Family Lies

Dottie

“Dot!” Irving called for the third time but I still didn’t answer. I was too busy packing my suitcase to even think of anything to say to him. “What are you doin’?” He asked like he was catching his breath as he appeared in the doorway of our closet.

“What do you mean what am I doin’? I told you last week that I was goin’ to Cali to see about the twins. My flight is leaving in a few hours. I already told the kids I’d be gone for the week. I cooked. I cleaned. Everything’s in order,” I said as I wiped my face clean of tears as I zipped my bag up and stood to my feet. 

“Is everything in order, Dottie?” Irving took hold of my arm to turn me to face him. 

“We’ve barely talked since the twins left. We didn’t even go to therapy this week. You’re acting like you don’t want to make this thing work anymore and I wanna know why I’m the only one still fighting for us.”

I looked up into Irving’s eyes with my heartbreak all over my face. “I don’t think I can do it anymore Irving,” I finally cried. 

“Dottie, no.” He took hold of my other arm but I just shook my head. Little did he know, I’d made up my mind the day my kids got on that plane out of here. “I can’t. I wanna fix it with my kids and I know I can’t do that all the way across the country. I need them.”

“Tré don’t even want you in her life!”

“And I wanna fix that!” I slapped his chest and pushed my way out of Irving’s hands. “I never should have let them go. I held on to the love I had for you because I just wanted to feel the love of a man but I should have put my kids first!”

“What about our kids, Dottie? Don’t they deserve to be put first too?”

“Of course they do. But I ain’t leaving them. I’m leaving you,” I paused to suck up my tears and draw the handle on my suitcase, “I want a divorce.”

“A divorce?!” Irving laughed as I walked out of the closet and then out of the bedroom. 

“And just where the hell do you think your broke ass is gonna go? Huh? Do you think I would ever let you take my kids from me? I thought you were smarter than that, Dot.” I stopped and turned towards him. “And I thought you were smart enough to never underestimate me. But I guess we were both wrong about each other, huh, Mr. Tunnel-Vision? Look around Irving. You been so busy trying to get under me that you haven’t noticed I already left this house. I would sell every print, every poster, every original I got before I ever let money be the only reason I stay witchu ever again,” I seethed as Irving started looking around— finally noticing the naked walls around him.

“You wanna leave? Fine. But if you think you gone take my kids away from me you done lost your got damn mind. I’ll see you in court bitch,” Irving spat.

“You wanna take it to court? That’s fine. But I got friends in high places too, baby. You really think I would lay down and let another man take my motherhood away from me?” I asked while walking towards him with the most sinister of grimaces on my face. “If you so much as think about keeping my kids away from me everybody— and I mean everybody will know exactly what kind of man Mayor Edwards really is. What? Did you forget about that paper trail of pictures and police and doctors reports that grew longer and longer every time you put your hands on me? Sure you had the money to keep ‘em quiet but nobody likes a woman beater no matter how much power they got. All that evidence you paid to get rid of came right to me,” I hissed in his face.

“I bet you wish I died when I tried to, don’t you?” Irving looked down at me like he never wanted to choke me out more.

“Don’t get any ideas Irving. You touch one hair on this head or something happens to me… your character will be put on trial on the front page of every newspaper, tabloid, and magazine from here to Los Angeles. I’m gonna go catch my flight and get myself settled back home. I’ll be back for my kids.”

And with that I picked up my suitcase and was down the stairs and out of the house before I took my next breath. The taxi driver got out of his cab to take my luggage and store it in the trunk. “Where to ma’am?” He asked as we got inside.

“The airport, please.”