Divided Heart

Chapter 7

Rahn's revelation was a bombshell. They'd been distant for years, their interactions limited to brief greetings. Nikki, his wife, was a friend of Amara's sister-in-law, Robin. Their social circles overlapped, but Amara had maintained a respectful distance. The couple seemed happy, and Noah, their son, was an angel. She loved him like her own.

Despite their history, Amara had moved on. The initial pain had faded, replaced by a complex mix of feelings. Noah's presence always brought a smile to her face, but the longing she once felt for Rahn had been buried deep. Now, with this latest information, old wounds were being reopened.

"Tee Tee, can we play downstairs?" Noah asked, his big brown eyes filled with anticipation.

Amara ruffled his hair. "Of course, baby. What do you want to play?"

"Video game," Noah cheered, leading Amara downstairs to where her siblings were. He was eager to join the adults.

In the basement, Terrance, the eldest brother, and Layla, the youngest, were locked in an intense NBA 2K '19 match. Wyatt was a quiet observer. Amara held Noah as they watched the ' banter.

"I told you, you can't hang wit me, Doe. I'm winning this shit," Terrance boasted, fingers flying over the controller.

"Shut up, Sweet. You ain't won shit yet," Layla retorted, a playful edge to her voice.

"Ha, don't be salty. Ima tell Ma you cursing again," Terrance teased.

"The fuck? You just cussed," Layla scoffed.

Just as Layla seemed to gain the upper hand, Terrance made a dramatic steal, scoring the final points of the game. Layla jumped up in frustration, tossing the controller onto the couch. Noah giggled at Layla's outburst, catching their attention.

"Hey, sis! When you get here?" Terrance greeted Amara with a kiss on the cheek, but Noah wasn't having it, pushing him away from his aunt.

"You good, Doe?" Amara asked Layla, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

"Stupid fucking game," Layla grumbled, her face flushed with frustration.

"You should've known better than to challenge me," Terrance teased.

"Nigga, you begged me to play!" Layla countered.

Amara shook her head, amused by their antics. Noah, losing interest, started to climb the stairs. Amara watched him go before turning back to her siblings.

"Y'all so childish," she sighed, trying to mediate.

Terrance, despite being the oldest, acted more like the youngest. Amara often found herself playing peacemaker between her fiery sister and their competitive brother. Wyatt, usually calm, observed the chaos without interfering, unless things got physical.

"Alright, Doe, I'll give you twenty bucks if you quiet down," Wyatt offered, clearly tired of the noise.

Layla's angry voice was grating, but Wyatt knew bribery was the quickest way to silence her.

"Deal," Layla agreed, her hand outstretched.

"Thank God," Wyatt muttered, handing her the money.

Terrance shook his head at Layla's greed. "Hey, pay up, I won," he reminded her.

"Don't even start with her, Sweet," Amara pleaded.

"Crybaby ass," Terrance teased, loud enough for Layla to hear.

"Fuck you!" Layla yelled from the top of the stairs.

"Layla! Get in here!" Their mother's voice echoed through the house.

Noah had probably left the basement door open. Their mother had a strict no-cursing policy. Layla stomped off to face the music, her temper still flaring.

The siblings heard their mother yell at her for cursing in the house. Layla stomped to the kitchen ready to get scolded by her mother. It was her own fault for letting her temper get the best of her as usual. Veronica understood that her children were adults but using foul language was not tolerated in the house.

"Sweet, why'd you do that? Now she's gonna be in a mood all day," Amara scolded, flicking him in the ear.

Terrance yelped, rubbing his ear. "Ow! Alright, alright, I'll make it up to her," he promised.

"Why are you here so early? Where's Robin?" Amara asked.

"She's on one of her tirades. Apparently, I left a towel on the floor and I'm the worst husband in the world. Something about her belly being too big to pick up towels. Can you believe her?" Terrance groaned.

Amara and Wyatt exchanged amused glances. "Dude, she's pregnant. Hormones are a crazy thing," Wyatt said sympathetically.

"Yeah, well, this shit is fucking ridiculous," Terrance muttered, glancing towards the basement door. "I tried to stay calm, but she was tripping. I kissed her goodbye and then left. She been on bullshit."

"Awe, Im sorry Sweet," Amara said. "But try to cut her some slack. She's carrying your kid."

"I know, I know. I do everything for her though. I hired a housekeeper, I cook, I drive her around, I get up with her at night. But nothing's ever good enough. It's like walking on eggshells." Terrance ran a hand through his hair.

"Damn, that's rough," Wyatt agreed.

"Is she coming over today?" Amara asked.

Terrance nodded. "She said she didn't want to come, but I'm sending an Uber for her. She better show up."

"Maybe she needs some girl time. I can try to talk to her," Amara offered.

Terrance shook his head. "Don't bother. If Nikki can't calm her down, you won't be able to either."

Amara's jaw clenched. "So, I'm less capable than Nikki?"

Terrance and Wyatt looked at her, confused. Amara had always been easygoing.

"What's going on with you?" Wyatt asked cautiously.

Amara forced a laugh. "Nothing, just PMS. I'm gonna help Ma." She kissed their cheeks and quickly left the room.

As soon as she was gone, Terrance and Wyatt exchanged puzzled looks. They knew something was off.

"What's her problem?" Terrance asked.

Wyatt shrugged, equally confused. "I have no idea."

They returned to their video game, trying to forget the awkwardness. Unbeknownst to them a story was brewing.

Amara retreated to her old bedroom, mind racing. Her outburst at Nikki had been unexpected, even to herself. She didn't harbor ill will towards Nikki, or did she? The past was a tangled web of emotions, blurring the lines of the present. Why had Rahn chosen Nikki over her all those years ago? Was she somehow lacking? Not mature? They never truly talked about what happened, and his endless apologies only deepened the mystery. She couldn't fathom how he could have been with Nikki. She was... ordinary. Amara's thoughts spiraled, a chaotic storm of possibilities of what could've been and what wasn't.