It's been… a ridiculously long time, no see :)
Thank you guys so much for your continued reviews, thoughts/prayers, and support:
clockwork'sFinest, Cartoonlover187, Rileysgirl123, anon, AyazakaSan, hueyisbae143, Katie, ladyrere1985, KateyBee42, jazzyhue20, Mrs. HoneyBunns1, niav2017, natasha annalise, Guest, and kingofmonsters1.
I apologize for the delay. In short, it's been a whole lotta compiled shit in the past several months. Big changes are happening for me and I'm trying to keep rolling and keep up with them. That doesn't mean I've forgotten about this story (or the other) by a longshot. Pretty much the only thing I wanna do is write. I've missed it. And you. So thanks again for staying patient. I'll save the rest of my mush for the end of the chapter.
PS: Extra special props to OG reader and reviewer Aj118 who tossed an idea to me, oh I don't know, about FIVE YEARS AGO... dead serious. I'll explain more at the end of the chapter. But thank you. A big part of this chapter and now future story wouldn't exist without your input and idea, so you really do deserve all the kudos and all the cookies.
Nom nom nom.
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks or any of his characters.
"Huey, say something deep."
"Huh?"
"I ain't got all day, boy! Be deep."
"[sighs]… 'Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self. Therefore, trust the physician and drink his remedy in silence and tranquility.' Khalil Gibran."
"Didn't rhyme."
Robert Jebediah Freeman (AKA Granddad), Huey Freeman, and Dewey; Wingmen
Week 17
Sunday, October 7th
Cindy's POV
She smiled fondly as she watched Granddad tickle Jamilah on the couch. The little one laughed loudly as she rolled and wiggled.
"You better gimme my hug, girl!" He demanded playfully as he continued.
"I can't!" Jamilah exclaimed in between her laughter.
"Whatchu mean you can't, why not?"
"Cuz you're gettin' me!"
"Cuz I'm gettin' you?! Ohh, that's it!" He pretended to growl before he leaned down and kissed and nibbled her cheeks repeatedly.
"Granddaddyyy!" Jamilah squealed, still giggling.
"Yes Lil Baby?" Granddad chuckled, finally halting his tickles.
"I love youuu." Jamilah cooed, beaming up at him.
"Aww, I love you too babygirl." He smiled brightly, leaning down to kiss her cheek again before scooping her upwards in a hug.
"You two are precious." Jazmine was practically fawning in the doorway of the living room.
"Immensely. Now can you hand her over? Ow!" Huey complained after Granddad swiftly popped him in the shin with his cane on his way up from the couch.
"Shut up." Granddad ignored him, walking instead over to Jazmine and placing their daughter into her waiting arms. "Be good now." Granddad was smiling again, practically in sing-song.
"I will, Granddaddy." Jamilah promised with a nod.
"Thanks for brunch, Granddad. We'll see you later on this week." Jazmine told him, pecking his cheek. "I'll text you tomorrow, Cin. And good luck on your homework, Riley."
"Hate-you!" Riley faked a cough loudly for Jamilah's benefit, pounding dramatically on his chest after while clearing his throat. Cindy rolled her eyes with a grin, flicking him in the side while he smirked, still continuing to work on his laptop in front of him.
"Bye Aunt Cindy, bye Unca Reezy!" Jamilah waved over her mother's shoulder at them, as she already had received their hugs.
"Later baby." Riley told her over his shoulder while Cindy blew her a kiss and waved back. They both snickered while Huey sulked past them, glaring at his grandfather's turned back.
"Abuse." He mumbled under his breath while he passed him.
"Nigga, and? Say somethin' else." Granddad dared him.
"You deserved it." Cindy commented.
"You's also a bitch." Riley smirked from his seat, ducking down just in time after Huey had tried to throw a shoe at the back of head. "HA! You missed, bit-OW!" Riley cried, holding the back of his head after a second shoe connected with it.
"No I didn't." Was all Huey said before he pulled the front door shut.
"Ooooh, I'm gonna kill that nigga, just wait!"
"Shut up and get your dirty shoes back in the hallway where they belong, hell!" Granddad grumbled, trudging back to his recliner.
Riley did his own bit of grumbling as he set his laptop down to retrieve his sneakers. "I'll be back. I'm gonna run upstairs to grab my charger and call someone real quick from my project group." He said as he started for the hallway.
"How the hell do you have a group for an online class?" Granddad ridiculed.
"Old nigga…." Riley trailed off while he exited the room.
"Call me old one more time, boy! Bet I ain't old enough to whoop your ass!" He called after him, making Cindy giggle. She glanced behind her, hearing Riley start to walk up the stairs. She figured he would be gone for a bit, giving her a few private minutes.
"Get enough to eat?" Granddad asked her, bringing her attention back.
"Oh, as always." Cindy smiled before rising from the sofa, something that seemed to take a little extra effort lately.
"You alright?" He asked watchfully in concern.
"Your great-grands are getting heavy." She responded with a smirk, rubbing her belly as she walked towards the entertainment center.
"You're almost halfway there, Cutie Pie." He chuckled, leaning back in his seat while closing his eyes.
"Almost." Cindy groaned, grabbing what she needed before turning around to look at him. "But while I'm thinking about it, there's kinda something I wanted to talk to you about."
His eyes were now back open as he looked at her questioningly. "Everything okay?"
"Everything's fine. Great actually." Cindy lifted a shoulder. "I just… I guess I just wanted to say thank you."
"To me? What for?" He asked with a confused grin.
"For everything." She told him. "Helping us. Guiding us. Giving me a roof over my head in the first place."
"Girl please." He tried to brush off with the wave of his hand. "I've barely done anything."
"Yes you have." Cindy insisted. "For Riley, for me… for our whole blended and dysfunctional family."
"That's what family's for, hun." He said kindly.
"Still. Family's not always there for you." She replied quietly, not making eye contact for a moment. "That's why I appreciate that you are. It means everything to me." She told him, smiling at his almost modest expression. "Anyway... I just wanted you to know that. And to give you this." She said as she approached his chair, holding out an envelope with his name on it.
