Living on Love

Eight

"Alright," Ariana said as she walked into the living room with a tube of lipstick in her hand. "Which one of you little shits wrote all over Mommy's bed spread with this?"

Malcolm pointed to Stella.

"Uh huh. How'd she get up in my bed by herself then?"

"I dunno," Malcolm shrugged.

"Malcolm James, I don't like lying. Why did you do that?"

"I didn't mean to."

"You didn't mean to write all over my bed."

"No. Stella had it first and I thought putting more on it would clean it better cause I couldn't get it off."

"Why would you think putting more on it would help?"

"Cause if you put more marker over old marker on the whiteboard it erases better."

"Honey, it doesn't work like that with make up and beds. You should have come and told me that Sissy had it. If Stella's doing something she shouldn't be doing then you come tell me, don't try to take care of it yourself."

"Okay..."

"Come here."

Malcolm walked to her slowly and she picked him up, kissing his cheek. "I love you. Thank you for trying to help, but come get me next time okay?"

"Okay..."

"How did she get up on my bed?"

"I put her up there. I didn't know you had make up on your bed."

"From now on don't put her on my bed."

"Okay."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Ariana put Malcolm down and walked over to Stella, who was playing with a small blown up beach ball. "Hey you little stinker. Did you mess up Mommy's bed?"

Stella babbled and grinned, crawling towards Ariana.

"Yeah. You're lucky you're a baby. Sit still, let's see how you look with lips," she said, opening her lipstick tube.

"You're putting that on her?" Malcolm asked.

"Yeah. It won't hurt her. It's just for fun," she said, rubbing the lipstick over Stella's lips. She grinned and let out a small laugh. "Beautiful. Let's show Daddy," she said, picking the baby up. "Daddy!" She called out.

"Studio!" Mac shouted.

Ariana walked towards the basement and carefully walked down the steps. "Look how beautiful your daughter is."

Mac looked towards Ariana and he shook his head. "She's too young for black lipstick."

"It's purple. She's cute."

"She looks like a baby prostitute."

Ariana gasped and looked at Stella. "Did you hear that?"

Stella babbled loudly, pointing at Mac.

"Tell him," she said, handing her to her dad.

"Hey baby girl," Mac said kissing her cheek. "You're too young for make up. You're beautiful without it."

"Look at her hair," Ariana said, running her hand over the little girl's head. "It's coming in red."

"I noticed. Taking after Daddy already, huh pretty?"

"Mama!" Stella said holding her arms out to her.

Ariana took Stella and rested her on her hip. "Let's go take off your lipstick before Daddy has a heart attack."

"Thank you," Mac said.

Ariana kissed his lips. "Love you."

"Love you too."

Ariana made her way back upstairs and placed Stella in her playpen as she heard the front door open. "Who's here?" She called out.

"Maddie!"

"I'm in the den!"

Maddie walked in a few seconds later, giving Malcolm a kiss on the head as she passed him in the couch. "Hey Mister."

"Hi Maddie," Malcolm said.

"Been good?"

"No."

"He got lipstick all over my bedding," Ariana said. "He was trying to fix it so I let him off easy. This one is the one that started it," she said, looking at Stella.

"Did you do that baby girl?" Maddie asked, picking Stella up and kissing her cheek.

Stella grinned before giving her a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you."

"I miss you guys," Ariana said. "You and Dove should come over for a sleepover. See if Shahadi's parents will let her come and stay with us."

"That'll be fun. Will my faves be here?"

Ariana snorted and rolled her eyes. "Stella will. Malcolm will probably go with Mac."

"Where am I going?" Malcolm asked.

"I dunno. It's not today, so don't worry about it."

A phone started ringing and Ariana looked around for a few seconds. "Malcolm, go find Mommy's phone and answer it."

"Kay kay," Malcolm said before running out of the room.

"Nooo, don't pull my hair," Maddie said, unclenching Stella's fist from around her hair.

"Stella Joan McCormick, we don't pull hair," Ariana said.

Maddie pulled her hair to one side. "That hurts, you little monster. Why does she have lipstick on?" she asked, putting Stella back in her playpen.

"I put it on her. Mac says 'not happening'."

"Mommy, it's Nonna Joan," Malcolm said, running back into the room with Ariana's phone.

Ariana took it and held it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Can I ask you for a favor?" Joan asked.

"Depends on what it is."

"Will you come with me to the doctor?"

"What? Why are you going to the --- nevermind, I remember. When is it?"

"Friday at eleven."

"Okay. Is Mark gone?"

"Ari..."

"I meant what I said, Mom. I know it hurts, but my kids aren't gonna be subjected to violence. You have to choose. I'll go to the appointment with you, but other than that, I'm done until he's gone."

Joan sighed. "...We'll talk later. He's awake."

"Fine."

Ariana hung up and ran her hand through her hair. "Malcolm, I want you to go clean up your toys that are all over your room. Right now."

"How come Nonna Joan's going to the doctor?" Malcolm asked.

"Don't worry about it. Go."

As Malcolm left the room, Ariana sighed as she looked at Maddie. "My mother's pregnant," she said.

"Whaaat?" Maddie asked. "How?"

"You see, there's this thing called sex..."

"Hush, I know that much."

"Well, she had it. And voila, knocked up. Her boyfriend's beating on her though. So I told her until he was gone, she's not allowed to see Malcolm and Stella."

"That must be hard..."

"It is. I hate keeping them from her, but... I can't let them be associated with it. Mark choked me. It's not just my mom he'll do it to, he did it to me and I'll be damned if my kids go to their Nonna's house and end up getting hurt."

"I don't blame you. I hope things get better. I hate to think of you in hardships with your own family."

"Yeah... me too."