Ivi laid wrapped up in Tripp's arms in her bed. They decided to turn into bed early after the long day they endured. They took separate showers, and Ivi helped Tripp bandage up the superficial wounds to his knuckles, ribs and face before laying down. The tv was looking at them instead of the other way around, as time and space passed through them quietly.
Ivi nuzzled the back of her head deeper into Tripp's chest from the position she was in, slightly looking up at him. His eyes were already on her. Not studying her like he usually did, however. Tripp's eyes held something much more tender. Ivi tucked in her lips before speaking.
"How old were when things went down with your da...Detective Chalmers?" Ivi corrected when she saw Tripp's eyes narrow.
He sighed. "Eight..." Tripp started. "Paula's son was in foster care at our house. She had just started coming around, doing her reunification process after him being in the system for Idk how many years.."
"She was on drugs...I'm assuming." Ivi spoke.
Tripp didn't seem stunned that she guessed correctly, as he nodded. "Yeah. Paula was on one of her clean spells when the courts granted her permission to come to our house for visits." Tripp paused. "From day one, she was on that nigga...and he was game!"
"So he left Mama A..for a meth-head?" Ivi asked astonished.
"My momma left his good for nothing ass!" Tripp quipped. Then he smacked his lips. "When she wouldn't take him back, he turned around and married that bitch to spite my momma."
Ivi sucked her teeth. "That's trifling. When you do things to spite people, it never works out in your favor. I'm guessing that to be true because I hadn't heard about Detective Chalmers being married to anybody else when we met. I know he and Paula can't still together, are they?"
"Hell no. Karma was his greatest ass whipping with that. She milked his ass dry the three and half years, marriage included, that they were together. Paula had all kinds of credits card and other debts on his name. Anything to feed her habit. He had to file bankruptcy and start all over after he divorced her ass. She tried to take him to court for alimony and his retirement, but that shit was entitled to mamma off top."
Ivi nodded. She was quiet for moment before speaking again. "I feel bad that you had to witness that. No child should see their parents in compromising positions. Positions that end up hurting them as a couple, but especially, the child."
Tripp heard the underlying solemness and pulled Ivi to him closer.
"Do you think had you not seen the betrayal with your own eyes and been subjected to Paula laughing at your hurt, you'd have a decent relationship with Detective Chalmers, like Nakia and Tucker do?" Ivi eased.
"Fuck no! Fuck that nigga!" Tripp answered quickly. Too quickly Ivi thought.
"You know what I think?" she said, turning around to face him. She straddled his lap, laying against his chest, looking at him. "I think you really love Detective Chalmers...and what happened hurt you so bad, not just because of the betrayal to your mom or even Paula's dumb ass...but Detective Chalmers was your hero. And in that moment, he became human in your eyes."
Tripp didn't say anything as Ivi continued to talk.
"We all make mistakes, Travis. You put Detective Chalmers on pedestal that he was never gonna live up to. Sure he could not have cheated on Mama A, but he would have done something over the years that would have made you see him as the human he is. You can't hold that over his head forever. You want Tucker to do that to you behind Maya, would you?"
Tripp sighed. "...no."
"And I'm not saying for you to forgive Detective Chalmers and be best friends with him..."
