by J A Fielding
*****
When she woke up the next morning, Mitchell was long gone. He had left a note for her on the nightstand.
“He had to have been extremely quiet,” she thought because she had not heard him leave. She took the note and sat up as she read it.
Hey. I had to leave the house early. Something came up at work and it could not wait. But we need to finish our talk. I will try and come home as early as I can. We need to work this out, the sooner we do it the better it will be for all of us. We cannot just disagree on stuff anymore. It is no longer just us, we have a daughter and if not for us, then we owe it to her.
She took a deep breath as she read the note over and over. She then glanced at the clock on her nightstand and sighed. She was late for work. It was already eight. She took her phone and called Stacy.
“Hey boss lady,” Stacy said in a cheerful voice, like she always did.
“Hey. Do I have any pressing matters today?” Natasha asked.
“No. It’s a pretty free day. Why? Aren’t you coming in?” she asked. Natasha sighed.
“No, I don’t think I can,” she said.
“Are you okay, boss lady? You sound sick,” Stacy said. Natasha could hear the concern in her voice.
“Yeah, I just need some personal time,” Natasha said.
“Okay. I’ll hold down the fort for you,” Stacy said.
“Thanks a bunch,” Natasha said before she hung up. She got out of bed and took a quick shower, then put on a pair of jeans and a top. She would probably go out later that day for some retail therapy so one of Mitchell’s shirts would definitely not cut it. She then made her way to the nursery where Alexis lay happily in her crib. “Look at you, not making any noise,” Natasha said in a mock baby voice. She picked her up and did a quick diaper change. She put the baby in the playpen and then walked to the kitchen. She found herself thinking of Mitchell as she poured herself some juice. How she longed for him to understand her and where she was coming from. Was that so hard? She took out a can of baby food and heated it up in the microwave as she took small sips of her juice. She had just taken the baby food out of the microwave when she heard the doorbell. She quickly walked to the door and opened it. She gasped in both surprise and happiness when she saw Mona standing at her doorstep.
“Don’t just stand there. Give your cousin a hug,” Mona said with a smile. Natasha laughed as she threw her arms around Mona. She had not seen Mona in almost a year thanks to Leo’s busy travel schedule.
“What are you doing here? When did you even get here?” Natasha asked when she pulled away.
“I haven’t been here for long. I literally just got here,” Mona said with a smile. Natasha looked at her and smiled. She could not believe just how much Mona had changed. She was no longer the tomboy Natasha had always known. Mona had been transformed to a very ladylike person that Natasha didn’t recognize anymore. She had even given up her box braids that had long been her signature look. Instead, her hair had been straightened out and highlighted to perfection.
“If I met you on the street, I honestly wouldn’t have recognized you. You look fabulous,” Natasha said as she stepped aside for Mona to walk in.
“Well, I needed something new after ditching the old tired me,” she said. “So, where is my beautiful baby girl?” she asked as she walked into the living room.
“She has grown so big and so fast,” Mona said as she picked Alexis up from the playpen.
“Well, apparently, that’s a good thing,” Natasha said as she walked to the kitchen. “I hope you haven’t had breakfast yet because I am about to make us some,” she yelled from the kitchen. She was not very sure Mona had heard her since she was busy making goo-goo noises at the baby. She made some bacon and a spicy omelet before walking back to the living room.
“That was fast,” Mona said looking at the tray Natasha carried.
“Well, when you live with a toddler and you are still a working mom, you learn how to multitask,” Natasha said as she sat down next to Mona. She took a bib and the baby food from the table and looked at Mona. “Are you going to give her to me or are you going to feed her?” she asked. Mona nodded.
“I’ll feed her. Give me the goo,” she said as she sat Alexis in her high chair.
“Are you sure?” Natasha asked.
“Why not? Are you forgetting that this is not my first dance?” Mona asked. Natasha smiled and gave her the bowl before leaning back.
“You can’t say goo. When she learns what that means she won’t want it,” Natasha said.
