by Teneka Woods
“A scar should be the least of your concerns,” Tora said. “You need to be worried about your eye.”
Nate looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. He knew he had gotten some good licks on Levi, but with the cuts and his bruised eyelid it was a question mark about who was the victor of the brawl. He pushed back his locks to examine his hairline and the four empty squares. “Only a bitch-dude would pull hair in a fight. Look at this shit, man.” He shook his head.
Tora sighed and twisted the caps back on the alcohol and ointment.
“You might as well get the scissors and cut all this shit off.”
“What?” Tora questioned. “Nate, I know you’re not talking about cutting off your locks. For what?”
“You see this?” He turned to her so she could get a good view of his plugged scalp.
“It’s gonna grow back, Nate,” she said.
“It’s fucked up.”
“It’s not as bad as you think. I might have a product at home you can use to help with the regrowth.”
“Naw,” he looked back at the mirror. “I’m not walking around like this.”
Tora lowered the top on the toilet and sat down, crossing her legs as she stared up at him. “I’m not cutting your hair, Nate, only for you to regret it a couple days from now. Don’t go doing crazy shit just because you’re pissed off. All of this could’ve been avoided.”
“Yeah, because the motherfucker pushed me.”
“Because you started it.”
“I was only trying to take my mama’s food away from him. He don’t deserve to eat at our table when my sister’s laying up in the hospital waiting for him.”
“He’s a grown man, Nate. You had no business trying to take something from him.”
He looked at her. “You’re taking his side? So, you don’t have a problem with the way he treats my sister?”
“Nate, this isn’t about your sister. This is about you being the instigator and starting a fight just because you don’t like him.”
“I don’t like him because of the way he treats Sunny.”
“Okay, but that has nothing to do with you, Nate! That’s her boyfriend.”
“So, I’m just supposed to sit back and let him fuck over her? Let him stress her out, which can, in turn, affect my nieces’ and nephew’s well-being? He’s gambling away my sister’s money—money that’s supposed to feed and clothe Anaya and Baby Levi—I hate she gave my nephew the dude’s name. I like to call him by his nickname… Deuce—and Skylar?”
Tora sighed heavily and shook her head. “Nate, again… you have no control over what your sister allows in her household. It’s not your problem to solve.”
“He got people calling, threatening him because he owe them money. Am I just supposed to sit back and let something bad happen to my sister? Who’s to say these people—whoever he owes money to—don’t show up at her house, shooting the place up looking for him?”
“Nate—”
“I doubt he’s even a gambler. His ass is probably smoking crack and owe drug dealers.”
“Now you’re just talking crazy. There’s no way he would owe drug dealers thousands of dollars and still be walking around breathing.”
“The point is that there’s a possibility when there shouldn’t be!”
“Nate, no matter what you say or how angry you get, there is nothing you can do to help your sister’s situation. It’s her decision to make.”
Nate shook his head. “You don’t understand because you don’t have any brothers or sisters. You don’t have a close family like I do.”
“What? That doesn’t even make sense. Because I don’t have siblings I can’t empathize? You are crazy! I know the difference between right and wrong. And you are wrong, Nate! What happened today is your fault. Plain and simple.”
“I’m wrong for wanting to protect my sister?”
“You are wrong for starting a fight with her boyfriend.”
“Whatever,” he said. “You just don’t get it. I don’t expect you to know how it feels to wanna protect your family.” He turned back to the mirror for another look at his eye and he was suddenly pissed with Levi all over again.
“You know what… I think it’s best I go back to my own apartment for the night so you can calm down and deal with your issue alone.”
She got up and brushed past him and he didn’t try to stop her.
* * *
The next day Nate called off from work. His rib cage hurt, his scalp burned, and he didn’t want to have to answer any questions about the condition of his face. He lay on the couch looking at the television, but he really wasn’t watching it. He’d called his mother to apologize for the damage to her dining room, but she’d told him she was too upset to even speak to him right now. His call to Sunny also went unanswered. He called Bryan to check if Sharday was okay, and Bryan told him he’d taken his wife to an urgent care clinic last night to ensure her nose wasn’t broken.
The day ticked by and Nate remained on the couch thinking. Thinking about Sunny and his mother and Tora.
FORTY-SIX
She knew something was wrong when the taste of her favorite Earl Grey tea turned her stomach. For the past few years Tora began each day with a warm cup of the citrus-flavored black tea, but this morning’s drink was like having a mouthful of laundry detergent.
There were the stubborn odors, too. She’d changed the cats’ litter box and taken the bag to the dumpster, but she continued to smell garbage. And raw chicken. She didn’t even have chicken in the fridge as it had been awhile since she bought groceries, but the scent followed her everywhere.
“It sounds like you need to make an appointment with your doctor,” Candace said when Tora confessed her misery to her friend at work later that afternoon. “One of my sisters experienced the same symptoms before she found out she was pregnant.”
