by Ivy Symone
As expected, he switched to his softer side. “I know and I’m sorry for yelling at you. I’m still working on all of that…But what’s the name of the shop?”
She groaned inwardly. He just wouldn’t give up. She recalled the shop’s name. “It’s called NuExpressions.”
“How long you think you going to be there?”
Before she could answer, a guard in his background called out his name. “Turner! Visitation.”
Keyma’s face distorted in confusion. “Visitation?”
“I’ll call you back later,” Cedric said hurriedly.
“But who’s visiting—” she was saying before being cut off by the sound of him hanging up.
“That mothafucka,” she said aloud. She just knew it was another woman visiting with her husband. This was the shit she had to go through. Here it was he wanted to keep up with her whereabouts and know her every move, yet he had other women visiting and entertaining him.
Keyma wanted to be angry, but a part of her really didn’t care. She was tired of dealing with Cedric and all of his bullshit. Sighing with frustration, she placed her phone back in her purse, continued her grocery shopping stroll, and contemplated ending the marriage. She was no longer happy. She was not in love with him. The only connection they had were their two kids and that they were legally husband and wife. But that was it.
When he started his time almost five years ago for this last charge, she agreed that she would hold him down. They even grew close again, and he became that loving guy she fell in love with seven years before. She believed that things between them were salvageable and they were on their way to marital bliss. However, it was as if she awakened one day and decided she didn’t want it anymore. Cedric had become nerve wrecking and he had begun to act funny. She always suspected he had other women holding him down, but this really confirmed it.
As she reached for the spaghetti sauce, the sound of a male’s voice caught her attention. She looked up as a guy was ambling down the aisle, left leg fitted in a black orthopedic walking boot. The guy’s temporary disability didn’t prevent him from having a sexy swag. It was his walk and the build of his body. His bow legs were still obvious, despite the boot and gray loose joggers he wore with a plain white v-neck tee. She couldn’t see his hair, because he was wearing a black fitted cap. And he didn’t appear to be too flashy, although she caught the gleam of the gold necklace, watch, and bracelet he was wearing.
“Daddy!”
Keyma glanced over in time to see a little brown-skinned girl trailing behind him.
“How you gonna leave me,” she fussed.
He turned around, and Keyma was very pleased. He was the type of fine that she could just look at all day. She watched as the two, father and daughter, exchange words. The more she eyed the two, the more something familiar about them resonated with her.
She knew him. A smile spread on her face, delighted to have bumped into an old friend. It was fate. Seeing him was refreshing, and maybe the break she needed from her husband.
She looked down at her wedding ring. Fuck Cedric. She removed her ring and dropped it in her purse before heading in the direction of the father and daughter.
She called out softly, “Bebe?”
~~~~~~~~~~
It was that time of the year, and Bebe was completely aware of energy parting ways with his body. He could no longer fake the funk and pretend to be in good spirits. Every year he always told himself that he wouldn’t let it affect him, but it always got the best of him.
It had been four years, and the pain of losing the love of his life was just as great today as it had been back then. The people said “time heals all wounds” but Bebe had been walking around with this open sore that no Band-Aid had been big enough to cover.
In just a few days it would be the anniversary of her death; also, the anniversary date of what would have been their fourth year of marriage. Their child would have been almost three years old, but his life had ended that very day before he even had a chance to live outside of Miki’s womb. And Miki’s daughter, Téa, would be nine years old just like his daughter, Kennedi. Miki’s, Téa’s, and their unborn son’s lives had ended much too soon at the hands of Miki’s ex, Redd. The only good thing about that day four years ago was that Redd, being the coward that he was, had also ridded the world of his existence.
“Daddy!”
Snapping out of his depressive thoughts, Bebe chuckled. He turned to his daughter, Kennedi and the scowl on her face tickled him even more.
“How you gonna leave me?”
“I thought you were walking off with your auntie,” he fibbed.
Kennedi cut her eyes at him playfully. “You know, for a crippled person, you move kinda fast.”
“I ain’t crippled lil’ girl. Watch yo’ mouth.”
Kennedi giggled, “Don’t you need one of those scooter chairs that old people use in the store.”
“Old?” he feigned insult.
“Daddy, you know you old,” she laughed.
Bebe didn’t know what he would do without his daughter. She was always somewhere smiling showing off her dimpled face and bright eyes. Kennedi had one of those personalities that lit up a room. And like she was for so many others, she too was a light in his world that none other could compare to. He knew if he didn’t have anybody else, he had his Kennedi.
“Bebe?”
Her voice was so soft, he didn’t hear her the first time.
“Bebe? Is that you?”
Only because the sound of her voice had moved in closer did it yank him from his thoughts.
When he became aware, he just stared at the woman before him.
“It is you,” she tenderly smiled.
Her smile caused him to have to blink a couple of times. High cheek bones pushed up into her eyes making them more slanted. A genuine sparkle shone in them, and her heart-shaped face emitted a warmth that was reminiscent of the very woman he had lost. If he didn’t know any better, he would think the woman standing before him was an older version of his Miki.