“But we call it what it is. Don’t we, Alexis?” Mona asked in a baby voice. Alexis chuckled.
“She seems to like you. So you are officially on goo duty as I catch up with Alejandro, Miguel and Sonia,” Natasha said as she bit into a bacon strip. Mona looked at her and smiled.
“Did you join a drug cartel and didn’t tell me?” she asked. Natasha laughed.
“No, those are my favorite characters on Sacrificio de Salvador, my favorite soap on Telemundo,” Natasha said.
“Since when do you watch Telemundo? I thought you hated soap operas,” Mona said as she fastened the bib around Alexis’ neck.
“I did. I probably still do. It’s just that daytime television is just not as interesting as it used to be,” Natasha said. “Trust me, I did not begin watching it by choice,” she added with a smile.
“Of course you didn’t and I am a virgin,” Mona said before she fed Alexis a spoonful of the mashed vegetables. “So, I called the office and Stacy said you were staying home today. She seems to think you are under the weather,” Mona said as she went on feeding the baby. She looked at Natasha and shrugged. I don’t know about you, but you look perfectly okay to me. So, what is wrong, mama?” she asked as she gave Alexis another spoonful of her food. Natasha leaned back and took a long deep breath.
“That bad, huh?” Mona asked.
“Well, not really,” Natasha said.
“Come on. Are you going to tell me or are you going to make me guess?” Mona asked.
“When did we start talking about me? We haven’t even gone through how you and Leo are,” Natasha said. Mona smiled.
“Leo and I are fine. So, why are you at home and not at work?” Mona asked.
“Just fine?” Natasha said ignoring her question.
“We are more than great. We are perfect,” Mona said smiling.
“Good. Have you heard about Rita’s mother?” Natasha asked. Mona raised an eyebrow.
“What happened with Lydia?” she asked as she fed the baby another spoonful.
“She has Alzheimer’s. We could not find her for weeks and when she was tracked down, it was in Seattle,” Natasha said. Mona looked at her, surprised.
“Seattle? What was she doing there?” she asked.
“Rita’s biological father lives in Seattle. We think she was going to see him when it all happened,” Natasha said. Mona shook her head.
“Wow, I had no idea. I just happened to be around for work and Leo is around for the week...” Her words trailed off and Natasha knew exactly what she was feeling. She was probably giving herself the “I am a horrible person speech.” “I am a terrible friend,” Mona said.
“Don’t beat yourself up. The important thing is you are here now and Lydia is getting the help she needs,” Natasha said.
“Where is she?” Mona asked.
“Right now, Dave had her admitted at the hospital where he works but she will be moved to a care facility soon. Maybe in a few weeks,” Natasha said.
“I’m around for a few days. I should go check up on Rita. How is she doing?” Mona asked as she put the bowl on the table and wiped Alexis’ mouth.
“How do you think? Her own mother does not know who she is,” Natasha said biting into another bacon strip. Mona shook her head as she finished cleaning the baby up.
“I can only imagine. Maybe you can come with me later. You are not going anywhere are you?” she asked.
“No, not today,” Natash
a said.
“Cool, then we could pass by the gallery and see how she is doing,” Mona said. She then looked at Natasha. “Did she ever make up with Dave or are they still having issues?” she asked.
“Oh they made up all right. And Dave is planning to propose soon,” Natasha said. Mona’s eyes grew wide.
“Really?” she asked.
“Oh yeah. He would have done it already but by the time they made up the whole Lydia situation was a full blown saga. It was just not the right time,” Natasha said.
“So, about you,” Mona said. Natasha smiled. There was no escaping Mona’s drilling questions.
“What about me?” Natasha asked.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you or are you going to make me work for it?” Mona asked. Natasha closed her eyes and took a long deep breath.
“Mitchell and I had a fight last night,” Natasha said.
“What kind of fight? A no sex fight or I can’t deal with you right now fight?” Mona asked.
“ A sleeping in the guest room fight,” Natasha said. Mona gasped.
