After Happily Ever After

What Do We Do About JK : A Catfish Christmas

"He needs a Wakandan education. There isn't a school in this country that can handle a mind as promising as N'Jemah's."

"Erik," Fallon pleaded hoarsely, "I'm not disagreeing with you. I just think he's too young for us to be thinking of sending him away for half the year."

Her eyes flickered to the door to check if it was still closed. They'd moved this argument to the home theater because it was soundproofed. That didn't mean sneaky children who should be in bed wouldn't creep outside the door to listen in. They hadn't argued at dinner, but the tension between Fallon and Erik was so thick she's sure their children noticed.

"The longer we wait, the farther behind he'll get," Erik insisted stubbornly.

Fallon sighed, "Behind who, Erik? You and I decided a long time ago we don't want our children competing against anyone but themselves. We have worked hard to secure a successful future, but it is up to them-this is what we agreed to Erik!" Fallon raised her voice when he shook his head.

He constantly disagreed with her about things they'd decided on years and years ago. An academic system that only cared about her test-taking abilities chewed Fallon up and spit out. She didn't want that for her children, and she'd thought that with their wealth, they could ensure that their children never relied on a set of arbitrary numbers for their future.

Yet ever since Shuri came to them with the results of JK's IQ test, Erik became relentless about education and competition.

JK didn't fight all the lessons his father pushed on him. He just put his head down and worked through them, even though he didn't understand what they were for.

"Erik, he's ten years old. There's still time! Let him be a child first." Fallon insisted.

Erik stared at Fallon with hard, dark eyes, and she wondered if he was even seeing her anymore. From the beginning, she'd sensed this argument had nothing to do with her and everything to do with Erik's own childhood.

"Our son is black, Fallon. No amount of money will change how the world sees and treats him. He has royal blood in his veins and that will mean nothing because of the color of his skin." Erik fumed.

"Lower your voice," Fallon shot a worried look at the door again, "I understand that. Don't you think I know that? But I will not allow you to take away my son's childhood when that is the only thing in this world, we can promise him."

When Erik interrupted again, Fallon put up one hand and stood up. "Do you remember the day you stopped being a child? I do. I remember the day Barbies and cartoons seemed trivial to me because I was worried about not getting enough food or my stepfamily coming after me. Stressing over every test I took because I was more than aware that I would only save myself from my mother's life if I did well in school."

Fallon walked over to the theater door and swung it open. Three little bodies toppled forward on to the ground. She shook her head, just like their father. They can't leave well enough alone.

"Isn't it bedtime?" Fallon asked evenly as her children scrambled to right themselves. Somehow Maddy, the smallest, ended up in the bottom of the pile. She shot her brother and sister dirty looks when she finally got to her feet.

"Yes, mama."

"Then take y'all butts to bed. Or else I'm gonna come in there." Erik's voice was no longer heavy with his anger, but his children knew a threat when they heard it.

Erik never put his hands on their children, but the man could lecture for hours. It was enough to make Fallon beg him to spank her just to get it over with. Libby and Maddy immediately scurried off. JK lingered in the doorway with his eyes pointed at his feet and his little hands clasped into fists.

"I don't want to go to Wakanda without Libby and Maddy mama. Can I stay, please?" JK looked so serious it made Fallon's heart hurt. Never did he look more like Erik as he bravely stood up to them about how he felt. She looked over at Erik pointedly. 

See, her eyes said, he's still just a little kid.

Erik studied his wife and son silently until the tension slowly bled out of his frame. It took a lot out of him to be the bad guy these days. Fallon didn't want to take credit for it, but she knew her husband had gone soft since becoming a family man. He lowered himself into an armchair and called out to JK, "C'mere King. Let me talk to you."

JK walked over to Erik and peered at his father through his eyelashes. Erik and JK stared at one another for a long moment before Erik spoke. "We're not sending you away to punish you. We're thinking of your future, little man. There are a lot of opportunities for you out there and they begin with an excellent education to set you up in this world right. All of that is in Wakanda and I want that for you."

Erik's eyes flickered over to Fallon, then back to his son. "But" he continued, "I understand that it's too soon right now. We'll wait 'til you're a little older to talk about it, but you will go to school in Wakanda, little man. I will make sure you have the best possible education because I can and it's all I've ever wanted to do for my children."

JK nodded. Erik sighed again and relaxed. "Now get yo butt to bed. And if I see you up again, you're washing the dishes for the rest of the week."

"Yes, Baba," JK squeezed Erik into a brief hug and then ran past him towards the door. He paused again to squeeze Fallon in a quick hug as well. Then he ran out of the room, leaving his parents in a thick silence.

Fallon smiled softly at Erik's profile. "Thank you so much. I know this is important to you and I promise it's just as important to me. Thank you for agreeing to wait a little longer."

Erik offered a weak smile. "I just remember that right around JK's age, I lost my father. And even before that, I really wasn't a kid because he couldn't shelter me from the shit that was going on in our neighborhood." He shook his head.

"JK is still just a little boy. He deserves the childhood I never got. I promised him that." Fallon walked across the room and sat on Erik's lap.

She kissed his forehead and held him close. She knew exactly what he felt, so there was no need for them to share words. Fallon was just relieved they weren't fighting anymore.