A Different Breed

Sweet Antidotes

"You jackass." The word seethed from Katrina's lips as she stood in the doorway of the kitchen in the house she thought she'd grow old in. The black granite counters contrasted nicely with the raw oak floors and eggshell walls that were decorated with earth-tone abstract canvases. The vases on the dining table and island were still adorned with delicate peonies. An ocean breeze candle was lit on the island bathing the room in its soothing aroma. Unfortunately, the notes of ylang-ylang and jasmine didn't ease the fury within her.

"What?" Terrence chipred before taking a sip from the mug. He was the only person she knew that could drink coffee at night and still fall asleep once their head hit the pillow.

"What!?" She eyed him with anger fighting the urge to fling one of the decorative lemons at his head. "He's missing?" She gestured to the pooch gulping water from his bowl by the backdoor after he greeted her at the door.

Terrence lowered his mug to the island counter with a smirk, "I could've just found him."

She let out a breath. "Did you just find him?"

"No."

"So you lied."

"Yes."

"You know what..." Katrina started after eyeing him for almost a minute wondering what was going through his head. She threw up her hand. "This is some bullshit. I'm going home."

"You are home." He instinctively uttered.

"Not anymore." She turned on her heels and headed out of the kitchen.

Terrence hustled in front of her obstructing her path to the front door. Clive stopped quenching his thirst to tilt his head in their direction.

"Can you move?" She asked, avoiding his eyes. She didn't want to look at him for too long because if she did she'd probably feel something she didn't want to feel.

"I'm sorry for lying." He leaned to the side to capture her attention. "But I had to do something to get you here instead of having girl's nights with Imani every night." His molasses eyes slid down the curves of her body and back up taking in her sultriness.

She let out a sigh placing her cell on the island. "I wasn't with 'Mani."

Katrina didn't have to see him know that his face was twisted as his mind worked through the reasons she'd be dressed up during the night hours.

"You were on a date..." He started as his eyebrows knitted in frustration. "With my baby. We're still fucking married."

She let out a laugh, "Are you serious?"

The lines of his face didn't smooth out and how tightly he squeezed his sides answered her question.

"This baby...my baby is in my body," She gestured to herself. "And I can do whatever the hell I please. We are no longer together."

"We are not divorced." He adamantly said, his hands falling to his sides. "We haven't even gone to mediation, yet. This marriage isn't over. And you shouldn't—"

"Don't tell me what I shouldn't be doing!" She shouted at him, rage rushing up her back. "Cause you shouldn't have been fucking some bitch."

"Is this what this is about?" He gestured to her outfit. "Getting revenge. A taste of my medicine."

"Boy bye." She waved his words off. "This is about me. Feeling good about myself." She held her chest feeling the rush of her heartbeats as tears pricked the wells of her eyes. "Not feeling like shit or fragments of myself. Forgive me for spending time with someone that makes me feel like I matter after you broke me."

"I'm sorry, Trina. I'm sorry. "I'm sorry." He erased the space between them and brushed the tears from her cheek. "I don't want you to hurt. You shouldn't feel bad about yourself. What I did had nothing to do with you. I wasn't thinking. I wasn't thinking about you."

"That's the problem." Her tear-stung eyes glared at him. "You should've been thinking about me. I'm your wife." Her voice cracked as a wave of fresh tears spilled from her eyes. "You should've thought about me."

She pushed his hands off her face as those words reopened a wound she tried to ignore. She thought of her dad.

"I should be used to being forgotten or being last." She peered up at the ceiling. "But I thought my fucking husband would put me first and not some other bitch's pussy. But I'm the fool, again." She dropped her face in her hands, beginning to sob.

"No, you're not. I am. Fuck!" He moved to hug her but when her shoulders started to shake he hesitated no more. He pulled her into him and wrapped his arms tightly around her quivering body. "You are the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm sorry for making you feel how he made you feel. I faltered. I won't do it again."

She held him close, missing the heat of his body, the robust redolence of his cologne, and the reassurance of his tone. "I..I..." She closed her eyes, stilling her mind. "I don't believe you. I want to. I love..you but I don't believe you."

His chest rose under her, "I understand." He softly kissed the top of her head. "Can we at least be friends?"

"I'm having your baby," She looked up at him. "Of course."

He faintly smiled. "I'm also going to hold you until you stop feeling sad."

"That's going to take a while." She let out a demure laugh.

He caressed her damp cheek, "Then I'm going to hold you for a long time."

"My feet hurt." She shifted her heels.

He lifted her onto the island counter and pulled her back into his embrace. "Better?"

"Better." She sounded, resting against his chest as more tears collected in her eyes mourning their love. 

What do you think is the 'Sweet Antidote"?

Why do you think Katrina can't believe Terrence?

Where do you think Katrina will wake up in the morning?