Kelly top left, Dallas top right, Cari middle left, Karma and Kaelan middle right, Knight bottom left, Kannon bottom middle, and Boo bottom right
•
I am losin' myself to find you
Yeah I'm dying it's true
It's never been about anything more or anything less,
It's all about you
Like I'm losing a war that I can't win
But I can't lose because I'll lose you
•
• Kelly •
"You stupid!" Kyron slapped me.
"Nigga don't put yo hands on me," I huffed.
"Knuck if you buck," Kyron hooted, squaring up.
"That moment when Kyron been smarter than you lately." 'Dell sighed. "I oughta hop out this window. That or beat cha ass."
"Let's do both!" Ky yelled.
"You slept wit her?" 'Dell asked.
"No man! I said I mine as well, Cari already thinks I am. She just gave me top."
"I should knock yo head from off top yo shoulders." Cordell crossed his arms.
"Do it. Just knock his ass out." Kyron whispered.
"I know neither of y'all niggas ain't talkin. 'Dell we gone act like y-"
"This ain't about me!" they shouted simultaneously.
"Look. Jordyn already knew how I was, and she chose to put up with it. I was faithful when I wanted to be," Kyron put his hands up in surrender. "Cari ain't used to the games and you being a dickhead. So you brought all this on yourself."
"That's the smartest thing you said yo whole life bruh. You deserve a snack Scooby." 'Dell patted his shoulder.
"But Kyron was right. That hoe is no good, and she's about to break you and your family down until you don't have shit. But you ain't tryna hear it so." Cordell shrugged.
"I really don't feel like going to this damn marriage counselor tomorrow." I ruffed my hair.
"Notice how he ignored me." 'Dell snickered. "You need to go to the counselor and a crazy doctor cause you've lost it man."
"I ain't lose nothing. I just need this to go smoothly cause if it does, it'll be harder for her to get a separation, but if it doesn't, she's got it."
"I say confess everything,"
"I ain't stupid nigga. That's tryna get us broke up."
"C'mon," he held up his son to me. "Do it for lil Saint."
~ Cari ~
"Really hoping all goes well tomorrow," I stirred my strawberry lemonade before taking a sip.
"You don't mean that," Jayda said and I gave her a look.
I looked over at Kannon and he gave me a toothless smile, making me happily pick him up as Knight remained sleep in the twin stroller.
"I do. Niggas ain't shit. Never were, never will be,"
I glanced up at Jordyn who was talking to Karma, Kaelan, and Amari.
I messed with Kannon until he seemed to get bored and looked back up at Jayda who was talking to her own daughters.
"Is that who I think it is?" Jayda looked up from Zya and Maleah.
I looked in the direction her eyes were focused on and I rolled my eyes when I saw Melena.
"No, look." Jayda pointed.
I glanced back up and saw her smiling and talking to some guy and I took my phone out, putting it on the camera.
I caught a picture of them hugging where you could see her face and sent it to Kelly.
"Aww, you still care." Jayda cooed and I cut my eyes at her.
•
"And when we get in here don't say or touch anything." I told Karma and Kaelan.
"Pshhh," Kaelan brushed me off.
"Kaelan I'm not playing with you," I whisper yelled as they walked before me in the courtroom.
I angled the twin stroller so they'd face where me, Karma, and Kaelan sat and I gave Kannon her binkee so I wouldn't have to hear his fussing.
Kelly looked back and rose his eyebrows as if he were surprised to see me and probably was, while the bailiff shouted the famous quote from movies, signaling us to stand.
The judge walked in and after she was situated, we sat back down and listened as the hearing began.
My mind wandered off into all the important things I need to do or finish this weekend and I jumped when I heard the gavel knock on the thick wood.
"Overruled," the judge said hastily, giving a glare to Daija's lawyer.
"As I was saying, the plaintiff doesn't want my client in the young girl's life and the plaintiff is also married, so that is two incomes supporting that child and she's made it almost six years without the aid of Mr. Oubre, so five thousand dollars a month is outrageous." Kelly's lawyer, Jacqueline, defended.
"Slay girl slay," Karma nodded.