"Awww Cutie-Pie, you didn't have to go and do that!" He said in surprise as he took the envelope.
"I know. But I did." She grinned, propping herself to rest on the arm of his chair and glance over his shoulder.
"You kids are somethin'." Granddad shook his head, smiling as he opened it. The card itself was masculine and embossed in black, simply having the words Thank You centered in a white script.
"Good Lord, glad I have my glasses on." Granddad chuckled, adjusting his own as he examined the top section of the card. "'For all you do and continue to do.' Aw." He read slowly, glancing over at Cindy before looking back towards the bottom.
"'Granddad,'" He continued reading aloud. "'Will you walk me down….'" He suddenly trailed off, eyes going wide as he adjusted his glasses, seeming to quickly scan back over the words. He swung his head up to Cindy who only smiled down at him.
"The aisle?" He asked quietly.
"Yes." She said in earnest with a nod. "After everything you've done, I can't think of anyone more deserving."
"Cindy… it'd certainly be an honor, but sweetie what about your father?" He asked in seriousness.
She took in a breath as she rose from the chair, already having anticipated the question. "My father… has been out of my life for a long time. When he originally divorced and left my mother, he kept in contact for a little while with cards and phone calls, even an occasional visit. But then he remarried. And his new wife apparently wasn't a fan of… anything he had to do with his life before her." Cindy shrugged before turning back to face him.
"It wasn't even a full month after they were officially married that I got a letter from my dad. In short, he basically eluded to the fact that it would be the last letter of contact 'for a sustained period of time.'" She quoted, noticing the way Granddad raised his eyebrows in shock. "Yeah… that was over ten years ago and I've still never heard from him. He stated that they were moving, cross-country I'm assuming, but he never gave an address or any hint of location or new contact information. As far as I know, he's off the grid. And I never wasted my energy or time trying to find him… he made it very clear he didn't want to be found. He was happy with his new life." She finished quietly, finding it slightly difficult to maintain eye contact with him while he looked at her like that.
"I'm so sorry, Cindy." He said, his voice heavy with sympathy.
She shrugged again, brushing it off. "It is what it is. The point is, I want people in my life and in my future that I can depend on. And that I know and trust to be there for me… like you."
Granddad gave a sad grin, glancing downwards as he pulled himself up from his chair and approached her. He even managed to surprise her by being the first to initiate a hug.
"He missed out, honey. And it's his loss." He told her quietly, pausing for a brief moment before continued. "It'd be an honor and a privilege to escort you down the aisle, Cindy."
Cindy smiled, closing her eyes at the feeling of them start to well as she rested her head down on his shoulder. "Thank you, Granddad."
When she opened her eyes again, she noticed Riley lingering outside the doorway of the living room while he watched them hug. Judging from the similarly concerned expression on his face that Granddad had mirrored, he had clearly caught part of their conversation.
…Shit.
It wasn't until later that evening that Riley finally brought up the conversation Cindy was expecting him to drop sooner or later.
"So…." He started, trailing off slightly. "Granddad's gonna walk you down the aisle." He stated, glancing over at her while they worked on putting away laundry in their room.
"Yep." She replied simply, keeping her eyes on the shirt she folding.
"How you feel about it though?"
"Perfect, or I wouldn't have asked him." She quipped, casting a brief look at him.
"I'm just sayin'… did you always have him as your first choice orrr…."
"What do you really wanna ask, Reez?" Cindy tossed the clothing down, whirling to face him head-on.
"Why didn't you tell me about your dad?" He shot back while he faced her as well.
"I didn't see it as necessary!"
"For real, C?"
"What." She demanded lowly. Riley just blinked at her sadly. "And do not look at me like that!" Cindy added, furrowing her brows at his expression.
"It matters, Cindy."
"The hell it does and to hell with the both of them." Cindy scoffed, turning back to folding. She let out a sigh when Riley slid his arms around her from behind. He seemed to tense up, as if hesitating about something.
"Don't you think… you should at least be open about our wedding and the pregnancy… with your moms?"
And there it was.
"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!" Cindy blurted, much louder than she had intended, but she couldn't even comprehend what just came out of his mouth. "Are you actually serious?! In what world would I ever talk to that bitch again, Riley?" She demanded, now facing him directly with her arms crossed.
"I would hope in a world where you have children." He said dryly, irritating Cindy.
"Well that's not going to happen." She said defiantly. "Why the hell would she get a pass when my father doesn't?"
"Because your dad is MIA." He retorted. "It's on him that he's not around, but there's literally no way to contact him. If there were, I'd tell you to try with both of them, not just your mom."
"If my dad was here, maybe in time I could've tried with him. Despite the eventual hate him and my mom shared, he did love me. And he was never a blatantly racist bastard. That was my mom. My dad never cared about the color of other people's skin, unlike her. You really think I'm about to walk up to that bitch and tell her I'm pregnant with your kids? The second she says any type of shit, I'm going to jail. End of story."
"Babe, it's been how many years now." Riley tried to reason. "Maybe she's changed. Maybe she's had time to think or reflect or some shit, I don't know. But you'd never know unless-"
"No, Riley." She cut him off. "There's a lot I'm willing to forgive and forget about, but that's not one of them. I'm sorry." She told him, turning her back on him again as she started to furiously fold again. She heard him sigh and tried to ignore it.
"Baby, please don't make me say it." She heard him say quietly from behind her.
"There's nothing to say, Riley!" Cindy snapped as she rolled her eyes, still refusing to look at him. She felt him pause again and heard him take an audible breath.
"…At least your mama's still alive." He said after another beat, making Cindy freeze up unexpectedly. She bit her lip in shame, taking a minute before she finally turned to face him. His expression was hard to read as he stared at her plainly.
"I know I would give anything for my mine to be at my wedding." He spoke again, watching her carefully. "To meet her grandkids… watch them grow up… but that ain't gonna happen."
