A Chance for Growth

You Have to Understand

Taraji rode in the car with her dad, listening to him talk about Apryl and Shawn, and how he wishes that she spent more time with them. She looked out the window and tuned him out. She thought about her relationship with Terry. Usually she never flipped out so bad when other females tried to push themselves onto Terry, but today she just couldn't help it. It was like something told get that she would be competing with other women for her own man, from now on. She didn't want that to happen.

"You want pizza?" Boris asked, shifting Taraji's thought to choosing some food that she didn't even want at the moment. "No. I think I've had enough pizza for a while. But if that's what you want, we can go," she said, not seeming too excited about food. "What's wrong baby girl? It's not like you to not be antsy about some food. Did that boy do something to you? I'll kill him!" Boris rambled off. Taraji looked at her dad with wide eyes. "Calm down. We just had our first real argument and I said something that might've hurt his feelings," Taraji explained.

"You know you can talk to me. What happened?" Boris pried. Taraji thought for a minute about how to explain without having her dad constantly on her boyfriend's case. "It's just college life and college women are bold daddy! It's so much competition out here. What am I supposed to do if a chick with a big ass tries to take him from me?" She blurted out. Boris looked at the road and let what she asked sink in. This is exactly why he didn't want her messing with Terrence. He didn't want her to deal with things like this that could lead to heartbreak.

"You don't do anything. That's his job to let them know he's happily taken. If he loves you and wants to be with you, he'll let you know that those women are no competition because he chooses you and he would choose you every time. If he doesn't, then you leave him and the future drama alone," Boris said, sounding like a father with good advice. Taraji listened, but she started thinking about her parents' drama. Her dad didn't choose her mom multiple times, but he still came home to her and chose her then. "But you-" "I know what I did, Taraji. And I'm still paying for it. But I chose your mother over and over again. I still choose her, but I messed up too much for her to choose me. Can we not talk about that?" He asked, tired of still apologizing.

Taraji shrugged as they pulled into the parking lot of a diner. She got out and they went inside, getting seated by the host. "So how are your other kids?" She asked, not really caring. "Apryl wants to get to know you. You're her big sister and she wonders about you," Boris explained what he already said in the car and Taraji hummed at him. "Just try please. She didn't ask to be here. That's all on me. Don't punish her and Shawn for my mist- my choices," he corrected himself. Taraji rolled her eyes and drank her Sprite that the waitress brought out. "Fine, I'll try when I come back to visit. No promises. Why does she have to look like her silver back mama though?" She threw out, not caring about the consequences.

"I'll let that slide for now. But stop talking about Kadijsha please. How's your mama doing?" He changed the subject. Taraji raised an eyebrow, then realized Boris hadn't popped up at her mom's house unannounced since he caught her and Terry up against the wall. "She's good. She keeps crying because I'm out the house, but she has company," she let slip on purpose, knowing it would strike a fire in him to go home. "Company? How is Alice company? I'll take the blackened fish," he told the waiter. "I'll take... just give me a burger and ranch on the side. Not Mama Alice, " she corrected drinking more of her sprite. "That's not your mama, Taraji and who is keeping Bernice company?" He was growing impatient.

Taraji laughed in her father's face then went on the spill the beans. "She has a new friend that she met. He's nice. He's really fit for an old guy, but mama seems to be happy with him," she saw the wheels turning in Boris' head. She smirked and started playing with the sugar free condiments until her dad decided to come back to reality. He waved his hand to get the waiter's attention. "Can we get that to go?" He looked at Taraji who tried to hold in her laughter. "I forgot Shawn has a game tonight. I gotta get back before then," Boris made up a lie, but Taraji didn't care. She was ready to go home. She hummed and looked to see the waiter come back with their food.