Still thicker than water by Allen Takerra Read Free Book Online Page B

arm.”
    Sasha’s eyebrows raised in bewilderment as she tried to stop Aubrey. This little girl didn’t know what a secret was.
    “ No baby, Mike said Daddy got what he deserved . Not dessert . Deserve means-”
    “ What’s she talking about Sasha?” Mike cut her off, wondering what Chauncey had done. He had heard Aubrey clear as day and knew in his gut that Sasha was lying to him about visiting him.
    “ She’s talking about the apple pie that I’m supposed to make, but I told you Bri-Bri, tomorrow.”
    Mike looked at her with little patience.
    “ Sasha, you know what I mean…about him and his arm.”
    Sasha shrugged and then feigned as if she had just remembered something.
    “ Oh, you know what…I think she’s talking about something else Tatum had told her…I think Chauncey had gotten a tattoo of Aubrey or something.” She stood up and made her way over to the tree. “But okay babe, I’m ready to help you guys, if you want?”
    Mike took a deep breath and sipped on his coffee. Chauncey was a piece of shit. The thought of him being out of jail and in their lives made his skin crawl, but what could he do about it?
    At least that mothafucka will be in Newark, far away from us. She can send the kid up there to see him and I’ll just stay on her so much that she won’t even want to go with her. Maybe with the kid with her father, we can work on one of our own? A boy… Yeah, I’ve got nothing to worry about.
    And Mike had no idea how wrong he really was.
     
    “ Shit,” Tatum mumbled, dropping her keys as she tried to open her front door. She had two handfuls of bags from Toys R’ Us, Walmart, The Children’s Place, and Macy’s that contained all of her last minute Christmas gifts for the girls.
    Finally getting up the steps and opening the door, she dropped the bags as Chanel and Tangee came running.
    “ Oohhh,” Tangee screamed, just knowing the contents of the bag were for her.
    “ Nah-unh, no peaking. Or I’m gonna tell Santa to not even stop here next week,” Tatum warned.
    Chanel, the oldest, rolled her eyes.
    “ There is no Santa, Auntie Tatum.”
    Tatum looked at her wide-eyed, not wanting Tangee’s world to be crushed. Even though Tangee was nine years old, she still believed somewhat. Chanel had outgrown the phase.
    “ Oh, I forgot, you’re eleven now…you’re grown right? It’s okay, I’ll tell Santa just to bring Tangee all of the goodies, right Tang?”
    Tangee laughed and Chanel tilted her head to the side in her getting grown, preteen behavior. She just wanted a Wii game and a new Ipod, she didn’t care if it came from Santa, Tatum, or Jesus himself.
    Keisha, Tatum’s friend from the hair shop, came strolling out of the living room.
    “ You all set?” She asked.
    “ Yup, just about. Thanks Keish for staying with them.”
    “ No problem,” Keisha waved off, buttoning her coat. “Bye girls…if I don’t see yall next week, Merry Christmas!”
    “ Merry Christmas,” they responded in unison as Keisha walked out of the door.
    “ Bye Tay,” she shouted back.
    “ Later Keisha.”
    Tatum brought the bags into the living room and plopped down on the couch.
    “ Ya’ll go, get outta here,” she laughed at the girls who were hovering around. “Go get the decorations so we can finish doing the tree.”
    They happily made their way off, as Tatum picked up the mail she had placed on the table before she left. She sighed deep, looking at the big pile of bills.
    “ Alright, bring it,” she said, bracing herself.
    She thumbed through envelopes. Bill, bill, bill…what the fuck is this?
    Tatum looked at the papers with furrowed eyebrows, wondering what was going on. It didn’t take but thirty seconds for her blood to go from calm to boiling.
    Nichole Samuel vs. Tatum Mosley…No this bitch didn’t!
    Tatum slammed the papers down and picked up the phone, mis-dialing the numbers twice out of anger before getting it right.
    Sasha answered on the first ring.
    “ Hey Tay,