The Matters of Her Heart

Reunited but it doesn't feel that good

Kareema opened the front door, wondering who would be at her house at an hour past midnight ringing her doorbell so obnoxiously, to see her daughters faces shining under the porch light with huge over night bags and tear stained cheeks. They looked like they'd been through hell.

"Oh dear Lord, what happened?" She ushered a crying Tanya inside with Tiffany silently dragging their bags behind.

Tanya just gave a brief explanation about needing to get away out of town for a while and that she wanted space. She still hadn't really talked about what she'd seen in Maxwell's office aside from the detail by detail she'd given her sister on the drive over. She was in a state of depression filled guilt as she remembered the state she left him in, she just couldn't handle being there any longer without wanting to harm someone.

Their mother hesitantly agreed and let them stay though she knew her daughter was withholding some information from her. Hopefully with time, the girl would get herself together and see she couldn't be without that man. Then she suddenly got a thought.

"Hello?" A deep, raspy voice answered after the second ring.

"She's here Maxwell, honey. You have to do something before she leaves! I thought you said you'd fixed it? What in God's name did you do?" Kareema harshly whispered.

Maxwell wiped his tear stained face, "I tried to talk to her before she ran out on me! She didn't want me to know about the baby, either. What was I supposed to do? Lock her up in my house until she changed her mind?"

"Yes! You should've dragged her to your house and made her stay. And I know she didn't, that's why i told you. You have to get here before she leaves around noon," Kareema pleaded.

"I'll be there. I can't lose her, I won't let her leave me," he said before he hung up and threw his phone at the wall in anger. It would take five hours to drive to Kareema's place and he had to get there soon because even if she wasn't running away with his child, she should know she was still running with his heart.

Kareema nor Maxwell were aware of the fact that Tiffany had heard their entire conversation and relay the message to Tanya who decided they'd leave before their mother woke in the morning and before he got there.

When Kareema went to wake the girls up for breakfast at nine, knowing Maxwell would be there within the hour, the girls were gone. She sighed as she realized they must've heard her talking to him and got spooked but why was the question. She knew she'd have to explain it all to Maxwell and his friend that drove all that way to bring the girls back home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ four

years

later~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Mommy! I can't get it!" Yelled three and a half year old Melanie as she attempted to unlock the front door while her mommy got the groceries out of the back of their SUV.

"It's the princess key Mel, remember mommy got it made just for you?" Tanya yelled back. They were shopping for Thanksgiving that was the next day. Her now twenty four weeks pregnant sister wouldn't allow her to make a traditional turkey with stuffing this year claiming she was 'sick of that kind of bird' and she wanted Cornish hen instead. Tanya shook her head at the memory and continued grabbing things.

"Look! I did it mommy!!" Melanie cheered, her dark curls bouncing and strangely bright cerulean blue eyes sparkling with merriment at her accomplishment.

"Great job, now go get Uncle Roger so he can help mommy with the food," she smiled as she sat the bags down by the door so she could head outside to grab more but halted in her steps, smile dropping instantly at the man leaning casually against the black vehicle.