10th Commandment | Revamped

Chapter 34

Two weeks passed by:

Fantasia had been out of sight all that time, while Taraji tried to keep herself busy with her boutique. Taylor returned to her mother's place, which was more convenient for college. Meanwhile, Taraji felt incredibly lonely and undeniably frustrated... but above all, she was furious.

As she leaned back in her chair, fingers clasped together and eyes shut tight, tears slipped down her cheeks as thoughts of possibly losing Fantasia consumed her. Out of nowhere, a delightful scent filled her office—a familiar, captivating cologne. It was unmistakably her wife’s.

Quickly dabbing her tears, she exclaimed, "Is this how you treat your wife? Just vanishing for weeks? And what am I supposed to do, sit here waiting for you?" Taraji looked up at the ceiling, addressing someone she hadn’t seen in what felt like an eternity.

"I swear it won’t happen again. I’m here now—to stay! I’m back for good!" Fantasia declared, taking a seat. "And what do you need? A welcome home party? This is a marriage, Fantasia. You can't just come and go as you please, leaving me all stressed out. It’s selfish and unacceptable. Go back and think hard about what you really want—make a choice and stick with it. You’re either all in or you’re out. No more back-and-forth," Taraji said, grabbing her bags from the desk, ready to leave.

"Call me when you're ready to decide. I'm heading home," she said, turning to walk away.

"I’m in!" Fantasia insisted.

"No, you’re not!" Taraji shouted, dropping her bags in frustration. "You don't treat me like you want this anymore. Ever since we talked about having kids, it’s like you’ve vanished—no texts, no calls. Where the hell have you been?"

Taraji's emotions surged and the tears streamed down her face once more.

"I needed to think things through and make a choice. And I have," Fantasia replied.

"That’s great, but I don’t want to feel this way in my marriage. Go back to where you came from," Taraji said, heading to the lobby. Fantasia rushed after her.

"Baby, please don’t give up on us!"

"I'm not giving up; I’m giving you a choice! You have to make a decision now. What do you truly want, Fantasia? Tell me!" Taraji insisted, quickening her pace.

"I want you! Taraji, wait!" Fantasia called out, but Taraji was gone, leaving her feeling helpless. Fantasia returned to the office, gathered Taraji’s bags, and noticed a piece of paper slip out—a negative pregnancy test.

Taraji had been trying to conceive again. Grabbing the bags, Fantasia hurried out.

When they reached home, Taraji was still in tears, her head resting on the kitchen counter, distraught over her struggles to get pregnant while feeling abandoned by her wife. Upon arriving, Fantasia placed the bags down and stepped closer. She wanted to comfort Taraji but hesitated.

"Sweetheart, it’s going to be alright. You don’t have to worry anymore. I’m pregnant," she said softly.

Taraji slowly lifted her head, their gazes locked. Stunned into silence, she questioned, "If you’re lying, please tell me now before my hopes skyrocket."

Fantasia pulled a positive test from her pocket and handed it over. "I called the OB that night and made an appointment for the next day. I didn’t want to tell you until I was sure. I’m sorry for disappearing; I couldn’t bear to watch our marriage crumble. I needed to fix what was wrong, and I realized I was the answer," Fantasia explained.

Taraji sobbed, staring at the test in disbelief.

"I hope you can forgive me for putting you through this again. I’m genuinely sorry, baby. I promise I’m committed to us, and I’m your teammate in this. We’ll navigate this together because I love you deeply," Fantasia poured her heart out.