March 3
Another day, another dream. Beyonce didn't know what to do anymore, it's like every time she closed her eyes, Kareem would seem closer to her and Alexis. In the past two days that she's been feeling like this, she hasn't bothered to call Shawn. As far as she was concerned, he needed to handle his own business and not fly back home to save the day.
Right now it was Alexis and Roy in the master bedroom and Beyonce and Kelly in the guest bedroom.
"You look pretty." Alexis said as Roy leaned against the headboard. He didn't know what was more embarrassing, letting Alexis put Kelly's make up on him, or not fighting back. "Show them." She said pointing towards the door.
That's where he drew the line. No way was he going to volunteer for humiliation. "This is a secret between me and you, no one else can know." She nodded her head and smiled. She loved secrets, and unlike many other kids, she was good at keeping them.
She climbed into bed and pulled her teddy bear close. "Uncle Roy." He looked over at her and gave a small smile. "I don't want to sleep." She said in fear.
"Why not?"
The moment of truth, the moment that Roy realizes just how similar this little girl was to her parents. "The bad man is gonna get me."
The bad man, every little kid has one, but was hers real? He couldn't help but to think this was the same bad man that her mother knew about. The same bad man that they were supposed to be telling the police about.
"Nobody is going to get you. I'm right here, ain't nobody gonna even come close to you." He assured her. She nodded and closed her eyes slowly. Now he had to wait until she was asleep to run down the hall and tell the girls what happened. He didn't care if they were already asleep, this was big news. Scary news actually.
---
"Why do you have makeup on your face?" Beyonce asked as she sat up in bed. Roy decided it was best to wake her up only.
"Long story, I still look fine as can be, but anyways, you're not listening!" He said taking a seat by the bed. "Your daughter said something about not wanting to sleep kuz the bad man was gonna get her."
"The bad man?" This was not what Beyonce wanted to hear. She didn't want her daughter to have to go through this. "What am I supposed to do now? How long can I keep her safe, I mean, if it was in my dreams then doesn't that mean it was supposed to happen and there's no way to prevent it." She said looking over at Roy. He was stuck at the moment; he had nothing to say to her that would make the situation any better. "Maybe I should just go home, I mean it's not like they want her, they want me. Well, he wants me, and I'm willing to give myself up for her safety."
As much pain she felt saying that, she knew it was probably the only way out. Her daughters future depended on this decision, maybe it is best to just let her daughter live without her than to put her in even more danger.
"I think you should just call Shawn and see what he thinks." Roy explained. He didn't want to help with this; this was something she needed her husband for.
Beyonce shook her head. If this was supposed to involve Shawn then he would have been having the same dreams, but apparently this is her own battle.
"I don't need him right now." She responded. Roy decided to give up and left the room. Beyonce knew she couldn't go back to sleep after what happened; she had to decide what to do.
Call her husband and try to reason with him about not coming home, or keep him out of the loop so there won't be any conflicts whether he should keep working or come back?
As if on cue, Kelly raised her head off the pillow and handed the phone over to Beyonce. There were no words exchanged, just looks, looks that told the other just what they were thinking. In the end, Kelly's looks won and Beyonce dialed Shawn's number. No answer.
"Try the people who he went with, one of them is bound to answer." Kelly said after Beyonce hung up the phone. She huffed and puffed as she thought of who else to call. "Try Carlene."
Damn Kelly, damn her for being so smart when it came to caring for people's safety. Truthfully Beyonce wanted to try and call someone she knew wouldn't answer, and Carlene has never missed a phone call in her life. She forced herself to dial the number, and after the third ring, she answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey Carlene." Beyonce responded. "Is Shawn around? I tried calling him but he's not answering."
"Um Beyonce, Shawn isn't here." That was odd, they were all going to the same meeting. Kelly immediately sensed something was wrong, Beyonce never stayed this quiet unless she was meeting somebody for the first time. "He left earlier this morning, matter of fact he should be at home right now."
"Home?" She said in shock. Why the hell would Shawn be at home? And why the hell didn't he call her and tell her he left early? Before anymore questions could run through her head, Shawn appeared in the doorway with his hood over his head and his hands in his pockets. "You know what Carlene, he just came in. Thanks." She hung up the phone and Kelly took it while walking out of the room. "I see you came back early."
Shawn walked over to her without any reply. He didn't come to talk; he came to protect what was his. She got out of bed and met him half way, both acting like teenagers in their slow approach.
"It was so real." She said leaning her head on his chest. She knew why he was back, at first she thought this was just her dream, but now she realized that it's impossible. They're connected by every dream, so they share each and every one.
He finally took his hood off and revealed the black eye he had. Beyonce quickly grabbed his face and brought him down to her level so she could get a closer look. "I'm fine." He said before she even had a chance to ask.
"What happened?"
"I went home, and found Kareem's bitch ass." That was all he said, all she needed to hear as well. With a slight nod, she removed her hands from his face and allowed him to stand upright. "I may need some ice though." He said touching his eye and flinching.
"Get ready for bed and I'll be back with the ice." She walked downstairs and found Kelly in the kitchen with an ice pack already extended out. "How did you know?" She pointed to Roy and Beyonce just nodded with a smile. Sometimes she just felt so grateful that Kelly was around, she wouldn't be able to function without her help.
When Beyonce walked back into the room she found Shawn already sleeping, but this time he had a little guest with him. Alexis was right by her father's side, snoring away with him. They were actually in synch with their snores. Amazing. Beyonce lightly shook Shawn and he quickly opened his eyes.
"Thanks." He said as she placed it on his eye. He drew back a little when the ice made contact with his face, but she did her best to be as gentle as possible. "Swear I almost killed him, I don't know what to took over me but if I didn't think about you and Lexi being alone kuz of me going to jail, I would have ended his life." He stated as he held the ice by himself, allowing her to climb into bed. "And to think you never wanted to even show interest in me when we first met, that's a damn shame. Look at what I'm doing for you."
That was Shawn, the one that could always turn an awful situation into a night full of laughs. This is what kept them balanced. Because the two are so different, they each bring their own qualities to the table that help the other one make it through.
And they're gonna need each other now more than ever.
