff to come out that way. I was frustrated and said those things out of anger. I could have phrased it better. I'm sorry" I sighed.

"You know what, let's forget about it. Come lay down with me, it's been a while since I've held you in my arms." Tre pulled me to bed and took off my shoes. He then pulled me to his chest.

For a while, I just listened to his heartbeat while Tre played in my hair.

"Are we good, Gab?" Tre asked still playing with my hair.

I nodded and kissed Tre on the mouth in response. I laid my head back on Tre's chest while I thought about what had me emotional while driving home.

"What you thinking about baby?" Tre asked.

"Baby, I need to get something off my chest. I know how you look at my mother as your own and I don't want to mess up your bond but I can't keep this in anymore."

"It doesn't matter baby. You don't have to worry about me ."

"I want you to know, Tre." I said shaking my head with tears in my eyes. " Growing up, Momma raised Alex and me. But a part of me always wondered about my father. I had faint memories of him from my childhood but then he just vanished. One day I mustered the courage to ask Momma about him. She told me she hoped that no good broke nigga was dead. After some persistence on my part, she gave me his last known address and his name." I paused remembering the nasty names my mother called my father.

Tre rubbed my back affectionately. I took a deep breath and continued.

"In hindsight, I think that's the greatest gift my mother ever gave to me. Soon after, I found him. Darryl Curtis Jones. That was my daddy's name. He was in bad shape, he was an addict. But really I think he did drugs and drank because everyone he ever loved abandoned him. He had tried reaching out to Alex a few years earlier but she shut him down after all the lies my momma fed her over the years. Did you know, Momma and pops were married and she left him for his cousin Richie just because he had more money."

"No. So did your mom divorce your dad to marry his cousin?"

"Ma and dad were never formally divorced. And Richie was well married. My mom left my dad to become his mistress. He gave her money and expensive gifts."

"Wow. So your mom was a gold digger?"

"In nicer terms, yes she was."

"How did you feel after meeting your pops?" Tre asked.

"Once I met him everything started to make sense. I got him clean. I convinced him to check into rehab, while he was there I made sure I called him everyday and did my best to visit him every weekend. After he left rehab, I made sure I was with him at every AA meeting. I was only 17 but I felt like it was my job to take care of my daddy." I smiled remembering the look on his face every time I visited.

"You cared about him a lot, didn't you?"

"Every weekend I was at his house, I made sure he had food for the week and clean clothes. When he was over a year sober I helped him get a job as a store manager. Everyone loved him. He was funny and real smooth with the ladies. He could have had any woman of his choosing. I was so shocked and disgusted when I visited my dad's house and I found my mom on her knees with her head buried in between my dad's crotch. This woman left him for another man, his own cousin! She turned his oldest daughter against with lies but all couldn't change that he loved her. That fool."

"But wait, what about your dad's cousin? I remember you telling me they didn't break up until you were halfway through med school."

"And that's exactly why I blame my mother for daddy's death. If she never associated herself with Richie Jones, my daddy would still be alive!" I exclaimed.

"I don't understand baby, what does your mom have to do with how your dad died?"

"Richie was possessive of my mother even though his delusional ass was married and constantly getting his wife pregnant. He wanted her all to himself so when he found out my parents were messing around, he flipped. At first he had one of his hooligans come threathen pops at his job. But that did nothing to faze my dad, in his eyes he thought Richie was all talk. But Momma knew, she knew exactly how crazy this mother fucker was but she continued to mess around with my dad. And in turn, Richie had my dad killed." I whispered the last part.

"I'm sorry you lost your dad, baby."

"I found him, Tre. We had plans for that day and he was late. I knew something was wrong. I felt it deep inside because pops was never late. So I went to his house. I had a million thoughts running through my mind. Has he relapsed? Maybe he overslept, or maybe he's sick. When I got to his house, his door was open....and..." I explained before bursting into tears.

"It's okay baby. Let it all out." Tre cooed as he rubbed my back.