Nearly two weeks—an entire twelve days—my grandmother and mother have been in town and every morning my grandmother was up at the crack of dawn, barking orders. She wanted the house clean by six in the morning so she could make breakfast by the next hour. And don't get me started how she tells me what to do when it comes to my own child.
Everything I done, she complained about it.
If I could ship a woman off to Jamaica without anyone noticing, I definitely would.
Just like now I had to reveal to everyone that I have to leave to work on my upcoming album, and of course, my grandmother was the first to say, "Miami and leave your daughter for the rest of this month to work? No!"
Rolling my eyes, I blew out a heavy breath and planted a seat at the island. "Yes, to work on an album—something I haven't done in years. Sarai's coming with me. You and Mommy are going back to New York."
"You take her while you spend long nights in the studio?" GramMa shook her head strongly, "No, no, no. Mi stay, I watch Sarai Jolene."
"Yeahh, no." I declined politely, shaking my head. "Her father and I have a system on when she goes with him. I know you will make it difficult to make sure that happens."
"Mi?" She pointed at herself, looking appalled as if she doesn't know herself. "What if mi promise to–"
"You can't promise to be anything less than what you are, GramMa." I said.
GramMa groaned and stormed out the kitchen, murmuring patois.
"Don't worry bout her," My mother came ahead of me. "She'll get over it once we leave."
"And that will be?" I asked, "I love your company. But GramMa, it's time for her to go."
My mother chuckled softly. "Totally get it. When's Margo coming?"
"About two hours," I said.
"Oh yeah? Who's bringing over?" She asked folding a towel my grandmother wiped the counters down with as she waited on an answer.
I was hesitant. "Uhm.. Cairo."
She paused and looked at me. I nervously looked at her and my fingernails. She chuckled quietly, then it turned into a full blown laughing session for her. I was confused on what was funny and chuckled awkwardly.
"What's.. what's funny?"
"You," My mother gestured to me as her laugh dies. "You're gonna be the death of me."
The seriousness in her tone makes my brows pull together. "Why would you say that?"
"Because you are, Jade." All humor left her voice and she was staring at me very solemn. "You are slowly killing me. I thought it would be your father who stresses me out this much, thinking he can sneak and eat fatty burgers, or those greasy ass foods from those bodegas after his doctor ordered him not to. That's the kind of stress I should be worried about at fifty-nine years old. My husband and little shit. I shouldn't be worried about my thirty-eight year old daughter that's still being mind-screwed by some man that's probably nearly beat her to death more than I can count on my damn fingers."
"Mom—"
"I'm talking," I cut in sternly. "Jade Joan.. you are allowing this man to come to your residence that you hid from him because you were scared of him. You got the locks, the cameras, all of that for what? Just to invite him back in. You love Margo; I get it. So do you. But that man's playing you like a fiddle. Just dangling that little boy in front of you like a pawn. And.. I can't do it no more, Jade." She dusted off her hands, "I'm washing my hands of your situation. I'm going back to New York today and accepting that two month cruise your father wanted me to go on last week. I'm done."
".. With me?"
My mother walked around to me, holding my face in her hands as she smiled softly. "You're my baby. My only baby. But the longer this Stockholm syndrome has a hold of you, I can't be around. I'm not going to allow you to stress me out and take me out of this earth sooner than I should. I gotta allow you to grow up and deal with this by yourself. Only you can open your eyes to the bullshit. Nobody can force you. But, I will pray for you. I will pray for you as long as I need to. I just hope that doesn't lead to me burying you."
I gasped softly as she leaned in, kissing my forehead. "I love you," she said. "But I'm going home to my husband and pack for our cruise. You handle this however you want."
My mother walked away from me, and I knew she was serious.
My mother and grandmother were gone within an hour and that was when realization hit me that I wouldn't be able to get in touch with her for two whole months. But, I understand. I'm an adult and my mother shouldn't have to worry about me to the point she was stressed out that much.
So I had to let my mother and father live stress-free in their marriage.
"GramMa and aunty gone?" Carla asked coming in my room.
"Yep.."
Carla nodded. "I heard what aunty said to you."
"Yeah. She's going on a cruise with my father. No contact for two months." I said.
"You know.. I agree with her." Carla came in further as she uncrossed her arms, "I love you. I love Sarai. But I gotta leave too, Jade. You're putting yourself back in a situation and you don't even realize it. I'm not sitting around, waiting to bury you."
"I'm not fuckin dead!" I blurted out in a shout, "So I wish everybody would stop saying that shit."
"Yeah, but the longer you continue to fall for Cairo's game; that will be your reality." Carla told me so calmly, "I found a place in Atlanta. Not too far away from Texas. I'm taking my makeup to another level. What's a better place than the Black Hollywood?"
I chuckled a little as I raised up in bed. "When do you leave?"
"Today, actually."
"So everyone planned to leave me and mine on this day, anyway, right?" I stood up, with anger filling my body, and took a deep breath. "My own blood at that. So get your shit and get the fuck out."
Carla's eyebrows arched, taken aback by my calm and harsh tone. "Wow. You're mad at us because we're separating ourselves from what you are doing to you?"
