The next morning
We get ready and go house hunting. We are house hunting for hours.
"Mommy I'm hungry."
"I know baby we will go eat soon." Ryan and I decide on the six bedroom, six 1/2 bathroom house. We can move whenever. We go furniture shopping and get the whole house decorated and furnished. We move in tonight. Tammy calls and Trent wants to have a sleepover. Tammy says she will drive Trent over. I text her the address. They get here and I let them in.
"Wow, this is such a beautiful house."
"Thanks. We still have to move some stuff from our house in New York to here. We won't be fully moving in till I have this baby because of some medical complications."
"If I may ask what kinds of complications?"
"I have Preeclampsia."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay I'm in the clear right now." Tammy leaves. Malik brings Trent up to his room. Ryan and I sit in the living room with the twins.
"What are we going to do for their birthday?"
"Well, we should start planning a party."
"I will let you do the planning."
"Okay I will call mom tomorrow and we can start planning their party." I go to the kitchen and put a pizza in the oven.
"Trent Malik come eat!" Trent and Malik come downstairs and Ryan comes in with the twins. We put them in high chairs and give them cut up pizza and some fruit.
"Mommy can we have a movie night?!"
"Yes and Trent gets to pick the movie."
"No! I pick the movie."
"Malik! Stop that right now! Stop whining or you can go spend the rest of the night in your room!"
"No mommy it's not fair!"
"It is fair you always pick the movie it's Trent's turn." Malik pushes Trent.
"No! I pick the movie!" I grab Malik and bring him up to his room.
"Never push your brother again! Push any of your siblings again and I will whoop your ass!" I leave the room.
"Riley that wasn't necessary."
"Yes, it was I'm not going to let Malik be a spoiled brat and be mean to his siblings."
"You're not going to whoop any of our kids' butts."
"That's what's wrong with all you white people you never want to punish your kids and you create little-spoiled brats!" Ryan looks really offended but I don't care.
"My kids are not going to be spoiled brats and I will discipline our kids, however, the hell I want!"
"So you want our kids to hate you!"
"I don't give a fuck! I'm there mom I'm not here to be there best friend I'm here to parent them and make sure they become smart disciplined kids!"
"You won't lay a finger on our kids."
"Or what?! I'm not scared of your stupid emptiness threats." I walk past Ryan and go downstairs. Ryan follows after me.
"Riley I'm serious you're not laying a hand on our kids!"
"A little discipline won't hurt them. I got disciplined and I turned out great. My discipline was a belt."
"You won't touch our kids."
"Whatever man up and learn how to be a dad!" Ryan smacks me across the face.
"Get the hell out of my house!"
"No this is my house too."
"Get the hell out before I do something I'm going to regret!" Ryan doesn't move. I take my ring off and throw it at Ryan.
"If you're not leaving then I'm leaving with my kids!" I get the kids.
"I refuse to be with someone who puts their hands on me like that!" I get the kids in the car and leave. I drive to my parents' house. I park and bring the kids inside.
"Can I stay here tonight?"
"Of course. Who hit you?!"
"Ryan we got into a fight and he hit me."
"I'm going to kill him!"
"No." I pull Malik aside.
"I'm sorry for being so harsh but you will not hit your siblings again."
"Forgive mommy!" Malik hugs me and I hug him back. I put in a movie and they fall asleep. I go to the kitchen with my dad.
"Why did Ryan hit you?"
"We got into a bad fight about disciplining the kids." My dad hugs me.
"I also said something about how white people don't know how to discipline their kids and that's why there are so many white spoiled brats. I know I have white in me but I'm more black and I was raised black." My mom is Jamaican, African American, Arabic. My dad is Italian.
"He still had no right to smack you. Your mom did a great job teaching you and whatever discipline she used it obviously worked."
"The belt she used a belt."
"Will you and Ryan be okay?"
"I don't know dad." I don't feel good so my mom brings me to the emergency room. I'm seen by the doctor.
"What seems to be the problem tonight?"
"I feel really sick. I'm two months pregnant and I have Preeclampsia." The doctor does an ultrasound.
"I'm very sorry Mrs. King there's no heartbeat."
"No!" I break down crying.
"Wait stay very still." I stop moving. The doctor messes around with the machine.
"I'm very sorry Mrs. King it seems one of the interns turned the sound off your baby has a very strong heartbeat and everything looks good. I'm going to have to have a serious talk with the interns. I'm so sorry about the mix-up."
"It's okay I'm just happy my baby is okay," I explain what's going on and the doctor prescribes me some medication. We head home.
"I really thought I had lost the baby."
"It's okay." Once we get back I go to bed.
Two months later
As of right now Ryan and I aren't together. He's back in New York and I'm in the new house in Chicago with the kids. I go in today to find out what I'm having. My dad watches Malik, Calvin, Deja while my mom comes with me.
"So you want to know if you're having a boy or a girl?"
"Yeah."
"You have a healthy little baby girl on the way." I'm excited to have another girl I really wanted another boy though. I get pictures and we head home. I go up to my room to call Ryan.
"Hey, Ryan."
"Riley."
"I wanted to let you know the baby is a healthy baby girl."
"I can't wait. Riley, I'm sorry for hitting you and I want to come home."
"No. I don't forgive you yet. You hit me in front of our kids."
"Riley I'm sorry and I want to be home with my family."
"I'm not ready."
"Okay I love you I have to get back to work."
"Bye." I hang up. I head downstairs.
"What's the baby mommy?!"
"You're going to have another little sister."
"I wanted a brother."
"I'm sorry baby I don't get to pick what I have."
