The Personal Trainer's Ex-Girlfriend

The Exes and the Kids {Part Two}

Blake

Right after the kids are sitting in their car seats with their seatbelts securing them, I get in the car and go through a list of contacts on my phone, finding Phedora's name because she should be home by now. I tap my finger onto the call icon and put the phone to my ear as I listen to the first ring going on two, three, four, five, and six before I receive a voicemail. I call her number again two more times, but I receive a voicemail.

"f**k it," I curse in a sotto voice, so the kids won't hear me say that in the car. I put my phone into my empty cup holder, starting the car as hip hop music commences on the radio. Putting my seatbelt on and pulling onto the lever to back up right after I look at the rearview mirror, I shift the lever on drive.

As soon as I park my vehicle on the parking lot in front of Baskin Robbins, which is connected with Dunkin' Donuts in Shirley; I get out of the car, opening the doors to help Theo get out of his car seat while Kelly extricates herself from the seatbelt. "Daddy, who is Tessa?" Theodore queries.

"She's your older half sister and she's turning ten this month." I remind them. "So, we have a big sister?" Theodore questions with giddiness glowing in his eyes. I nod and Theo gasps just as Kelly beams.

"We have a big sister!" The kids give each other a high five and I chuckle amusingly. Carrying Theo while Kelly follows suit as well as closing and locking all doors, I feel my phone vibrate a little in my hand along with the ding sound going off. I turn my phone to read a message from Kehlani that she and the girls are inside. I tell her that we're here and Kelly opens the door for us.

"Thank you, sweetie." I thank her.

"You're welcome, Dad." Kelly says as she opens another door for us. I thank her again and hear her optimistically exclaim, "Kehlani!" I turn my head to see Kehlani wrapping her arms around Kelly as she, Tessa, and Harper welcome her.

"KeKe Lani!" Theo waves his hand at her and she looks up, beaming at us and waving back t us. "Hi, you guys!" We head to their direction and I take in the scene that Kehlani already bought some ice cream for the girls and herself.

"Kelly, do you want some ice cream?" I ask her and scratch the nape of my neck.

"Mhm." She hums and the three of us walk to the counter, staring at the list of ice cream flavors. "Theo, what kind of ice cream would you like to have?" I ask him. His eyes ponder at the list and taps his chin with his finger.

"I want the light greenish ice cream with the chocolate chips in it."

"Okay, buddy." I groan and support him in my arms. "So, Kelly, what kind would you like?"

"I would like to have..." Kelly's voice trails. "Ooh! I would like to have the cookies and cream flavor, please." Her fingers interlock in a ball.

"Okay," I say as we move forward on the line. "Hi! Welcome to Baskin Robbins, would you like to have a sample?" A jovial young woman in her late teens and early twenties queries.

I turn my head to face Theodore and ask him, "Would you like to taste the mint chocolate chip one, buddy?" He nods and the woman behind the counter gives him a pink plastic spoon with a dollop of the lightest green frozen dessert with chocolate chips. "What do you say?" I remind him.

"Thank you!" Theodore expresses his thanks to the woman and puts the spoonful of ice cream in his mouth before his lips twist and his eyes narrow at the taste.

"I don't like it, daddy. I don't like it." Theodore grimaces, shaking his head.

"That's okay, buddy. What would you like to have besides the mint chocolate chip ice cream?"

"I want the one that looks like Snickers." Theodore points his finger at the menu featuring a display of the Snickers ice cream along with the other flavors. "Okay," I support and order our ice creams. We thank her and we walk to the table where the girls are sitting at. I sit beside Kehlani while I am seated across from Tessa and Harper is sitting across from Kelly and Theodore. I take a look at Kehlani's ice cream cup to see that's eating her favorite ice cream flavor.

"You still prefer Pralines and Cream, I see." I chuckle and scoop a piece of ice cream to my mouth, savoring and chewing onto the cookie dough and chocolate chips as the frozen dairy teat melts in my mouth. Kehlani leans forward, looking at my cup. "It looks like you still favor chocolate chip and cookie dough." She mentions. I laugh at the reminder.

"So, how was everybody at work?" Kehlani queries and licks the ice cream off her spoon.

"Oh, Ruth was talking to herself as if she's talking to you and a nudist sprints in the gym and while he was doing rapid jumping jacks, there were like five policemen jumping over him and they arrested him for indecent exposure." I laugh and she joins with me. And after we share laughing, I realize that her smile is one of the things that I miss about her. So genuine and warm as if the sun is illuminating behind her.

"Blake, can I ask you something?" Kehlani asks. "Yeah, you can ask me anything," I concur.

"Why," She giggles before she continues. "Blake, why did you name yourself after Lil Wayne on f*******:?" Tessa begins chortling while she's eating her ice cream.

"Because he's one of my favorite artists, that's why." I reason.

