One Step Closer

OSC/ Fourteen

One Step Closer/ Fourteen

                              Alonzo sat on the bus, after he had picked up Kylie from Belmont Shores that evening. He looked down to her, as she sat there with the headphones on, bobbing her head to the sounds of Bombs Over Baghdad, by Outkast…he thought about how Criss had dropped him off, last night after ten. He had started prepping for their usual everyday of work and daycare. His phone rang…

                             “Hello?”

                             “Can we talk?”- it was Tracey, sounding distraught. Alonzo let out a heavy sigh. “Wassup?”

                             “Can I please, see my little girl? It has been two weeks, Alonzo. All I wanna do is see her…I mean, can I get that much? After all I am her mama,” she pleaded. “Can’t we just, get along?”

                              “I donno…can’t we? Tracey, they told me that you went to her daycare this past Friday, and you were high as hell.  They said if you come up there ever again, they are going to have you locked up. Tracey, Kylie and I are on a schedule- I can’t adjust the schedule to when you want to decide to spend time with Kylie. You have to work with me,”

                              “I know, I know- I’m sorry, I’ve been really messed up because you and I aren’t getting along,” breathed Tracey through her tears. “Lonzo, you know I still care about you”-

                              “Stop it, Trace…you don’t care about me, anymore, than I care about you. Let’s be real on that- you are Kylie’s mom…I want her to spend time with you, and for you to see her…but NOT when you are high an’ shit. Clean yourself up, Trace…you are going to miss out on most of this girl’s life,” lectured Alonzo. “She wants you in her life,”

                               Alonzo sat in silence, as Tracey cried into his ears. “Can I please see her this week? I’m working, and so because I’m trynna make sure my bills are paid, but I have a few nights off…I just wanna see her, Alonzo. Please?”

                              “You off tomorrow night?”

                              “Yeah,”

                             “I’ll bring her by tomorrow evening,”

                             He listened to her sniffles. “Thank you, Alonzo. I’m trying to do things better…I wanna be in Kylie’s life more. I just miss her so much,”

                             “She misses you too,” breathed Alonzo.

                             “Alonzo?”

                             “Yeah?”

                             “Do you think, that…one day, we could um…you know, put things behind us, and try to get back together?”

                             Alonzo closed his eyes…there she was again- fucking, with his heart… fucking, with his feelings… fucking, with his emotions. She had done this, a number of times before when they stayed in the last apartment together…after he had caught her cheating on him, they split up…Tracey moved out, and stayed with Kara for a while, and had taken Kylie. Alonzo came home to an empty apartment, and an empty spot, where his heart had been. He dealt with it, going to work, and finding things to do in the evening to take his mind off the fact that his relationship with Tracey Crawford had been a fail, in the worst way.