"Louis!" I said shouting from my bed room. "Come here baby" his little feet in his small black converse came pitter- pattering down the hall and into my room. He climbed up on the bed with tiny effort (Louis was tough that way) and situated himself in the spot Marlon had been lying just before he left to do an interview. I turned my body in his direction, looking at him. My son had the most beautiful profile you'd ever seen on a little boy. Beautiful swarthy, flawless skin - eyes you could just melt right into. Lips that curved out just a little bit more than normal, and cheeks you could kiss for days.
"Peter wants to take you to an aquarium today Lou. To see the fishies! Do you wanna go with him?" He looked at me and smiled. "Yeah mama." He softly said, "I do" and he crawled out of bed, leaving the room. I got out of bed and threw on a navy blue maxi dress as Louis went downstairs to watch some cartoons.
I beat my hair straight and walked down the stairs to see Louis and Peter watching cartoons together. "Hey sandy." Peter said flashing a bright white smile, I could barely see him through his dark sunglasses. But he looked good today. "Hi Pete," I sat on the couch "Thank you so much for taking louis for the day, I uh.. I have a lot to get done and.. Well you know how kids can be." I smirked "anyway, just thanks." "Not a problem!" He said, turning to look at Louis "you ready kid?"
Louis looked away from the television to look at Peter, he nodded. "Bye mama!!" Louis said with full enthusiasm. So much even that he just ran out the door with Peter, didn't even kiss mama goodbye.
A few moments later Marlon had come home. He walked through the door, phone in one hand, and an iPad in the other. He didn't say hello to me, no kiss on the lips, the cheek or anywhere else; his phone rang and he walked upstairs, probably to get changed into something more comfortable. I trusted Marlon and loved him, he was always so sweet to me and never forgot the important stuff like birthdays and stupid little nonsense anniversarys. He wasn't like any other man Id been with - he seemed so damn perfect. And to my understanding, he was.
Still though when he had just came home and not said a word to me, didn't even LOOK at me, and went upstairs as soon as his phone rang, I wondered. Wondered who that was and why they were so important that he had to walk himself upstairs instead of just quickly answering it down here, in front of me, in the living room. I used to be so controlling and I promised myself. I promised myself that I wouldn't be that way anymore.
As they say though, old habits die hard. Curiosity killed the cat. All that ridiculous stuff id sort of always over looked. But I let my suspicions on who was on the other end of that phone call get the best of me.
I stood up & quickly but quietly made my way from the couch where I had been sitting, to the bottom of the stairs. I stood there for awhile, questioning myself. After a while, a LONG while, of contemplating; I tip toed upstairs and turned the corner where Marlon & I's room was. There was a hunk of wood leaning up against the wall in the hall way by our room (I like to make things, weird things. Like a wooden chair into a foot rest kind of weird.) And I had hid behind it so he wouldn't see me.
It sounded like his conversation was coming to an end, but what I had heard was more than enough to know who he was talking to and what was going on.
: "I miss you too, baby.. But I'm with sandra now and.. Were happy. I want to see you though. I need to, when are you free?"
"Oh okay. Well I'll just text you later then and we can schedule something. Okay. Alright. Yeah. Okay, bye."
I felt my heart nearly beating out of my chest, though I couldn't tell if it was sadness, confusion or anger. I ran down stairs and went into the kitchen to act like absolutely nothing had happened and I didn't hear what I had actually just heard.
He came down stairs and into the kitchen and started making coffee. "Hi honey" he said, kissing my forehead before turning on the coffee pot. I didn't say anything back, I just turned the water on and rinsed out a few dishes that had been sitting there.
"Where's Louis?" He asked. "Aquarium with Peter." I said, making it obvious that I was irritated. Which was honestly far from what I was feeling at that point. It was worse than what 'irritated' would've felt like.
"Oh nice! You want coffee baby?" He turned to look at me. "No, I drink way too much of that shit.. And I uh.. No I don't want any"
"Okay. Well do you wanna do something, just together? While Louis' out with Peter?" "No I'm actually gonna go meet up with my dad for lunch." I said, grabbing my purse and walking towards the door. I looked at him, standing there. Completely oblivious as to why I might be acting this way. "Bye" I said, and walked out the door.
Skip the paparazzi bull shit, you already how annoying they can be. I just drove to my dad's house, down in Santa Barbara, completely ignoring the fact that 3 black cars filled with money hungry jerks were following me, and also trying my best to momentarily forget about that phone call.
I walked up to my dad's house and knocked on the door. He opened it, newspaper in hand - typical John! "Oh hi sweetie" he said "come in." I walked in, as he shut the door behind me. I sat at the kitchen table where he had always sat, doing his crossword puzzles. My dad was smart that way. I only ever played someone that could do those. "So.. What's up sweetheart? You need anything?" He asked, grabbing my hand. "No I'm fine, dad. I just thought you might want to have lunch with me." "Yeah, yeah! Where do you wanna go though?" He asked, looking out of the window at all of the paparazzi standing across the street from his house.
"We can just stay in if you want?" I said, "or we can order something?" "Yeah let's get Chinese food. I'm starving! Get it from the place too.. Uh what's it called?"
"Okay dad, I'll get it from that place." I said laughing. He chuckled, and looked back at his puzzle. I ordered from "that place" and sat in the living room, watching 'Judge Judy' waiting for the food to come. Daytime television is never good.
I heard a ring at the door bell. I answered it, and as you would it expect - it was the Chinese food delivery boy. "17.28" he said. I handed him the money and he left. So easy. That was nice.
I set the food on the table and we ate. My dad was talking to me about politics or something boring over his soup and I only half paid attention. I loved my dad, I just didn't necessarily love politics. He ended his rant and a quick moment of silence filled the air just before I asked "How are you? Have you been okay?" "Yes. I've been pretty good. But I miss the little boy! Bring him to me soon, will you?" He said grabbing my arm and looking me dead in the eyes. I giggled and placed my hand over his "I will. Soon." I said, and finished eating my food.
My dad had a bingo game to go to soon & I had a little boy to get home to. "I'll see you later" I said kissing his cheek. He gave me a hug, said goodbye, and I left.
When I had gotten home, I walked in to Louis passed out on the couch and Marlon sitting in the chair next to him, watching tv.
He stood up and walked over to me.
"Hey baby girl!" He said, smiling at me. "Now you wanna talk to me? That's a little surprising babe, gotta be honest with you." I said, and I walked toward the stairs.
"What are you talking about Sandra?" "You know what I'm talking about, MARLON" I said, walking up the stairs to my room. He didn't follow me, he just stayed down stairs until it was time for bed. I heard him bring Louis to bed and then he came in the room, standing there in a state of confusion he really shouldn't have been in. He should've known what he had did.
"So, do you wanna tell me what happened earlier?" He asked, still standing there. I was on my phone, texting Gesine good night. We always did that. I didn't bother to look up from my phone as I said "No, actually, I do not. I want sleep, I wanna go to bed."
He walked over to the bed and laid down next to me. I could feel him looking at me. He came closer and tried kissing my neck, but I pushed him away. "Don't touch me" I said sternly. And just after those words he rolled over back to his side of the bed.
"We'll talk about it tomorrow." I said, and shut off the lamp next to my bed. I really hated being mean to Marlon because of how much I loved him. Because of how much we loved each other.
Or you know, I thought that's how it was.
