The March of the Black Queen (book III)

3.) This is a Tricky Situation (Part One)

"A collect call from the correctional facility is permitting to reach you at your permission. An inmate is attempting to call you-,"

Hanging up my phone, I get up from the couch when I see Lily tottering towards the staircase, with the intention of climbing the steps. I've really got to change my phone number- I can't see why Mary thinks I'd accept her phone calls. I want nothing to do with her ever again. Fucking daft bitch.

"Daddy!!!," Lily squeaks in delight and wiggles herself out of my arms at the sound of the front door creaking open.

"Lily that's Jim- He is not our Daddy!," Charlie scoffs with a firm stomp of her foot and her arms crossed tightly. She trudges back up the staircase that she had just descended, goes into her bedroom, huffing up a storm of unintelligible mumbles with a harsh slam of the door.

Jim is at a stand still in the door way with a bouquet of vibrant red roses bigger than his head. He's just as shocked as I am at the children's interaction. Charlie does have an easily angered temper- but, I've never heard her snap the way she just did.

"It's okay, Lily. Jim is Papi's friend. Papi is our daddy. Only him..," Richie explains as he breaks the tension and runs up to Jim greeting him with a warm hug.

"Good morning, Richie," Jim smiles down at my son and ruffles his curls. I'm surprised Rich really likes the guy. I really thought the twins would have their roles reversed, but it seems that Richie is glad to have another man around. I pick Lily up and close the space between us.

"Why do you have flowers, Jimmy? You have a girlfriend?," Richie inspects the bouquet that Jim is still holding. Ah- yes, well, the children don't really know all about mine and Jim's relationship. Maybe one day- but not any time soon. I won't tell them anything until they can fully understand and actually, at the moment, I don't really know if things will last for there to be anything to tell at all.

"Um, no...I don't," Jim starts off slowly, he avoids my warning glare. "These are actually for your Dad- sometimes friends give flowers to apologize..I'm sorry about yesterday, Freddie. I was wrong to let my anger get the best of me and my words came out all wrong...," He turns to me now, sincerity and regret etched across his face.

I suck my teeth at his reply, still not too comfortable with the answer he gave. Jim stretches his arm out to hand over the flowers, exchanging Lily into his arms.

"Oh...okay! Did you have a fight?," Richie still insistent as ever, follows us into the kitchen while I look for a vase or two big enough to flaunt my flowers.

"Yes, we did, but it's okay. Adults fight and make up all the time," I respond, not paying much attention. A big goofy grin plastered on my face, I present the arrangement of flowers that I had to separate into two vases to Jim who winks at me as I place them in the center of the kitchen counter space.

"Why don't you run on up and see if Charlie is finished getting ready? Ceci will be here soon," Richie nods with a smile and immediately turns to run up the steps. I'm pretty certain his love for Ceci has turned into his first crush- the boy can blush up to the brightest hue I've ever seen whenever he giggles with her these days.

Once Richie is out of sight, I stroll over to Jim, who is sitting at the kitchen table with Lily still clinging her little arms around his neck. I swoop down and wrap both of them into a hug, quickly pecking Jim's cheek. "Thank you for the flowers, darling. They're simply divine!"

Jim turns his head to me just as quick and presses his lips to mine. Our lips make a pecking noise as he pulls away, big gorgeous smile on his face, but mine is much the opposite.