Hoops & Harmonies

43.

Monica sat on the living room couch, scrolling through Instagram absentmindedly, when something caught her eye. Her face twisted in disbelief as she saw a post on The Shade Room. "What the fuck?" she muttered, her heart racing.

Without hesitation, she jumped up and hurried outside to find Angel, who was helping Romelo with basketball drills.
"Angel, come here real quick," Monica called, peeking her head out the side door.
Romelo looked up, slightly annoyed. "Mom, we were practicing."
"I'll be back, Melo," Angel assured him, grabbing her towel and jogging over to Monica.

Monica didn't say a word as she led Angel into the house, up the stairs, and into their bedroom. Her movements were tense, her expression unreadable. As soon as they entered the room, Monica turned to Angel. "Close and lock the door," she demanded.

Angel frowned, confused, but complied. "What's going on?" she asked, trying to move closer to Monica to give her a hug. Monica immediately backed away, eyes narrowing. "Care to explain what the fuck this is?" she spat, shoving her phone in Angel's face.

Angel blinked, taking the phone from her and looking at the screen. Her eyes widened as she recognized the post. "How did they even get that?" Angel muttered, more to herself than Monica.

Monica snatched the phone back. "What do you mean, 'How did they get it'? Why were you in the car with him in the first place, Angel?"

"It's not even that serious," Angel replied,shrugging.
That response was the final straw.

Monica's voice rose, her frustration boiling over. "You take everything as a fucking joke, and I'm not laughing with you. Why were you in the car with him? Answer me!" she demanded, stepping closer, her eyes burning with hurt.

Angel took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "We were going to the club together. That's it."

Without a word, Monica turned and stormed to the closet, pulling down a suitcase and furiously throwing clothes inside.

"Monica, what are you doing?" Angel asked, following her into the closet, panic rising in her chest. She reached out to grab Monica's arm, but Monica yanked away.

"Don't touch me," Monica snapped. "I'm leaving. Go call that nigga you were in the car with going to the club."
"Monica, we didn't even do anything! We literally only went to the club," Angel pleaded, trying to block her from leaving the closet.

Monica paused, glaring at her. "I don't believe you. I wasn't aware of any of this.
You didn't tell me anything about going to a club, or being with him. I wouldn't have even known about it if they hadn't posted it on The Shade Room. And that's the real issue. You were sneaky as hell, Angel."

Angel opened her mouth to respond, but Monica cut her off, voice shaking with emotion. "If I find out you slept with him, we're getting a divorce."
With that, Monica grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room, leaving Angel standing frozen. Monica headed downstairs, calling for the kids. "Come on, y'all. We're going back to the house in Atlanta."
Angel rushed after her, trying one last time to stop her. "Monica, please. Don't do this. Let's talk-" But Monica was done. She ushered the kids out the door as Angel hugged them goodbye, her heart breaking with every second that passed.

Once the door slammed shut, Angel stood
in the empty house her chest heaving with frustration and regret. She looked around the room, her mind racing, and then in a sudden fit of anger, she grabbed a vase and threw it across the room. It shattered against the wall, echoing the brokenness she felt inside.
"Fuck!" Angel screamed, running her hands through her hair. She stormed upstairs, collapsing on the bed. The weight of her actions pressed down on her, and she knew one thing for certain: she had messed up. Now, she had to figure out how to fix it-how to get her wife and kids back before it was too late.