Page 68 of Pieces of Us

“Don’t respond, Morgan. Just keep walking,” Shanise advised.

“I deserve an answer, Mo. The least you can do is give me that.”

“I don’t owe you anything, Justin. You caused this. I was faithful to you and did everything you asked of me, only for you to turn around and do this to me. Just leave me alone. Don’t make this worse than it already is.”

“What? You’re going to sic your thug ass baby daddy on me?”

I shook my head as we continued out of the courthouse and into the parking lot. I bid Shanise a good day and thanked her. I got inside of my car and sat there for a moment.

I didn’t want this for my life. Justin used to be a great substitute that mended my broken heart. I may have been wrong for using him in the beginning, but I actually did fall in love with him. I gave his ass a baby when I was dead set on never giving him children.

Tears flowed from my eyes for my baby. All she’d ever known was Justin, and I didn’t want to take their bond away from them. I didn’t want to break up what she was used to. I had spent so much time living by the rules that I lost myself within those years. I had to get back to the young, vibrant woman I used to be. However, Mariah was young. I prayed that she would eventually get over the fact that her father wasn’t in the home with us anymore and that she’d be seeing Nehemiah a lot more than usual. I wouldn’t move in with him right away, but eventually, I knew we would be living together. Now that I was free from my marriage, it was time we started to live the life we always dreamed of.

I wiped my tears just as a call came through from Nehemiah.

“Hey.” I answered on second ring.

“Hey, my love. How’d it go?”

“It went good…I just…I hate how life turned out for us. You marrying Diana and me marrying Justin and having a baby with him…it wasn’t supposed to be this way.”

“Morgan…”

“Yes?”

“What did I tell you? Didn’t I say we’re going to stop dwelling on the past? We got each other now, and no one is going to tear us apart this time.”

“I know…I’m just upset that my baby’s life has to be altered because of this.”

“Altered in a good way. She’s young, so this won’t affect her as bad as you think it will. She will adjust.”

“What if she doesn’t take to you like we think she will?”

“Pshh, girl, me and Ri locked in. That’s my mini bestie. What you talking about?”

I giggled. He was right, Mariah clung to him at Megan’s birthday party after all the shenanigans died down. They played in the pool, and he fed her all the ice cream and cake her little heart desired. I didn’t doubt that Mariah would adjust to Nehemiah. I just didn’t want the bond with her father to be forgotten. Nehemiah had this air about him that people just loved him, and if he loved them back, it was up and stuck from that point on.

“You’re right. I love you, Booby.”

“I love you forever and always, baby. I’ma eat that pussy later.”

I smiled and bit my lip.

“Promise?”

“On my mama.”

I laughed as we said our goodbyes, and I pulled out of the parking lot. I loved that man so much. It had to be God’s plan to place us back in each other’s path. Our love for one anothernever wavered when we got separated, and although life dealt us a shitty hand, the cards reshuffled, and now, we were playing to win.

“Wait a minute. Repeat that again!” Drue exclaimed after listening to Shanise’s story of her and Loon.

We were at Flood’s Bar & Grill in Downtown Detroit having drinks. The ladies wanted to take me out to celebrate my divorce. I didn’t realize how dull my life had been since leaving home for college. It seemed as if I’d been a shell of myself since leaving home and marrying Justin. Being here with Chelsea, Drue, Shanise, and Shelby made me realize I had been living a boring life.

“Listen. I’m only telling y’all this because I need some advice. Hemi is probably going to kick Loon’s ass, but…I do like him a lot.”

“So, what happened again?” Drue asked.

Shanise rolled her eyes. “You just want me to repeat how dumb I am for letting him eat me alive.”

---