"I sort of figured that out because my mom was wilding out the other day when I was visiting her with Tessa and Harper because she wanted to talk to me about something. She showed me your f*******: username and went outside of the house to ask if the neighbors know who Lilwayne Davis is. She was like, 'Which one of you is Lilwayne Davis?!'" Kehlani, along with Tessa begin laughing and not long before the kids start to join in.

I decide to laugh along with them and it feels like we're a laughing family. We continue eating our ice creams, I ask Tessa about her day in school. "School is school, as usual," I can imagine her shrugging in her voice. "Until some nasty urchin named, Chester O'Brien felt on my butt during gym class while I was using the jump rope!" Tessa confesses and as soon as she says this; I don't know why, but my palm strikes against the table. "What?!" Both Kehlani and I seethe at the same time.

"Daddy, don't hurt your hand." Theodore rubs his hand on my palm to massage the pain away.

"I'm sorry, Theo Bear," I apologize before I prepare my father duties. "What happened to that twerp that was acting fast towards you? Where does he live? Because I'll break his arms off his body, so he won't ever touch you ever again because that is unacceptable!" I sneer, before my eyes soften and I lean forward.

"Look, Tessa, I know I haven't been the perfect dad for you years ago when you were growing up, but I'm here right now because I care about you along with your half-siblings and I don't want a boy touching one of my daughters inappropriately. And I promise you that I will always be here for you for now on. So, will your half-brother and half-sister, too because it wasn't fair to live your life without your father present and it wasn't fair for me to not see you grow up." I don't even realize that I'm crying when I feel one of the first trails of water cascading down my face. I wipe the salty tears from my eyes with my hand, sniffling.

"Dad, please don't cry," Tessa offers me a napkin from under her ice cream cup. I chuckle a little and thank her, using the napkin on my face.

"I feel like I failed as a father and I don't want to think that, but I did. I should've been there for you, equally, Tessa." I sniffle.

"It's better of to show me rather than telling me that you would be an active dad in my life because showing your actions are the proof and true ways of actions speaking louder than words."

"Blake, it's not your fault." Kehlani comforts me while I sense an arm draping around me, rubbing my arm in a circular motion. Placing my hand on top of hers, I turn to face her while my eyes are flooding with tears. "Thank you for never losing faith in me, Key."

"You know, I would never take your role as Tessa's father away from you, Blake." Key has me in her one-arm embrace while I listen to the encouraging words from my kids. It feels really good to have your kids still having their unconditional love for me and assuring me it's not my fault, especially from Tessa.

"Sup, Blake--" I peer up to face Kurt, who is standing over me as he stares at me and Kehlani with cow eyes. "Hello, Kehlani." Kurt greets. Noticing her arm is no longer comforting me, I can honestly hear the stiffness and distate in her voice as she speaks, "Kurt."

"What up, Kurt?" I stand up from the chair to do our handshake that bros do and right after our handshake, he slowly nods his head. "All right, I'll talk to you later, man" Kurt chuckles to himself and his lips form into a slack-mouth, turning around with his back facing us as he begins ambling away.

Kehlani

After spending thirty five minutes with and his children, I put the seatbelt on around the same time I hear a person sniffling and choking up. I turn to see Tessa wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffling. "Tessa, what's wrong?"

"I was mean to dad," she cries as sadness is worn on my face and I rest my hand on top of her shoulder.

"Sweetie, look at me," she turns to look at me and my heart breaks at the sight of my nine and a half year old crying her eyes out. "Oh, Tessa." I remove the seatbelt that is guarding me and lean forward to wrap my arms around her, rubbing her back while my nose begins to burn.

I sniffle. "Whenever we're mad at someone and we say some of the things that are intentionally; we sometimes wished that we could've take back, but they are out for people to hear. Some people would walk away while some would cogitate. Your father still loves you and you should always be grateful to have him in your life despite of him missing half of your childhood life. When you were baby, I had faith of him being your dad and I still have faith in him, too. He's still talking to you, right, Tessa?"

Tessa supports her arm on the window of the front passenger seat. "Right, Tessa?" I assure her and she nods. I open the glove compartment to take out a napkin, gesturing the napkinfor her. She accepts it, removing the salty stains from her cheeks to her eyes with the soft tissue.

"Do you feel better?" I ask. She nods, "Yeah," with a sniffle. Embracing her with one arm, I do my best to calm her down because I don't like seeing my Dimples Bunny forlorn.

**********

After parking the car on the parking lot and getting out of the car with the kids as well as locking all the doors of the SUV; I ask Tessa, "So, Tessa, what happened to Chester?"

While my arm is draping around her, she shrugs her shoulders. "Almost immediately, Chester was sent to the principal's office and had detention. Actually, Mrs. Schaffer took him and I to the principal's office and I overheard that Principal DeLorenzo would inform to Chester that she'll be calling his parents to pick him up and that she'll notify you about the incident over the phone as well." Tessa mentions and I find it reasonable because my daughter is not going to lie about that. I hear the purring of the engine behind me and I turn around to take a gander at the navy blue pickup truck being parked. As I squint my eyes to observe a person sitting behind the windshield as Blake. He waves his hand at me and I conform the exact greeting towards him right before he gets out of the truck as well as opening the door for the kids.