"Baby," Cindy quietly injected, but Riley shook his head as he took a step forward, wrapping his arms around her once again.
"And I ain't lookin' for sympathy." He told her, brushing his fingers against her waist. "All I'm sayin' is that you still have that chance. Yeah, your mom messed up in a big way. But give her the chance to try to fix it and make up for it now. If she don't, then you know where you stand. But at least give her the chance, babe."
Cindy stared up at him while she listened to his words. He seemed so sincere. Understanding. Compassionate even. Something he'd never shown for her mother. And if Reezy could show that for her, despite how despicable she'd always been to him….
Cindy let out a groan before she put her face in Riley's chest while he held her. "Why are you so perfect?" She mumbled into it, enjoying the comforting sound of his chuckle.
"I'm the farthest thing from perfect, babe." He told her easily. Cindy pulled back slightly to glance up at him.
"You're perfect to me." She whispered before placing a soft peck on his lips. She pulled back slightly, but he easily closed the gap between them again, kissing her slowly and tenderly.
"C'mere." He murmured against her lips while he continued to kiss her, taking a step forward with her so that the back of her legs were now touching the bed.
"Reez, we need to finish the laun-dry!" She let out a squeal as Riley had plopped her down on top of the clothes on the bed, straddling carefully on top of her.
"Fuck your laundry." He smirked, making Cindy giggle loudly before he connected his lips to hers once again.
Riley's POV
He couldn't front. He was nervous. Nervous for Cindy. For himself. For whatever confrontation that was about to happen. He was trying to play it cool. But he was honestly surprised they were making this visit as soon as they were. Literally the next day.
"You still remember where the house is?" Cindy asked as they pulled into the neighborhood.
"Yeah." Riley nodded, turning right at the stop sign. He glanced over at her while he did. "You look pretty by the way."
"You already told me that, but thank you." She gave him a brief smile, placing a hand on her stomach. "Definitely no hiding it now." She spoke again as she referred to her bump, definitely a lot more noticeable in the casual chambray tunic and leggings she wore that accentuated her prominent figure.
"Oh hell naw, you better embrace my babies." Riley smirked, earning a light chuckle from her.
"Boy hush." She grinned while she stared out the window, but it slowly faded. "Wouldn't it be somethin' if she up and moved?"
"I mean, I guess. But we're not gonna hope for that… right?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"It would certainly make things easier." She mumbled in response, not answering the question. Riley sighed, reaching over to rub her thigh.
"I know."
Within another minute, they approached her street. Riley could practically feel Cindy's nerves as her eyes were focused on the end of the drive; her mom's place was the last one on the block. It wasn't long before Riley noticed her unmistakable white Audi parked in front of her house.
"Wishful thinking." Cindy muttered under her breath, flipping down the visor mirror to glance at her reflection.
"Relax bae. It's gonna be fine." Riley told her as he pulled behind her mother's car to park.
"Is it?" Cindy answered rhetorically, snapping the visor closed with slight force.
"Aye." Riley turned to look at her once he turned off the ignition, noticing the agitated look in her eyes. But he knew the agitation was only surface level. Her nerves were trying to get the best of her.
"Say the word." He told her. "Whenever you're ready. If something should happen and you want to leave, we're gone. If you truly don't want to walk in that door now… it's fine. I'm not gonna force you to ever do anything you don't want to. We can leave now, be done, and I'd never bring it up again. But… but girl…" He paused to take her hand gently. "I really do think you should try, if nothing else. You owe it yourself… and you owe it to our kids."
Cindy squeezed his hand, taking in a deep breath as she closed her eyes. Riley reached over and snuck a kiss on her cheek while she did so. She opened her eyes and gave him the tiniest of smiles with a slight nod.
"I'll try."
"Whenever you're ready, we can go. I promise. I'm right here with you. And ain't nothin' bout to pop off while we in here, believe that." Riley smirked, kissing the back of her hand before opening his car door, quickly hurrying around to her side after he did so to help her out.
"Forgot to shut your door again." Cindy told him distractedly as she took his hand to step out, using her other hand to brush down a section of her hair.
"Dammit." Riley rolled his eyes, going back around to his side to close his door.
"A little nervous, are we?" Cindy managed to smirk as he came back around.
"Psh. Girl please." He brushed off, but did find himself getting a little warm under his black long-sleeve and nicest pair of jeans.
"It's okay, I am too." Cindy sighed, taking his hand as they started to head up the long walkway.
"Nothing to be nervous about." Riley reassured her. "Just tell her the facts. You my baby mama, we're gettin' hitched, and you're gonna pop out some twins in a few months. You down with that or nah?" He grinned, glad he could still make her giggle through the stress.
"At least you came up with something. I still have no idea how to start this conversation."
"It'll come."
"Along with a punch in the nose if she's anything like she was before I left for good."
Riley turned to give her a chastising look before they reached her steps. "It ain't gonna come to that and there ain't gonna be no fighting. You're walking in with an open mind. We both are." Riley admitted, knowing that he didn't have happy-go-lucky memories of the woman either.
Cindy nodded, glancing towards the front door again before stepping up to the entrance. "Here we go." She mumbled. Her hand moved upwards slowly, but it finally made connection with the doorbell that they heard from where they stood.
"Is it too late to pull a ding-dong-ditch?" Cindy questioned in a whisper, squeezing Riley's hand a little tighter but making no move to leave.
"You can do this. I'm right beside you." He promised quietly, holding onto her hand firmly. They both stilled at the sound of footsteps approaching the door from the opposite side. There was first the sound of a lock unlatching, then another. And then, there was the sound of door creaking slightly as it opened, Lynette McPhearson standing before it.
Riley watched the scene in slow motion as if he was a spectator. The first person her mother made eye contact with was the one standing right in front of her, which was Cindy. The expressions on her face went and changed as if they were in freeze-frame stills, from confused, to stunned, to happy… that was almost instantaneously followed by sorrow.
