"c-come on tyla, we n-need to get you dressed," tyler smiled, pulling his two year old hand along with him to his bedroom.
"dada?" tyla said while holding her bunny.
"yes, dada is c-coming to get you..." he felt a soft shiver come up his body while thinking about him.
it gave him bad thoughts, very terrible memories that he doesn't like to remember.
tyler thought he saw an angel in rakim who scooped him off his feet—living a very luxurious lifestyle. but one thing is for certain, he didn't know he had a violent side.
tyler saw it first hand when he got an vase thrown at him but by a miracle, missed. rakim was drunk coming from a partying so of course substances were played into it.
rakim never let tyler leave the house by himself anymore, not even see his friends anymore. he wanted him in his sightings 24/7. it became a stressing thing for tyler as he realized he was in a controlling relationship.
things led to rakim finally putting his hands on him. beating him up time after time, one time giving him a concussion. tyler analyzed every time it happened, rakim played smart by hiding all the phones and was always drinking. no call for help.
when tyler announced he was pregnant, he thought everything was going to be better....
wrong.
he kept beating on him while pregnant.
he almost lost the baby twice. he always protected his belly when the hitting happened. he couldn't afford to lose the baby—this was a piece of him that gave him comfort.
he finally left when symere walked in with tyler unconscious and rakim with bloody hands. tyler face wasn't recognizable.
symere knew something was wrong for a long time, even when he first showed up. he swooped up tyler too easily as he thinks he manipulated him.
rakim was locked up for 8 months. tyler had his little girl 2 months early but she was fine.
without symere stepping in, he didn't if he was going to be here today.
"hey-" tyler squeaked, turning around to see symere and jordan.
"d-don't scare me like that guys..." tyler rubbed his arm.
"i'm sorry.." symere walked in to see tyla finally dressed with her bunny beside her.
"hi baby, i got you you're favorite food!" symere said, picking her up.
"mangoes!" she screamed, clapping her hands.
"yes!" he laughed, watching tyler picking at his skin, the sign of being nervous about the man coming.
he was always like this.
"hey TT, let's go give papa some space. is cartoons fine?"
"CARTOONS!"
symere laughed at his excitement, walking out the bedroom. he left his boyfriend as he leaned on the wall.
"tyler you're okay. we gonna be here and at the therapy session."
"i know i'm just having flashbacks..." tyler breathed out, slipping his shoe back on.
jordan nodded, watching every move tyler do as he can be worrisome.
"when he's coming?"
"symere said in 12 minutes. he's in traffic so it might take longer."
tyler nodded before a soft sound came through the home. the doorbell rung.
tyler gulped his saliva as he grabbing his baby's bag.
"well let's see that's dada hmm?"
"DADA!" she giggled.
symere smiled before looking up at tyler and jordan walking out with a bag.
"y'all good?" symere asked, fixing tyla's shoe.
"yeah—i'll answer the door." jordan went over to the door, first unlocking the top lock than bottom.
by turning the door knob slowly, it peeked more and more to see rakim—he stand there with his head on the phone, waiting for someone to answer.
he heard the door creak, quickly picking up his head up to jordan standing there.
"hey," he awkwardly said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"hey," jordan nods his head, "they getting ready, wait a moment."
"oh that's fine—in no rush." rakim said.
"here she goes," he heard symere's voice before coming in the frame was tyler, lightly having his head down with tyla holding his hair.
"ow," he chuckled, placing a kiss on her head.
rakim gave him a half smile.
"uh you can have tyla till tuesday, the c-court ruled so.." tyler handed her over with the bag.
"okay cool...is there anything i need to know?"
"yeah, i-i'm not going to pick her up until tuesday 7pm. i have therapy for 2pm-5:30pm. a-also she loves mangoes and she c-craves them a lot—m-make sure to buy them."
"huh, my baby becoming a fruit lover..." he smiled at her, jumping her up and down.
"is that all?"
"y-yeah." tyler flinched as he saw his hand move, only to him fixing the overnight bag on his shoulder.
"i should be going, thank you once again." rakim added.
he nodded, watching him go. he closed the door behind him to jordan and symere sadly look at him.
"i saw you flinch at his hand." symere sadly said.
"i felt myself do it too..." he sat down, hugging his knees.
they sat next to hugging him with comfort.
"it's okay, we was here."
"i know but i hate when i do that. i hate he comes around in general...i-i hate it." he wiped his tear. "he put too much damage on m-me."