“You cried yourself to sleep,” she said. Natasha scoffed.
“No I did not,” she said.
“Yes you did. The whole time I’ve know you, any time you would have a fight with your boyfriend you would cry yourself to sleep. That’s why you took a personal day, isn’t it?” Mona said. She looked at Natasha who was taking a sip of her juice. “What happened?” she asked.
“I got Alexis on a waiting list to Lockhart Academic Complex and Mitchell doesn’t approve,” Natasha said.
“I hate to say this, but I don’t either. Why would you do that? Alexis is seven months old,” Mona said.
“I just want to make sure Alexis gets the best,” Natasha said.
“But she already has the best. You and Mitchell,” Mona said, concerned. “What are Mitchell’s reasons for being angry?” she asked.
“He says I am turning into his mother,” Natasha said. Mona shook her head.
“Alexis is not a personal project, Tasha. He has a say too, and if he sees his mother in some of your deeds than it’s time you took a step back and listen to him,” Mona said.
“But I...” Mona shook her head.
“I know you want to say that you have listened to him but the truth is that you have been hearing him, not listening to him,” Mona said. Natasha sighed. Mona was right. “Talk to him and this time, listen to his side,” she added.
Natasha nodded. She would give Mitchell a chance to explain himself and tell his side of the story.
Chapter 7
After the talk with Mona, Natasha felt guilty. Maybe Mona was right. She needed to hear Mitchell out. As she waited for him to come back home that evening, she could feel her heart beating fast and hard, almost threatening to beat out of her chest. She could still hear Rita and Mona’s words ringing in her ears and they were right. Mitchell and Natasha were good together and part of this reason was the fact that they did the one thing most couples didn’t do...talk. And Natasha felt bad that she had forgotten this important step. How to talk things out. For some reason she had decided to take all matters concerning Alexis into her own hands, completely disregarding his feelings. It was almost like what her mother had done to her when she left her and her father alone. She had to sort this out and she had to sort it out soon.
It had been three hours since Mona left and she had just tucked Alexis in. Putting her down was getting harder by the minute. The older the baby grew, the more she wanted to stay awake longer. Natasha found herself missing the few hours a day Alexis would sleep. Sure, she would wake up every four hours, but at least she was down every four hours. It was almost as if Alexis felt the need to stay up more the older she got. At this rate, Natasha hated to think what her sleep patterns would be like when she turned four.
She looked at the clock and took a long deep breath. It was already eleven. Maybe she had scared Mitchell away. Maybe he was going to spend another night away from their bed, this time at a hotel or something. She sat down and sighed as she began taking her bra off. She pulled the bra down over her arms and then walked into the dining room. She grabbed a piece of paper and sat down. If Mitch was not going to listen to her, he would at least read a note. She took a minute to gather her thoughts. She had no idea what to write or even how to begin. She sighed again as she started to write.
Hey Mitchell,
I really don’t know how to begin because all I can think about right now is that I hate fighting with you. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I do not believe that being the person I am, wanting the best for our child can make us fight this much. All I want is for Alexis to have everything I never did. I hope that is not too much to ask because I have you now but I did not always have you. I want her to be secure and this is the best way I know how....
Natasha suddenly looked up when she heard the door open. She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Mitchell standing at the doorway. A huge relief swept over her as she looked at him.
“I’m sorry. I got held up. Some new clients and all,” he said as he walked into the living room.
“I was just writing you a note,” she said as she tore the paper from the notepad and crumpled it in a ball. “We need to talk,” she said in a small voice.
“Yeah, we do,” he said as he loosened his tie. She stood up and walked over to the couch and then sat down. He caught a glimpse of her bra on the arm rest and smiled. “What’s with the bra?” he asked. She smiled and shrugged.
“It was getting too tight. I felt like I had a noose around my rib cage,” she said smiling as he sat down. There was a long uncomfortable silence before they both spoke at the same time. Mitchell smiled at her.
“You first,” he said. She smiled and nodded.