"Cynthia!" Her mother cried out, embracing her daughter without any warning. Riley could tell that Cindy was shocked, practically frozen while her mother wrapped her arms around her. She wasn't uncomfortable for long as her mother released her, almost no sooner than she hugged her, probably by the foreign feeling of Cindy's roundness at her belly. Lynette's eyes went right to it as she pulled back, tears in her eyes as she continued to stare. Her mouth parted as if to speak when she looked up, but stopped as if she must've finally noticed Riley even standing there. He gave a slight nod to her, trying to keep a neutral expression on his face. Lynette blinked away from him and looked back in the eyes of her daughter who had yet to say anything, a stoic expression now resting on her face.
"Mother." Cindy stated by way of greeting. But she didn't beat around the bush long. "I came here to tell you three things, and three things only. The first being that I'm pregnant. With twins. To Riley Freeman." She stated slowly, reaching for Riley's hand who instantly re-took it. He noticed Lynette glance between them quickly.
"The second is that we are engaged." Cindy spoke again. "We'll be getting married sometime with the next couple of weeks and moving forward together with our family."
Riley squeezed her hand proudly, subtly glancing down at her. He noticed that she stared ahead at her mother, but suddenly seemed not completely certain of what she wanted to say.
"And the third?" Lynette prodded, her voice surprisingly soft and patient like they'd never heard it before. That seemed to snap Cindy out of her thoughts as her stare hardened slightly on her mother.
"A lot of things have happened between us. And it's been years." She started, her voice slightly cold. "This, right now, is the first and last time I'll ever be extending an olive branch. And… I'll let you know now personally… you are invited to our wedding." She told her, making her mother's and Riley's eyes widen in surprise. He didn't think she'd offer that up.
"BUT." Cindy's voice was suddenly curt again. "If you can't accept my future family—meaning my future children, husband, in-laws, and friends included—then don't bother showing up. You won't ever see your grandchildren and get a chance to be in their lives or mine if you can't respect them. No matter what's happened between us, I'd always love you as a mother… but I'm not willing to put my family through physical or emotional harm at the hands of you. You already disowned me in the past. This time… I would disown you."
Daaammnn. Riley couldn't help but think, watching them both with intensity. Cindy finally looked done as she stared at her mother, looking confident in her words. Lynette still looked shell-shocked, along with speechless as she practically gaped at her daughter.
"You don't have to decide right away." Cindy added, filling in the silence. "I just wanted… I needed to tell you that. We'll let you get back to your evening-"
"No!" Lynette interrupted adamantly. "I mean… w-would you like to come in for a minute?"
Cindy seemed surprised at the invite, glancing up towards Riley who mirrored the same expression. He simply shrugged at her, nodding at her to make the call.
"I don't know," She hedged. "We have plans for this afternoon and don't really want to be late." She fibbed. "Maybe another-"
"Please." Her mother stated quietly. "Just five minutes of your time… to catch up." She suggested, slightly wringing her hands nervously.
Cindy once again glanced up at Riley for a brief moment. Then she looked back at her mother. "Five minutes."
Lynette nodded quickly, pulling open the door for them wider. "Please." She said, ushering them in.
Riley followed in behind Cindy, taking notice of the main foyer they entered. It was different. When they both were younger, the main entrance always seemed so formal and grand. Antique pictures had lined the walls, chandeliers had been hung, and sculptures had been mounted. But now? Things just seemed… bare.
By the time they reached the living room, Riley really noticed it, Cindy too judging by her slight double-take. The room had always seemed large, even in the midst of all the furniture and people during parties. It now looked completely massive and overwhelming due to all the vacant space. Riley could hardly spot any original piece of furniture that he remembered; the Steinway grand piano, the 80-inch flat screen TV, the luxurious leather couch and sofa set, all of the flashy décor and furnishings that had always been like a staple in the house… it was all gone. The only thing the eyes went to in the room was a modest sofa, two matching chairs, a small end table, and a square dining table against a wall that only had two chairs.
The atmosphere of the house was completely flipped. Looked the same as it always did on the outside, but on the inside… damn. It was just hollow.
What the hell happened?
"Please come in." Lynette practically mumbled, face flushing while she passed by them. They had both stopped awkwardly in the doorway of the living room. "You both can have the sofa." She offered, gesturing to it while she went to the opposite chair to sit down. They followed suit and sat across from her, Riley's eyes on her the whole time as he really took her in.
She had aged… significantly over the past few years since he'd last seen her. It wasn't even like she was all that old. She just hadn't been taking care of herself. She looked weak. Not to mention exhausted and slightly disheveled. He'd never seen her like this. The most casual he had ever seen her was in a full tracksuit, but even then her hair was styled, makeup was perfect, and her attitude was her usual. Looking at her now wearing an oversized baggy T-shirt and an actual pair mom jeans, not to mention her hair didn't even look brushed, he doubted she hadn't even looked in a mirror that day.
What the hell happened? Riley thought again.
"So," Cindy finally spoke, surprising Riley slightly. "What do you want to know?"
Lynette blinked at the question while she nervously pushed a lock of her short hair behind her ear. Riley noticed in that moment how closely Cindy still resembled her mother.
"About as much as five minutes of your time will get me." She replied meekly.
Cindy arched an eyebrow at that while crossing her arms. "That's a little vague, but fine. Just five minutes." She stated again, receiving another head nod. And then she started talking, more open than Riley expected but was glad to hear it. Cindy told her mom everything, starting with college, reuniting again with Riley, the pregnancy, and the engagement. She kept her voice and her expressions very neutral, never smiling or showing any real interest in the words that were coming out of her mouth. Her mother on the other hand was engrossed on every word, as if she was soaking up every detail she'd missed out on.
It wasn't long until Cindy blatantly looked down at her watch. "It's been five minutes, going on six." She said, still staring at the face of the clock.
Riley watched her mother watch her, eyes welling up slowly again. "I… thank you for giving me that, Cynthia. Truly."
"It's fine." Cindy said, not really looking at her as she stood up, Riley doing the same.
