Undercover

PART 29

#Undercover 29

“Yep. It’s me. In the flesh” she says as she lightly kisses Malaki on the forehead. I cringe. I ease over to Malaki’s bed and turn on the baby monitor we have for him. We have a connecting monitor in our bedroom. So that Saddiq will hear me, I speak directly over the monitor saying “You gave up your rights as a mother the day you left Malaki on my doorstep and never returned. We even gave you a chance to come back. Saddiq’s parents hired someone to look for you. It was like you fell off the face of the Earth. You didn’t want to be found. Malaki doesn’t even know you. He has no clue who you are.” “See, that’s where you’re wrong. He does know me. I’ve worked at his daycare, I’ve been at the park each time you were there, and I’ve served as a substitute teacher in his kindergarten class. I’ve been around. You guys just haven’t noticed. I’ve watched him sleep on several different occasions. Trust me, he knows that I’m his mother” she says. Those words coming from her mouth lit a fire within me hotter than the depths of hell. Regardless of Malaki being in her arms, I rush over and…..

SMACK!

“Oh, you’ve fucked up now” Stephanie says standing from the chair with Malaki in her arms. She walks in front of me and gently places him in his bed. As soon as she puts him down, I push her so hard she stumbles and falls. While she’s down, I straddle her and give her a solid right hook to the face. “You thought you were just going to come in here and take him back….like you never left! I’m his mother! I say pinning her hands under my knees and placing both my hands around her neck. I smile as I choke Stephanie. I’ve waited years to do this and it feels so good! “Mommy!” Malaki cries out. I look back and Malaki is sitting up in his bed with tears in his eyes. I climb off of Stephanie and run to my baby. “What the hell’s going on here?” Saddiq says running into the room. He looks over at Stephanie and says “Valerie? What the hell are you doing in my house?” Breathing hard and holding Malaki as tightly as I can, I say “I don’t know who Valerie is but that’s Stephanie. She had cosmetic surgery.”

The police arrive and our place is surrounded by blue lights. We explain to the police what’s happened. They take our statements and haul Stephanie off. It takes a while but I finally get Malaki back to sleep. He’s totally distraught by what’s happened tonight. Heck, I am too! Not willing to take any chances, I put Malaki in bed with Saddiq and I. I get him laid down and head to the kitchen as I originally planned on doing. As I make it into the kitchen, I become consumed with emotions and break down by the fridge. “Hey, it’s alright. She’s gone now” Saddiq says pulling me up. “You know, I always had a feeling that she’d come back but not like this. Just think of all the times that she’s been around us and Malaki and we didn’t know Saddiq. As a mother, I’m so infuriated!” I tell him. “I know…I know…but the police have got this handled. She’s definitely going to do some jail time. She’s just not going to get away with this. And her chances of getting Malaki and zero. She left him and never came back. He is YOUR son, Monica. YOU are his mother. You hear me?” Saddiq says. I bury my face into his chest and say “Yes.”
It’s Monday and it’s officially closing day. After two hours of signing our lives away, we finally have the keys to our first home together. “You ready?” Saddiq asks as he unlocks the door. I smile. We open the door and it’s like a breath of fresh air. With Malaki’s hand in mine, we wander around the house like we’ve never been inside before. “Malaki, sweetie, this will be your room. The movers will have your bed and things placed in here today. Are you ready for your big boy room?” I ask him. “I am but is that lady coming to visit again? She said she was my mommy. How is she my mommy if you’re my mommy? Why did she try to hurt you?” he asks. Sore from tussling around with Stephanie a few nights ago, I slowly kneel down in front of Malaki and say “Sometimes people have things wrong with their brain and they cannot control what they say or do. She did not hurt me. I’m fine. She will not be back. I promise. Daddy and I are going to make sure of that.” “Ok, mommy” he says embracing me tightly. Stephanie better not bring her ass back. I’ve come too far and worked too hard to let her tear this family apart.

I’ll kill her if she does.