“Yeah, the DNA results came in two weeks ago.” Max waved his phone in front of Dru’s face. Dru looked intensely at the screen before moving his eyes back to Marli.
“You had me up in here getting attached to babies that ain’t even mine… and you knew!” His voice thundered, causing Marli to release the tears she’d been fighting to hold back.
“I’m sorry. I was gon’ tell you.” She whimpered.
“Once a foul ass ho, always a foul ass h…” Max couldn’t finish his statement because Dru had somehow launched at him, punching him in the face. Max’s body fell back onto the bed.
“Oh my goodness! I’m calling security!” the nurse screamed as she ran out of the door.
“You foul as fuck, man!” Dru’s words cut layers into Marli’s soul.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She cried.
“Lose my fucking number, Marli.” Dru walked slowly out of the hospital room. All she could do was stand there and cry. Deuce and Tres must have been heartbroken too, because as the door slammed shut, their soft cries radiated through the hospital room.
“I’m so sorry boys.” She sobbed. “Mommy messed up.”
One
Four years later
Marli
“Girl, get in here with my grandbabies before this rain get y’all!” Max’s mom shooed Marli and the boys inside the house just as the rain poured from the sky. Marli wasted no time grabbing both boys in her arms and running up the stairs. She’d just gotten her hair done, and she refused to ruin it before her trip. If her inconsistent ass baby daddy could just be reliable for once, she would have been on her way to the airport for her twin sister’s wedding by now instead of making this extra stop on the other side of town. Marli used her foot to close the door behind them.
“Nana!” Deuce and Tre sang simultaneously, running to their grandma as soon as their mom put them down. Their excitement almost knocked the short, brown-skinned woman on her back. Ms. Woodard greeted them with the open arms of a happy grandmother as she’d always done when they came over. Marli situated the boys’ suitcases by the front door as they blabbered to their grandma about the Easter bunny. It had been the only thing the four-year-old boys could talk about.
“How about you boys gone into your room and play,” Ms. Woodard instructed them. The boys ran off down the hall, not worried about their mother at all.
“Suitcases, Marli? Now you know I don’t mind the boys coming over, but you also know I don’t do unexpected drop-offs. What’s going on?” Marli instantly rolled her eyes as she took out her phone. She was going to curse Max’s ass clean the fuck out for his incompetence. She just knew he hadn’t told her to drop the boys off at his mama’s house without informing her.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Woodard. Your son told me to leave them here until he got here. My flight leaves in an hour… I’m sorry… I didn’t know he didn’t tell you.” Marli rambled as she typed vigorously on her phone, telling Max how fucking stupid he was.
Just this one time, she needed him to keep his word and be on time to get the kids. They had waited for him all day, and when he finally picked up the phone, “Take them to my mom,” was all he had said before hanging up. Marli sighed a sigh of pure frustration as she pressed send on the text message. Marli didn’t know what was worse: having no baby daddy or having a half-ass one. Ms. Woodard approached her, placing a hand on her arm.
“Don’t worry, baby. It’s fine. They can stay here. I’ll deal with that son of mine. You go ahead.” Ms. Woodard reassured her. Marli was thankful for the boys’ grandma. She’d been the voice of reason many times and came through for the boys more than Max ever did.
“Thank you,” she replied, hoping she felt how truly thankful she was.
“No problem. I was bored anyway, child.” She walked into the living room, signaling Marli to follow her. Marli glanced at her phone, trying to debate if she had enough time to stay for a little bit and make it to the airport.
“Where are you going this time? Are you filming? This another work trip, or you getting to enjoy this one?” Ms. Woodard shouted from the kitchen. She knew she had no choice but to follow her. Marli’s mama hadn’t raised her to be rude.
“Turks and Caicos. My sister Kay is having a wedding there.” Marli walked into the kitchen.
“I thought your sister was already married?” Confusion played across Ms. Woodard’s face.
“She is. It’s a vow renewal, the wedding they never had, since they eloped five years ago. Our entire family is coming. My little sister Taylor came home from college and everything.”
“Oh, that sounds magical. The camera crew not coming, though, are they?”
Marli shook her head.
“Unfortunately, not. My sister and her husband said no.” Marli had been trying for years to get her twin sister, Kay, to join her on the Hip Hop in Love reality show, but Kay was against it. Unlike Marli, Kay lived a low-key life. She was married to one of the richest men in the music industry, but she didn’t like the spotlight. Marli hadn’t even asked if the cameras could come on this trip, because she knew Kay and Blue would say no, regardless of the type of money they would all stand to make off a wedding special.
“Good for them. It’s good to tune the world out sometimes. The public doesn’t need to be all up in your business all the time. I wish you and my son would learn to do that.” There it was—the reason that she’d led Marli back there. Marli rolled her eyes. She’d heard this all before. Nobody close to her cared for her lifestyle. Sometimes Marli didn’t care for it either, especially when it was some drama surrounding Max, but social media and reality TV were her livelihood. The more she exposed herself, the more money she made.
“Now, don’t compare my business post to what Max is doing on the gram, Ms. Woodard.” Marli chuckled, referencing her baby daddy’s smash or pass videos and nightly partying. Marli was a reality TV star and social media influencer. She had a reason to post daily. Max was a producer; his job wasn’t directly related to posting content. He just liked the attention.
“I don’t see a difference. It’s all too much if you ask me.” She laughed.
“I hear you, Ms. Wood…” Her voice trailed off from the sound of her phone vibrating in her hand. Glancing at the screen, she cringed at the sight of her sister’s number. She already knew what it was about.
“Yeah, sis, I’m—” Her greeting was cut short.
“Where are you? The flight is supposed to leave soon.” Kay’s voice came thundering into the phone.
“Max didn’t show up to get the kids. I had to take them to Ms. Woodard.” Marli listened as the phone went silent. The breathing on the other end let her know that Kay was still on the other line.
“You could have just brought them. My kids will be there, and they love their cousins.” Kay finally replied. Bringing the boys along had been the original plan, but after she’d put Max on child support, he’d asked for partial custody. This week just so happened to be his week with the boys.
“It’s Max’s week. You know, legally, I gotta leave these kids with him, or he’ll drag me back to court.” Marli’s voice was soft. She hoped she didn’t offend Ms. Woodard with her statement, but she knew firsthand the drama between Marli and Max.
“Yo’ bum ass baby daddy lucky we have our own plane. Just hurry up, sis. If we miss air clearance, we’ll have to wait until tonight.”
“I’m on my way, sis.” Marli pushed end on the phone.
“Go ahead, baby! The boys are fine here until Max shows.” She reassured Marli as she ushered her out the door.