"But him not being in the child's life is all the more reason the amount should be raised because the only financing he'll be doing for Dallas is the federal income that he'll have no choice but to pay." Daija's lawyer argued.
"That was whack," Kaelan mumbled.
"Mr. Davis," Jacqueline caught the attention of Daija's party. "If my research is correct, you're a divorced man yourself, and who has full custody? Your ex wife correct?"
"That is neither here nor there-"
"Answer the question," the judge spoke.
"My wife." he took his glasses off to wipe his face, and slipped them back on by the bridge.
"And how much do you pay her a month? Because I'm sure you'd agree five thousand a month is absurd. You make plenty of money yourself, but I'm positive you don't remunerate a farcical amount of money every month." Jacqueline crossed her legs while standing, with a smirk that said she had him.
"Davis?" the judge lifted her bifocals until they sat on top of her strawberry blond dyed hair.
"Seven fifty." Davis gritted.
"Very well," Jacqueline smiled. "When I was young, my single mother raised me with a child support of three hundred a month and we did just fine. Judge Lawson, ma'am I hope you see where I'm going with this."
"I do," she glanced over the papers in front of her.
I took a deep sigh, waiting for her ruling and I saw her pick up the gavel in her frail, bony hand.
"With an income like yours Mr. Oubre, there's no reason as to why you can't afford the amount asked, but I'm a reasonable person. Nine hundred a month." she tapped on the wood.
Kelly smiled and gave Jacqueline an amiable hug as Daija huffed, standing up next to her lawyer.
"At least you tried," Karma waved at her as she left.
Kaelan ran to Kelly and he picked her up as Knight looked to him with pleading eyes and he picked her up too.
"I'm surprised you came," he chuckled and leaned down to kiss my forehead.
"Whether I like it or not, I'm still your wife and I'm gonna support you."
"What time is it?"
"Five, so we gotta go now," I took Knight from him, putting her back in the stroller.
Kelly had a game tonight and had to come here directly after practice and I'm sure he'd be tired by tonight so I guess he can sleep at the house.
A short ride home and I pulled into the purposely left open gate and saw a familiar car. I turned my car off and noticed a head of light brown curls before they turned around.
"Bello," Giorgio smiled with his arms wide and a bouquet of flowers in his left hand.
"Hey Gi," I embraced him, hearing doors open behind me as his arms circled my waist.
"I just came in hopes that you had a good day dolce cuore."
"I am, this made it even better. Thank you," I blushed, taking the flowers.
"Anytime. Goodnight," he kissed my cheek before getting into his car.
"That accent though." Karma walked past me.
"You make me sick," Kaelan said as she led Kelly who was carrying the twins.
"Ditto," he agreed. "You went from this to-"
"When's the last time you bought me flowers?" I cupped my hand to my ear, waiting for a response.
"Y-"
"Exactly. A year ago," I reminded him.
The kids were dressed fine, Kelly and I just had to change from the suits we were in.
I slipped into some boyfriend jeans and a camel colored suede cami crop top that exposed the tattoo on my side, along with some sandaled heels.
Kelly eyed me down as he finished getting ready and Boo circled my feet, scaring me since I still wasn't used to her being here.
"The hell? You looking for a husband?" he snickered and I laughed.
"Maybe," I shrugged before going down the stairs as he smacked his teeth.
The twins were in the living room's playpen and Karma ran in from the kitchen with a juice pouch along with Kaelan who had fruit snacks.
"Game night, y'all know the drill!" I clapped my hands and they grabbed their jackets getting ready to go.
I grabbed Knight and Kannon out the pen and Kelly followed us to the car, allowing us to ride as a family like we usually do.
After we got to the Oracle, I slowly walked to the usual seats we sit at, feeling some stares.
"Ugh, Mrs. Oubre," Jasmine, Jaden's new wife, scoffed and I smiled at her.
She was weird, and often acted like she didn't like me but was nice sometimes, like she did. She's just crazy as hell I guess.
The game hadn't started yet, but would soon and I noticed Kelly walking up before I got the chance to sit down.
He leaned down kissing Karma and Kaelan and I picked up the twins, getting irritated cause I knew someone was staring at me.
He pecked the both of them on the cheeks and our eyes met before he grabbed my jaw and kissed me but when he pulled away, he moved his mouth to my ear.