"I wish it was." Lynette whispered, earning a look from Cindy at the comment. When she noticed their eyes on her, she blushed again and recovered. "Is there anything, anything at all that I can do for you two?" She asked her daughter. Riley picked up on and was surprised by the way she said "you two." Riley hadn't spoken once since they'd gotten there and he knew for a fact she never liked him. But now she was including him?
If Cindy noticed it, she didn't make it known. She watched her mother carefully, as if deciding on something. "Maybe." She finally stated.
"What is it?" Lynette asked at once.
Cindy's face stayed neutral and Riley could tell she was trying to keep her composure. "Have you or do you know where or how to get in touch with my dad?"
Lynette's eyes widened in surprise, but her gaze saddened almost right away. "I do not. I'm sorry." She told her softly, noticing the way Cindy slightly deflated. "When Aidan and I divorced, he still kept in touch for the sake of you, honey. But after us… he developed a really bad taste in women… which I do feel partly responsible for. He was a good man and I… regrettably was not a good woman to him." She admitted, refusing to make eye contact with either of them.
"The last and current wife to my knowledge told him to cut off ties with both you and I… and he did." She continued. "The last letter I ever got from him discussed the finalization of the separation and divorce and…."
Riley furrowed a brow as Lynette suddenly trailed off, eyes going wide and body going still as she stared ahead.
"And what?" Cindy pressed, suspicion in her voice as she stared down her mother. Lynette continued to stand there, mouth still half agape as she struggled to collect herself. "What?" Cindy demanded again, this time a little more forceful. "You discussed the separation, divorce, and what?"
"Trust fund." Lynette whispered almost inaudibly, but they both heard her.
"Trust fund?!" Riley and Cindy echoed simultaneously.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you didn't know," Lynette scrambled but Cindy cut her off.
"The hell you mean you didn't realize, you never told me!" She shot back loudly. "So what, if I never came back you just were never gonna let me know?"
"You left, how could I possibly reach you to let you know?" Lynette demanded, getting a little loud herself.
"I didn't just leave, you kicked me out!"
"Aiight aiight, timeout. Can we regroup and focus?" Riley cut in before they could continue bickering. "What all do you know about the fund?" He directed his question to her mom.
Lynette took a breath. "All I know is that it's the last connection her father made for her. Unable to be touched until she was 21."
"21?!" Cindy interrupted again. "I'm 23, I could've been had it!"
"I know, and I'm sorry." Lynette told her again. "It's still untouched and ready for you whenever. There may even be a little extra with interest, who knows."
Cindy looked like she was about to comment but changed her mind as she looked at her mother. "Why didn't you bother it? When you first found out about it I mean." She asked.
"I couldn't even if I wanted to." Lynette shrugged. "He placed the fund solely in your name, only to be given specifically to you in person with proof of ID, birth certificate, and social security card from the bank he listed, Wuncler's I think. I don't even know how much is in the fund. I just know that it was his parting gift to you."
Cindy remained quiet for a moment, running a hand through her hair as she shook her head lightly. "I don't even know what to say." She mumbled. "Thanks for telling me. I uh… we should probably go." She nodded, looking towards Riley for affirmation. The look in her eyes told him that she had more than enough and was ready.
"Okay." Riley agreed, placing a gentle hand on her back.
"Wait, before you leave." Lynette stopped them, reaching for her purse beside the end table and pulling out her wallet quickly. "Please take this." She requested, offering them a small stack of bills that looked to be all twenties. "I know it can't possibly be anywhere as much as what your father left, but it's something. I'm certainly not as wealthy as I used to be. I can barely afford to live in this place." She muttered, mostly to herself.
"Then how do you?" Cindy asked while she crossed her arms, making no move to accept the cash.
"I get by. And I have my ways." Lynette replied in a clipped tone.
"Such as?" Cindy pressed.
Lynette sighed, lowering the hand that held the cash. "Ways I'm not proud to admit, Cynthia." She clarified, ignoring the way Cindy grimaced again at her name. "I have friends… and escorts…. Don't look at me like that dear, I work alone. I'm way too old now to be owned by anyone, heavens no." She practically snorted with the wave of her hand. "It mostly just comes by chance. Sometimes the occasional sugar daddy decides to stick around for a month or two." She gave a blithe shrug.
Ew.
"Mother." Cindy reacted, sounding slightly appalled.
Lynette gave her a sad grin. "Such disappointment." She commented, glancing away. "I said I wasn't proud. And I'm not. I haven't been for quite some time. I'm hoping to be out of this situation soon and out of this house to something smaller and more affordable… less depressing. Too many bad memories here. First losing your father, then you… soon followed by the drugs… then the depression." She trailed off, looking lost in her thoughts.
"I had always guessed you'd been on drugs for a period of time." Cindy spoke up quietly, studying her while her eyes weren't on her. Lynette nodded, still looking away from her.
"I'm clean now finally."
"What were you on?"
"Cocaine." She answered simply without hesitating. She finally glanced over at Cindy's silence. "I didn't start out with that if it makes you feel any better."
"Most people don't." Cindy replied evenly, to which her mother shrugged again.
"Crystal meth had originally been my go-to when I first started to… experiment."
"You were on it before I left…." Cindy asked the question as if it were a statement, already knowing the answer. Lynette nodded, looking away from her again.
"I can't blame all of my behavior on the drugs when I started using them in the first place. That's a cop-out. But I know that they did play a factor. And I know that I'm paying for it now. But… I do want to say that I'm sorry. For everything, honey."
Cindy straightened herself a little more, watching her mother lift her hand to offer the cash again. "I don't want your money." She said before she could even outstretch her hand.
"Take it." Lynette insisted, stretching further but Cindy took a half-step back out of reach.
"I'm sure I'll have more than enough from Dad. Just… keep it. Use it for bills or to find another place or… anything. I don't want to take from you… I can't." Cindy shook her head, turning suddenly on her heel and making her way towards the exit of the room. Riley followed behind her quickly and heard the footsteps of Lynette following behind him. Cindy didn't look back as she walked straight down the hallway, through the foyer, and right out of the house without another word. Riley was barely two steps behind her when he felt a gentle tug at his arm.
