“Zola what are you doing here?” Desiree ask while coming back through the front door.

“Now I know that is not how your going to talk to me girl.”

“Of course not.” Desiree kisses her hello on both cheeks. “That is how the french say hello.”

“Now you fancy uh’?”

“I try. What did ma'am faint over this time?” Desiree nodding her head in the direction of Taisha still collapsed on the couch. After about the tenth time of her fainting they stopped calling the police.

“Just some gossip. People in this town just talk and sometime your name being dragged around where it needs not to be can be a lot.”

“People are talkin’ about ma’am?”

Zola looks around as if trying to not pay attention or searching for the right words. She has known Desiree since she was young and knows what it was like for her when everyone was talking about her family.

“Zola!”

“Honey calm down. It’s just talk. I would not be too worried about it.”

“Just when they finally stop being quiet when I walk in a room and people finally talk to me, the talking starts up again.”

“Desiree hush now. People are just talking, that’s all. I put them in their place.”

“Zola of course your going to set then straight about our family, they know you are basically family.”

“But they also know I gossip sweetie. If I know the truth I set them straight. Then I also tell them other things to talk about.”

“Zola, what were they saying?”

“It was just talk. Now you know when you she gets like this she’ll need some juice to get sugar in her. Run down to the store and get some juice for her.”

“Zola.”

“Don’t Zola me. Now run a long now and get your ma’am some juice.” Desiree heads out the door and makes her way to the store. Zola starts looking around the home remember where they’re family photos used to be on display. Taisha was a big athlete and all her different sports would we all around the place. While Andre was a big car guy so there would be sneakers and car parts lying a long the wall. Desiree shared Taisha’s love for sports. Even though they were very active and would constantly be on the go, their house always was kept and felt like a home. Now it seems clean with a loss of life.

Suddenly upstairs there is a crashing noise like someone falling. “Now what on earth could that be?” Zola makes her way up stairs with a determination like she’s going to have to set someone straight.

“Shit, shit, shit. Wow that hurt like a bitch. Seriously when will these women leave?”

Zola gets up stairs and hear it coming from Taisha’s room. The door is slightly peaked open and she sees then boy that was over earlier the week. Why is he in Taisha’s room?

“Crap it’s getting so late, I need to get out of here.”

“Boy now what in the hell are you doing in here?” Jeremy jumps and doesn’t know how to react. Zola just stares at him waiting for him to say something. “Now don’t make me repeat myself.”

“I was, umm fixing something.” Jeremy just smiles hoping it’ll make her melt a little to let him just leave.

“Boy wipe that smile off your face. Now what in the hell are you doing in a grown ass woman’s room. She has a daughter. An ex husband who would murder your ass if he found you. Now again, what are you doin’ here?”

“I was waiting for Taisha.”

“Well now you ain’t. Get out of here before someone else finds you.”

“Yes ma’am.” Jeremy looks around to leave but is scared to go towards Zola thinking she might kill him. She then moves out of the door frame and waves her hand on for him to leave. As he’s making his way out Zola she’s Andre making his way to the front door.

“Boy if you want to see another day you’d get back in that closet.”

“I though I would die if I stayed. Well now you see here, Andre - Taisha’s en husband - is making his way to the front door. He wont knock. But if he sees you, he’ll kill you.”

“Getting back in the closet now.” Zola watches him run to the closet and see makes her way back downstairs.

“Taisha, Zola best be gone now so we can finish-”

“Boy don’t think about finishing that sentence.”

Andre jumps and freezes. The only person he’s afraid of is Zola. “Zola we were just talkin’ is all.”

“Talkin’ right. Now you seen she’s all fainted. Desirees gone to get her juice. She’ll be waking up soon. Now with you here wont help but cause commotion, now get goin’.” Andre walks back to the door. “Andre don’t come back to finish anything. Let her be.” Andre doesn’t turn around and just keeps doing through the door.

“He was never much for fightin’ you Zola.”

“Now how long have you been awake?”

“Long enough.”

“Now since you just came out of it I ain’t going to ask you much. But get that boy out of your room and I will give you and hour.”

“You’ve always treated my right.”

The house is quiet. Taisha is up stairs 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. Taisha 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.

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

Taisha gets out of the tub and grabs her rob. “Give me a minute.” Taisha 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 Taisha’s eyes.

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

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

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

“Taisha. 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 Taisha has never turned him down.

“How long you tell her.”

“Get here girl.” Taisha 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. Taisha’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 Taisha on the bed and begins to kiss her all over. Letting their breaths be the only thing heard. Taisha 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 Taisha jump up.

“I thought we had enough time.”

“We did.” Taisha 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?” Taisha opens the door and Desiree just pushes past her, turns, and sits on the edge of Taisha’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.” Taisha 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.” Taisha 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.

“Ma’am?” 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’am.”

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

“Of course ma’am.” 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.