Page 27 of Defending the Post (The Complexity of Love #3)

I rubbed the bridge of my nose as I weighed on my decision to discuss my trauma. A part of me feared telling her my true thoughts about Toni. Most people shied away from people who didn’t care for their mother. Somewhere the narrative of them being terrible parents wasn’t popular.

“I’m tired of her. I want my old family back. Why can’t she go away? I’m in an impossible situation. If I push too hard, I could lose my brother, but I can’t do this shit anymore. Can we leave?”

Erin agreed with a head shake, and I called the car. Before we pulled away from the vineyard, I opened the family group chat.

Me

Mom Happy Mother’s Day. I will stop by later with your gift. Love you.

In less than two minutes, my phone sounded, but I sighed not wanting to explain to people why I left.

Mom

Marquise, what’s wrong?

Ivey

Quise, are you okay?

Malcolm

Bro.

Pops

I got you.

Me

I’m good. Love y’all.

I closed out the message thread and held hands with Erin.

Erin

I listened to Marquise snore as he rested underneath me. He’d been quiet since we left the vineyard. Jhae texted me and I assured he was okay without exposing what he shared with me. Marquise hinted at his trauma but to witness it firsthand was something different.

When Anissa introduced Toni as Marquise’s biological mother, I was speechless.

It wasn’t until then I noticed the similarities in their facial features.

The interaction in the lobby made perfect sense as to why the atmosphere was tense.

Toni carried a sadness in her eyes when talking about Marquise.

It broke my heart as I could sense the longing she held for him.

The truth was, he wasn’t the only person with family drama. I carried my own baggage, and I couldn’t ask him to address his but ignore my own. Marquise shifted, so I reached for my phone. I shuffled through my contacts until I landed on my mother’s name.

Me

Happy Mother’s Day. Can we work on us?

My heart pounded as I waited for her response. If she cursed me out, I deserved it because I’d been a complete bitch. Instead of speaking my pain, my behavior mirrored Marquise as I locked her out my life. As the three bubbles appeared, I held my breath.

Mom

Always.

My eyes watered as I read her message and relief flushed through me. I didn’t deserve a second chance, yet she was extending herself again.

Me

Can we start with daily phone calls?

Mom

I would love to hear your voice every day.

I smiled at my mother’s text message. At thirteen, my parents were divorced, and I took his side, shunning my mother. I hated her for breaking up our family, but as an adult, I understood why. Daddy lived two lives and one of them wasn’t legal.

Me

Tomorrow be ready, so much to tell.

Mom

I can’t wait. Thank you.

Me

I didn’t do anything.

Mom

You’re open

A smile graced my face as I promised to make the best of this opportunity.

This morning, I sat on my legs and sipped on a cup of coffee.

It’s not often I drink it but sometimes my taste buds craved the warmth.

Growing up, my parents would trick me into thinking I drank coffee, but it was cocoa.

Daddy would kiss Mom, and we went our separate ways to school and work.

One day we parted, and we never mended. Instead of cooking or prepping dinner, she tried to convince me to leave.

The air left my lungs as I tried to imagine our family breaking apart.

I was a daddy’s girl, and it felt criminal to ask me to leave him behind.

When I refused, the light left my mother’s eyes.

I pushed away the thoughts as I pushed myself to keep my promise.

Peering down at my phone, I checked the time before I called.

“Erin.”

Hearing my mother’s soft, nurturing voice pushed tears to come forth. It had been years since I heard it and, somehow, I forgot how comforting it was.

“Hi, Mom,” I stammered.

“What’s wrong, Tulip?” she said, and I sniffled as the warm tears kissed my skin.

“Mom, I’m sorry.”

Marquise joined me, sitting next to me. He pulled me closer to his body as he attempted to comfort me. A few of my tears landed on his white tank top. Marquise’s large lands rubbed my body as he kissed the top of my head.

“Erin, talk to me,” my mother voiced.

“Mom, I messed up. I didn’t know daddy was?—”

“You were young, and I’ve been waiting for this day. I can’t wait to get to know you again,” she interrupted.

I’m glad she stopped me from exposing my father with Marquise holding me. I told him we would talk about it but he hadn’t brought it up. Eventually, I would have to come clean about him, but I wasn’t rushing the process.

“I promise I will put in the work.”

“And how does your father feel about this?” she questioned, and my body stiffened.

Marquise lifted my chin and glared into my eyes. The conversation I was hoping to delay was coming sooner than I wanted.

“Daddy and I are no longer talking. I don’t agree with his lifestyle and the choices he makes. Mom, he hurts people,” I said.

Silence stood between us, but we spoke louder than before.

“I knew something was going on.”

“I’m not going to tell him where you are or disclose your location,” I said as I raised my head from Marquise’s chest, but Mom laughed. Confusion coursed through me as she echoed in my ear.

“Erin, your daddy sends me flowers and diamonds every week. He knows where I live but he also knows what is required. If you give a man conditions, you better stand on it,” she said, and my mouth parted.

I lifted from Marquise as I sat up with a tensed body and elevated heartbeat.

“Daddy never talks about you. I assumed you guys hated each other.”

“I love Eldridge, but I don’t like what he does. When he is ready to give up his lifestyle, he will come home,” she said.

The shock of knowing the truth ran my blood cold. I assumed she didn’t know anything about his illegal enterprise. What I did know was limited.

“Mom, this isn’t adding up.”

“I’m not surprised. He shielded you. We have a lot to discuss,” she said, as I sat back on the couch in disbelief.

Maybe I needed to call my daddy , I thought to myself.

Mom and I talked for another thirty minutes before I hung up the phone. Marquise ordered us breakfast before I could offer to cook. He unwrapped a steak omelet and pancakes as he remained on the couch.

“What’s the deal with your daddy? He does illegal things?” Marquise questioned before he poked a piece of pancakes in his mouth.

I was right, we were having this conversation today. “Don’t freak out but I caught him pointing a gun at a guy I used to date. After that, it snowballed into me unraveling his double life. He hurt people.”

Marquise paused from chewing his food as he stared at me. I bit down on the side of my lip, ready to assure him he was safe.

“Your father is a gangster?” he asked for confirmation.

I rocked my head from side to side to lighten the mood. Marquise’s worried expression formed into a smile. Afterward, I exhaled a hard breath.

“I knew you got that smart ass mouth from somebody, and your mother seemed to be a nice person,” he said.

I squinted in his direction, and he laughed but this wasn’t funny. My father’s reputation and reach weren’t something to joke about. He wasn’t a normal street gangster; he was a crime boss. How did him and Uncle Maalik take two different paths raised in the same household?

I lifted from my seat and straddled Marquise. He smiled, mind traveling directly to sex.

“You are safe,” I said as I cradled his face with my hands.

He smiled as he puckered his lips for a kiss.