"I'm fine with a sister though." Malik kisses my baby bump.
"Is Ryan coming to the twins birthday?"
"Yeah." My mom and I have the party all planned out and their birthday is in a few days. We get the finishing touches done for the party.
Three days later
We finish decorating. I bring Deja and Calvin upstairs and in the bath. I get them dried off and in their outfits for the party. I look through my wigs and pick a blonde one. Lately, I've been obsessed with wigs. I get myself ready and go make sure Malik is ready.
"Mom, did dad get the cake yet?"
"Yeah, he's on his way back now." People start arriving. I try and avoid Ryan. There are kids running around everywhere.
"Mommy!" Trent runs up and hugs me.
"Hey, buddy." Trent runs off to go play. We eat and my dad gets the candles on the mini cakes for the twins. We sing happy birthday and Ryan and I help them blow out the candles. They make a huge mess and dad cuts up the other cake that's for everyone else. Ryan goes to put his arm around me.
"Ryan don't touch me."
"Riley I want to come home."
"I said no! Stay away from me and don't touch me."
"How are we supposed to be a couple if you won't let me come home?"
"Your nothing to me after what you did."
"After what I did?!" People look at us.
"You need to leave."
"No, it's Deja and Calvin's first birthday."
"No you need to leave you can leave yourself or I can call the cops and have them remove you." Ryan gets up and leaves slamming the front door. I run upstairs.
"Honey are you okay?"
"No." My mom hugs me.
"What am I supposed to do mom we have four kids together?"
"Baby it will all work out. Maybe you should forgive Ryan he said he regrets hitting you."
"I don't think our relationship will be the same after this."
"Baby you guys need to talk and come up with some sort of agreement for your kids and yourselves." The party ends and I put the kids to sleep. I text Ryan to come over. Ryan walks in and sits by me on the couch.
"We need to come up with an agreement for the kids."
"Riley I'm sorry and I want us to be together."
"Right now I can't be with you Ryan."
"So what you want a divorce?"
"No we are married but as of right now we are not together. You can have every other weekend with the kids but you come here and I will stay with my parents."
"Why can't they come to New York?"
"They are too young to be on a plane that much."
"Mommy!" I go upstairs and go into Malik's room.
"What's wrong buddy?"
"I have bad dream."
"You can sleep with mommy tonight. I will be there in a few minutes." Malik goes to my room and I go downstairs.
"It's late you can sleep here but you sleep on the couch or in a guest room." I head for the stairs.
"Goodnight Riley I love you."
"Night Ryan." I go up to my room and change into shorts and a top. I get in bed and Malik snuggles up to me.
"Mommy why Daddy no stay with us?"
"Daddy did something really bad so he's staying somewhere else as his timeout for a while."
"What Daddy do?"
"He hurt someone he shouldn't have just like you get in trouble when you hurt your siblings."
"How long is daddy in timeout for?"
"I don't know I haven't given a set time yet."
"Okay, Mommy." I get comfortable and fall asleep with Malik on top of me.
The next morning
I can't find my phone so I head downstairs and I find Ryan going through my phone.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"Who's Zach?" I grab my phone from Ryan.
"He's a friend."
"Those texts say otherwise."
"It's none of your concern."
"Yes, it is when's my wife is out messing with other guys!"
"I'm not messing around with anyone!" Ryan shoves me up against a wall and he has a hand on my throat.
"You're my wife and the only one touching and playing with your body should be me!" Ryan's grip tightens around my neck. I can hardly breathe. Ryan also slaps me across the face.
"Stop whoring around! You have a husband and kids you need to think about!" Ryan let's go of me. I slap Ryan across the face.
"Get the hell out of my house now!" Ryan leaves. I get up and Malik is in the corner crying. I go pick him up.
"Why daddy hurt you, mommy?"
"I don't know buddy!" I hold Malik close. There's knocking at the door so I answer it and it's my mom.
"Hey, mom." I let my mom in and go check on the twins they are up so I change their diapers and put them in clean clothes. I head downstairs with them. My mom is in the kitchen making breakfast. I put Calvin and Deja in high chairs.
"Who hurt you?"
"Ryan did this morning and Malik saw the whole thing."
"Riley you have to do something."
"Well, I don't know what to do. Last night we came up with an agreement for the kids and this morning he's hurting me. I don't want my kids around him."
"How long has he been hurting you, Riley?"
"He's only ever hurt me these two times."
"I'm sorry Riley."
"I know what I'm going to name my baby girl." I rub my baby bump.
"What?"
"Alexis Kapri King." Its Capri but with a K instead.
"That's beautiful Riley."
"Thanks." After a while, my mom leaves and Zach comes over.
"Hey boo!"
"Hey, Zach." I hug Zach.
"You look so hot with that cute baby bump."
"Thanks, I can't wait for Alexis to be here. Well, I can't really decide between the name Alexis and Kapri."
"Kapri is such a pretty name."
"Thanks. It's either going to be Alexis Kapri or Kapri Alexis." We sit around and play with the kids. After a while, I put the kids down for a nap.
"I see Ryan hurt you again."
"He took my phone and had gone through our messages."
"Riley I'm so sorry!"
"It's not your fault Zach you didn't do anything wrong."
"But those texts say otherwise."
"I offered to help you out so I did."
"I know but Ryan hurt you because of it."
"Don't worry about it."
"So what are you and Ryan going to do?"
"I don't know I'm thinking about divorce but I'm scared to be a single mom of four."
"You're the strongest person I know Riley."
"Thanks." Zach leaves after a while. The rest of the night is spent with my kids. They all sleep in my bed.