Wives and Champions

by Tina Martin

  “I’ve heard the same thing from Sherita a few times about the twins,” Desmond said. “She doesn’t think we spend enough time with them but here’s the thing that irritates me about her argument. Our wives do not have to work outside of the home. They could very easily be stay-at-home mothers.”

  “Like Melanie,” Dimitrius said.

  “Exactly.” Desmond went on to say, “Now, we married strong, independent women who had their own aspirations before they met us, so while I would like for Sherita to be a stay-at-home mother to the kids, I can’t demand that of her.”

  Dimitrius nodded.

  “Sorry I went off topic, Dante,” Desmond said. “I just had to get that off of my chest.”

  Dante tossed back his drink. “It’s cool. I get what you’re saying. Emily could easily stay home and take care of Ezra. Will she? No. She has the boutique to run. My issue, right this very moment is, my wife is pregnant and she just told me last night that she doesn’t want another baby. At least not right now.”

  “Is it possible that she doesn’t know she’s pregnant?” Desmond asked.

  Shaking his head, Dante said, “No. We were at Connelley’s last night. I ordered wine. She didn’t touch it. Emily loves red wine.”

  Dimitrius looked over at Dante. “Well, you don’t think she would try to terminate—”

  “Don’t know,” Dante said. “I would like to think the best about my wife, but she seemed pretty adamant about not having another baby right now.”

  The brothers sat quietly for a moment, processing what Dante had told them and then Dimitrius changed the subject. “Me and Mel took Grace to that ballerina show at the museum this morning.”

  “If I knew you were going, I would’ve brought the twins,” Desmond said. “I had them out at Battery Park this morning.”

  Dimitrius chuckled. “It’s funny how we’re sitting at a bar talking about our wives, children and ballerina shows. Who would’ve ever thought?”

  “Yeah, especially after your wild past, Dimitrius,” Desmond said.

  Dimitrius snickered. “You’re one to talk. Remind me, how long did you stalk Sherita again?”

  Desmond smiled. “I didn’t stalk her. We probably wouldn’t even be married right now if it wasn’t for that little scheme you and Dante cooked up.”

  Dante smiled lazily. He was too busy thinking about Emily and the life growing inside of her to add to the conversation.

  “How many times do I have to tell you Dante planned all that?” Dimitrius asked. “He told me after the fact.”

  “Well, either way it goes, I’ll always be grateful. Sherita drives me crazy, but I love her and the twins. They have redirected my focus, you know. Made me realize what really matters in this world.”

  Dante nodded.

  “She drives you crazy…” Dimitrius said, grinning. “Let’s get back to that part.”

  Desmond took another sip of vodka. “Well, she’s different, after the babies, I mean.”

  “Different how?” Dante asked.

  “She…ah…she won’t let me touch her. It’s like, if I touch her, she pulls away from me, and I know what your next question is going to be so I’ll go ahead and answer it. No, we haven’t had sex since the babies.”

  “There was no action on your Myrtle Beach trip?” Dimitrius asked.

  “None. We barely hugged.”

  “Ouch,” Dimitrius said.

  “Jeez. And I thought I had problems,” Dante added.

  “Well, the trip did give us time alone to de-stress, but that’s all.” Desmond shook his head. “It’s okay, though. I can handle it. I’ve practiced self-restraint before I married Sherita, so I have no issues waiting until she’s comfortable with sex again. The thing is, she’s not handling any of this well – the marriage, babies, her body. Don’t get me wrong…she loves Celeste and Nolan but she will not accept any help. She feels like she needs to do everything. She’s breastfeeding, not getting enough sleep. Her blood pressure is up and down and she’s more conscious of her body and the weight gain. She won’t even undress in front of me.”

  “She doesn’t look like she’s gained that much weight,” Dante said.

  “Well, she’s gained about fifteen pounds. To a woman, one pound is a big deal,” Desmond said.

  “That’s true,” Dante said.

  “Did Emily or Melanie have any postpartum issues?” Desmond inquired.

