I waited for the receptionist to call my name as I sat in a small hallway where another person had been sitting as well. I was grateful that someone from the theater back home knew someone here so I didn't need to make an appointment, just come and wait for my name to be called. I heard my cell rumbling in my purse so I pulled it out and saw that Tyson was calling me.
"Hello?" I said after I answered.
"Hey, babe. Are you at the theater yet?"
"I'm waiting to meet with one of the director's for a show and I don't think I have to wait that long. Is everything okay with you and the kids?"
"Yeah, everything is fine. Just feeding them some snacks so that they don't try and beat me up."
"Your kids aren't going to beat you up but my cousins will when they arrive."
"You know what? I'm building a bunker and hiding in it when they show up."
"I bet you are. Are you going to see about the gym today or not?"
"Probably not...you don't sound too...sure about me being co-owner."
"Just make sure it's what you want to do. I'm being summoned now. Talk to you later, love you!"
"Love you, too!"
I found myself scribbling in my thought journal about ideas for choreography for an upcoming project. The theme is: letting go. Quite an interesting topic to think of. I finished my last thought and closed my journal, set it on my nightstand, and was about to turn my light off when I felt Tyson quickly nudged me.
"You haven't given me a kiss," he said.
"You can't get one," I joked.
I turned off my light but felt myself being pulled underneath the covers and had someone's huge arms wrapped around my waist.
"I ain't gonna quit," Tyson said. "I'm gonna get my kiss."
"Oh, are you now?"
"Yes."
"Are you sleepy?"
"Nope."
"Good." Tyson turned on his light and hovered over me to kiss me. "I'm in the mood to do something…"
"Hmm, you're just horny."
"Can you blame me?" He planted a kiss on my cheek.
"Nope."
I playfully turned my head so he wouldn't kiss my lips, giggling as Tyson nipped at my ear that was exposed, and kept trying to wiggle away from him but not to avail but toying with him was always a doozy. I slipped my gown off and watched as Tyson admired my body but his eyes stopped at my panties.
"These gotta go," he muttered to himself.
And sure enough: they flew onto the ground.
"Well shit, these gotta go, too!" I tugged at Tyson's boxers but decided to just pull them down. "Whatever: let's fuck."
"Say no more."
I woke up in the morning to find myself lying on top of Tyson who was still asleep but when I moved his eyes flung open to see what was going on. I told him I was going to go shower and get breakfast started but he told me no.
"No?"
"I'll take you out to eat with the kids."
"Well, I'll let you get some rest while I get the kids ready."
"Okay."
I suggested we go to Waffle House as I've heard about it but never ever had their food before. I sat T.J. on the side of me and ordered a cup of water for him so he could drink it. Tyra wanted juice but when Tyson told her she had already drunk juice, she almost started to cry but didn't as Tyson gave her a stern look.
"You will drink water and you will not cry. No temper tantrums."
"It seems like only you can keep her from throwing one."
"Do you let her throw a temper tantrum when I'm not home?"
"Sometimes it's too much for me to handle. Sorry, babe."
"No, don't be sorry. I know you don't want to be a mean mommy but sometimes you have to put your foot down just a little."
"I'll take a page out of your book and give her one of your mean looks then."
"That's all there is to it. What would you like to order?"
"Waffles...chocolate chip waffles."
"Done."
The waffles didn't take long to land on our table but when they did, I had dug in and was in seventh heaven with the deliciousness of the food. I couldn't believe how good this waffle was: it had a nice buttermilk flavor to it with the abundance of the sweetness from the chocolate morsels that gave the waffle the pop it needed. Waffle House was going to become my new go to restaurant from here on out.
After breakfast, we took the kids to the park so they could run off their energy that needed to go. T.J. had been feeling well enough to play so we allowed him and Tyra to spend time at the little playground where some other kids were playing. Me and Tyson sat down on a bench to keep an eye on the kids and soaked up some much needed sun.
"So when is your next performance at the theater?" Tyson said.
"In a month," I said. "I'm excited that I get to do the choreography for an upcoming play!"
"I didn't want to ask what you were writing in your journal because you were very concentrated."
"I wouldn't have minded telling you."
"I like the surprise of what I'll see when the performance happens."
"Fair enough. Did your friend tell you anything else about the gym?"
"Everything is running smoothly and it'll be open next week and I'll be back in town to see everything go smoothly."
"Don't you have to fly to like Tennessee in a few days?"
"Yes. But it's not far of course so I'll be back in time to go with you to pick up your cousins."
"You don't sound too ecstatic."
"They're going to jump me once they get into the car, I just know it."
"No, they're not! They love you and they have their own weird way of showing that they love you."
"Hmph! Yeah, okay!"
I hugged Tyson as he shook his head and chuckled to himself.
"It'll be fine. Trust me!"
My cousins loved Tyson but they loved giving him a hard time and it was quite funny to see. They were protective of me but that's because they didn't want anything to happen to me and they still loved Tyson as well so it was all good. They made a bowl of chocolate pudding for everyone to enjoy as we gathered together in the living room to reminiscence about the good times we all had as kids when we would do the very same thing we're doing now: having fun.
It was just like old times and the memories that flooded back were ones that were making me smile.
Just the way I love it.
