Many The Miles

Part 11

Mia

I sat outside of my mother’s house in John’s car with him forbidding me from doing anything other than breathing. I took in a slow breath. “John something is wrong with Dee the longer I’m in this car the longer it will take to fix. Can you try to trust me. I’m doing all you asked of me, yet again. And still, I have little from you to prove it means a damn thing to you.”

John caressed my cheek. “I don’t trust him. And I know you think he is where you want to be. But you can’t be anywhere but here. Especially if you want to see my kids.”

I got out of the car then. I was tired of him constantly threatening me. “Mia be ready at 10pm not a moment later.”

I slammed the door closed and went to the house. When I opened the door Ella rushed me before it closed all the way behind me.

“Mia’s home,” Dominique called to the back of the house. My guess was to inform Grant. “Mia, can you make lunch. They wouldn’t feed me ‘til you got here.” I took in a deep breath, happy to finally be home and feel it.

Ben asked to keep the kids for the week which meant I had no reason to go home. I stayed at my mother’s helping get things ready for Dominique’s dance. I had to take her to get shoes, then we got her nails done, and today was the big day.

“Mia, can you ask Benji to sing at my dance pretty please?”

I told her 5,000 times I was not doing that. And as I opened my mouth to reply Benji called. I knew the second I answered John would find out. I wanted to hear his voice so bad. I swiped the screen sending him to voice mail. I put my phone on DND.

Dominique rolled her eyes from the stylist chair next to me. “Why do you and Ella get the two hottest men in the world and won’t even talk to them.”

That was news to me. “Ella’s not talking to Taj anymore?” Dominique looked around the room. “What happened?” I asked.

“She is going to tell you pinky swear.”

I took a deep breath. This was horrible. Ella really liked Taj and she was hiding her first real break up from me.

Benji

I loved being a dad and I was determined that nothing was ever going to get in the way of that. Taj was by my side and I felt guilty for that. “You should call Ella and get out of this hotel.”

“I told you to focus on the music. I can take care of the rugrats while you work,” he insisted.

“Taj, I don’t want you to. This is supposed to be your vacation time, Katie went home, you deserve to go too. Take a day off.”

“I am taking a day off. I’m always gonna be ya Boi. And I got this. So, you handle that.”

I knew Taj wasn’t going to go anywhere. So, I gave up and went back to trying to piece together the hook for my next single. It was another song about Mia. And I just couldn’t make it perfect enough.

Mia

It was time for Dominique’s send off and there my dad was with my Tios. I ran up to him and hugged him. “I didn’t think you’d make it.”

“Your mom’s still away, so I wanted to make sure I was here for her. I can’t believe my Diamond is in high school.” He always referred to his precious baby girl as Diamond. Dominique was definitely my dad’s favorite kid. The golden child that took after him in every way. They loved the same old Motown music, played the same sports, and most importantly she was the last child he had with my mom when they were happily together. That obviously didn’t last long, but I think she’s a reminder that he did his best in the end to make things right with my mom.

I lead them to the backyard where Dominique’s friends were eating and talking. The limo was running late which was good, because she was still getting her makeup done by Ella.

I got the fateful text that she was ready for her grand entrance and start her Beyoncé medley. I grab my phone to live stream it on Facebook for my mom and of course Dominique looked stunning. It was as if she was going on Prom.

Her hair was in a beautiful sleek ponytail. Her makeup highlighted her beautiful brown eyes and match her chiffon dress. She was a vision.

Dominique saw my dad and instantly ran to him. Then I saw my little brother RJ and I knew things were gonna get a little dicey.

“RJ,” my Tio Edwardo greeted. “Look at you getting those love rolls under control I see.”

RJ was definitely leaner then the last time I saw him in person. His locs were also a lot longer. They flowed down to his back in a well kept ponytail. He also got rid of his bread. That helped him look like the baby-faced boy I remembered, before he moved to DC.

My dad came over with Dominique and Ella. The girls ran to RJ and nearly knocked him over as the jumped on him. I noticed Grant entering the backyard.

“Yall, don’t hug me like that.”

“You’ll get one when you deserve it,” Dominique said.

After a moment of laughter, RJ looked up at my dad. No one moved or said a word. It never took long for the two of them to go at it. “Glad you’re home, Ralphy.”

Rj’s jaw ticked. He hated being named after the man that broke my mother’s heart. In his eyes my dad took my mom’s dignity. RJ simply nodded his head and walked to the house with his things.

Dominique took my dad and uncle to meet her friends. She was going to an after party with them and wanted the green light, because me and Grant weren’t gonna do it. Not if my mom was gonna find out.

I went inside and saw RJ and Ella talking. “Hey you two, why you hiding in here?”

Rj’s stare was glacial, and Ella’s face read guilty. “Mia why didn’t you tell me about John?”

I looked at Ella. “Now isn’t the time.”

Benji

I saw Ella posted pictures of Dominique’s homecoming send off. The kids were in a few and the last was of Mia with all of her siblings. She looked beautiful and full of life once again. I wanted her to have a smile that bright every day.

I tried to call her again. Hoping by some miracle she’d answer me. When I thought she would not answer the line connected. I sat up in bed. “Sorry to call so late.”

“Ben she can’t talk now. There was an accident we have to rush to the hospital.”

I was out of bed in a second. “What hospital,” I demanded.

“Westview,” I hung up the second I got the location and typed it into my phone’s GPS. I rushed to my car and sped the 35 minutes to Westview Memorial Hospital