"KeKe Lani!" Both the kids exclaim as they run towards me with their arms widening while I crouch to their level, capturing them in my arms. "Hi, you guys! This is, like, the third time you guys greet me. Did you guys enjoy having ice cream with your dad and I along with your big half-sister and Harper?" I ask.

"Yeah!" The kids elatedly clamor. "Now, what do you say to your dad and I?"

"Thank you!" The kids reply in unison.

"You're welcome!" Blake and I simultaneously reply. While Tessa, Harper, and I are heading to the door of my apartment while Blake and his children are at the next door.

"Dang it!" I eavesdrop on Blake muttering, so I ask him, "What's wrong?"

"I can't find the key for me to get in. I just looked under the mat and it wasn't there. Neither of my family is home." Blake tells me. While I think of a solution, my phone goes off with a notification of a text and my thumb taps onto the screen of my phone to read a text from Charlotte.

'Let them stay at your apartment. Gracie and I removed his keys before he and the kids left and his w***e of a wife won't be home by 11:55 tonight.' Charlotte sends me the text with a grinning emoji with squinted eyes along with a tongue sticking emoji and an imp emoji.

I key, 'I'ma pray for you.' I add the angel, praying hands, and laughing emojis.

'You love me, though,' she replies while I take notice of a faint cackle and that's when I turn my head to catch a glimpse of Charlotte and Gracie grinning mischievously at me. Savages! Blake's sisters sure know how to be the masterminds.

"Look, Blake, why don't you guys come to our apartment until one of your family members come home?" I suggest, giving up since Charlotte and Gracie are behind this. At first, Blake's eyes wander heavenwards just as his pondering features are visible and after being reluctant, he gives in. I remind him and the children to please take off their shoes when they enter the apartment. So, the six of us enter the apartment while they comply of removing their shoes vertically beside the door mat. I take the notice of 2 Fast 2 Furious is already starting and I decide to pick up the remote when Blake points out, "Our favorite movie is on!" I turn to him with my eyebrow arching at him.

"I mean, 2 Fast 2 Furious is on." Blake corrects, clearing his throat. Sucking my teeth and tittering, I ask him about what shows Kelly and Theo like to watch.

"They like to watch SpongeBob Squarepants and Fairly OddParents along with iCarly." He shrugs. "Okay," I change the channel to NickToons and call out for the kids when I hear excited chattering occurring in Tessa's bedroom. I walk to her room to discover the four of them sitting on their knees.

"Miss Kehlani, does Tessa have any dolls?" Kelly queries.

"No, I'm sorry, sweetie. Tessa doesn't play with dolls at all. She usually watches TV, read books, and listen to music while she's either cleaning her room or working out- Oh!" I exclaim and walk to her closet as my eyes roam at the stacks of video games and board games. "Maybe you guys can play Little Big Planet 4 or Sims 3." I suggest.

"Nah," Tessa shakes her head with her lips pressing firmly. "Playing video games give me headaches. So, we'll probably play Candy Land."

"Okay, I smile and nod.

"KeKe Lani, I'm hungry." Theodore tells me. I c**k my head to the side with a smirk playing on my lips. "We just had some ice cream a while ago."

"I know, but ice cream is not going to fill our stomachs, but give us a tummy ache." Theodore reasons. I giggle at his cuteness. "What would you like to have? We have pizza rolls, some French fries, chicken strips, fruit snacks, cereal, fish, fruit, and toaster strudels."

"Can I please have a toaster strudel, Miss KeKe Lani?" Theodore asks with his fingers balling. "Of course, you may, Theo." I giggle. "How about you guys? Are you hungry, too?"

"Uh huh!" They respond at the same time. "Okay, I'll make some pizza rolls." I enter the kitchen to get some of the pizza rolls that are out of the freezer from the bag onto the pan as well as pre-heating the oven before I grab another pan for the toaster strudel. After I put the foods into the oven and counting how many minutes I have for the food to be done, Blake calls me over and I notice that the channel is switched back to 2 Fast 2 Furious. Sitting inches away from him, I can feel the closeness of him sitting beside me.

"Key, I want to thank you and the girls for deciding to join with me and the kids. It really means a lot for me, especially when you comforted me when I thought I failed." Blake encourages.

"You're welcome. Right before we left, Tessa was crying about being up in the arms towards you." I notify as I support my arm on top of the pillows of the couch. Blake runs his hand over his hair and breathes an intake of breathe before exhaling.

"I'm glad I heard this from you and I caused our baby girl to feel this way. Towards me. And on her birthday, I'm going to give her something special that will have her speechless. But, until then, I gotta do right for our big girl." I agree with him because it is officially the time for him to catch up with our daughter.