Stunned she had touched him, he turned around to look down at the woman, even more surprised to see tears rolling down her cheeks as she stared up at him pitifully.
"Please." She whispered quietly through her silent tears. "I've already taken so much from her already. Please just give this to her to do as she sees fit. I just want to help her. It's the very least I can do after everything." She cried, extending the money to him.
Riley stared at the woman in front of him, half studying her half reflecting about her. About his past experiences with her. Back to when he wasn't ever permitted to enter her house to her knowledge; the only time he ever did was when she wasn't home or he snuck in while she was drunk downstairs. He thought back to all the times he heard her blatantly bad-mouth him and his family, one time in particular when he had heard her call them all niggers. The only thing that saved that woman that day was the fact that Huey had physically restrained him and had got him into the car to drive him home. Riley had never wanted to put his hands on a woman more in his life after she called him out of his name. He had thought and semi-planned so many terrible things to do to her. He'd even contemplated burning down her mansion at one point. Not with Cindy or anyone inside of course. He just wanted her to have nothing.
And now she did. No friends. No family if he didn't include Cindy since she was still on the fence about it. All she had was her lonely house and car. Which was just sad.
"Okay." Riley agreed, taking the money from her and making a move to turn around.
"I'm sorry." The apology stopped him in his tracks as he swung his head back towards her. She looked up him sadly, tears still falling. "I really am. For all of it." She told him, reaching out her hand again, this time for a handshake.
He looked down in slight disbelief, but for the most part… he was amazed by the noticeable change in the woman. If someone had told him back then that there'd be a day that they'd ever be shaking hands, he would've called them gay and slapped the taste out of their mouth.
And yet… here he was. Doing just that.
"Thank you." Lynette told him as they shook hands. "And… I wish you both the best of luck."
Riley nodded before he let go. "Thank you. But don't forget… Cindy will be sending you an invitation soon." He told her purposefully, finally turning to walk out of the door and down the walkway. Cindy was already in the car, sunglasses on as she stared intently out of the front window. She didn't say anything until he got all the way in, started the car, and pulled off.
"You took the money."
"She told me to give it to you." He said, reaching into his pocket to fish it out and hand it over to her.
"I told her I didn't want it." Cindy glanced over to probably give him a glare, but her Aviators concealed it.
"And now you have it."
Cindy rolled her eyes, not counting the money as she put it straight in her wallet. "Whatever it is, it's going in the savings."
"You do whatever you want with it, baby. But you know what I think?" He asked, gently sliding his hand into hers.
"What?"
"I would say there's a good chance your mom just might be at the wedding."
"Yeah, we'll see I guess." Cindy sighed. "I'm not gonna hold my breath over it." She added, prompting Riley to look at her at the next stop sign.
"She's trying, C. That's all we can hope for."
Jazmine's POV
"Is he here yet, Mama?" Jamilah asked her mother sweetly from her arms.
"Not yet baby, they should be here any minute n-"
"Whaddup girl, they here yet?" Cindy's sudden voice behind Jazmine startled her as she jumped in her seat.
"Hi Aunt Cindy!" Jamilah smiled at her over Jazmine's shoulder.
"Hey babe." Cindy came around and sat down on the bench next to Jazmine, reaching out to scoop Jamilah and hug her. "How ya doin', Mila?"
"I'm excited to see Trey!" She beamed excitedly, making both girls laugh.
"Us too, honey." Jazmine told her.
"Yo daddy and uncle ain't though." Cindy added with a smirk.
Jazmine grinned at the very true statement. She, Cindy, and Jamilah were currently waiting in the park that Thursday evening for Trey and his parents to arrive for their arranged play date.
…Without the boys' knowledge.
"Thanks for setting this up by the way, Jazz." Cindy told her, handing back Jamilah. "I appreciate it."
"Oh of course! I think it'll be nice."
"And you think the parents will be okay about… me asking him?" Cindy asked subtly, not wanting to get Jamilah too excited just in case.
"I can't see why they wouldn't be unless they have prior plans. I think it'll be good." Jazmine smiled. Cindy nodded, sliding her sunglasses down from the top of her head to cover her eyes while she leaned back in her seat. "Oh, I remember what I wanted to ask. How'd everything go with your mom?"
Even though her glasses were on, Jazmine noticed the stress that appeared on Cindy's face. "Um… okay, I guess. Better than I initially thought anyway."
"What happened?" Jazmine asked.
"Told her I was pregnant… told her I was engaged… and I uh… invited her to the wedding."
"Really?" Jazmine couldn't hide the shock from her voice.
"Do you think that was stupid?" Cindy asked, turning to look at her.
"Not at all!" She responded quickly. "I'm just honestly surprised you even gave her that. That's huge of you."
"She definitely gave me something huge in return." Cindy snorted. "Well, not her exactly."
"What?"
"My dad… he set up a trust fund for me before he disappeared."
"He did?" Jazmine's eyes widened. "Can I ask…?"
"Fifty thousand." Cindy stated plainly.
Jazmine's jaw dropped in disbelief, hanging open for several moments. "Fifty thousand?" She repeated, still in astonishment. "Cindy, that's unbelievable!"
"Yeah, Riley and I are still shook from it."
"That's going to help you guys out so much."
"It's unreal. I already gave a chunk of it to Riley so he can pay off the loan he took out for his studio. He tried to fight me on it and I almost lost my cool and choked him out… he eventually took it." Cindy admitted casually.
"…Your mood swings are kicking in whether you want to admit it or not."
"I used another big chunk of it to start paying off some of my past college debt and bills." Cindy continued, brushing off the comment. "I put everything left over in the savings. Riley and I opened up a shared bank account recently."
"That's great, Cin. This is all great. Such a blessing that you went." Jazmine smiled.
Cindy nodded again, not really looking at her for a moment. "She also gave us a little extra cash to help us out."
"Wow, that was nice of her."
