Life was complicated for Tomas Nelson, not that it ever was easy but he could use a break. Maybe a nice vacation in the Caribbean, he could use the sun and Judah would love the beach. Speaking of the kid, he was late to picking him up. Again. He really tried to be on time but he couldn't leave his artist in the middle of the rehearsal. He did what he had to, he hoped Judah would understand.
Walking up Schafer Street was a special kind of hell; the memory of when he used to live here with a wife and a son still lingered fresh. That and he knew Janet, his ex-wife and superstar was going to be on his case about being late to pick up their son. But still he mustered up some courage and knocked on the door.
"You're late." Janet answered curtly when she opened the door.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Tomas said not wanting to hear Janet's reproach. "I got caught up at work."
"That's hardly surprising." Janet said opening the door wider as a silent gesture for Tomas.
"Is he still awake?" Tomas asked glancing up the staircase. "I know it's kind of late."
"I don't know." Janet said. "He thought you weren't coming."
"I'm sorry, I was-" Tomas tried to explain.
"You got caught up at work. I've heard this before." Janet said, having heard this same excuse so many times before, it was easy to finish Tomas's sentence.
"I'm sorry." Tomas said this time looking sincerely apologetic.
"I'm going to go get Judah." Janet said as she started to go up the staircase she stopped and did a half turn. "You could have called at the very least."
Tomas was left alone in the foyer, he look at the now emptier walls. He remembers how the walls were filled with family pictures, now there were fewer pictures on the walls. It pained his to think about his failed marriage and how he failed to give Judah a real family.
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Tomas is driving with Judah from Los Angeles to San Diego like they usually do ;so every Friday night the difference is that the usual chatty boy hasn't utter a word since leaving Janet's house. This is a matter of concern for Tomas.
"I'm sorry for being late." Tomas apologized once more.
"Again." Judah muttered under his breath.
"I know I haven't been the most punctual parent as of late, but I'm really trying, kid." Tomas said. "I'm trying to make this arrangement work but sometimes it gets really, really hard."
"I know. Work is important. I get it." Judah said resigned.
"Not as important as you are." Tomas said ruffling Judah's hair finally managing to get a smile out of the boy. "I love you."
"I love you too." Judah said quickly forgetting Tomas's lateness and enjoying the time he had with his father.
When they got to Tomas's apartment Judah went straight for the balcony, he loved seeing all the stars, it was different from Los Angeles. The view is nothing short of breathtaking and Tomas gives Judas a moment to take it in.
"What's on your mind, kid?" Tomas asks after he put Judah's discarded backpack on his room.
"Nothing…" He said shrugging his shoulders noncommittally.
"Come on, you know you can tell me anything." Tomas said sensing that he was holding out on him.
"Mom has a boyfriend." He spitted out shocking Tomas in the process. A weave of jealousy crept over Tomas.
"A- And h-how do you feel about that?" Tomas asked not really knowing how to react.
"I've known for a while but mom finally told me this week." Judah said with that unreadable expression he most definitely inherited from Janet.
"Do you like this new boyfriend of hers?" Tomas asked knowing he was completely out of his depth.
"JD's cool and all but sometimes he tries too hard." Judah said.
"She's dating Jermaine!?" Tomas asked to no one in particular. "She's way out of his league." He muttered under his breath.
"He is not her husband so I'm not worried." Judah said with certainty. "You are. You just need to talk to mom and fix things. You say you're sorry, she says she's sorry and then we'll finally be a family again."
"Jude…" Tomas looked for the right words to say but failed to find them. Somehow Judah got convinced that his parents where meant to be and refused to accept that their marriage was over.
Two years ago:
There are boxes lying around all over the house, all of the boxes have in common the 'Tomas's Stuff' scribbled in front of them. When Janet goes into the living room she sees Judah taking out stuff from inside the boxes. There are books and CD's lying all over the floor.
"Judah, what are you doing?" Janet asked confused. Tomas and her have been fighting more often than its normal these past few months and after the last fight when things almost got physical and Judah saw part of the fight they decided to call it quits. Tomas was moving back to San Diego and Janet was staying here in LA. Judah was yet to come to terms with his parent's decision.
"I'm putting dad's stuff back." Judah said as he continued hard at work. "He's gonna want them there when he comes back."
"Judah, dear, we talked about this remember?" Janet said squatting down to be at eye level with her son.
"But you guys fight all the time, you just have to say you're sorry for kicking him out and then he'll come back us." Judah said it like it was the easiest thing on the world. Like saying sorry could fix a broken marriage.
"It's not that easy, dear." Janet said stroking Judah's cheek.
"But she's your Princess Charming, you have to stay together, you have to." Judah insisted. "Please."
"Its over Jude, Tomas is not coming back." Janet admitted to her son and to herself for the first time.
"But I love him!" Judah cried out loud. "I love him."