Oblivious to Bebe’s perplexity, the woman continued to smile. “You don’t remember me?”
Though she possessed an uncanny resemblance to Miki, slowly Bebe began to recollect who this woman was. His mood began to lighten, and a smile formed on his lips.
“Keyma?” he finally said. Bebe couldn’t contain his own delightment in bumping into his friend, someone he hadn’t thought about in years.
As if it was standard etiquette for crossing paths with an old friend, they both went in for a hug. Reveling in the moment, he appreciated that her body was as soft and luscious as he had imagined. Though they had been friends, this was the first time he had been this close in her personal space and touched her.
The hug lasted longer than it should, and there was something sparking between them. He had to release her before his hands began to wander in places they shouldn’t.
Still smiling, Keyma pulled away and said, “I can’t believe ol’ Bebe is actually standing in front of me.”
“I know,” he said then asked, “You live in this area?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I just moved over in those apartments behind CarMax.”
He gave her a once over before stating, “You look good. Pictures do you no justice.”
Uneasiness settled over her as she blushed with a giggle and averted her eyes. “I’m just fat now.”
“Man, whatever. You look good, girl,” he complimented.
More blushing. “Whatever.”
A loud silence fell between them as they affectionately gazed at the other. He took this time to take in her dopeness. Everything about her from the layered bob that fell right above her shoulders framing her small cherubic face, her light complexion, her makeup, clothes, and even her choice in handbag reminded him so much of Miki.
A loud, exaggerated clearing of the throat joggled them both out of their trances.
Kennedi stood there dumbfounded. “Uhm…hello? I’m standing right
here. Daddy, how you gon’ just forget about me like that? Didn’t even bother to introduce me. And you lady, didn’t even bother to speak to me. How rude? You just standing there star-eyed and googly eyes—”
“Okay!” Bebe laughed, covering Kennedi’s mouth in the process. Apologetic, he said to Keyma, “Sorry. You remember my daughter, Kennedi, right? Nothing has changed about her.”
Keyma laughed lightly.
As soon as Bebe’s hand fell away from her mouth, Kennedi questioned, “Remember me? I know her, Daddy? She know me?”
Keyma explained, “Well, we never met before; your daddy just talked about you a lot.”
Kennedi gave Bebe a look. “As he should.”
“Go find Bless an’nem,” Bebe suggested to Kennedi with a gentle nudge.
A frown appeared on Kennedi’s face, “You tryna get rid of me, Daddy?”
“Girl, if you don’t take yo’ ass on,” Bebe chuckled.
Kennedi warned as she slowly walked away, “You remember this.”
Bebe waved her off before turning back to Keyma. “That’s my child, man.”
Keyma smiled. “She’s still full of life, I see. I remember her constantly talking in the background when we used to talk on the phone.”
“And she still constantly talk. Can’t you tell?” he joked.
She pointed down at his left leg that had been. She asked, “Should you be walking around this big ass store like that?”
Hell, he almost forgot where he was, and that he was even walking around on a healing fracture.
“I’m good,” he said dismissively.
“You sure?” She asked, expressing concern. “They didn’t have one of those motorized chairs for you to use?”
“Not when I first walked in here. But I’m straight.”
Keyma snickered. “What happened to you anyway? Your girlfriend beat you up?”
“I ain’t got one of those just yet. But naw, my ass fell out a damn tree on my job,” he answered, slightly embarrassed.
Keyma laughed. “Are you serious? You still got your lawncare business?”
“Yeah,” he grinned. “It’s how I done this shit.”
“You be out there working still? I thought you’d be just giving orders by now.”
He explained, “Most days I do, but I still get out there with my workers and get my hands dirty.”
She nodded with approval. “That’s what’s up. You’ve always been about your business. Wish my husband had been the same way.”
“Speaking of, you still with that nigga?” he asked, glancing down at her naked left hand.
Her smile disappeared, and her brow wrinkled as if she was suddenly bothered. “I hate today it, but yeah. We have our good days and we have our bad days. He’s still locked up, but he got parole and he’d be getting out soon.”
“How do you feel about that?” Bebe asked.
She grunted a noise of discontentment. He wasn’t going to go into that reaction just yet with her. They could have that talk later. Right now, he was just trying to see if she was good with where she was at in life, but without seeming too nosey.
Cocking her head slightly to look up at him, she said, “What’s so funny is I was just thinking of you the other day too.”
He flashed her a charismatic smile. “Oh yeah? I hope it was good thoughts.”
A soft smile spread on her lips. “Of course.”
Again, that connection between them spoke loudly in those few seconds of silence.
“So, what’s your number? Is it still the same? I wanna hit you up later if that’s okay. You ain’t got no side niggas that’ll have a problem with it, doyou?”
Her smile returned. “Please…I ain’t got no side niggas.” She turned to the items on the shelf as if they suddenly had her attention. Under her breath, she commented, “Unless youwanna be one.”
This caused his smile to widen. “What you say?”
She giggled, facing him once again. “Nothing.”
