Excuse Mistakes!
Megan.
My living room felt homier than it had felt in weeks and I was happy to have my mind off of the obvious; my marriage. I sat against the white leather couch allowing the cushions to massage my aching back as I watched the people who had become my family interacting with each other and swooning over my beloved creation. I watched intently as Jermaine and Alysia avoided each other while Jay rocked his nephew back and forth. In Trey's absence, he had really stepped up with helping out and I was forever grateful for him. Even if it was just to call me to talk. With him and Alysia's relationship being rocky, and Trey being gone we were both sort of in a place of loneliness and were there for each other. I also watched as Lauren and Melissa gave each other the loving stare from across the room. It made me happy to see Lauren genuinely happy. I found myself wondering how she would have told me that she found love in another woman, had we still be best friends. I imagined her making me guess instead of just telling me. I smile a little to myself and cleared my throat before standing. My bare feet trotted slowly over to where she stood with a plate of baked ziti that I had prepared.
"Lauren, can I talk to you for a second?"
The time it took for her to meet me near the black marble counter in the kitchen, my heart raced a mile a minute. What was I even trying to say to this girl? We stared at one another for what seemed like hours, before I finally spoke. "Hi." I said just above a whisper and let out a nervous chuckle.
"Hey." She greeted in return placing her booted food behind the other. "Is everything okay?"
It was as if her words triggered all of my emotions and I felt myself beginning to sob. She frantically turned to the kitchen doorway to make sure no one was around before pulling me into a much needed hug. I had Alysia, yeah, but this girl had gone through my whole life of turmoil with me. She had been there for my best and my worst and I needed her right now.
"Shh." she said rubbing my back. "What's going on babe?" Her voice was calming like it was the many nights I had cried to her and I needed it.
"He left." I whispered. Jermaine was the only one who knew what was really going on and why Trey wasn't here. Everyone else believed that he was at a tattoo convention, but I'm sure they had their doubts. I mean, who would be at a tattoo convention as soon as their son was born? But I couldn't let them think of him as a bad person.
"What do you mean?" She asked sitting on one of the black leather bar stools in the kitchen. Her light face turned red with worry and her eyes read sorrow. I hated for people to feel sorry for me, but I had to vent.
"He left the hospital and we haven't seen him since." My words were shaky as I tried to control my emotions. "He asked me if TJ was his." I whispered not even wanting to remember it myself.
"Oh no." Lauren responded as she wrapped her arms around me in a strong embrace. "I'm so sorry you're going through this, but you know you're strong and you'll get through this. You have all of us to help when needed. And don't think too much about it. Try to think of reasons why he would do such a thing. You know Trey, and you know he wouldn't just do that for no reason."
She was right and I was silent as I listened to her words of encouragement fall off of the same lips that had told me of her betrayal.
"Lauren, how could you hurt me so bad? I need you and you-"
"I know. I'm so sorry. I fucked up really bad and believe me I'm paying for it every day. All I have is Melissa." She informed sadly.
"I forgive you, okay?" I said pulling out of her embrace and looking into her reddened face that had a confused expression on her plump lips. "Don't get me wrong. It hurt me to the core, but if it hadn't been for you and Alonzo, I would've never fallen into the arms of the love of my life. So I look at it as a blessing in disguise now. You don't have to beat yourself up anymore. I forgive you."