  Dante and Dimitrius both shook their heads.

  “If Melanie did have some issues, she worked through them on her own because I never knew anything about it.”

  “Same with Emily, but it’s different for every woman, I suppose,” Dante said. “If you’re concerned about Sherita’s issues, then maybe you two should go to the doctor to check it out together.”

  “I would if Sherita was willing, but she insists that she’s fine.” Desmond glanced down at the glass, at the alcohol still there. His breath nearly escaped him when he remembered how her eyes saddened right in front of him – before they left the house this evening. He had to do more to help her. Had to, whether she liked it or not.

  “So, while me and Mel were at the museum today, we ran into her ex,” Dimitrius said, deciding that now was a good time for him to finish telling the story he started earlier. “Well, actually, she ran into him. I had stepped outside to take your call, Dante, and when I returned, I saw her talking to the guy.”

  Desmond shrugged. “She was talking to her ex. Big deal. She probably felt like she had to speak.”

  Dimitrius frowned. “If you saw Sherita talking to an ex, you wouldn’t feel a certain kind of way about it?”

  “Depends on what they were talking about. If the guy looked like he was coming on to her, oh, I would definitely have a problem with it,” Desmond said.

  “Well, Melanie wasn’t flirting with him,” Dimitrius said. “The thing that irked me is, this is the second time this fool has shown up someplace where Melanie and I was. We saw him on another occasion when we were out to dinner once.”

  Dante looked at Dimitrius. “Is that the guy who left her because he thought she couldn’t have children?”

  “Yeah. That’s the one,” Dimitrius confirmed. “Why would she have five words to say to the dude? I mean, really. According to her, he broke up with via voicemail, yet, she entertains this guy like he’s an old friend. I don’t get that.”

  “She was probably just being polite,” Dante said.

  “And, he asked her who Grace was. You should’ve seen the look on his face when I walked up and told him that Grace was our daughter. His mouth fell open, and he looked at Melanie like he was having a hard time comprehending what I’d just told him.”

  “He probably realizes he made a mistake with Melanie,” Dante said.

  “Well, he’s going to realize he’s unconscious if I ever find out he’s bothering my family. He’s married with a son, yet he was staring at Melanie like she’s the one that got away.”

  Desmond shook his head. “See, this is where you have to have faith and trust in your woman.”

  “I do trust her. It’s him I don’t trust,” Dimitrius said, remembering the look in Scott’s eyes. He was probably wondering how Melanie was able to have a baby when she told him she couldn’t have children. He realized that dumping her was a mistake. But what was it to him now? He’d moved on, married and had a son. Did he not think she would move on as well?

  “One thing is for certain,” Dante said.

  “What’s that?” Desmond asked.

  “We all got issues.” Dante grinned.

  Dimitrius picked up his glass and said, “That’s true.” He tossed the rest of the Bourbon back to his throat and lowered the glass to the countertop.

  “But it’s nothing we can’t handle,” Dante said. “If we can successfully run a multi-million dollar corporation, certainly we can handle issues in our personal lives.”

  Desmond nodded though he knew his problems with Sherita were more complicated than any business deal he’d ev
er negotiated.

  Chapter Five

  “I’m so glad we were able to get together like this,” Melanie said, sitting on the sofa in Emily’s family room with one leg folded underneath her.

  Ezra and Grace were busy running around the room, taking turns chasing each other and playing with toys.

  Sherita held Nolan in her lap. Celeste was sleeping in her car seat.

  “I am, too,” Emily said. “Everybody’s been so busy lately.”

  “Yeah. Too busy,” Sherita said. “I don’t know what it is, but lately, I’ve been so exhausted.”

  Emily smirked. “You have twins, and you don’t know what it is? Not to mention Desmond.”

  A half smile came to Sherita’s face.

  “Are the babies still keeping you up at night?” Melanie asked.

  “They are. You don’t see these bags underneath my eyes?” She grinned.

