“Oh, I like Maddie, but they don’t have good food over there,” he said as he ran up the stairs. “But I do say thank you when they give me food, Mom,” he added. Kevin knew I didn’t allow them to be rude when someone offered them anything.
“Good job, Kevin.”
I took his mud-covered jacket into the utility room where I put it in a basket by itself.
Kevin was sitting at the table when I walked into the kitchen. I scooped two bowls of chili and joined him at the table, just the two of us. I didn’t envision being a single parent when I had him. But we were all we had, and that was enough.
***
Three Weeks Later
I spotted Rodney’s beat-up, black pickup truck parked alongside my driveway as I pulled up to my house after work. He got out of his truck with a cocky grin plastered on his face as he trotted toward me. I frowned at the sight of him as I wondered what he was doing here. “What do you want?” I asked with ire in my tone.
“Hey, Tameka. I came to get the kids.”
“You say that as if it’s okay for you to show up out the blue, ignoring the schedule ordered by the courts and the same schedule we agreed on,” I reminded him.
As I scowled, a smile spread across his face. Rodney had a habit of smiling whenever he thought he was upsetting me as if he enjoyed being a pain in my ass.
“It’s not your weekend, so they’re not going with you,” I told him.
“Stop being so damn petty about the weekend thing, Tameka. You should work with me on that. When I can come and get them, you should be happy to let them go,” he replied.
“No, I’m not working with you because you don’t work with me. You can’t just waltz up here and think you’re taking my kids with you whenever you get fucking ready!” I paused, catching myself before I slipped into battle mode. That’s the zone Rodney liked to put me in, and I tried my damndest not to give him the satisfaction. “We have arrangements for a reason, Rodney,” I said in a lowered voice then turned away to walk inside.
Rodney grabbed my hand before I reached the door. “Tameka…”
“Don’t touch me!” I snapped, pulling my hand away from his grasp. “The days of you telling me what to do are over.”
“I’m sorry for touching you,” he said and backed off with his hands up. “I just figured that since I missed my last few weekends, and didn’t get to make that time up, I could settle up with them.”
Settle up? This man’s audacity was the size of all of the south. He thought our children were some kind of game he could ‘settle up with’ whenever he got the time. As if letting them down on his weekends wasn’t a big deal as long as he showed up with a bag of tricks later. The dumb smile on his face made it seem as if he enjoyed holding their hopes hostage.
“No, you can’t settle up when it’s convenient for you. That’s not happening today, Rodney.”
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He rolled his eyes. “Tameka, you always think it’s something negative going on. I’m just here for my kids. That’s all.”
“You don’t do anything for anyone! Everything is for yourself, especially since you got with whats-her-face.”
“Fine! If you must know, I just found out Melody is pregnant. We’re getting married, and I might not have much time to spend with our kids over the next few months. I want to give them what little time I have now before the baby gets here,” he said.
I couldn’t believe the words as they came out of his mouth. Or was it that I could believe him, and that’s what made it so horrible? How did I even marry this man? He had really pulled the wool over my eyes in the beginning. Lately, Rodney became the most selfish person I ever met. It was heartbreaking to hear him speak about our children getting what little time they could before his new baby came.
“Are you kidding me right now, Rodney? You show up, unannounced, and pronounce that you’re expecting a child, you’re getting married, and you want our children to get what they can from you before you cast them aside again? You know what? I don’t care about your situation. You can’t take the kids this weekend because it’s not your weekend. So get out of my driveway.” I marched up the walkway to my porch with the sound of his loud footsteps trekking behind me. When I reached my first step, I spun around and nearly crashed into him.
“Tameka, I’m taking the kids, so go ahead and get their things ready,” he ordered.
“I want to see you try it,” I dared him with fire raging in my eyes.
“They’re mine too!” he argued.
“Yes…they are, and it’s really about time you understood that fact. Instead of treating them like toys you remember ever so often, you should remember these kids are yours every day of the week. Do you know that you broke Kevin’s heart a few weeks ago? Do you know that?” I yelled.
“No, I didn’t know that,” he said arrogantly with an eye roll.
“Well, you did. All he talked about was going to that game with you. That time can’t be recovered, Rodney. And poor Eva. She doesn’t feel loved when she’s with you because you spend all of your time fawning over your conniving little fiancé, Melody. How pathetic is that? You don’t deserve any time with these children. All you do is break their hearts.”