“Mmm hmm,” he said with playful doubt. “I heard you. I told your ass then, and I’ma tell you again…I don’t do side niggas. How come you ain’t called me though? You got my number. It ain’t changed; been having the same number forever. Or you could have hit me up on the Book or Gram.”
Meekly, she said, “Well I’ve been seeing how occupied you’ve been.”
“Occupied?” he echoed. “I don’t be doing nothing.”
“Naw,” she said with a nervous giggle. Her eyes averted again. “I’m talkin about all the different women I be seeing you hugged up with.”
“Them just be friends. I ain’t got no girlfriends though.”
“Suuurrreee,” she dragged out dubiously. She looked past him at a familiar woman approaching. She nodded behind him. “There’s one now.”
Before Bebe could turn around to see who it was, he could hear her annoying voice.
“Aye! Bebe! Where you at?” She made her arrival heard for all to know. The sound of expensive five-inch heels that her pockets could not afford, carried a tempo that only a confidant pretentious woman could make.
Bebe didn’t even have to turn around to greet her with direct eye contact.
“I thought ya’ll were gonna wait outside until I got here,” Stefani said, slightly out of breath.
“You were taking too long,” he said irritated.
“Where’s the grocery cart?” Stefani asked confused.
Now Bebe turned to look upside her head. Stefani stood there striking a pose with a hand on her hip and her oversized Michael Kors bag dangled by its handles in the crook of her elbow. Her petite body was gloved in a tight-fitting red dress that matched the red of her matte lipstick. Nowadays, Stefani was going for a natural look, therefore her hair fell in crinkled waves down her back and shoulders. Her curls were too loose in wave pattern and wasn’t giving her quite the look she was going for.
Bebe had to admit his son’s mother was still sexy. She was nerve-wrecking, and it annoyed him that she felt a need to show up at the grocery store in the middle of the day dressed as if she was about to hit up the club.
“You could have grabbed your own cart, Stef,” Bebe told her before turning his attention back to Keyma.
“Well where’s everybody else…” she was asking, then her voice trailed once she finally noticed Keyma. “Who is this?”
Ignoring Stefani’s interest in his friend, Bebe said nudged Stefani away. “Go get your basket and get the shit you need.”
“Do I need to get a big cart?” Stefani asked, still standing closely behind him.
Bebe shrugged. “What all you tryna get?”
“What’s my spending limit?”
Bebe laughed to himself. Stefani always asked that but never seemed to remain mindful of the amount he set. It didn’t matter if he told her the limit was two hundred dollars or five hundred dollars. She would still find a way to spend at least seventy dollars over.
As usual, Stefani came up short on her household needs, and he was playing the “upstanding baby daddy” that had become expected of him. He agreed to meet her at the grocery store to let her pick up a few needed items. Stefani preferred the cash in her hand, but Bebe wasn’t falling for her tricks this time.
People said that she would never grow up or learn responsibility as long as he continued to do for her when she behaved recklessly and spent money impulsively. However, no matter how many times others reprimanded him for being too available for Stefani, he couldn’t see himself letting her go without; especially since their son still lived with her some of the time.
“Just get what you need,” he told her.
“I just saw your sister and Kennedi. You getting Bless some stuff too?” Stefani asked.
“Worry about what I’m doing for you,” Bebe stated, quickly growing annoyed.
Stefani shot Keyma another glance trying to read what was happening between the two of them. Whatever it was, she didn’t like it.
Before walking off, Stefani mentioned, “Don’t forg
et I need to talk to you about when I’m moving in.”
Completely thrown off, Bebe called after her. “Hey! Hol’ up!”
Stefani threw a wicked grin over her shoulders as she walked off.
“I see nothing has changed,” Kenya remarked jokingly.
Bebe shook his head pitying his life. “When it comes to Stefani…nothing changes.”
With admiration, Keyma said, “You’re still a good man with a good heart. Ain’t no woman came through and snatched you up yet? You’re in here on a bad leg just to let your baby mama grocery shop.”
His gait was a little staggered, but his healing fractured ankle wasn’t going to stop him from being mobile. Being a single father, and with so many people relying on him for one thing or another, Bebe didn’t know what being still felt like.
Bebe actually blushed. “Naw, I ain’t snatched up just yet. I wanna make sure I’m completely ready again for the right woman.”
Solemnly, Keyma nodded. She was aware of his backstory and the loss of his fiancée. She believed it was what had drawn him to her, and how they became close a few years before. They were friends on social media through mutual friends. One day she had made a subliminal post in reference to Cedric’s abuse. Somehow, Bebe came across the post and read in between the lines. He felt a need to privately reach out to her. And from that point, their friendship grew. There was always an attraction, but nothing could become of a relationship as long as Cedric was still around. Bebe had made that perfectly clear. Dealing with her low self-esteem and insecurities, Keyma had made a mistake and chose Cedric. He dangled marriage in front of her. She took the bait, and cut any other guys, Bebe included, she had been communicating with off. She regretted it.
Slight disappointment threatened to show on her face, but she tried to play it off. “I feel you. I’m the same way and just need to take this time being alone.”