“I told you I’m on the pill,” Tora said. “I think my hormones are just out of whack.” For two years she abstained from sex, and after year one with no prospect for a relationship in sight, she decided to give her body a break and ditched the birth control. Following that first night with Nate was when she resumed the regimen.
“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to have a check-up anyway, just in case something else is going on.”
* * *
There were too many to choose from. Tora picked one up, and then grabbed another to compare the two. She doubted Candace’s claims about her being pregnant, but once she made it home from work she decided to do some research. Her period was late, but she knew it took the body a while to sync with the birth control schedule. She left the apartment again anyway, and headed for the local CVS Pharmacy to purchase a pregnancy test.
“Tora?”
She turned around at the calling of her name.
“Hey, girl!” It was Ja’Nett from their book club.
“Hey, girl,” Tora echoed. “How are you?”
Ja’Nett leaned in to give her a hug and Tora got a whiff of peanut butter.
“I guess you and Cynthia gave up on the book club, huh?”
“Huh?” Tora said, then she smiled and shook her head. She didn’t attend the last two meetings. “To be honest, I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t had the chance to—”
“Save it,” Ja’Nett pursed her lips. “Cynthia says the same thing. Her bad habits are rubbing off on you.”
Tora noticed the opened package of peanut butter crackers peeking out the top of Ja’Nett’s purse. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and she decided at that moment to stop by the grocery store to buy the ingredients and have one for dinner.
“Girl, you pregnant?”
Tora blinked out of her thoughts. “What?” Ja’Nett was looking at the home pregnancy tests in her hand. “Oh,” she said, “I was just looking to see how they—” she cleared her throat and changed tunes. “They’re for my niece.”
“Your niece?” Ja’Nett frowned. “I thought you were an onl
y child?”
“She’s not really my niece, I just call her that. She’s actually my coworker’s niece, but she didn’t feel comfortable asking her auntie to buy the test for her, and she definitely couldn’t tell her mom, so….” Tora felt ridiculous for lying, but she didn’t want anyone in her business right now.
Ja’Nett said, “Be sure to check your email in a few days. I’m sending out the next quarterly newsletter. We’re thinking about doing something a little different to switch things up. I got the idea to host a future meeting at a winery bed and breakfast—”
“Oooh… that sounds nice.”
“—but I wanted to have a poll to see how everyone else feels about it. Wouldn’t it be great? I was thinking we can do it for our October meeting, that way everyone has a chance to make plans ahead of time.”
Tora nodded. “I really like that idea. You know Cynthia’s gonna love it because she’s the serious wine drinker.”
“Yeah, sure. If she decides to come. And you too,” Ja’Nett said sarcastically.
“I promise I’ll be at the next meeting,” Tora laughed, and tapped Ja’Nett’s shoulder. “Which book are we reading now?”
“Read your emails, Tora.”
She laughed again. “I will.”
“I gotta go,” Ja’Nett said, and gave Tora another hug. “I’m surprised my daughter hasn’t called to find out what’s taking me so long. She’s waiting in the car. See you at the next meeting.”
“I’ll be there for sure,” Tora said, and waited until Ja’Nett turned off the aisle before she continued her pregnancy test comparisons.
FORTY-SEVEN
It was Wednesday, his off day. He’d called off work Tuesday, and since today made three days in a row he’d been inside his apartment, his body was itching for movement. The swelling on his face had gone down, but the bruises were still visible. He wrapped a bandana around his locks, grabbed his keys, and headed out.
Tora declined his offer when he called to ask if she wanted to get together for lunch, and stated in response to his follow-up question that there was nothing wrong. She didn’t come over to his place yesterday after work either.
Nate was disappointed.
He wondered if she was still upset and holding a grudge against him for what happened at Sunday’s dinner.
And still, neither Sunny nor his mother wanted to hear anything he had to say.
Instead of going to Bear Creek Park, which was less than two miles from his apartment, he drove twenty miles out to Memorial.
It didn’t surprise him to see the park was packed in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, but he was lucky and found the last empty spot to park his SUV near the tennis courts.
He’d intended to do a light jog, but found himself walking the entire trail, letting his mind wander.
FORTY-EIGHT
“I’m four weeks.”
“Four weeks what?”
“Pregnant.”
Tora closed her eyes against the silence on the other end of the line, letting the news sink in. “Are you disappointed?” she finally asked her mother.
“No, not disappointed necessarily,” Sharon said. “I’m shocked.”
Tora nodded as if her mother could see her reaction.
“Is it Nate’s?” Sharon asked.
“Of course it is,” Tora answered. “Whose would it be?”
“I didn’t mean it in a judgmental way, sweetheart. It’s just so soon. It seems like it was only a few weeks ago you were crying about being single and—”
“That’s the crazy part about it all,” Tora said, cutting her off. “But, who knew birth control pills can expire?”
“Is that what happened?”
Tora nodded her head again. “Yes.”
“You didn’t use anything?”
“We did… at first. Then… one night we…. We… just got caught in the moment.”
“Oh god, Tora,” Sharon said quietly.