"Fuck you. Fuck GramMa. Fuck my mother. Fuck my father even." I walked over to her until I was directly in front of her, "Get the fuck out. You wanna go. Bye! I don't need none of y'all."
Carla scoffed and nodded. "You'll be calling. Love you too."
"Fuck you!" I said as she walked away, "The only people I will call are my best friends because clearly my blood family doesn't give a fuck. So go."
"Yeah, love you, too, Jade!" Carla hollered from the bottom level.
"Yeah fuck you!" Soon, I heard the front door shut and kicked over the table near me and the glass shattered. "Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!"
Aaarrrgghhhh!
I was breathing heavily just as Sarai cried down the hall.
I exhaled sharply, calming myself, then went out to grab Sarai. I smiled as I picked her up and held her close to soothe. "I'm sorry baby. Mommy's sorry. I won't yell anymore."
Sarai calmed down as she rested her head on my shoulder. The bell chimed on my phone, notifying me someone's at the front gate that made her head jump up. I playfully gasped and smiled. "Is that your Daddy and brother?"
I fished my phone out the back pocket of my jeans and went to the gate camera that showed me one of Cairo's Bentley. "It's Daddy and buddy."
I pressed the button that opens the front gate, then we went down to meet them. Just as I opened the door Margo was hopping out the Bentley, wearing a Boyz-N-Hood acid gray graphic tee and jeans. His haircut was fresh and waves crisp. At the sight of us Margo grinned wide and raced to us.
I giggled as Margo hugged me tight. "Hey baby!"
"Hi, Jay-Jay! Sissy! Look my tooth is loose." Margo opened his mouth, wiggling his front tooth.
"Ooh, you a big boy now." I said as Cairo approached with Margo's Avengers duffel in his hand. He smelled good in his custom blue sweatshirt and cargo trousers. His dreads were neat and in a ponytail. "Hey."
He smiled, giving me a nod. "What up?"
I let them inside and showed Cairo to his new bedroom. He loves Avengers so I incorporated that with his bedroom colors. He liked bunk beds, so he had one that he was already doing flips off of. "Careful, Mar."
"I promise," he said.
I smiled and walked out, allowing him to enjoy his bedroom. I found Cairo in the family room where he went played with Sarai and her giggles filled the room.
Cairo glanced at me as I walked in. "Where yo loud ass cousin?"
"Atlanta. She's.. living there now."
"Hm." Cairo went back to playing with Sarai.
"So, I gotta go to Miami in a few days. Working on an album. I'll be there for the rest of the month. I hope to have it released next month."
"Next month?" Cairo nodded, "That's gon' take some commitment. Who you workin' wit out there?"
"Someone. Doesn't really matter." I said, "I'm telling you so that we know how to handle the days with Sarai and Margo with me being there."
"You not gon' tell me who you workin' wit?" he asked.
"No," I said.
"Y'know it's not hard for me to find out." Cairo warned.
"I'm sure you will," I rolled my eyes upward. "Sarai and Margo?"
"We split our days how we been doing. Gotta jet for a reason."
"Yeah, but Margo has school on weekdays. Say while I'm there we switch days so I'm able to get him weekends."
Cairo put Sarai in her playpen nearby and stood up. "We can switch.."
"Thank you."
Cairo studied me, making me squirm under his stare. "We just not gonna talk about the other day?"
His question let me know he was referring to me kissing him. "It was just a kiss," I shrugged. "You're technically still my husband. I can do that."
"You can," he stood directly in front of me, closing the space between us. Cairo pulled me to him gently and I stammered to say anything. "So since you technically still my wife, I can hold you like this?"
"You.. should leave." I managed to get out because I was afraid I would buckle and let him bend me over.
"Why? We still gettin' divorced." Cairo smirked, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me closer. "We just two soon-to-be divorcees having fun."
Two soon-to-be divorcees having fun
Sounds interesting
Later on, I was sitting on the loveseat in sitting area of my bedroom and on FaceTime with Caren..
"Ooh, Miami. We're going to have to plan a girl's weekend there."
I chuckled. "I'm going there to work. Not play."
"Yeah, well, we stepping on the scene anyway. Give you some play time."
"I will accept, of course."
Caren smile fell slowly and I knew this conversation was becoming serious. "How do you feel with your mom and Carla leaving?"
"Fuck em," I shrugged.
"You know you don't mean that." Caren stated, "They just looking out for you. They don't want you to revert back to what you left."
My gaze landed on my king sized bed. The bed that occupied Cairo, while he slept on his stomach and naked under the comforter. "Yeah.."
Cairo shifted under the comforter, making me say, "Call you in the morning Care."
"Kay. Head up."
I nodded and our video call ended just as Cairo lifted up. He brushed his dreads out of his face, "Why you way ova there?" His baritone voice asked.
"Just chatting with Caren." I let him know, walking over to the bed. I came out of my robe and sat on tried to climb over his lap, but he grabbed me and held me instead. "You know we're not getting back together, right?"
"That's coo'," he kissed me twice. "Two soon-to-be divorcees having fun, remember?"
Two.. soon-to-be divorcees having fun
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