"Don't let her intimidate you, Harry! That's exactly what she wants!" Gemma argues as everyone sits around the living room. After court, I had thought more about Layla's words before she walked off, I would render myself a liar if I said I wasn't afraid of her threats.
"You know how Layla is Harry, she never follows through with anything she says, don't let her get into your head like this," My mum advises me sitting Kyla on her lap as she plays and fiddles with my mum's jewelry around her neck.
"I just don't want to underestimate her, what if the one time she says what she means we all ignore it," I explain blowing out a breath and push my hair out of my face. I didn't know how to process all of this and even though I didn't want any part of Layla's game I couldn't help myself. She had scared me enough to get me to constantly think about what her next move would be.
"She is toying with you," Gemma insists rolling her eyes at the mere thought of Layla. Gemma never approved of Layla from the start; always told me that Layla was a snake. I hadn't seen what Gemma and my dad had seen because I was blinded by her love. She created an illusion for me.
"She is a bitch is what she is! Who does she think she is cheating on you then begging your forgiveness for the hundredth time? Not only that but then she has the audacity to come back at you and threaten you?" My mother rants as I try and keep a clear head space. I had court again tomorrow only this time instead of talking through splitting assets, we were talking about custody over Kyla.
I knew I wanted Layla involved with Kyla but currently, I didn't trust Layla. Layla was a drunk and who knows if she picked up a drug habit to go along with everything else. She was trying anything to dull the pain. I couldn't have Kyla around that or worse be neglected because Layla is delirious from all the alcohol she has consumed. She needed to take care of herself before she could attempt to care for Ky.
"Ah Da da!" Ky grabs my attention turning to me. She slides down from my mother's lap and waddles over to me saying my name again. "Da!"
"What baby?" I respond as she slaps her little hands on my knees. Her face bringing a smile to my face when I pick her up and set her on my lap hugging her.
"Ah, Mama?" She asks lifting her hands up to show she was asking a question. I run my hand through her curly brown hair and kiss her forehead.
"She's gone baby," I tell her but again she asks the same question not completely understanding me.
"Mama?"
"She's not here baby," I point towards the direction of the door and feel her slide off my lap. She toddles over quickly to the door and knocks on it.
"Mama! Mama!" She calls sweetly slapping the front door until my dad goes to retrieve her. Picking her up she talks the best she can even though she only really knows a max of two words which just so happened to be "mama" and "dada".
"Go give daddy a hug Keke, look he's so sad!" My dad tells Kyla who points at me with her pink fingernails.
"Ah?" She says responding to my dad who has her perched up on his arm. She looks at me momentarily before turning back to my dad.
"Yeah, daddy needs a hug! Go give him a big hug," my dad instructs Ky, putting her down just to see her run towards me. I scoop her up and feel her little arms wrap around my neck as I rub her back. She arches her back so she can make eye contact with me, taking my face into her little pudgy hands she plants a big slobbery kiss on my nose smiling at me.
