August 15, 2023

Can a broken relationship be redeemed?

Leesa Patterson has a young son with Chris Black. Both have worked hard to co-parent both their son and Leesa’s daughter. When Chris suggests they try again with their relationship, Leesa shuns the idea. Their first go-around in a relationship resulted in Leesa breaking up with Chris. Since the break-up, they’ve developed a comfortable friendship for the benefit of the kids.  

But as Chris sets out to woo her, Leesa struggles to keep her walls up. Is she really falling for him again?

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1

I stared at the modest brick home in front of me for a long time. Afraid that a neighbor would notice me watching the house, I inhaled deeply and exhaled a shaky breath before climbing out of my Toyota Sienna. 

Alright, Leesa Patterson, your mama taught you better than this.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t excited to pick up my kids. In fact, I missed them. No matter how exhausted my body felt, I looked forward to the hug I knew would come from my oldest and only daughter, Kisha. She always had so much to share that it was hard to keep up with the stories from her day. Knowing how my relationship changed with my mama as I got older, I didn’t want this stage to end.

Then there was the burst of giggles from my son, Tyric. His laughter always tickled my ears and warmed my heart. He was a happy child, and that made me happy. My kids were growing up so fast. I truly cherished every moment.

The reality that had me in a chokehold today was I simply didn’t want to face Belinda Black. 

My baby’s daddy’s mother. 

 I cringed calling Chris my baby’s daddy. But it was what it was. There was a time I’d thought Chris Black was the man I would settle down with for life, but that all changed not too long after our son was born. Instead, we co-parented the past two years, skirting around the tension that hung between us. And the many questions that others had for us.

What are you two? Boyfriend and girlfriend? Friends? Are you ever going to get married?

So many questions! It was easier to dodge them. Or rather, it used to be easy. 

The sun beat down on my head as I walked down the driveway toward the front door. I rang the doorbell, straining to hear my children’s voices. Instead, only silence greeted me, raising my anxiety. Leaving my kids with Belinda was such a different experience from when I dropped the kids off at my mama’s house. It was like night versus day. I lifted my hand to ring the doorbell again, but then heard the locks disengaging from the inside.

Unconsciously, I stepped away from the door, bracing myself as the door flew open. As usual, Belinda’s presence in the doorway appeared almost menacing.

Chris’s dad, Emmanuel Black, passed away several years ago, but old photos confirmed Chris inherited his height from both parents. His mother stood around five feet eight or five feet nine. A salt and pepper bob framed her ebony face. With smooth skin that revealed nothing of her sixty years, she didn’t wear makeup. Belinda Black was not incredibly beautiful. She was more majestic, stately… intimidating. Her wide brown eyes seemed to penetrate my soul. Never raising her voice, her words, razor-sharp, could be just as cutting. Always elegantly dressed, even though she was at home most of the day, I couldn’t recall ever seeing her with her hair out of place. 

With her usual scowl in place, she peered down at me through heavy brown frames perched almost on the end of her nose. A former teacher, Belinda always looked like she had a stern word to share. Before retiring, Belinda served as a school principal for the last few years. Every time I looked up at her, I was reminded of the times I visited the principal’s office in high school and I was grateful she hadn’t been my principal.

Belinda crossed her arms. “You’re late again.”

I bit my lip, feeling heat rise around my neck that had nothing to do with the warm June afternoon. “Sorry, I had to finish up something for my boss. If I didn’t finish, I would have had to deal with it first thing Monday morning.”

Belinda uncrossed her arms, and placed her hands on her hips. “You could have called. If you say you are going to be here at five thirty, then I expect you to be here.”

I tried my best not to grit my teeth. Sometimes it was best to not get into it with this woman. “Are Kisha and Tyric ready? I will get them out of your hair. I really appreciate you looking after them today.”

Belinda seemed to be in a special mood today, so I had to ask. “Were they good?”

“They could use some more discipline.”

Of course. 

I fought hard not to roll my eyes. I would have preferred to leave my kids with my mama, Eugeena Patterson and her second husband, Amos Jones. My kids got along just fine with them and I didn’t get these comments. But Mama and Mr. Amos had just arrived back in town last night.

The crazy thing was Belinda complained a few weeks ago about not seeing enough of the kids, mainly Tyric. Since we were taking a break from daycare to save some expenses, I’d caved to Chris’s request. Of course, I didn’t really have a choice with Mama out of town.

 “Well, come on in. No need to let my air out.” The statuesque woman turned quickly on her heels, leaving me standing at the door.

I took another breath, praying I could control my emotions. Lord, let me just gather my kids, their things and get out of here. Mama always told me to watch my face because whatever I was feeling would be written all over it.

