Page 4 of Terrez and Shalene (D-Ville Projects #4)

Shalene

Exhaling a breath of relief, I parked my car in the empty driveway and thanked God Brevin wasn’t home yet.

Him not being here meant I’d get to enjoy some type of peace.

There was truly no telling when he’d be home, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be anytime soon.

I had a long day at work. When I was on my lunch, there were several things I had to get in order for my move.

I’d be moving tomorrow morning and didn’t know how I felt about it.

I was ready to be in a peaceful space I could call my own, but was still indifferent about my marriage ending the way it had.

Once I had my work bag and a sleeping Amayah in my arms, I walked to the house and let myself inside.

The house I used to call my home now felt empty.

Most of my things were packed away in boxes stacked against the wall.

I’d be packing the last of my things tonight and the movers were scheduled to be here at ten in the morning.

This past week hadn’t been easy; Brevin made sure of that.

He’d gotten more disrespectful and I even heard him calling me out of my name when he was on the phone last night.

I felt so worthless that I couldn’t do anything but close the bedroom door and try to sleep the night away.

Had I not been moving out tomorrow, I would’ve occupied Pat’s guest room.

After laying Amayah on the couch, I slid my Crocs off and put my smartwatch on the charger.

Taking a towel from the linen closet, I glanced at my baby one last time before heading to the guest bathroom and taking a quick shower.

Since Amayah was still asleep, I went into her room and gathered the last of her things I’d be taking.

Her bedroom furniture would stay here since she’d still be coming over with Brevin.

I made my way to the kitchen and took out a wine glass to pour the last of my favorite white wine.

My thoughts were starting to get the best of me and I wanted to relax.

The plan was for me to make a quick dinner that consisted of chicken that would go in the air fryer, cilantro rice, and veggies.

That all came to an end when the front door was slammed so hard that it shook the house.

The only reason I stopped what I was doing was because the cry Amayah let out let me know Brevin had scared her.

Wiping my hands with the towel, I headed toward the living room to console my baby.

“Brevin, what the hell is wrong with you? Why the hell would you slam the door like that when she was right here asleep?” I snapped.

Any other day, I’d let him have his tantrums. Seeing the look of fear on my baby’s face was the only reason he’d gotten a response out of me. I didn’t care what Brevin did to me, but all bets were off when it came to my baby.

“You! Your ass still being here is what’s wrong with me!

You got your own place and yet, you still bring your ass here!

Why the fuck are you here, Shalene? Huh?

I’m not understanding what the hell is so hard for you to comprehend.

We are done. There is no reason for you to be here.

You can drop Amayah off at any time, but please, get the hell out! ” he spat angrily.

Not wanting to hear another word, I grabbed my phone and keys off the table before scooping Amayah into my arms. I’d taken this verbal abuse for far too long.

I wasn’t a perfect person by a long shot, but I deserved respect.

Even if it was only for me being the mother of his child, Brevin should’ve never spoken to me the way he had.

When I opened the front door, I wanted to assure him that I’d be back to get my things but decided against it.

None of that mattered at this point. As if my life was a music video, dark clouds came out of nowhere and it started to rain so hard that it sounded like someone was beating drums on the roof of the house.

By the time I got Amayah buckled in her heat, I was soaked.

I hadn’t brought any extra clothes and it just dawned on me that I had no shoes on.

Brevin was right about one thing. I had my own place.

I just needed to make it one more night.

Pulling out of the driveway, I debated on whether I should go to my apartment or Pat’s house.

Ultimately, I drove in the direction of Pat’s house.

She had a warm T-shirt I could borrow and furniture that was already put together.

I grabbed my phone so many times to call her, but I had no words.

Right now, I needed comfort and nothing else.

Times like this I wished I could call my mother to lean on.

The memory of my late mother made my cry audible.

I needed her to hold me and tell me everything would be okay.

I needed her strength. Losing her made me realize that you never stopped being a parent.

Being a mother was a job I’d be clocked into for as long as I was breathing.

The thought of going to my childhood home crossed my mind, but I didn’t linger on it.

Going to that house and not seeing my mother would only make things worse.

Plus, my dad wasn’t a fan of what was happening between Brevin and me.

He understood the marriage had run its course, but he somewhat knew Brevin was being an asshole and wasn’t having that.

When I made it to Pat’s house, I parked beside her truck and just sat for a minute. The rain was starting to let up and the sun was now playing peekaboo. When I reached for my door handle, I looked up and saw Pat walking toward me.

“Everything okay, boo? Why are you crying?” she asked angrily.

“I’m just tired, Pat. I-I just can’t anymore,” I admitted through sniffles.

“Go inside, Shalene. I’ll get Amayah. My mom is here and she cooked. I’ll have her make you a plate.”

Nodding, I left her to grab Amayah and headed in the house.

I was so tired of feeling defeated that it wasn’t even funny anymore.

Having the victim mentality wasn’t me, but I felt like life wouldn’t give me a break.

Everything in my life seemed to be happening one after another and I felt like I was drowning.

My main source of strength was coming from having a child depending on me.

Allowing myself to wallow in self-pity was easier when I was married.

Now that I was a single parent, that wouldn’t work.

I was left with no choice but to push through.

As soon as Miss Lena laid eyes on me, she stood from the couch and brought me into a hug that I desperately needed.

She hadn’t said a word, but she was giving me everything I needed by simply being here.

Our embrace lasted until I heard the front door close and Pat walked in.

Amayah wasn’t asleep, but her head laid on Pat’s chest.

“Have the two of you eaten dinner yet? I just made baked chicken and mashed potatoes,” Miss Lena said as she walked toward the kitchen.

“No we haven’t eaten yet, but I can make our plates.”

“Girl, sit down and collect yourself. I can make the plates.”

Like Amayah did whenever we were around Miss Lena, she reached out to go with her. Once they were out of earshot, Pat took a seat next to me and waited a few seconds before she started with her questions.

“What the fuck did he do? Did his punk ass put his hands on you?”

“No. He was just disrespectful and I couldn’t take it anymore. He came in the house, scared my baby with all the noise he was making, and I just went off. Words were exchanged and now I’m here,” I explained, giving her the CliffsNotes version.

“I can’t stand that nigga. You had less than twenty-four hours to be there. Fuck him though. I’m just glad you have your own place now. I’ve been scared for your safety lately, but I’m glad you’re gone. Do you need me to go over there with you tomorrow to help the movers?”

“No, I’m good. My dad will be there, so everything should go smoothly. I don’t have much, so they should be able to get all of my things in one trip.”

“Good. Amayah can stay here though. I’m off tomorrow, so I can keep her until you get everything settled.”

This was why I needed Pat. She was so selfless and moved as if Amayah and I were a part of her.

I’d come across a few women I thought were my friends, but Pat always showed up without me having to ask.

When Miss Lena and Amayah came from the kitchen, Pat changed the subject.

As far as I was concerned, we could be done discussing him for good.

By the time I finished eating, Miss Lena was preparing to head to bed.

She insisted on taking Amayah, who followed her after giving me a kiss goodnight.

“I need a damn drink. This week at work has been long and life is giving me a run for my money,” I said aloud.

“You wanna go to the bar? We can go right down the street to the corner bar and have a couple of drinks,” Pat suggested.

“Pat, I’m in no shape to be going out tonight. I don’t even have anything to wear.”

“That’s a lie. Remember a few months back you came over here and had to change because you wasted wine on yourself? Welp, that outfit is still in my laundry room. Your hair is already done and you can wear the sandals you have on now.”