"Three thousand." Cindy told her, missing the additional look of shock again. "I didn't want to take it from her though. One, I'm not looking for her help at this point in my life. Two, I don't want her thinking money's the way that's gonna win me over. And three, she is in no position to be giving away free money." Cindy grimaced, crossing her arms.
Jazmine nodded in understanding. "I get it. But don't look at it as a bribe or anything like that. True, you don't need her help, but if she's willing to give… there's no harm in accepting the gift."
"I'm worried she's giving more than she can afford to." Cindy muttered.
"You think she's in financial trouble?" Jazmine asked.
"Kinda. I don't know." Cindy shook her head. "I can't think about this anymore. Mila, where's your friend at?" She turned to the child instead, who had been keeping herself busy looking through her picture book.
"I don't know!" She grinned with an adorable shrug.
"Should be here any minute now. We did get here a little early." Jazmine said while she checked her watch. "Oh wait, here they come now." She smiled as she lifted her hand in a wave.
Trey's father smiled in acknowledgement, walking from the parking lot while he held onto Trey's hand and a diaper bag in his other hand.
"Yay!" Jamilah exclaimed, practically tossing her book as she scrambled to make her way off her mother's lap.
"Hold on, sweetie." Jazmine chuckled, setting her down before she started to stand up.
"Was Trey's mom supposed to come?" Cindy asked through a smile while she waved and stood up as well.
"When I talked to him he said he wasn't sure. He and the mother aren't married and might not even be exclusively seeing each other from what I understand."
"Mannn she better get her mind right. That's crazy as hell lettin' a single-lookin' black dad out here alone with his son in the park." Cindy commented quietly as they neared closer.
"To each their own." Jazmine muttered to her, smiling more as they finally approached. "Hey, you two!" She greeted.
"Evening, ladies." Trey's father replied with a kind smile. "Trey, do you want to say hello?" He asked, letting go of his son's hand.
"Hi." Trey spoke softly with a shy grin.
"Hi Trey!" Jamilah smiled brightly with a wave.
"Hi Mila." Trey grinned a little wider.
"Mama, can we play now?" Jamilah asked her mother eagerly.
"You can play on the playground, but stay right in front so we can all see you, okay?" She instructed while Trey's father nodded.
"'Kay! C'mon Trey!" Jamilah told him excitedly, bouncing off with Trey following behind her happily. The adults grinned as they watched them run off, heading right for the smallest slide.
"Sorry, I didn't want to detain them any longer than necessary. Jamilah's been chomping at the bit ever since I told her she'd be seeing your son today." Jazmine smiled.
"No need to apologize, I can say the same thing about him." Trey's father chuckled.
"Well, thank you so much for agreeing to come. This is my best friend, Cindy McPhearson. Cindy, obviously this is Trey's dad, Tyrone Young."
"Nice to meet you, Tyrone." Cindy smiled as she shook his hand. "You have a really sweet son."
"Likewise." He grinned back. "And thank you. Congratulations to you on your…?" He trailed off purposely, gesturing to her.
"Twins." Cindy smirked.
"Oh wow, double congrats then! Do you know the genders yet?"
"I'll find out next week."
"We both will actually." Jazmine added.
"That's awesome. Congrats again to you both. And please, sit." He said, gesturing for them to take a seat.
"Join us, there's plenty of room." Jazmine waved him over, sliding down so he could sit in the middle. "It's exactly why I chose this bench."
"Good call." Cindy added, scooting over as well.
"Well thank you." Tyrone set his bag down beneath the bench before he plopped down between them. "Now then. Is this more of a gathering for the kids' sake or was there something further either of you wanted to discuss?"
"A mix of both." Jazmine replied. "I know I didn't give you very much to go on initially. Most of the information isn't really mine to give."
"Okay?" Tyrone grinned with a nod, turning to look at Cindy. "I'm assuming it's yours then?"
"It is." Cindy smirked at him. "So like I stated earlier, Trey is a really sweet boy. I adore him. And I adore the friendship that him and Jamilah share."
"I appreciate that, thank you. And I agree. I hear a lot about Jamilah at home, let me tell you. She seems like a sweetheart."
"Thank you." Jazmine smiled, dotingly watching the kids play together in the sandbox now.
"I say all of that to tell you that I am engaged as of recently. I'm planning out the wedding now to take place early November. Of course I'll be having my goddaughter Jamilah as my designated flower girl. But I did want to ask you personally first… what would your thoughts be if I asked to have Trey as our ringbearer?"
Jazmine bit her lip in anticipation, watching Tyrone's expression. It was clear that he hadn't been expecting that.
"Wow, that's really thoughtful that you would even consider him, thank you." He told her graciously.
"Oh absolutely. As much as Jamilah talks about him to us too and knowing how special their friendship is already, it was a no-brainer."
"Well thank you again."
"Is that a yes?" Cindy asked hopefully.
"I would personally love to say yes. And I know that Trey would too if he could adequately speak for himself." He chuckled. "But I should probably talk with Trey's mother about it first."
"Of course. That's completely fair." Cindy replied easily.
"Was she not able to make it today?" Jazmine asked him.
"I mean, she could've. She just wasn't up to it today for whatever reason." He admitted with a quick eye roll that both Jazmine and Cindy caught.
"It's no problem. I can give you my number and you can call me later if you're able to speak to her tonight after you get home."
"Oh, we don't live together." Tyrone instantly responded, almost chuckling as if the thought was humorous.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything." Cindy said right away, blushing slightly.
"Trust me, don't worry about it." Tyrone waved it off. "Yeaahh, that ship is pretty much sailed."
"Still. I'm sorry I jumped to the assumption."
"Really, it's fine. She and I were young at the time we met, her significantly younger unbeknownst to me, otherwise I would've never spoke to her." He said sardonically. He smirked when he noticed Jazmine and Cindy's frozen reactions at his confession. "Oh yeah, our story's your average train wreck."
"I mean… we still got time before it gets dark." Cindy suggested shamelessly.
"Cindy." Jazmine scolded with a grin.
"What? He's offering to spill free tea!"