Chris and I grew up in similar neighborhoods in Charleston. Even though we attended rival high schools, I knew who he was. A former high school football star, it didn’t take long to gauge from the Black’s family home that Chris was his mother’s pride and joy. 

He was also her only child.

I passed dozens of familiar photos of Chris placed throughout the house on walls and surfaces. I enjoyed seeing this part of Chris’s childhood and often wondered if Tyric would follow in his dad’s footsteps. Tyric’s baby pictures were almost a replica of his dad’s photos.

We passed the living room that rarely allowed for guests. I followed Belinda past the kitchen into a family area that once had been a porch. The bright room with its large windows faced an immaculate yard filled with roses and other flowers. It was a pretty day to be outside, but Kisha and Tyric sat on the couch in front of the television. Both seemed subdued. Tyric seemed to be in a losing battle as his lashes fluttered and he struggled to remain upright. He often fought naptime, but he would eventually succumb to the much needed slumber.

Kisha, already a shy child, seemed to be quieter than usual. Her sullen eyes stared at the television playing her favorite show, Wild Kratts. She didn’t seem to be bothered that her little brother’s round head leaned against her shoulder. 

I swallowed back my emotions, warmed by my children’s bond. Kisha was a very good older sister. 

Once again, I was struck by how different my kids were with Belinda compared to my mama. 

Belinda wasn’t one to put a hand on a child. Chris mentioned his mother had never spanked him and that his dad did all the disciplining. But he said his mom’s tone of voice was enough to put the fear of God in him. With a successful career in middle and high school education, Belinda didn’t seem comfortable around young children. But she enjoyed Tyric.

 Belinda claimed she didn’t mind watching both kids. But I had a sneaky feeling that Belinda didn’t truly accept Kisha. Despite being Tyric’s older sister, Chris wasn’t her dad. She was my child. I noticed no mistreatment, but Kisha was definitely standoffish with Belinda, like she knew she needed to be wary around her.

Like mother, like daughter.

 I walked into the room. Suddenly my long day at the office crept into my bones making me feel droopy too. “Hey, pumpkins. Y’all ready to go home?”

Kisha didn’t notice me until I spoke. Her face brightened and my heart did a somersault as I observed joy return to my daughter’s face. Kisha shook her brother awake as she slid from the couch.

“Come on, Tyric. It’s time to go.”

Tyric cried out a little, upset from being jostled from his pending nap. 

I went over to him and picked him up. “Okay, sleepyhead. It’s time to go.” I tickled him until he broke out into giggles.

Kisha grabbed her book bag from the floor but stood next to me like she wasn’t planning on making a move without me. 

I looked over at Belinda filling the doorway. Remembering my manners, I said, “Thank you again for watching the kids today. Kisha will start summer camp next week and my mama is back in town.”

Something crossed Belinda’s face. “I don’t mind watching Tyric. I’m sure your mama has things to do. She and her new husband probably are going to want to travel again.”

I bristled at the way Belinda said new husband. My mama had been a widow for about five years before getting remarried. I knew from a conversation with Chris that his mother had no intentions of remarrying, even though his dad had passed almost a decade ago. 

I also didn’t like how she purposely only mentioned watching Tyric. She often did that.

I plastered a smile on my face. “Well, if they decide to head out of town again, I will be in touch about your schedule.”

Some emotion crossed Belinda’s face I couldn’t interpret. I put Tyric down and guided both children down the hallway and toward the exit.

Behind me, I heard Belinda suck in a breath. “I hope that you and Chris work things out soon.”

 I stopped halfway from the front door and turned around to look at Belinda. “Work things out? I think we’re doing just fine.” 

Belinda quirked her eyebrow. “It seems like you both could do more. Give these children more stability. I don’t know what’s wrong with young people these days. Marriage isn’t the end of the world. People just be having …”

My eyes locked with Belinda and this time I didn’t care if she saw the anger in them.

Having babies. 

While she had the decency to catch herself, I still fumed at how Belinda just couldn’t help herself. She just had to remind me I wasn’t good enough for her son. He only dealt with me because we had a son together. That he bothered with me, a woman who already had a kid, she still couldn’t process it after all these years.

 I remembered how my mama reacted to both my pregnancies. I thought my mama could be so judgmental. But over the years, I’d learned to appreciate my mama because there was someone so much worse than her. No matter my mistakes, my mama never made me feel worthless. Like I was just someone taking up space in her precious son’s life.

I felt a small hand wrap around mine and I looked away from Belinda to see Kisha looking up at me almost like she was pleading for us to go. I turned toward the door, determined to get out of the house and to the car.

Before we reached the door, the front door swung open, and to my surprise, Chris stepped inside. My first thought was to be annoyed that we were trapped between Chris and his meddlesome mother, but then he smiled at me. 

Why did that handsome face seem to make all things right in the world?