Lights Please II

3 (Part II): That's Not Fair

Jermaine

I pulled up at the school to pick up Lex and noticed I was 15 minutes early. So I parked then out of habit checked my phone only to see this text from Tess. I sighed, I wasn't in the mood for this—we were fighting over the tiniest shit recently and I weren't having it. I used to love when we fought cause then that meant that the makeup sex was amazing, but it was happenin too often now. We'd always had communication problems but now, we was at a point where it was becoming too much. I love Tess to death, that's my rib, the mother of my child, I love her with all of me but, shit, sometimes she just gets on my last muhfuckin nerve.

I didn't reply to the text as I left the car and walked up to the school to pick up my daughter. I aint really know much of the parents out here and shit cause Tess normally did the pick up and drop offs. I walked past a couple housewife lookin ladies that were busy gossipin until I made it to Lex's classroom where she was at the coatstand with her teacher grabbin her backpack.

"Ohmygawshhh daddy!!" she squealed jumping up and down once she saw me. I chuckled as I picked her up.

"Hey baby, how was school?" I kissed her forehead and she grinned.

"It was good, I got a sticker today for bein good wiff da clean up," she nodded and her teacher smiled over at me.

"She did... she led the clean-up song and got all her friends to help when they were done with arts and crafts." The lil white lady with curly blonde hair said as she smiled, looking up at me.

"Ayeeee that's my girl—" I said, kissing her cheek. "Let's get you home baby girl,"

She said bye to her teacher and a couple of her lil friends from preschool. There was this one boy who hugged her bye on her way out and I had to clench my jaw a little, irritated. She was almost 4 and boys were already becoming a problem for me.

"Lex, who that?" I asked her as I held her hand and we walked back outside towards the parking lot.

"That's my fwend his name is Jason and sometimes we be pwlayin games together," she nodded skipping beside me, her lil feet tryna keep up with me. "Daddy how comes today you come to get me? Where's mommmy?" she asked me.

"Momma's at home baby, she's sick today." I explained.

"Maybe we hafta make her sumfin nice betoss she's sick..." she frowned as though she was thinkin hard.

"Yeah? You think so?" I smirked looking down at my baby. Most people said she was the spitting image of me—I mean, I saw similarities but when I looked at her all I saw was Tess.

---

Tess

I was on the phone with El after Cole had left, she was working downtown today and said she'd come by later to see her God daughter. As usual, she was listening to me rant about Jermaine and how he had pissed me off today.

"You realise you and Cole do this all the time though, right?" she laughed at me.

"Why the fuck are you laughing there's nothing funny here he hurt my feelings," I frowned.

"Then you tell him that—you two are always trying to one up each other and shit when yall get in these arguments."

"Yeah cause he's a piece of shit," I mumbled.

"You don't mean that..."

"Okay he's not but he really pisses me off and I'm tired of fighting with him all the time over any and everything and it's not even worth the makeup sex anymore—"

"How is it not worth the makeup sex? That's the only good thing about it..." she said and I could tell she was distracted.

"Because you're not supposed to have makeup sex 3-4 times a week cause that basically means you're fighting all week. This month alone we've disagreed over so much it's draining,"

"Shit—Tess, I gotta go—We'll talk about this when I come over later, I'll bring you lemon and honey and tea and cupcakes—" she quickly said before hanging up.

I sighed and set my phone down before looking back up at the tv and pulling the blanket up on me a little. Somewhere in between re-runs of Being Mary Jane and Wendy I drifted off and fell asleep before I heard Alexia come in. Normally she'd be running up and down and making noise but today she was a lot more tame. She walked up to me and softly caressed my face as I was laying down.

"Hi baby," I gave her a soft smile.

"Hi mommy.... Is you still sick?" she said as she rubbed her hand over my cheek.

"Yeah—but I'ma be alright," I smiled at her. "How was school bubba?"

"It was good I gotsta sticker today," she grinned as she nodded.

"Ayeee that's my girl," I sat up a little and kissed her cheek before pulling her up on the couch to join me. "What did you get it for mama?"

"Betoss I did vewwy good in clweanin up,"

"Good job, baby," I kissed her forehead just before Jermaine came in. He held out a bouquet of roses as he came in.

"Baby girl..." he mumbled as he sat in front of me and handed them to me and I let Lex down for a bit and told her to go take off her shoes and jackets.

"What's this?" I asked him softly. I knew he was tryna butter me up—I just don't know if it was gonna work this time.

"I'm sorry," he told me, "....and Lex said I should get you something cause you not feelin too good."

I sighed, "We can't keep doing this though baby, not everyday fighting..." I frowned.

"I know Tess.... That's shit that we really gotta work on. I hate it too." He mumbled.

"Can I have a kiss?" I asked him and he leant in and pecked me.

"I love you with my everything and don't you ever forget it.... But this arguing shit is something we really gotta work on." He told me before giving me a tight squeeze.