Turning A New Leaf

Sixty-Six

"I don't know if Fernando told you but," Nina began, "He said Karla is back in Portland."

Krist stiffened, Karla hadn't been in the city, let alone the state since she abandoned Rocco and Lissette in that motel with some dope dealer she stole money from. To be honest, he'd hoped the bitch was dead in a ditch somewhere. Hate was often a strong word but when it came to Karla, he hated that woman with his entire being.

"I ain't even worried about her ass," he told Nina, voice dripping with spite.

"I don't think she's going to come around but just thought you should know," she said, "In case you wanna, ya know, keep an eye out."

He nodded, "I appreciate that but I ain't worried, there isn't nothing she wants from me."

Krist grabbed the top of Rocco's head like a claw machine, giving him a few playful shakes, "C'mon bro, let's go get you some clothes."

Atira leaned into him as they walked away, his arm around her shoulders, "You don't think she's gonna try to...do anything?"

He scoffed, "Naw, I'm not even tripping about her."

While he wasn't necessarily worried about what Karla would do, he was worried about what he would do if they crossed paths. That bitch had caused him so much fucking grief and headache during their short-lived "co-parenting" period. Calling it co-parenting was a fucking joke.

Krist hadn't had any clue how much a bitch could fuck with his emotions until he had a child. All Rocco had been to her was a pawn to use to control and manipulate him. Did he want to see his kid that day? Better pay up. Couldn't take him overnight at the last minute, there goes any upcoming visits.

Although Krist had done some extra shitty things to his old girlfriends, he was never someone who condoned violence towards the opposite sex. Karla, however, she was the exception and she was not a cop-caller neither. Maybe bumping into her wouldn't be such a bad thing.

****

The brief encounter with Nina had caused Atira's insecurity to flare up with a fiery intensity. Krist had mentioned wanting to be civil towards her as she was family to Rocco but civility was different than going out of one's way to be friends. And that's how Krist came off like he was attempting to be friends and almost flirty with her.

The more Atira thought about it, saying that he was almost downplaying his body language, he was being flirty. It may not have been intentional but the way he had been standing as Atira left Old Navy and saw him at Cinnabon was absolutely flirtatious.

The way he'd been looking at Nina with his little head tilt, his chest out, his dopey smile. Atira had no doubt he probably had done his little lip lick thing that drove her wild. And Nina had been sitting there, twirling her hair.

Atira might have been completely imagining that entire situation and it was harmless. Either way, she absolutely felt threatened by Nina's presence.

"You alright, baby, you seem pretty quiet," Krist remarked as they stepped into the Children's Place.

"Yeah, my outer thighs are going numb. Gabe is sitting on my sciatica or something," Atira told him, leaving out that she felt jealous and insecure.

"You wanna head home?" Krist asked, eyes concerned.

"After this store, unless you want to look at something else," She replied.

Rocco pulled a pair of Halloween-themed zip-up pajamas, "Can we get this for Baby Gabe?"

Atira smiled, "Aw, of course, we can."

The trio wandered the store, selecting clothes for both Rocco and the baby. Krist winced at the total, nearly four hundred. Fuck it, kids needed clothes.