All the King's Men ( An Urban Love Story )

♟Make Peace♟

"Are you absolutely sure you wanna do this? We can always wait until after the baby is born."

Desmond asked Jaden, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the G Wagon.

The couple was parked in front of a duplex in the hood. Desmond made sure he had his Glock on him once Jaden told him where they were going.

"I'm sure. I need to do this." She answered as she bounced her leg anxiously. She took a deep breath, then unbuckled her seatbelt. "You don't have to come with me if you don't—."

"Girl, you crazy as hell if you think imma let you and my baby go in there alone," Desmond cut her off, before getting out to open her door.

She smiled softly at him, then climbed down. Another deep breath, then she walked up the pathway with Desmond right behind her.

Jaden rang the doorbell and waited, no turning back now.

"Who is it!" A woman hollered through the raggedy door.

"Jaden."

You could hear the locks clank, and the door swung open.

Desmond stared down at a woman no taller than five feet and looked at least 50. She had long brown hair littered with grays and sandy brown skin. The woman looked like life had not been kind to her.

"Hi, mama." Jaden hesitantly greeted the women.

"Whatchu want." She sighed frustratedly, looking at her daughter.

"Can we talk?"

"Yeah, come on." She said stepping out the doorway so they could come inside."Who is this?" She asked, nudging her head toward Desmond who stood next to the sofa, as she took a seat in her reclining chair.

"Desmond, this is my mother, Kassandra." Jaden said, then turned to her mother, "Mama, this is Desmond, my husband." Jaden motioned to him.

Kassandra's breath caught in her throat when she saw the large ring on her daughter's finger.

"Your husband?" She asked with a scrunched face.

"Yes, and we're having a baby." Jaden unzipped her coat so her mother could see her belly.

She scrutinized her daughter and the man standing off to the side, "So why you here? From the looks of that ring on your finger, and y'all's fancy clothes, you don't need no money and I'm the last person you should ask if you did. So whatchu want, coming back here after all these years, wit ya stomach stuck out." Kassandra went on.

"I came to make peace. I'm a grown woman, but you're still my mother. You're going to be a grandmother. Don't that mean anything to you?" Jaden asked, her voice sounding uneven.

Desmond stood next to his wife and rubbed her back to let her know he was there for her.

"Naw that don't mean shit to me." The woman hissed.

"What about my father?" Jaden asked suddenly, as her heart raced. She wanted answers. "What is his name? I would like to find him."

As if Kassandra's face could get any nastier, she looked at her daughter with wild eyes. She couldn't believe Jaden would come into her home with the audacity.

"Girl, fuck him! Get out my house, before my man gets home. Then it's gon be real problems."

Jaden hurried to Desmond's side, with tears streaming down her face. That set him off, "The same bitch ass nigga you let assault your child?" He hollered. "Let him come, so I can knock his teeth down his throat." He warned, rubbing his wife's back, who was crying into his chest.

This was going nothing like Jaden had imagined.

"You not gon make them typa threats in my home."

"What you want, money?" Desmond pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and tossed a few large bills on the coffee table. "Give her the man's information so we can be done with you for good." He demanded.

Kassandra glanced at the money then back to her daughter's husband, "I only have a name. Jermaine Long. I don't think the number I have for him works anymore." She said, before snatching the money off the table and standing up to go into the kitchen.

She returned with a piece of paper. "Here."

Desmond pocketed the paper. "Come on, baby." He held Jaden's hand as they headed for the door.

Just as he was reaching for the handle, it opened.

Desmond looked at the man standing in front of him, and his face soured "Reggie?" He grumbled.

"What up, Demon," Reginald greeted, confusion on his face. "Whatchu doin in my house?" He chuckled nervously, as his eyes found Jaden.

She looked at the exchange, squeezing Desmond's hand tight, "How do you know..." her voice trailed off as she tried to catch her breath.

"That's him." She mumbled before pushing past them out the front door.

Reggie called behind her, "Jaden, I—"

Desmond punched him in the face, knocking him out cold, before he could say anything more.

"Wait a minute!" Kassandra screamed running to help Reggie up.

Desmond stared daggers into the sad excuse for a mother, who was on the floor trying to wake the unconscious man. He scoffed, before walking out the door,

"You should have protected your daughter!"

♟•••••♟