For hours Tae searched for Shantey and came up empty.
He rode all around Los Angeles in every part of town til five the next morning. He even called her sponsor and she hadn't heard from Shantey herself. His eyes were heavy, but he refused to sleep until he found her. He pulled over at a convenience store to gas up his Bentley and grabbed his a water to splash on his face to wake himself up.
Tae wanted to call her, but remembered she left her phone next to the bed and didn't take her car. He had no way of tracking her. He felt like he was hitting a dead end.
His phone start to ring and he answered when he seen it was his wife's best friend. "You didn't find her?"
"Nothing." Amanda sighed, "I mean I don't know California like that. But I do know our hometown."
Tae pulled out the nozzle after the tank was filled. "Your hometown?"
"Yes. Have you called Monae?" Amanda asked about his sister in-law.
"I'm waiting til she woke. What time is it there?" He asked taking the receipt and getting in his car.
"It's two hours ahead there." Amanda informed. "Call Anissa and tell her what's going on."
Tae noted that and started the ignition. He sighed sitting back in the seat. "I'm new to dealing wit this side of her. Do I need to file a missing person's report after a certain time?"
"No. That will just put the media in your business for nothing and you already have to deal with who leaked the information about Ro. If she doesn't come back by the end of the night I'm flying to our hometown and search there."
Tae decided to listen to her best friend because she knows more about it. They end their call and Tae drove home where Heather was still assisting with the kids. Heather was awake in the nursery feeding Azoni once Tae stood at the doorway. Heather was chuckling at the facial expression the newborn made.
"You're so much like your Momma, Azoni."
"Good mornin." Tae greeted, grabbing his mother in-law's attention.
Heather smiled at Tae. "Buenos dias. You look very tired."
"I haven't slept." Tae replied as he sat on the footstool. "You know you don't have to keep doing this, Ma. I know your hubby miss you home."
"Nico will be fine." She mentioned her husband. "I will be here as long as I need to. Did you all find her?"
"Nope. I hit a dead end."
Heather sighed softly. "I feel so bad that it's nothing I can do. Did you tell Sunni and Anissa?"
"I am. I just don't want to bombard them wit stuff. She my wife. I gotta handle this."
"You've never dealt with this part of her before. She was great at hiding that part of herself from you. I've seen it. Papa has seen it. Sunni, Anissa, Romelo; we've all witnessed it and it's not peachy. She'll be depressed and out of nowhere she's doing things out of her character. You're gonna need help."
"I'm open to accepting it, of course."
"You're gonna need it. Cruz called asking for her. I know they come home soon and I know that Dave is going to further question. Does he know she's disappeared?"
"No. He just know about her being depressed. I flew out there yesterday just to get some input on how to handle her that way and you know it took a lot for me to actually do that."
"I know and I'm glad you put your pride aside to do so." Heather said burping Azoni on her shoulder. "But he needs to know. He has children with her as well. I just hope he doesn't use this to separate the boys again. I know the history there and this could be something he would use."
"Yea' but can you blame him?" Tae questioned. "I mean, as a father I get it. He's already told me if she swallow even half a pill he taking them. I'm tryna do everything to keep that from happening. But who am I to tell a father not to worry bout they kids well-being if they mother fall of the wagon."
"No, you're absolutely right there." Heather concurred after burping Azoni. Tae reached for the newborn and she handed him over. "She's dealing with postpartum, her disorder taking over her mind, and she's fighting every second of the to stay sober. I just pray she overcomes this."
Tae gently kissed Azoni across his smooth face. "I know, Ma, me too."
♧
She knocked rapid and constantly on the front door and turned it into a rhythmic beat. On the other end the Del Toro black velvet house slippers dragged across the clean floor, approaching the door when his hand reached out and opened the door. His brows furrowed at the woman standing on the other side.
She continued the rhythmic knuckle beat on the door and twerked coming inside. "Hey! Hey!"
"Shantey, whatchu doin' here?" he asked.
"I can't come visit my babydaddy?" Shantey bit her bottom lip, roaming her hand down his abs.
Dave narrowed her eyes. "You geeked the fuck up, yo."
"On life!" She twirled around him and clapped her hands, looking around. "Where my son's? Boogie and Cruz! Momma is here!"
Dave grabbed her arm. "Aye, stop fuckin' yellin. Whatchu doin here? Cru been tryna call you all morning back at home."
"Yeah, that's why I'm here." Shantey lied. She really took an abrupt flight to Jersey due to her having a episode. "Cruz! Boogie!"
Dave was unaware of her running away from home so he accepted her answer. "Mhmm. You do look nice to have gave birth weeks ago. Yo' short ass always knew how to snap back."
Cruz came down seeing his mother. "Momma!"
Shantey smiled as he raced to his mother. He leaped in her arms making her lose her footing and fall. The mother and son burst into laughter.
"Oh my God you are so heavy now, papi." Shantey kissed her six year old all over his face. "What is your Dad feeding you?"
"Good home cooked food." Dave said as the mother and son raised from the floor.
"I been calling you Momma. They told me you were sleep all the time." Cruz said.
"Did they? I probably was."
"Why didn't you bring Romeo, Seona, and Azoni? I wanted to see them."
Shantey hugged Cruz. "This was a private visit with only Momma. Didn't you miss me?"
"Yeah. I missed them too."
"You'll see them soon."
Dave observed Shantey and he felt that identical off feeling he would feel in the past. "Do anybody know you here?" he wondered.
Shantey eyed the stairs and a pregnant Millie came down while carrying Ameer that just woke up. Shantey gasped, smiling wide. "Boogie!" she went to the bottom of the steps, "Hi, baby!"
