Brave Face

Chapter one

Loretta POV

"All of my dreams,
Are now reality,
Each and every time you are here with me" ~Guy (I like)

"Hey baby," I say, kissing my fiancee, Earl.

"Hey gorgeous. How was you day," he says, slipping out of his suit jacket.  

Earl is my husband of seven years. He was a pediatrician, in the NICU, on duty the night the kids we're born. He looked after the twins in the NICU, making sure they were getting healthy.

He heard about what happened to my husband and offered his condolences. He made sure me and my babies were well taken care of and had everything we needed during our stay.

He would often frequent my room, giving me "updates" on the status of the twins, and on the night before we were discharged, he came to me and said he was interested in taking me out. I flat out refused him but he pestered me throughout the entire night until I said yes.

One date turned to, two. Two dates turned to three and three date turned to a year, then four, then marriage. Earl never pressured me to get over Nasir. He allowed me to go at my own pace and grieve for my late husband. He was always respectful of his place in my life and always wanted the children to know who their real father was.

"Had to take off early to go get Nima, she got into a fight with some girl because she said her daddy killed himself because he didn't want her," I say, shaking my head at the memory.

I have always taught Nima everything about her dad. I showed her pictures, have taken her to see his family and made sure she never doubted her father's love for her. I always told her, he was looking down from heaven, watching over us. Her dad is a very sore spot and anyone who dares cross that spot would feel her wrath.

"She got into another fight," Earl asks, incredulously. "That's the third this month. The school needs to do something about the bullying, then she won't brick fighting,"

"I know. We have to do something about her behavior also, but for now what do you want for dinner. Chinese, Mexican or Italian are the choices."

"Italian, I've been craving some of your shrimp alfredo."

"Perfect, everyone wants the same thing. I'm going to go start dinner and you can go wash up then come and help me," I say, walking to the kitchen.
.
"Mom, mom, mom, mommy, momma, moooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmm-"

"What boy," I say, rolling my eyes at my son, Nino's, foolishness.

"You know I love you right," he says, batting his eyelashes.

Every parent knows what it means when children say that...they want something.

"Boy goodbye, the answer is no," I says, washing my hands. I take out a cutting board and a knife.

"But mom, I really want to go to this party. I promise nothing illegal, just a few friends getting together for a respectable get together," he says, giving his puppy dog face.

"No, now get out of my kitchen so I can cook," I say, threatening him with the knife.

He raises his hands and slowly backs away."Yes ma'am. Nima mom said come here," he yells up the stairs.

Now I could've did that. I fix him with a glare and he shrugs with a smirk. He disappears around the corner just as Nima bounds in noisily.

"What," she says, voice filled with attitude.

Jesus give me the patience, cause she don't want to see my strength. She feels like she can get buck because she mad, but she got one more time before I send her to glory.