  Melanie chuckled. “It’ll get better, Rita. I was up and down with Grace until she was about…ummm…almost eight months. Then again, you’re breastfeeding, so…”

  “I’m going to be honest,” Sherita said. “Breastfeeding is stressful. Being a mother is stressful. Being a wife is stressful.”

  “Preach,” Emily said.

  The women chuckled.

  “But it’s everything I ever wanted,” Sherita continued. “When I was single and everybody kept on asking me when I was going to get married and have babies…I was so stressed out because I didn’t think it would happen for me. I never thought I would get my happy ending, but I have it. I have everything, and now I’m more stressed out than I was before I had it all. And to make matters worse, I feel like I’m failing.”

  “Failing?” Emily asked.

  “Yes. I have my own photography studio now, but I can’t concentrate on work because I’m always worried about Celeste and Nolan. I feel guilty when I’m at work because I could be at home with my children. Desmond makes it a point to remind me, every chance he gets, that I don’t have to work…that I can be a stay-at-home mom, and maybe he’s right. Maybe I can’t be superwoman. I can’t do it all. God knows I want to, but I feel like—” Sherita felt tears settle in her eyes. She forced them in and said with a strained voice, “I feel like I’m going to crash at some point.”

  “Wow, Rita, if it’s that bad, hun, then maybe you do need to take a step back and reconsider some things,” Melanie said.

  “But I don’t want to take a step back, Mel. Like I said, I’m living the life of my dreams and now that I have what I want, I’m stressed out. I feel like I’m not a good mother to my children. I’m not a good wife. I can tell by the way Desmond looks at me that he’s absolutely disgusted and turned off. I don’t even think he’s attracted to me anymore.”

  “Now, stop it, Sherita,” Emily said. “Why would you say something crazy like that?”

  “It’s just the way I’ve been feeling lately. Look at me. I look like a slob. My hair is a mess. My breasts are big and heavy. I can’t even fit any of my clothes. And I am deathly afraid of making love to my husband because I’m so scared I’m going to get pregnant again. I completely ignore his advances and I know he’s growing tired of it.”

  Melanie frowned, not knowing what to say.

  Emily didn’t say a word either.

  Sherita sighed heavily, kissed Nolan’s chubby cheek then said, “I guess being on the outside and seeing how happy other people were, especially you and Emily, while I was still single had me longing for what you had. Now that I have it, I don’t know what to do with it. I’m barely treading water.” Sherita sniffled, eyes filling with tears again.

  “Aw, Sherita, it’s going to be okay,” Emily said.

  “Yeah, and maybe you need to talk to a doctor,” Melanie said. “You shouldn’t be feeling this way. You need to enjoy your babies while they’re still babies. They grow up so fast.”

  “I know.” Sherita dabbed her eyes. “Desmond thinks I should see a doctor, too, even though I told him I was fine. I don’t want him thinking I’m crazy.”

  “Well, if you feel like you need to see a doctor, then by all means,” Emily said. “I had a bout of postpartum after Ezra. It only lasted for a couple of months and it wasn’t so bad that Dante noticed. In fact, I didn’t even tell him. I just felt the change within myself and went to see my doctor. I took some anxiety medication for a few months. It helped a lot.”

  Sherita nodded with sad eyes.

  “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of women have issues with postpartum depression, but you have to do what you have to do to keep yourself healthy for your babies.”

  “You’re right,” Sherita said.

  “And as for yourself, you need to include some exercise in your routine,” Melanie said. “That’s what I did after I had Grace.”

  “Exercise? I can barely keep my eyes open. How am I supposed to add exercise to my schedule, too?”

  Melanie shrugged. “You have to. It’s what any doctor will tell you. Plus, if you feel conscious about the baby weight, even though I think you look fabulous, you have to do something about it. Don’t you guys have an indoor workout room?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then, there you go. Hop on that treadmill, girl.”

  Sherita dabbed her eyes while smiling.

  “Life can be managed. We just need to sit down and prioritize, you know,” Melanie said. “For instance, I would love to get a job, ramp up my career and be that briefcase-toting, working woman who can juggle home and work life. But I choose to stay at home with Grace. We’re not having any more children. Grace is it for us.”