"If we win, we fuckin right?"
"Look, you gone ask Steph about that, cause the candy shop is closed for good."
"Let me get the grand opening,"
"Go," I laughed, remembering where we were.
His annoying ass has me completely out of it and forgetting what I was ever mad about sometimes. Butterflying stomach and all.
I sat back in my seat as half time almost ended. When I just had Karma and Kaelan, I used to go to the locker room for a second but it's too much of a hassle now.
I felt someone touch my shoulder and unintentionally turned up my face, looking back at whoever it was.
"Oh I'm sorry," she smiled.
She was kinda tall and brown skin with a pixie cut that had the ends dyed pink.
I turned back around, thinking my crossed arms and bored expression would show that I wasn't in the mood to talk, but I thought wrong.
"Cari right?" the same girl crouched down to my ear as the teams came back out.
If this girl tells me she's fuckin Kelly, I'ma just have to drag her onto the court and beat Kelly, using her.
"I'm not having sex with Kelly if that's what you're thinking." she laughed and I nodded.
Smart first sentence, but get to the point.
"Well it is about Kelly though, I-"
"I don't wanna hear it," I cut her off.
"But you should really know, it's why he's been acting diff-"
"Girl... get away from me," I snarled.
She mumbled something inaudible before getting up and walking away.
•
"So when did things start to seem off? Like you two were drifting?" Danny, the counselor we chose, asked as we sat in the two chairs sat in front of her desk.
"About two months ago," I answered, crossing my legs and sitting comfortably in the porter armchair.
"How do you both truly feel about the relationship? Mr. Oubre?"
Kelly stared at the edge of the desk as he thought about it, with his forearms resting on the arms of the chair and my eyes glanced over the family tree tattoo that had the branches pointing in the different directions of the kids' names and mine looped around the trunk.
"I don't know," his shoulders lifted and fell back downward.
I lifted my elbow upright on the chair arm, and put my fist to my temple, resting my head and looking at Danny.
"I don't know either," I mumbled.
"Do you feel disrespected by your spouse?" she asked.
"Not necessarily," he folded his lips in his mouth and they looked to me once again.
"Honey, for you two to get back on track, any concealed feelings need to be let out." she stared at me with a concerned expression and I raised my head up.
"Yeah. He used to come in at whatever time of night he felt like before he got his own apartment. He started talking to me whatever kind of way and we argued often. Then my daughter picked up panties that came out of his pocket,"
"Your daughter?" Kelly turned to me.
"Yes, my daughter-"
"What bothers you most about each other?" Danny cut me off.
"Oh this should be fun," I laughed. "You first."
Kelly rolled his eyes before throwing his head back dramatically, then sitting up and placing his elbows on his knees.
"What bothers me is that. The over serious or sarcastic attitude. She always got something to argue about and I'ma be completely honest, she don't even want sex anymore. I gotta initiate it-"
"Why would I want to have sex with someone who's fuckin someone else?" I crossed my arms.
"Speaking of other people, do you trust each other?" Danny intertwined her fingers with her other hand, sitting them on the desk.
"Yeah," Kelly answered confidently and they both looked at me for my answer.
"Sure," I shrugged.
"Cari," Danny wiped a tired eye, and swept her hand over the small laugh lines of her middle aged face.
"No. I don't," I sniffled, and wiped a tearing eye.
"What's wrong," Danny asked, edging the box of tissues towards me.
"She pregnant," Kelly murmured.
"Well how can Kelly gain your trust back?"
"It doesn't even matter," I blotted my waterline before wiping my nose. "He's just gonna continue to do whatever he wants with whoever he wants, and try to come to me in the same night, expecting me to be okay with it."
"Have either of you developed an intimate relationship outside of your own marriage and if so, explain what has happened."
"No," I answered and looked at a silent Kelly.
I faced him, and grabbed his chin, making him look at me.
"No," he looked down.
"He's lying," I pushed his face away from me. "Think of the best coparenting plan you can, cause this right here is not gonna work."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everybody's business about to get told next chapter lmao 🌚🐸
I hope y'all enjoyed and sorry for the wait, I been busy and trying to write chapters in between.