Tora’s eyes blurred with tears as the realization hit her all over again. The home pregnancy test results had come back positive, but she wanted a second test. A professional test. Yesterday she was able to squeeze in an appointment with her OBGYN. This morning she got the phone call with the news.
She sniffled and rubbed the tears that slipped down her cheeks with the heel of her hand.
“Why are you crying, sweetheart?”
She sighed. “I’m still in disbelief. I just always said I would never do this. Never end up in this situation. I wanted to be married.”
“You’re not the first person to do something you said you would never do, and you definitely won’t be the last. So all you can do now is move forward.”
Tora could always count on her mother to try and make her feel at-ease, no matter how big her problem.
“Are you ready?” Sharon said.
“I have no choice.”
“What does Nate have to say about it?”
Mink hopped on the couch then and butted Tora’s hand until Tora rested her palm on top of the cat’s head. “I haven’t told him yet,” she said.
“I would think he’d be the first person you called.”
“I’ve been here on the couch all day, processing everything. I’ll go to his apartment tomorrow and tell him.”
“You know you have my support, no matter what happens. Mine and your dad’s.”
“Are you gonna tell Dad for me?”
“Of course not. You can tell him yourself. As a matter of fact, here he comes now.”
“What’s he doing there?” Tora said.
“I had him take my car for a test drive. It’s been making this weird knocking sound, and I needed him to check it out.”
Tora heard her father questioning Sharon as he walked in the room, wanting to know when the last time she’s had an auto oil change, and if she realized her car veered slightly to the right when driving.
“Your daughter’s pregnant,” Sharon said.
“Pregnant? With what?”
“A baby, Myles. What else could she be pregnant with?”
“Well hell, I just wanna be sure I heard you right.”
Tora shook her head and smiled. Sharon’s voice muffled as she spoke to Myles in the background for a minute before returning her attention to Tora.
“I told him he’s gonna be a Paw-Paw. You know he’s a sap when it comes to you. He’s got tears in his eyes now.”
“Does he really?” Tora blinked back her own fresh set of tears.
“He says he’s too choked up to talk right now, but he’s happy for you. And excited.”
Tora dabbed at the corners of her eyes with her pinky finger.
“I’m gonna have him go with me to see a mechanic right now. Be sure to call me again later tonight, okay?”
“I will.”
“We love you.”
Tora dipped her hand in the warm water and waved some of the bubbles towards the back of the tub. She turned off the faucet and just as she stood to drape her towel over the shower rack, there was a knock at the front door.
Who in the hell…?
It was almost nine o’ clock. She wrapped the towel around her body again and left the bathroom, both Mink and Silk following right behind her.
She stopped in her tracks just beyond the sofa. It had been weeks since that night Eric showed up at her apartment unannounced, and the thought that it might be him put her on edge. She was prepared to call the police if it was Eric on the other side, but she didn’t want him to know she was home. Lightly, she moved towards the door, careful not to make a sound once she stepped onto the tiled floor.
She chuckled and shook her head as she peered through the peephole.
“Nate, what are you doing?” she said after opening the door. A surgical mask covered his nose and mouth.
He immediately reached for her. “What’s up, baby? Where have you been?”
She rested her arms on his shoulders and kissed his forehead. “Here.” The towel started to come undone, and she
quickly caught it and re-tucked it underneath her armpit.
“You had me worried you were mad at me. I refuse to go another day without seeing you. That’s why I’m here.” He stepped into the apartment and she closed the door behind him.
“You think that mask is gonna protect you?”
“I won’t stay long,” he said.
“I was just about to take a bath.” She picked up the cats and took them to the den and closed the door.
“So I’m right on time?” He followed her to the bathroom.
Tora hung the towel on the towel rack and stepped into the tub.
“You mind if I join you?” Nate asked.
Tora shrugged. “I don’t care.” He undressed and got in, settling between her legs. She leaned back and rested her shoulders on the towel she’d rolled into a long tube and placed on the back of the garden tub.
“I need to start doing this. After a hard workout. This is good for muscle relaxation.”
She tugged his shoulder, encouraging him to lie back against her chest.
“T, I’m sorry,” he said.
“For what?”
“For what I did Sunday. Upsetting you.”
“I’m not the one who needs your apology. Have you talked to your sister?”
“No. She’s still not answering my phone calls.”
“What about Levi?”
“I don’t have shit to say to him.”
Tora rolled her eyes. “Don’t be too proud, Nate.”
“I’ll never apologize for taking up for my sister.”
“So I guess you’re planning to start a fight with him every time he does something to Sunny that you don’t agree with?”
“I’m not saying that, but if it’s necessary, then… yeah.”
“Well, I’m telling you right now you need to change your attitude. Especially if you want this relationship to work. Fighting doesn’t solve anything, and it can have you thrown in jail. Our kid doesn’t need a dad who can’t control his temper. Or who goes around beating people up because he’s pissed off.”
He chuckled. “You’re thinking years ahead already, huh? I hear ya, babe.”
