Letting Go

Thirty

Reginald's POV

I smiled hanging up. I had heard clear as day what A'taya said to Karen about us. To know that she sees the improvement I am trying to make in being a better man for her and showing her just how much I care means the world to me.

"Reggie." My mother called out to me.

"Yes?" I asked coming into the kitchen.

"Oh baby I was on the phone with your Uncle's wife to set up the menu for Thanksgiving and we got to talking." She said rolling her eyes.

"This can't be good." I sighed.

"You know that heffa was talking mess." She said loudly.

"Really? What she say mama?" I asked her grabbing an apple from the refrigerator.

"She was talking about how Raymond got a woman now and how he just proposed." She said causing me to roll my eyes

"And you know she only named him that to spite me. She knew Reginald that that was your name and that heffa got pregnant and had her baby before me and named him my name."

"Ma, how was it your name if you weren't even pregnant yet?" I asked.

"It was my daddy's name damn it and I said I was naming my next baby Raymond after my daddy. You know she had no rights to that name." She went on.

"Uncle Ray is short for Raymond mama." I laughed reminding her.

"You know what, I don't give a hell. That name ugly anyways." She said and I shook my head.

My mom and my Uncle Ray's wife have never gotten along. They come together on the holidays and although they don't make it known that they hate each other's guts to the rest of the family and the kids, you can tell that they aren't the biggest fans of one another.

"So mommy what does this all have to do with anything?" I asked

"What you rushing to get back to?"
My mother asked.

"I'm gonna get dressed. I planned to go out to dinner with the guys." I told her.

"No no, not tonight we need to be figuring out what our game plan is for this because I know that your Aunt is gonna try to show me up." She said speaking of Uncle Rays wife Tisha.

"Ma are you serious? What you do?" I asked her.

"Yes I'm serious. The boys will be there now, I told her about A'taya because she was talking all that big talk."

"A'taya won't be here for Thanksgiving." I said thanking God that she didn't have to put up with my crazy family and even I haven't been to family dinners and celebrations in a minute. I am not one for all the family drama. I love my family but I don't want to bring A'taya around all of them just yet.

"What? Why?" My mother asked.

"Because she has her own family ma." I said wanting to laugh

"I want to meet her Reginald." My mother said sternly.

"Alright, and you will. Not everyone else. Just you." I told her.

She rolled her eyes." I'm the mother. Don't be giving me no regulations boy." She smirked.

"Ma I have to." I told her putting my arm over her. "You're a pitbull and my baby ain't like that. She's a good girl." I told her.

"I'm not a pitbull, unless I see a little skank around my son. But you wouldn't know that because that's all you've ever brung home."

"I never brung someone home." I told her.

"You know what I mean. As far as who I found out about." She said waving her hand.

"See but that was your choice to meet them. You didn't have to." I shrugged.

She glared at me. "Don't make me hurt you boy."

I laughed grabbing her hand and kissing it. "Alright ma you know I'm just playing. I love you."

She smirked turning her head to the side. "Mmhm. You better."

"Yeah, well I do." I said to her and she smiled big.

"Well then I love you too son."

"I know." I said shrugging and grabbing the notebook I saw on the counter top.

"Oh this is A'taya's sketch book." I said "she must have forgotten it."

"Sketch book?" My mom asked.

"Yeah, she is a designer." I told her

"Really? Clothes?" She asked.

"Yeah, plus size designer." I told her.

"I am gonna hurt you!" My mother said.

"For what?" I asked feeling her pinch me.

"Because you could have told me that before now! I could have told Tisha that!" She said

"You never asked mama. And don't be trying to put A'taya in the middle of you and Tisha nonsense please." I begged.

"Alright alright boy." She rolled her eyes. "But seriously speaking baby boy, I am so proud of you and happy for you. I can not wait to meet A'taya. Even if she won't be here for me to rub in Tisha's face." My mother said kissing my head.

"Thanks mama." I nodded. "I can't wait for you to meet her. She is different then what you used to me having."

"I'm glad. You know I don't like no hussies." She rolled her eyes.

"I know. Where's Pops?" I asked.

"He is picking up some dinner." My mom said.

"How y'all doing?" I asked.

I always peeked a certain interest in my parents marriage. How they loved each other and how my father always held her down like gravity.

"We are good. Things just get hard sometimes." She shrugged

"Yeah, I noticed."

"We are working it out. Trying to find some alone time, and trying to get back to us." My mother shrugged.

"Y'all have had over thirty, almost fourth years of marriage." I said

"Yeah, he was my heart school sweetheart." She smiled. "You know boy, your father. He is a good man and was even back then. He never cheated and he's never made me feel like I was anything less than a queen. When I was younger, I was so head over heels. We both were and every since my freshman year, we've been inseparable. I hope and pray that you can treat the woman you're in love with the way your father treated me."

"I'm trying mama."

"I know baby." She said and sat down looking up. "You know the reason I stuck with your father for so long through being poor and in a cramped up one bedroom apartment is that he always loved me, and he was always genuine and honest." She said looking in my eyes.

"I'm not telling her mama." I said seeing where she was going with this."

"You have to Reginald it's apart of who you are."

"No." I said sternly.

"Reginald Grant! Loose all that base in your neck and listen. To be successful in a relationship you've got to tell the truth. Even if it will hurt who you're with." She said grabbing my hand.

"But how ma? How am I gonna tell her that now? " I asked her.

I'm afraid of how A'taya will react.

"You'll just have to wait and figure it out." she said. "Look son, you can do it. And if it's meant to be she'll be by your side."

~~~

Merry Christmas!

What the hell is he hiding?