  “You seem sure about that,” Sherita said.

  “I am sure. It’s a miracle we were able to have her. My doctor still can’t figure it out. Anyway, after not being able to carry Grace to term, Dimitrius and I decided that it was too risky for me to get pregnant again, so I got my tubes tied. Grace is our only child, so my decision to be a stay-at-home mother was an easy one. I want to be there every step of the way for her. When she’s older, then I’ll consider reentering the workforce, but for now, she’s the focus of my attention.” Melanie looked over at her daughter and smiled.

  “I want to be there for my children like that, too, but I don’t want to feel like my life is passing me by at the same time if that makes any sense to you,” Sherita said.

  “I get it,” Melanie said. “So what you have to do is figure out a way you can have it all and still be happy.”

  “And that’s the hard part,” Sherita said.

  “I know what you’re going through, Sherita,” Emily admitted. “I feel like the time I spend working at the boutique, I could be raising Ezra, and all Dante does is tell me to quit.”

  “Cutting your hours back is more feasible. You don’t have to completely give it up,” Melanie said. “But I see where Dante’s coming from. Our men are go-getters. Providers. They know they have everything to take care of us, so of course he would tell you to quit. And, getting back to you, Sherita, you need to figure out a way to keep the romance alive in your marriage. You can’t ignore Desmond’s advances because you’re afraid of getting pregnant again.”

  “I know.”

  “There’s always birth control,” Melanie said.

  Birth control.

  Emily wished she had started some form of birth control after Ezra.

  “Do you and Desmond plan on having more children?” Melanie asked.

  Sherita shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. We haven’t talked about it.”

  “Do you want more?”

  “I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” Sherita said, “But look at my life right now. I’m not thinking about having another child. I wouldn’t know what to do with another baby.”

  “Well, whatever the case, you can discuss different birth control options with your doctor. A lot of women are getting those IUDs nowadays. The doctor puts this tiny device in place and it prevents pregnancy for up to five years. When you want to get pregnant, you simply have it taken it out.” M
elanie took a sip of water. She looked up and said, “You’re awfully quiet over there, Emily.”

  Emily smiled uncomfortably. “I was just thinking about some things.”

  “What things?” Melanie asked.

  “Um…hmm…I don’t know how to say this.” She sucked in a troubled breath. “I haven’t told Dante yet, so don’t mention anything to Desmond or Dimitrius.”

  “Okay,” Melanie and Sherita said together.

  “I’m…I’m pregnant.”

  “You’re pregnant!” Melanie shouted.

  Sherita’s mouth fell open.

  “Yes. I’m only a couple of months, not quite showing yet,” she said, withholding tears as she did so.

  “What is it, Emily?” Melanie asked, noticing her sadness right away.

  “I’m not ready for another baby right now. Does that make me a bad person?”

  “No, not at all,” Melanie said. “A lot of mothers experience this, I’m sure.”

  “I just don’t like the way I feel about it. I was elated when I found out I was pregnant with Ezra. With this pregnancy, I feel like it’s a setback for me. I don’t spend enough time with Ezra as it is, and now I have another one on the way, which means even more time off work. More of Dante telling me to be a stay-at-home mother.”

  “But on the bright side, Ezra gets to grow up with a little brother or sister,” Melanie said. “When do you plan on telling Dante?”

  “I don’t know yet. Things are already tense between us, and I don’t want to rock the boat with more drama.”

  “I know exactly what you mean,” Sherita said. “Seems Melanie is the only one of us with no problems, and she’s married to meanest, strictest of the Champion brothers.”

  Melanie laughed. Holding up a finger, she said, “First of all, my man isn’t mean. He’s very—”

  “Anal,” Emily finished saying and then the women had a good chuckle. It was the most they’d laughed all night.

  “No, he’s…okay, he’s strict and stern and punctual, but Dimitrius loves me harder than I’ve never been loved. He’s sweet to me.”