He wouldn’t touch her and would barely talk to her. He stayed late at the office now, and when he did come home, he usually went right to sleep. He seemed to be going to great lengths to avoid her and she couldn’t imagine why. Before he left for Barbados, they couldn’t get enough of each other. When he returned he couldn’t seem to stand her.
He’d been snapping at her for the slightest things. She almost swore the ogre that she knew in the beginning had returned. The one night that she did manage to turn his head long enough for him to quickly make love to her, made him even more irritated and angry.
She’d waited up for him as long as she could the night before because she had news she wanted to share. She’d missed her period and taken a pregnancy test on a whim. The results were positive.
Although they hadn’t really discussed having more children, the thought of having another child filled her with joy. She loved being a mommy to little Carl and she wanted him to have a sibling or two. The recent change in Carlton made her a little nervous about telling him.
She kept getting flashes of a memory from her childhood when her mom secretly told her that she would be getting another brother or sister. Her parents had a huge argument that night. Her father screamed that he didn’t want to be trapped with another kid on top of a sickly wife. The little brother that she’d hoped that she and Cicely would get never came and her father left soon after that.
Latonya quickly showered and got dressed. Deciding to put the memories of the past away where they belonged, she went to spend time with her child before meeting Jeff for lunch. Carlton and her father were two different people. Carlton would be just as happy about the baby as she was. Whatever had his mood so foul would be handled and she would get her sweet husband back. She had to believe that.
Pamela already had little Carl up, dressed and in his playroom when Latonya walked in.
“Mommy!” Her son came running toward her and latched on to her leg.
Latonya kneeled down and gave him a hug. “Hey! How’s my little man this morning? Did you have your breakfast already?”
He giggled and wiggled in her arms. “Yep!”
“Yes,” Latonya corrected as she tickled his belly. “Did you eat it all?”
“Yep!” Little Carl rolled out of her arms.
“Yes,” Latonya corrected again, and pinched his nose.
“Ye-es,” he repeated as he ran toward his blocks.
Pamela smiled as she watched them. “He was a big boy and ate all his oatmeal. Now he’s going to show Ms. Pamela how to build a fortress with blocks.”
Latonya stood up smoothed her outfit. “I’m going to be out for a bit today. I’m meeting a friend for lunch and I might even do some window-shopping—”
“Good! It’s about time you get out of the house and do something fun. We’ll be fine, right, Carl?” Pamela’s Trinidadian-accented voice chimed. “Go give your mommy a hug and tell her you will see her when she gets back.”
He ran over from his blocks and wrapped his arms around Latonya’s legs. “Bye, bye, Mommy. See you later. I going to play now.” He ran back to his blocks without a care.
Letting out a sigh, Latonya said, “Well, okay. Pamela, you have my cell phone number if you should need anything.”
“Yes, I do. Have fun. We’ll be fine,” Pamela said shooing her out.
The shopping trip turned out to be a bust. She didn’t find anything worth buying. By the time she met Jeff at the Tavern she only had one small bag to represent how she’d spent her morning.
The packed restaurant was filled with the business lunch crowd, and for a minute, Latonya missed her old life. Then she thought about little Carl, the new child she carried and her love for her husband, and realized she wouldn’t change a thing.
She scanned the crowded establishment and soon found Jeff sitting alone at a table in the center of the restaurant. She walked over to him and he stood up immediately to greet her.
Jeff embraced her in a hug and squeezed several times before kissing her on the cheek and letting go. “You look fabulous,” he complimented her.
She smiled. Even though she would never get used to people commenting on her appearance or the fact that a small part of her took pleasure in the compliments, it felt nice to have someone who knew the old her acknowledge her new look so favorably.
“Okay, now, tell me all about little Harry Cuatro,” Jeff teased.
“Hey, no silly little nicknames for my son.” Latonya pointed her finger in mock admonishment.
“What? You don’t like Harry Cuatro? We could make it young and hip. How about H4?” A feigned expression of concern crossed his face as he rubbed his chin.
“How about little Carl or Carlton Harrington IV?”
Pretending to think it over, Jeff said, “Nah, those don’t work for me. I’ll stick to Harry Cuatro. Anyway, how is married life? Are you happy? Because, you know if you aren’t, you can always leave him and come to me.”
“Stop clowning around, Jeff. Married life is fine. I’m completely and totally enamored with my husband.” Smiling even though she felt less and less sure of that statement, Latonya fiddled with her napkin.
“That’s too bad.”
She lightly kicked him under the table. “Oh, just be happy for us.”
“Hey. Ouch. Okay. I am. I always wanted you to be happy. I just figured someday it would be with me.”
She had to laugh at that. A real hoot, sometimes Jeff went too far. When she finished laughing, she realized Jeff simply sat there silently. He gazed at her intently, and for the first time she actually saw the want there. She’d always thought he was just a flirt. Studying him carefully, she asked, “Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’ve always been serious,” he replied somberly. “You just never noticed it, or never took me seriously before.”
“Well, I can’t take you seriously now. I’m married. And I am in love with my husband, deeply in love.” Taking a breath, she paused. She had never voiced the words out loud to anyone before, and saying them felt like lifting a heavy weight off of her chest.
“Well, I hope old Harry Tres knows what a gem he has in you,” Jeff offered ruefully.
Not able to respond because she didn’t know what her husband felt about her or their relationship, she took a sip from her iced tea instead.
Jeff must have sensed her uneasiness because he reached across the table and placed his hand over hers, caressing it tenderly.
