Seeds of Tomorrow

26

Victor awoke startled not immediately recognizing where he was he was. Reality hit him like a ton of bricks, he was staying with his dad as his only relationship was through.

Sitting up in bed, he reached for his phone to check the time. Not even nine o'clock. From the sound of things, the household was still up and active. Nando was yelling at a video game. Gwen, Rosie, Madi, and Gladys were talking loudly about some television show. He could also make out the sound of his father laughing with Sergio.

If his heart hadn't ached so badly, he would have left the room to partake in the gleefulness that came along with his family but he couldn't bear to see them.

Raquel had called and texted several times demanding he bring her Sergio or tell her where he was so she could collect him, she told him she was scared that he would harm the little boy in his current state.

Harm Sergio? Who the fuck did she think he was?

Against his better judgment, he called her.

"Where is my son?" Raquel demanded, her voice so cold and hateful she didn't sound like the woman he knew. Then again, she sadly was not the woman he thought he knew anyway.

"He's with me," he mumbled.

"And where is that?"

"Where else would we be!" Victor said, his voice raising, "I ain't got no secret people in my life, I ain't creeping around like a fucking hoe."

"Oh? I'm a hoe now?" Raquel asked. Victor could make out the sound of a man in the background telling her to put him on speaker.

"You know the answer to that, who the fuck brings some man into their family home and fucks him in their bed? That's hoe shit, Raquel, you ain't got no respect for me or our family."

She scoffed, "Maybe if you had been a better man and been there for me, I wouldn't have had to go elsewhere!"

"I was fucking working! Paying your fucking way! You ain't gonna say I wasn't there for you because that's damn well not true."

"Aye, maybe you shoulda been pleasing your lady, homie and she wouldn't have needed me," sancho yelled in the background, "Step your game up fool."

"Raquel, Imma tell you this one time. If you wanna see Sergio you better not be bring this fucking lame around him, for real," Victor told her.

"Or what, you gonna pull a gun on me again?" She shot back.

"There gonna be problems, that's all I'm gonna say," Victor said coolly before ending the call.

****

Atira returned home with the kids and her Target haul which was always more than she claimed to be buying. Not only did she things for Audrey to take to cheer camp, but she also bought the boys shorts and socks, an Axe body care set for Gabe in hopes it would motivate him to take care of his hygiene, a few packages of wax melts, face masks, and various cleaning products.

"Picked up just a few things I see," Krist teased her as she set the bags on the kitchen counter.

"Watch it," she replied with a grin.

Rocco handed him a brown paper bag, "Here's your sandwich," he told him holding out his open palm as if he were expecting payment. Krist responded by giving him a high five.

"No tip?"

Krist opened the bag, fighting back a laugh, "Here's a tip, don't ask for tips. It's rude."

Audrey let out a hearty laugh, "He got you there."

"Y'all suck," he told them, "I'm gonna take a shower."

"I got a lil something you can have," Krist told him reaching into his pocket for the nug he'd gotten from Jeordie, and handing it to his son.

Rocco's face lit up, "Gee whiz, Dad! And that's why I love you, you short king."

"Fuck off," Krist told him playfully.

Rocco gave him a pat on the head, "So small and angry."

Audrey rummaged through the bags, picking out her items and chattering about how excited she was about cheer camp. Atira smiled and nodded, sharing in the enthusiasm about cheer camp.

Krist felt himself zoning out, he loved Audrey but she was hard to relate to. She was just so normal. And girly. She was like her mother but somehow...girlier. So he sat there munching on his sandwich as he nodded along to the girl talk.

Once Audrey disappeared upstairs, Krist embraced Atira from behind and nuzzled her neck, "Mmm...You smell good."

Atira closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of her husband against her backside as she pulled his arms tighter around her frame.

"Were you serious about wanting me to get that reversal?" He asked softly.

He could feel her inhale, holding her breath in and breathe out, "Gosh...you know...I'm not really sure. I just hate that we are never going to have that again, the whole baby thing and all those sweet moments we did when the kids were young," there was a hint of sadness in her voice, "We only have five years left before they're all grown and living their own lives."

Krist rested his cheek against hers, letting her talk.

"I just miss that and I feel like I've focused so much on my career that I missed out on their childhoods," she continued, "I missed out on Gabriel's first word, Audrey's first step."

He held her tightly, "Ah, baby, I didn't even think about all that," he murmured, "If that's what you want, I'd be willing to give it a shot."

Atira was silent for a while, "Let's give it some time, see if it's the right thing for us. I appreciate you being open to the idea. I love you, Krist."

He kissed her softly, "I love you too, baby, if it would make you happy, it would make me happy."

"Maybe we can head upstairs for a bath," she told him suggestively, "And then I can make you very happy."

****

Madison could hear Victor's phone blowing up as he sat in the living room furiously texting away, still stuck in a fog. Cautiously, she peaked over his shoulder as she walked towards Gwen's bedroom to see who he was typing.

Raquel.

"Honey," Madison spoke softly, "Put the phone away, don't torture yourself with the whys, it's not your fault."

She'd been in his shoes with Gwen's father, Brad. Of course, her situation was significantly different. Brad had never been a good man though she tried to see the best in him. they'd been briefly married and were supposed to be committed to one another but Brad had an out-of-control sex addiction. He slept with prostitutes, and women he met online, and eventually left her for one of Krist's ex-girlfriends. Heather. In Madi's case, the infidelity had hurt but she had been relieved that he'd decided to leave her. Goodbye, good riddance. 

Victor looked up at her with red-rimmed eyes. She leaned down to hug him, and he clung to her as though she were a life preserver and wept. Madison held him tight, letting him sob into her chest, her heartbreaking for him.