“I’m sorry,” she started. “I didn’t mean to hurt you or anything. I just wanted to make sure Alexis got the best education,” she said.
“I understand that. But do you understand me?” he asked. Natasha shook her head. This was what Mona was talking about. Getting his side of the story. “I love my mother, Tasha. I really do but it is not the same love I see between you and Eric. The love I have for my mother is, well, obligatory. She forced stuff on me, music, art, science. I was better in business studies and commerce but she had to force what she wanted and when you begin things like getting her in Lockhart Academic Complex when she is barely a year old, I can’t help but think that history is repeating itself,” he said looking into his eyes.
“Is that the only reason?” she asked. Mitchell nodded.
“I cannot bear to think that my daughter will spend the rest of her life enduring my company rather than enjoying it,” he said in a quiet voice, almost a whisper. She looked into his eyes and for the first time, she could see the honesty and the pain in his eyes. It was something he had kept hidden for so long.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me about the whole thing with your mom?” she asked. “We are a team. We are in whatever it is, together,” she added.
“I was trying to protect you. The whole when you marry a man, it’s your family you are really marrying...well, that does not really work with me,” he said smiling. “I wanted to make sure our marriage had a chance before my mother got to you like she got to my first wife,” he added. Natasha raised an eyebrow.
“Got to her? How?” she asked.
“She wanted a woman who was exactly the same as she was to be my wife and unfortunately, that is exactly who I married. But I will not let you turn into her,” he said.
“Again Mitchell, why would you keep all this from me? I am your wife. We need to talk about stuff,” she said.
“I know but this is not the time for that talk. It is time for this talk. Alexis is our daughter. Not yours or mine, ours. We need to make all decisions about her life together because when you go ahead and do stuff without talking to me, I feel like you do not trust me enough to share the facts,” he said.
Mona was right. Al
l she needed was to hear Mitchell’s side of the story. She smiled and put her hand in his.
“I’m sorry, babe,” she said looking into his eyes. He draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to hug her.
“I’m sorry too,” he said in a low voice before pulling away. He looked into her eyes and sighed. “There’s something else. What did you mean when you said this is not the kind of marriage you want?” he asked.
“I don’t want to fight. I hate living a life of fighting, that’s all,” she said looking into his eyes. He exhaled in relief and she shook her head. “Why do you look like you were expecting something else?” she asked.
“I thought ....” His words trailed off as he brought his head down and kissed her.
“What did you think Mitchell?” she asked. He took another long deep breath again.
“I thought you were going to ask for a divorce. I thought you were going to leave me,” he said. She looked into his eyes and she could have sworn she had never seen anyone look so vulnerable. She held his face in her hands and kissed him passionately.
“I would never do that. I love you,” she said. He smiled and kissed her again. She stood up and took his hand before leading him to the bedroom. As soon as they got to the bedroom, Mitchell kissed her passionately under her chin and then up the sides of her neck, moving shoulder to shoulder as he brushed his lips gently across her chest. She gasped when she felt his lips on each of her breasts. He pushed his face into her breasts, loving the feeling of the weight of her beautiful breasts on his face. Natasha interlaced her fingers behind his head and let out a moan as he kissed her breasts, letting his tongue circle her hardening nipples.
He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. He smiled as he slowly pulled her top up, untucking it in the process. She looked back at him as he slipped the blouse off her shoulders before letting it fall to the floor. She lifted her arms and put her hands behind her head, flaunting her breasts. Mitchell felt his cock twitch when she did this. She was still the same hot, provocative woman he had fallen in love with. This he knew well and he could see it too. He longed to hold her breasts in his hands, to squeeze and caress, to feel her nipples pressing hard against his palms. He smiled as he once again buried his head in her cleavage, slowly inhaling the rich scent of her perfume as he trailed small soft kisses in her most sensitive areas. By this time, Natasha was slowly arching her back, pressing her crotch against his own. Mitchell let her know how good this was for him by letting out muffled moans and gasps every time he tried coming up for air.
