ʜᴇʀ ᴀꜱꜱɪꜱᴛᴀɴᴛ | ᴛᴀʀᴀꜱɪᴀ

ꜱɪxᴛʏ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

ᴛᴀʀᴀᴊɪ ʜᴇɴꜱᴏɴ
ɴᴏᴠᴇᴍʙᴇʀ 18, 2020

the living room was a battlefield of construction paper, glue sticks, and a thousand little feathers that laila insisted on spreading everywhere.

"mama, look! he's a turkey with hair like you." laila held up her lopsided cutout proudly, feathers glued on crooked, eyes dangling off the page.

i squinted. "why my turkey gotta have a middle part and edges?"

tasia burst out laughing from the couch, one hand rubbing her belly. "because mama's always laid, that's why."

"mhmm. keep laughing," i warned, leaning over to steal a grape out her bowl.

"don't eat my grapes, raji!" she smacked my hand but couldn't stop smiling.

laila climbed into my lap, her sticky fingers pressing into my cheek. "can we make the pie tomorrow? i wanna help stir it."

"you'll do more spilling than stirring," i teased, kissing her temple. "but yeah, we'll make it. we got a whole week to get ready for thanksgiving."

tasia sighed dramatically, scrolling on her phone. "i still can't believe i'm hosting. me. pregnant. tired. swollen. but somehow i gotta make sure this house smells like collards and mac and cheese."

"you got me," i said quickly. "you ain't lifting a pot. i'll do the shopping run today so we don't gotta stress later."

tasia gave me a look—half gratitude, half soft annoyance. "fine, but get everything. i'm not sending you back out once."

"yes, ma'am." i saluted, standing up with laila still hanging off my hip.

we all cracked up, and for a second it was just... warm. messy living room, holiday chaos, but warm.

****

later that afternoon laila was down for a nap, and tasia was in the kitchen humming to herself. i grabbed my keys, kissed her forehead, and promised i'd be quick.

the store was crowded, carts bumping into each other, everyone trying to snatch turkeys before they sold out. i had just managed to snag the last bag of sweet potatoes when i felt someone watching me.

i turned, and my stomach dropped.

raegan.

standing at the end of the aisle like a ghost that refused to stay gone.

"raji." her voice was sharp, too loud for the busy store. "we need to talk."

i froze, jaw clenching. "this isn't the place. i tried talking to you and you didn't wanna hear it."

"oh, it's exactly the place." she stepped closer, eyes dark, arms crossed. "i want custody of laila. now."

the words sliced through me like glass.

"excuse me?" i asked, though i heard her clear as day.

raegan didn't blink. "you've played house long enough. she's mine, and i'm ready to take her back."

i gripped the handle of my cart so tight i thought the plastic might snap. "you don't get to pop up after years and start making demands in the middle of a damn grocery store."

raegan's smirk didn't move. "i'm sober now. i've been clean. i got myself together, and i have rights. laila is our daughter, not hers."

i pointed a finger at her. "you watch yo mouth. she's the mother that stepped up. she's mine and my woman's now."

people were passing by, glancing, pretending not to listen, but i felt their eyes anyway. i lowered my voice, each word sharp as a knife. "you think just because you decided to be clean now, you get to erase the fact that you abandoned her? where were you when she had fevers at two in the morning? where were you when she cried for a mother who never came?"

her jaw twitched, but she didn't look away. "im her mother and i'll fight you for her if i have to."

i stepped in close, so close she could feel my breath. "then you better lawyer up. because the only thing you'll be fighting is the cold truth that you lost her a long time ago. i begged you to be there for her. i gave you chance after change and all my baby got in return was disappointment from you! she doesn't even know what you look like."

my chest was tight, my pulse loud in my ears. i wanted to scream, to drag her right out of that store, but i wouldn't give her that satisfaction. instead, i turned, pushing my cart toward checkout.

"raji—" she started, but i didn't let her finish.

"don't you dare show up anywhere i am ever again. don't come near her. you want a fight? we'll fight. but you not gon snatch her peace out of nowhere."

i left her standing there, furious and quiet, and my hands were still shaking as i swiped my card at the register.

***

by the time i got back, tasia was still in the kitchen, christmas music playing in the background. she looked up at me, smiling soft.

i dropped the bags on the counter, letting out a shaky sigh, trying to force a smile at tasia.

"you okay?" she asked, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "you look... off."

i pressed a soft kiss to her temple. "just tired, beauty. nothing to worry about."

her brow furrowed, like she knew i was holding something back, but she didn't push. "alright... well, i'll make us some cocoa. you want whipped cream this time?"

"yeah, that'd be perfect," i said, trying to keep my voice light. my stomach still felt tight, heart racing, but i refused to let it touch her. not while she was pregnant. she didn't need this stress.

as i started putting groceries away, my mind replayed raegan's words, over and over. "i want custody of laila. now."

i clenched my jaw, forcing myself to take a deep breath. not here. not now. tasia doesn't need to know this tonight. we had just had a perfect, cozy day, laughter in every corner of the house. she didn't need fear creeping in, didn't need me turning this house into a battlefield before thanksgiving even started.

so i swallowed the anger, the worry, the rage that bubbled under the surface. i'd deal with raegan on my own time. i'd protect laila, i'd protect tasia, and for tonight... i'd let us have our peace.

when tasia returned with cocoa and whipped cream piled high, i smiled and reached for her hand. she squeezed back, oblivious to the storm quietly brewing outside our walls.

i kissed her softly, my heart heavy but determined. "come on. let's just enjoy tonight."

and for a little while, we did.