Ameer went to his mother and hugged around her neck. "I missed you Boogie." She looked at Millie, "Hey! Don't you look good and sexy."
Millie lifted a brow, confused by Shantey's niceness. "Um, thank you."
"What are you having, boy or girl?"
"Another girl." She rubbed her belly affectionately. "My due date is next month."
"Oh foreal. Let's hope for a Capricorn. We bout that. And after you give birth, we should have a little sex." Shantey winked.
Dave and Millie was taken aback by her words, especially with the boys around.
"Ew, Mommy," Cruz face frowned. "Why would you say that to Mills? She's a woman."
"Because son we—"
"Nothing." Dave interrupted her quickly, "Go play. I'm finna talk to yo Momma."
Cruz rushed upstairs, while Ameer fell back to sleep in his mother's arms. Dave retrieved him from her and rocking him lightly. "What's goin' on witchu?" he asked.
Shantey groaned. "What do you mean, David? I'm fine."
David nodded to Millie, gesturing for her to give the two privacy. She retrieved Ameer, heading back upstairs as Shantey's eyes followed. " Look at that booty! I'm finna get my ass done. And my tits. You think I'll look good with that?"
"How you get here, Ledé?"
"Well, I caught a flight and hitched a ride. He didn't know who I was, which made it better."
Dave frowned. "You brought som' stranger to my shit?"
"I'm not dumb, David. I walked from the stop sign. You have liquor?" Shantey rushed to the bar of his large residence and grabbed the Don Julio bottle. "You wanna wit me?"
"You not 'posed to be drinkin'." he tried to grab the bottle but she moved out of his way, "Ledé stop playin'."
Shantey swallowed a good amount of the liquor before he snatched it out of her hand. She laughed, swallowing the tequila. "You made me spill some on the hoodie."
"You buggin'." he said placing the bottle on the bar, "You high? Did you take a fuckin' pill?"
Shantey laughed as Dave grabbed her jaw. She bit her bottom lip. "Mm, you gonna punish me?"
"Are you high?"
"Boy no." Shantey pushed her hand off her face. "I'm high on life like I told you baby."
"How long has it been since you had a full sleep?" he asked.
"I don't know. Three days. But who cares?" Shantey giggled following him to the second living room. He sat on the couch shaking his head. "We should have a little sex. I'm already here."
Dave turned his head to the mother of his son's slowly...
"Gone on, Ledé."
"I'm serious." She straddled his lap unexpectedly. "Don't you miss it?"
"You see this?" he raised her hand up that held the eight-carat ring Tae custom made for her. "This got you off the market, shorty. We'll never do that again. You taken for life. We respecting boundaries and you crossin' one."
"Oh, I get it, you are a bitch now." Shantey laughed and climbed off her baby father's lap. "Just say you went pussy."
"Cause I won't fuck you and you married?" Dave chuckled, "Shut the fuck up, Ledé. It's called respect and me and Cali came a long ass way. I'm not finna give into yo' shit. You goin' through something right now."
Shantey mimicked him, deepening her voice. "Shut up! I'm not goin' thru anything. I'm livin' life baby."
"Ledé—"
"Blah, blah! I'm not hearing anymore!" Shantey covered her ears, racing out of the living room.
Dave shook his head. He stood, following behind the way Shantey traveled and found her in the playroom with Ameer and Cruz accompanied them playing on his Nintendo.
Dave took notice to that well known behavior and called up her husband. He stood out in the hall, listening to the ring in his ear. Dave knew he was three hours ahead of California in time but he hoped he would answer.
On the other side of the coast in Woodland Hills, her husband jumped up from his short slumber once hearing the sound of his phone ring. He remembered Azoni on his chest and held his back. He answered without eyeing the screen. "Hello? Shantey?"
"Na' Cali it's me." Dave responded, "But it seem I'm late to knowin' bout Shantey disappearin' since she here, geeked up."
Tae fully woke up hearing his wife's location. "She there witchu?"
"Yup. Showed up earlier."
"I'm finna fly there."
"Alright, I'll keep her here." Dave said before their call ended. He turned around and startled by Shantey standing behind him. "What the—" he chuckled, "Why you all behind me?"
Shantey's mood changed that quick. "Who were you talking to?"
"Listen, this my crib, ya feel me? I don't have to tell you who I'm talking to."
Shantey wrestled his large hand for his phone and he snatched it back. "The fuck you doin'? Move back. Give me my personal space."
Shantey shoved him and punched his arm. "Bitch."
"Ledé, I'm tellin' you." he warned seriously.
"Both of y'all pussies." Shantey retorted turning around to the room.
"Check yo' self, Ledé."
♧
Tae hopped out the rental car immediately and sped walked to the front door. He knocked eagerly and the door opened soon after. He dapped up Dave as allowed him inside.
"She still here?" he asked.
"Yeah, she up there. Cru and Boogie got her to lay down."
Tae nodded her head and followed behind Dave to Cruz's bedroom. He peaked inside at the bed and could see an empty spot between Cruz and Ameer. "She not in here."
Dave pushed open the door more, and searched around his big bedroom. "She was just here."
Tae sighed stressfully. "Well, not no more."
While Tae and Dave called around for Shantey, she was in her hometown approaching a nice size house with luxury vehicles parked in the driveway. She knocked rhythmically on front door until it was answered.
The older man in his mid fifties stood on the other side with a confused expression as he eyed the woman he haven't seen in years. She smiled up at the average heightened man.
"Hey, Allen. Miss me?"
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