"What is it with women and tea?" Tyrone snickered.
"Spill yours and we'll tell you. I'm invested now." Cindy grinned easily.
"Please excuse her." Jazmine shook her head with a helpless smile.
"Alright, I'll give you the SparkNotes version." Tyrone chuckled. "I met her online when I was 21 and she had told me that she was the same age, and in my defense she certainly looked it. At that time I lived over in Baltimore while she lived here, but I came over to visit her on and off. By the time that I found out that she wasn't my age and was really only 17, she was already pregnant."
"Damn son." Cindy said aloud.
"Right. I was so pissed with her, but I tried to put it to the side so I could help her as much I could. She delivered Trey when she was 18, and I moved into Woodcrest by that time. We had tried to move in together at one point, but that just didn't work. She just… wasn't responsible back then. I mean, kind of understandably. She was still very immature at that point and didn't want to be a teen mom period, let alone a teen mom in high school. We both agreed then that I was the better qualified parent to raise and support Trey, so I did. I'm still close enough so she gets a chance to see him multiple time every week if she wants, but… yeah. Let's just say she's still working through her immaturity issues."
"Wow." Cindy blew out a breath.
"That's definitely some tea." Jazmine added. "I mean, it all worked out in the end. With you raising Trey and everything."
"Oh definitely." Tyrone agreed. "As much as she gets on my nerves, if we would've never met, I would've never had my son. And I can't live without my little man." He said, smiling as he watched the kids playing and laughing together.
"I hear you." Jazmine nodded, watching the two as well. "Jamilah's not going to be happy when I tell her we have to head home soon. The street lights are already on."
"Mine will probably cry, if nothing else tear up." Tyrone sighed. "But we do have to head home too. I agreed to drop his mother off to work at the mall tomorrow morning since her car's down. I can talk to her then and let you know what she says." He suggested as he started to rise.
"Sure. But did you say his mom works at the Woodcrest mall?" Cindy asked, her and Jazmine standing as well.
"Yeah, she does." He said distractedly as he pulled his bag from beneath the bench.
"That's funny, my boy-excuse me, fiancé and I both have worked at the mall." Cindy corrected herself.
"Oh yeah, where at?"
"I work in the gym as a part-time trainer. My boyfriend used to work in the Wunce Inked tattoo parlor but he's in a different business now."
"That's cool. Yeah, Trey's mom works down there too. At the food court."
"Oh yeah...? Which spot?"
"She bounced around a little, but the one she's been at the longest is Chick-fil-A."
Jazmine noticed that Cindy's smile hesitated for a slight moment, and at first she wasn't sure why. And then she remembered, which caused her smile to start to fall too.
"…What's her name?" Cindy asked, trying to keep her expression neutral, but it was forced. Tyrone didn't seem like he noticed as he grinned at her.
"Kelly Harris, you know her?" He asked unknowingly.
Crap. Jazmine thought to herself.
Cindy on the other hand couldn't keep her thoughts to herself. "Kelly?" She blurted loudly.
Before anyone could respond, there was the sound of sudden rustling right before two people and several items fell wildly out of the tree directly behind their bench. Jazmine screamed lightly in surprise, as they all jumped back. But when she looked at the pile of people on the ground, seemingly unhurt, she couldn't believe it.
"KELLY?!" Riley echoed loudly, completely fine after he had fallen sprawled on top of his brother's back. They were surrounded by binoculars, headphones, and other miscellanous and suspicious looking gadgets.
"RILEY?" Cindy demanded, crossing her arms.
"HUEY?" Jazmine co-signed angrily, hands on her hips.
"RILEY!" Huey shouted, still being squished but fine otherwise as he laid on his stomach. "Get off me!"
"Daddy! Unca Reezy!" Jamilah cheered as the toddlers were making their way over.
Jazmine had turned her head just in time to notice a nice car driving wildly past the park before it suddenly skidded on its brakes. She looked in alarm as it came to a sudden stop along the sidewalk, one of its front tires even going up over the curb. The car door flew open and a dreadfully familiar girl popped her head out with a huge smile, looking directly over their way.
"CINDY?!" The girl shrieked loud enough for their whole group to hear her. Cindy turned her head, gasped loudly, and couldn't hold back her smile or her squeal.
"LORENA?!"
Kelly is Trey's mama. Cindy's cousin is in town. Gender reveals next chapter. Wedding event in about 4 chapters.
It's about. To go. DOWN.
Disclaimers: Pass. I own nothing!
Thank you all so much for sticking with me. It has been a long several months. Believe me. I didn't expect to be gone this long. Half of it was out of my control. A lot of bad things, but a lot of good things have come out of it. The biggest? I'm now living on my own in my own apartment that is 100% mine. It's taken some getting used to and I still am, but I am loving this feeling. I have a PLACE and a SPACE for just me (and eventually a baby kitten). And that also means a LOT more time for writing I'm hoping. I'll finally have much needed peace and quiet and solitude to get into my ZONE. I've missed being in my zone :)
Again, special thank you to Aj118 who suggested making Kelly the mother Trey back in January of 2013…. Just let that sink in. I think that's amazing. That part definitely would not be in this story without Aj's dope and game-changing input! So thank you!
And thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who still reads, still reviews, still PMs me, omg. It's been over half of a YEAR since I've updated this story (which I'm not proud of) and you guys are still giving me SO MUCH LOVE. I'll never understand it, never get over it, and can never thank you enough for it. Sincerely. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you guys. You don't know what it means to me.
I will try to be back as soon as possible. I've missed this sooo much you have no idea. I'll try to update Friends First, Benefits Second soon, but I'm honestly not sure if that will be next. Who knows, I might do a double update of this story because I have really missed it so much. We'll see ;)
Love you guys to the moon and back a million times over! Thanks again and stay tuned! :)
~Schweetie
PS: For those who need a recap on exactly who TF is Kelly and what the beef is, please revisit the original story, Babysitting With Uncle Reezy, and view chapters 16, 27, and 34. Cheers! :)