The house is quiet. Zola is upostairs in her bathroom, enjoying a relaxing bubble bath. Letting the events of the day wash away, while sipping on wine and having and audio book be played. Clearly reading would even be too much. The door slams downstair and footsteps are coming up. Zola knows it’s Desiree. She does not want to speak with her right now, and will let her cool off before talking to her about earlier.

“Zola!” That is not my daughters voice. “Zola where are you?”

Zola gets out of the tub and grabs her rob. “Give me a minute.” Zola opens the door to find her daughters father there. “Andre what are you doing here?”

“Desiree came to my house crying about how you’ve thrown her ass out.”

“Oh hell no. I did not throw her ass out. I told her to get that boys ass out and for her to go to her room.”

“What guy? She was a lone her with a guy?” Andre steps forward staring straight into Zola’s eyes.

Taking a her arms across her chest, hip cocked, and leaning forward to say these words slowy. “Not just a guy,” Zola pauses to let it sink in, “a man. He was at least twenty-five.”

“What is my baby girl doing with a man?”

Zola turns to go to the tub to let the water drain. “That’s something you’ll have to take up with your baby girl.” Zola sits on the edge of the tub, making it seem as though she is all casual about this.

“Zola. She was a lone with a man. Why in the hell would she come a’runnin to me?”

“For this reason. You’d come over he a yellin’ she get off the hook causin’ is a fight we’d forget. I ain’t going to fight cha.”

“Wanna do it?” Andre smiles knowing the time they have left before their daughter would even think of walking over and Zola has never turned him down.

“How long you tell her.”

“Get here girl.” Zola casually walks over to Andre to jump into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and legs locked around his waist. Getting into a smooth kisses letting the memory of how the move together sink in. Andre moves knowing the amount of steps needed to get to the bedroom. Zola’s hands are moving down Andre’s back pulling at his shirt to show the body she had fallen for. Chi-zed abs, a cut back from the hard work over the years, and arms capable of throwing her in any direction. Andre dips Zola on the bed and begins to kiss her all over. Letting their breaths be the only thing heard. Zola knows this feeling. She lives for this feeling of Andre. Andre works his way up her to more her robe slowly kissing her as he moves the robe open.

“Mom!” Andre and Zola jump up.

“I thought we had enough time.”

“We did.” Zola throw her robe back over her. Going for the door and throw Andre’s shirt back at him.

“Desiree honey?”

“Mom? Where are you?”

“I’m upstairs. I just got out of the tub.” Andre goes to next to the bed so that he would be out of sight from her daughter.

“Can I come in?”

“Just give me a moment to get my robe on.” Desiree knocks on the door still. “Desiree just give me a second, what’s your rush?” Zola opens the door and Desiree just pushes past her, turns, and sits on the edge of Zola’s bed.

“Ma’ why do you treat me like I am still a child. I am fifteen and yes I may be a teenager but I have been forced to grow up in other ways then kids my age. I don’t have both of my parents for one. I have been working since I was ten. That guy that was here, wasn’t here for me. He was asking for you. We were simply waiting for you. Then you ran him off. “

“He was asking for me.” Zola takes a step back to lean against the wall.

“Yes. Now I am going back to dad’s house. I told him I would make him dinner so I need to go get food from the store. I was surprised to not see him here actually. Maybe he did go for a walk like he said. But mom, you need to trust me.”

“I’m sorry Des, I love you.” Zola hugs her daughter and gives her a kiss on her forehead. That is all that they need, Desiree walks out the room and leaves.

“That was close.”

“Andre we can’t keep doing this. There was a reason we never got married. You should go.”

“But-”

“Andre look at us. We can’t even show our own daughter we’re civil. You hide under my bed from her. You should go.” Andre picks up his shirt, heads down the stair and shuts the front door.

“God if I’ve lost my chance with this women, have her move on. If she’s the one, have me marry her.”

“Get out!” A slander black women with a lot of power behind her words. The boys have no excuse but to leave. She watches as they grab there coats and run out of the door.

“Mom why would you do that?”

“Young lady don’t you dare take that tone with me. Why were they here. They clearly look like they should not be home a lone with a fifteen year old girl.”

“Yes of course just because of my age I am not allowed to have boys over when your gone. Mom get over yourself.” Desiree simply walks past her mother using her hips more than her legs.

“You better be walking to your fathers and not after them boys.”

“Yes mother, I’m on my way.” That father of hers is a piece of work. Taisha was fifteen when she meet Desiree’s father. The next year she was pregnant. Sure my family made it work. They helped me out, I finished school, graduated college, and now have a pretty decent job. However Desiree thinks it could work out for her as well. But I had two parents. She does not. I had grandparents, hers are dead. It is not the same as what I had. I have a job so I could not help out as my mother did since she stayed at home.

“Mama?” Taisha turns around and it’s one of the boys from earlier. “Now before you respond angrily I wanted to talk to you about what was going on.”

“About you being here with my daughter. With another man. Who by the way looked to be in his twenties. She is only fifteen.”

“I understand. She had seen me coming out of here before and thought I was a friend you see. I was passing by and she hollered us in. That is all. Nothing more ma’.”

“Okay. Well I should get back to this. Thank you for explaining.”

“Of course ma’.” He smiles and walks down the front steps back down the street.

The door flings open to a rushing and tired Zola. She was my neighbor and the town gossip. “What was that boy doing here?”

“Hey Zola, and he was just stopping by. He was over with Desiree.”

“Doesn’t he look a little old for her.”

“Yes. But I turned them away so he did the gentlemen thing and came back to explain.”

“Oh my, my. Who knew those exist in this part of town.”

“Lord knows I didn’t.” Taisha goes to putting her bags down in her office which is the back of the house. It was suppose to be a guest room but everyone she knows lives in the area so there is no need. Zola settles in the front of the house on the chairs to keep an eye out on the neighbors.

“Have your heard about the Walter’s?” Zola said loud enough for Taisha to hear but soft enough for whomever could be walking by to not hear her. Taisha comes out of the office, through the kitchen to meet Zola.

“What are you talking about?”

“Well they’re daughter got pregnant.”

“Alright.”

“Oh that’s right you were a young mother. But they work for the church. I went to them for marriage counseling. Well no wonder why it didn’t work. They can’t even control what is going on under their own roof.”

“Zola it is not right to prey. Who said that she was even pregnant?”

“Well my daughter went to the party with her recently and re refused to have her usual glass of wine.”

“Your fine with them partying just not having a baby? Right”

“Now Taisha you know that is not what I meant. However when they are young they do this. They get it out of their system so that when they grow up they act responsibly. Besides it is not like I host these events for them to do it at my home. I have told my girls that they are never to come home under the influences of anything. They know the rules. That has them not drink at these things because they would never sleep anywhere else.” Zola nods he head as if to say she knows best and her girls would not cross her. Which they wouldn’t, to her knowledge. “Besides you don’t have to worry about Desiree. She keeps her head up and wants to go places. She’s smart.” Zola nods over her glass of wine, which she brought over with her, getting lost in her thoughts.