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“Because that’s my baby. You just carried her.”
She shot me the middle finger without even looking my way.
“Daddy will be right back to save you, Louri,” I laughed, while standing up. Before walking away, I leaned down to kiss them both. I was tempted to take Alouri with me to the door because she was reaching for me like crazy. But I didn’t know what I was about to walk into, so I had to leave her with her mama.
“Aht-aht, don’t kiss me,” Lourdes moved her face away.
“Man, stop playing with me.” I grabbed her chin and pecked her lips.
“Alright, go ahead and go so this dramatic girl can stop crying.”
“My baby not being dramatic. She just loves her daddy.”
“And she loves her mommy, too.”
“Shit, I can’t tell.”
“Oh, you’re really trying it,” she tittered. “Just for that, I hope Rahesha beats your ass.”
“You would just let her beat me up?”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Defend your man.”
“Well…I would, but you said you don’t want me fighting. Remember?”
“Mannn, let me find out you scared of Rahesha and ducking action.”
“I’m never ducking anything,” she giggled. “But I see you stalling to go to the door and see what she wants. I don’t think I’m the scary one here.”
“Nah, I just don’t want to deal with this lady. I’ve been having a good day and I feel like she came over here to fuck it up.”
“You won’t know for sure until you go and see, Armias.”
DING-DONG!
“I guess she finally worked up the courage to ring the doorbell,” Lourdes said.
“I was wondering how long she was gon’ stand there looking stupid.”
“It’s giving she’s scared just like you are.”
“Man, let me go to this door ‘cause you tripping,” I muttered.
“Good luck!” She screamed to my back as I walked towards the back door.
Lourdes had actually hit the nail on the head as far as Rahesha was concerned. I could sniff out fear a mile away, but with Rahesha it was super obvious. She was playing with her hair, looking around, shuffling her feet, and chewing on the inside of her jaw. She was worried, nervous, terrified, and everything else that was synonymous with being scared. I was used to her being arrogantly sure of herself to the point where she didn't know what humility was. It was the reason she could never admit to being wrong about anything or apologizing unless I pushed her to it. Even when I managed to get an apology from her it never came with changed behavior. She left me with no choice but to cut her loose because she was set in her toxic ways. Whatever she was here to say today wouldn’t automatically make things go back to normal between us. I checked my ill feelings towards her at the door before opening it. I wasn’t going to be mean to her, but I didn’t plan on being fake either. I was going to be cordial and hear her out like Lourdes had suggested.
“Wassup?”
“Hey,” she smiled nervously. “How ya’ doing?”
“I’m straight. What about you?”
“I’m doing good,” she breathed. “Can I come in? I’m coming in peace.”
“Are you sure? Because you had a lot of negative stuff to say the last time you were here.”
