—
Laid upon their shared bed, Shemar watched television as Toni scrolled through images within her phone. She stopped on the ones containing Mariah and her new haircut, finding herself giggling.
"Whew chile," Toni said, her head moved in disbelief. "Why would Mariah do this to herself." She incessantly laughed, thinking of her friend.
But, the laughing came to a halt when the woman scrolled over and a picture of Angela appeared. Immediately, she thought about her friend's health condition. The fact that Angela hadn't known which day would be her last. It broke Toni's heart, causing her to tear up a bit.
Shemar noticed, looking over at her. He paused the television and reached for his wife. Surprisingly, she allowed him to hold her.
"What's wrong, baby?" His pupils held concern in them. "Why are you crying? What's going on?"
Toni tried to clear her face, but the tears just kept going. It had hit her rather hard. "I'm just—it's about Angie. She's sick...really sick." She watched as her husband wondered of her words, not understanding. "A year ago she found out she has cancer, Shemar."
The man looked at his wife closely, feeling his heart sink through his chest. He couldn't believe what he had heard, the news he received. And why hadn't Idris said anything, he thought.
"Baby, that's terrible. Cancer is ruining so many families, so many homes. But one thing I know about Angie, she's strong. And she has always kept faith. God wouldn't put her through anything she could not handle."
"I know, I know," Toni said back, allowing Shemar to comfort her. She continued to cry. "They told her she doesn't have long, Shemar. And we...we can't lose her. How would we ever go on without her, y'know? I just—"
Before she could continue, Shemar cut her words off with, "Baby, let me run you a bath? Okay?" He held onto to his wife a bit tighter. "I just want you to relax. I don't like seeing you like this..."
Taking a moment, Toni's mind instantly reminded her of the times her husband had been all that she needed, even when she didn't think she did. She realized that Shemar had always been there, always came through. It was a shame she treated him the way she did.
"Yes. Yes, I would like that," she replied, eyeing him deeply. "Thank you, baby."
Immediately, Shemar had been taken by surprise. He hadn't expected for the woman to allow him to do such. "Okay. I'll uh...I'll go run that bath for you then..."
He smiled, beginning to head for the bathroom of the suite. But before walking completely away, Toni stopped him and said, "Wait, Shemar. I think I need to take a minute to apologize." She released heavy breaths, continuing with, "I am so sorry for not appreciating you for all these years. You don't deserve how I've been treating you, acting like I don't need you. I'm sorry..."
"It's okay, Toni," the husband said back, walking within his wife's presence once more. "All marriages go through tough times. I'm not mad that—"
But Toni cut him off, saying, "I've been having an affair with Janet."
Now while these two tried to understand where their marriage would go after receiving a bomb such as the one Toni dropped, friends Whitney, Angela, and Mariah were out shopping at a nearby wig shop. Their trip would soon be over and the girls did not want Mariah traveling back with her hair a mess.
"I don't know why y'all felt the need to bring me here," Mariah spoke, her eyes rolled. "I'm going home just like this." She pointed toward her head.
Whitney jerked back, eyeing her sideways. "The hell you are." She too motioned toward her friend's hair. "Not with that tik-tac-toe shit in your head."
