Honey

16.) Walk, Don't Run

When Tristan defeatedly watched Honey drive away, he suddenly felt a hard pop in his head. "You stupid?" Kara asked.

"Ow, Ma! What?"

"What you mean, what? That girl clearly love you, and you say some shit about Lea? If you wanted to be back with Lea, you shouldn't have wasted that girl time and let a man who was gon be her man get wit her."

"I don't want Lea!"

Kara didn't care that Tristan was bigger, nor that he was four years shy of thirty. She punched him in the chest and knocked the wind out him.

"Let's get this clear, I am always gon be yo mama and you will talk to me like you know that, little boy. Do I make myself clear?" she asked, hitting him again.

"Yes, ma'am."

"If I was Honey, I woulda left ya ass, too. I woulda gave the ring back in the morning. You acting like you still in love wit Lea, like she cain't move on wit her life, but you got the right to. If you so over it, why don't you act like you are? Just before she got that apartment, you was all for helping her find her own place. She don't need your approval of all her decisions. If she did, then you woulda worked it out and married her last year. Since you didn't, I suggest you figure out what you want."

"I want Honey, Mama. That's what I want. I love her."

Kara looked at her son and shook her head.

"You love her, but you acting how you are. Explain the logic in that, son. I don't get how you can love Honey and want to marry her, but harbor a resentment for Lea. If you loved Honey, you wouldn't feel nothing for Lea but love for having your child. You betta figure out what you really want, and before Honey change her mind."

Kara walked away and Tristan trudged behind her back to his daughter's party. Lea was with the baby, playing. She could see how Tristan looked sad, but fear of being snapped on kept her away from him. She felt their "friendship" was more an illusion than truth.

His cousin came over to him. "Where is your girl?" she wondered. "How she missing the baby birthday?"

"Not now, Kayla."

She put her hands up in surrender and walked off.

Tristan watched his daughter and wondered what he would say when she came asking for Nee. He felt like shit.

***

When Honey walked into her mother's house, no one was there. She just immediately went to her old room and broke down. She didn't know what else she could do. It was like the best part of her world was just ripped away from her as suddenly as it was presented to her. Something should have clued her in, it was too good to be true.

Her phone had rung several times since she'd gotten behind the wheel, but she just couldn't make herself answer it. The only thing she wished was that she got a chance to wish the baby a happy birthday.

When she arrived to her mother's house and her old bedroom, Honey laid there, feeling so broken, her world completely shattering. She had believed Tristan to be so wonderful, and then he went and broke her heart. So much for being different.

Honey heard the front door open and expected to hear Lovey. Instead, she heard her father.

"Honey, what's wrong, baby?" he asked, walking up the stairs. She knew she had parked in the garage, a thing her father was famous for not doing at anyone's house but his own.

"Why do you know I'm here?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Because a man tell me he cain't find my baby, and she wasn't at my house. You the most predictable child I have," he told her, going into her room. "It's only two places you ever go. Your mom is out of town, we'll go to my house. Okay?"