Let's Try Again (Interracial)

Let's Try Again

"Daddy!" My daughter, Lia, screams. Her father picks her up and spins her around and I get a pang of jealousy in my heart.

I just want to yell at him and tell him she's mine, but she's really ours.

"Hey princess! I missed you, sweetie," He kisses the top of her forehead and I can't help but smile in my heart.

He put's her down, and she's still gleaming.

"Daddy, daddy, daddy!" Lia tugs on his dark wash jeans.

"Yes, Li?" He smiles softly.

"Central Park?!" She looks up at him in hope. No, now I have to butt in.

"Um, no Lia, you can't go to Central Park. Your to little okay? How about daddy takes you a little upstate?"

"No! I want the Park! Daddy!" She is about to throw a huge fit.

Lia DiSento, the biggest Daddy's girl I have ever seen.

Mitchell looked awkwardly over at me. We were in his condo, in SoHo. It's such a nice modern and contemporary house. I secretly love it, but won't give him that satisfaction.

"Why can't she go to the Park, though? She's almost four!" Mitchell was starting to get annoyed. I can see it in his eyes.

"Too many people! Dumb tourists, crazy people, whatever! She's j-just too young, Mitch." I replied.

"Oh my God, Lauren, really? You honestly don't trust mem but then again you never did, right?" He put on this stupid smirk, and I almost killed him right then and there.

"Mitchell, don't. Not in front of L-I-A. I'm not ready to deal with an Etan Patz case, where you turn around to pay for an ice cream cone and she dissapears into the crowd, never to be seen again." I sigh and cross my arms.

"That will never happen! I hold her hand anytime we go out!" He iss getting angry now. His voice iss escalating.

"Please. Mommy. Daddy. Don't fight. Share. Ok?" Lia says with the most innocent face ever.

My baby is so smart for a 3 1/2 year old.

"Yes, Lia. We know. Just trying to keep you safe. You want that, right?" Mitchell asksher.

"Uh-huh! So can I go? Pleaseee?!"

I look at her and sigh once again. Even Mitch joins in and does the puppy dog face.

"Okay. Fine." I grumble.

"Yes!" Mitch and Lia both say at the same time.

"But! I swear to God, Mitch. If anything happens to her, I will K-I-L-L you. And feed your body to little fishies."

I give him the iciest look I can.

"Yeah, sure." He rolls his eyes and goes into the kitchen.

What the hell? Did he just walk away from me like that?

"Lia watch tv, Daddy and I have to talk." I tell her.

"What the hell was that all about?" He whisper-yells as I walk in.

He was looking through the cabinents.

"I just don't like her going outside to places like that. Mitch, just please understand. No arguments." I tell him.

"Okay. Let's drop it." He doesn't even look at me when he says this.

"Yeah. How was your day?" I was trying to be civil just for the sake of Lia in the next room.

"Good. Had a meeting. It was long. Traffic was horrible." He says.

He freaking talks to me like I'm a toddler.

I ignore that and try and be nice.

"Ok. Well, um, my day was good too. I went to Brooklyn to have lunch with my mom." I say, looking down.

"You still talk to her?" He finally looks at me. I see his warm sea green eyes stare back at me dark brown ones.

Mitchell and I are from different sides of the track.

I'm from a rough neighborhood in Brooklyn, he's from the wealthy lower east side Manhattan.

He's a hotshot up-and-coming lawyer. I work as an average X-Ray technician.

Oh yeah, and he's white, and I'm black.

I'd never in a million years though I'd ever, ever, ever, fall in love with a white guy, but he was just different.

We both went to university together and it was really love at first site.

Then we got married.

I thought it was going to be 'happily ever after'.

But it was really a nightmare.

We divorced after 4 years of marriage.

Everybody in my hometown said "I told you so" or "That's what you get for marrying a white kid"

But without him, I wouldn't have my daughter.

"Yes, Mitch, of course. She is my mother." I look back at him.

"She abused you and your sister. I don't understand how you can just forgive her like that for all she's done."

"Well I did, Mitchell. And I have to tell you something."

"What?" He asks.

"I'm moving to Albany." I say quietly.

"What?! Why?!" He walks closer to me and I take a half-inch step back.

"To be closer to a friend." I reply.

"What friend? Do you know how inconvenient that is? I can't be picking up Lia from there every week. You can't move."

"A friend named Sean. And well that's your problem. You can't keep me from moving."

"Oh yeah? Want to bet?"

"I'd love to."

Mitchell can be such an asshole sometimes.

My hands fidget and there is so much tension in the room.

"So this Sean guy is your boyfriend?" His eyes go a deathly dark green.

"Yes." I squeak.

"Has Lia met him?" He inches closer again.

Mitch is only a foot away from me now.

"Yes." I squeak again.

He grabs both my forearms and yanks me towards him.

"Lauren, have you forgotten that I told you that you were and always will be mine?" He gritted out.

If I'm yours, why are we divorced? I roll my eyes and try to break free.

"No. I'm not yours. I'm allowed to be an adult."

He gives me a sexy smirk and I shiver.

"Lauren, you belong to me. Every inch of you."

He grabs my waist and pulls me close. I try and wriggle out of his hold, but I fail miserably.

Mitchell leans down and trails kisses up my neck.

Oh, they feel soo good! No! No they don't!

He groans and says "You smell so good. Lauren, it's been too long."

I try and stifle a moan.

"Mitch. Please. You had your chance," I finally wriggle out of his hold and leave the kitchen.

In the corner of my eye, I see him still standing there.

And I don't care! He can't just automatically win me back.

I'm not falling for his little tricks this time. I swear.

"Lia, Mommy has to go now, okay?" I kiss her goodbye and walk right out the door.

Just like I did a year ago.