"I know." Janet said holing onto the sobbing boy. "I know you love her, I love her too." Even though her eyes betrayed her, she tried to stay strong for the boy whose whole world was coming apart.
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On Sunday's late afternoon Tomas and Judah from San Diego to Los Angeles singing songs on the radio at the top of their lungs, in between songs they stuffed their mouths with junk food bought at a gas station. This is behavior that Janet would not approve of but it was their little secret.
Janet ran to the door the moment she heard the loud rhythmic knock. There are only two people in this world that would knock like that. =
"Here I bring you Sir Judah safe and sound." Tomas said his hands resting on Judah's shoulder.
"Hi, ma." Judah said giving Janet a small hug. "I found my DS, it was at dad's, I'm going to go find my charger." He said as he ran up the stairs.
"JUDAH! What have I told you about running in the house?" Janet called after Judah.
"Sorry." Judah's voice was heard from a distance.
There was an awkward pause between Janet and Tomas now that they didn't have Judah as a buffer it was hard to know what to do next. They weren't in bad terms but they weren't exactly friends.
"So…" "Did Jude…." They both said at the same time.
"You go first." Tomas said.
"No, please." Regina said. "Say what you need to say." She said as she led Tomas inside the house.
"It was nothing, please." Tomas said. The politeness between them was painful. They walked over to Janet's study where Janet gave Tomas what she called 'Judah updates'.
"I just wanted to ask whether Judah did his homework or not." Janet said in her usual soft manner while Tomas tried not to make eye contact as he sat down in front of Janet.
"He did." Tomas said. "I'm not a complete incompetent parent, you know." He said with a hint of hostility.
"I wasn't implying- I was making sure that his homework was done." Janet said noticing Tomas's tone.
"Whatever, Janet." Tomas said. Janet's mistrust hurt him so he did the only thing he knew how. "Congratulations by the way." At Janet's confused look he decided to elaborate. "You and Little Nigga, I heard you guys are a thing now."
"Judah told you didn't he?" Regina asked already knowing the answer.
"You sure as hell didn't." Tomas said.
"I didn't realize I owed you any explanations regarding my personal life." Janet said. Tomas stood up from his seat in the sofa to pour himself a glass of the scotch Janet always had lying around for guests.
"Excuse me? You cannot just help yourself. This isn't your house anymore." Janet said.
"And whose fault is that?" Tomas said as he sipped on his drink.
"Lets not-" Janet said. "This isn't your house and I'm not your wife. I don't need to give you explanations about what I do with my personal life. We are not having any conversations regarding my relationship with Jermaine."
"You do need to talk to me about these things, especially when they involve my kid." Tomas said.
"Any decisions I make involve Judah and myself not you, Tommy, not anymore." Janet said.
"He is my son and I need to know everything that goes in his life you cannot just bring a strange man into this house without consulting it with me first." Tomas said.
"Now he's a strange man? Wasn't he your drinking buddy a while ago?" Janet asked with a good dose of sarcasm.
"You know that's not what I meant." Tomas said putting his drink down.
"I don't need to consult a thing with you." Janet said. "All you need to do is pay Judah's child support on time and not disappoint Judah. But we all know how you're doing in that department."
"Fuck you, Janet, just fuck you." Tomas said angrily.
"Not anymore you wont." Janet replied coolly as Tomas stepped up closer to her.
"Is that so?"Tomas said a hair away from Janet's face. Tomas's hand was resting on Janet's neck pulling her even closer.
"That is so." Janet said trying to hold on to what little control she had left. Deep down she knew what was about to happen, they've been here a number of times before. The heated arguments, the resentful reproaches, the hateful kisses and the angry sex…it was all too familiar.
"Fuck you." Tomas muttered against Janet's lips.
"Then do it." Janet said before she clashed her lips against Tomas's.
Clothes were discarded on the floor and bodies laid sedated on the sofa. They both knew that what had just transpired between them was a mistake; they crossed a line that should not ever be crossed. Now they both had marks on their bodies that would remind them for the next few days of the huge error they had just made.
"Could you pass me that glass?" Tomas asked pointing to the glass half filled with scotch on the table closest to her ex-wife. Janet pushed the glass into Tomas's hand before she stood up to put her clothes back on. "Are you happy? Does he make you happy?" He asked as he watched Janet getting dressed.
"I'm not having this conversation with you." Janet answered.
"Is just a question." Tomas said after he began getting dressed himself.
"A question I refuse to answer." Janet said checking herself in the mirror. "Is that concept so hard for you to grasp? And must to mark my neck like this? You dog."
There were many questions left on Tomas's mind like: Does he make you happier than I did? Did I ever manage to make you happy? Can we go back to the start and being all over again?
"I'm sorry." Tomas said not looking Janet's general direction. "I'll leave you alone now. Tell the kid I had to go but that I'll call him tomorrow before he goes off to school."
"Tommy…" Janet called after him but it was too late, Tomas was already gone. "I'm sorry too."