The Personal Trainer's Ex-Girlfriend

About Today

Kehlani

Parking my Toyota Highlander SE SUV on the parking lot of the apartment complex, I remove the key from the ignition that puts a cease to the engine and the music. I gather my stuff and unlock the doors. My hand grips onto the handle for me to get out of the vehicle and the door spreads open while my foot steps on the ground. I push the door closed and press the lock button to secure the car before heading to my apartment. My hand grasps onto the knob, twisting it to the side as the door is opening for me to take notice of Tessa, Gracie, and Charlotte lying on their stomachs with a bowl of popcorn between Tessa and Gracie while they're watching what I assume is the movie, Everything, Everything.

"I'm home!" I call out, causing the three of them to turn their heads at my direction. "Mom!" Tessa exclaims while she looms closer to me with her arms spreading wide for me to embrace her. My arms swathe around her and I try my best to pick her four foot eleven self, yet my knees begin to buckle. Oh, my little girl is growing up! Putting Tessa down on her feet, I ask her if she has homework. "Yeah and Aunt Gracie helped me with my homework while Aunt Charlotte took Kelly and Theodore home after she took us to the mall earlier." Tessa says.

"Did you have fun with your brother and sister along with your Aunt Charlotte?" I beam. "Yeah, Theo was talking about how nice you usually are and Kelly follows me around in every store we went to. Other than that, it's great to spend some time with with them, even though they're my half brother and sister and we share the same dad." Tessa notes.

"That's because they're looking up to you as their big sister. And younger siblings admire their older siblings for advice in life as well as guiding them in a direction of rights when they make an error turn in addition to wearing more than one hat of defending them, honoring them, and loving them." I comment and just before I ask Tessa if she ate dinner, I turn to two boxes of pizza stacked on top of the stove.

"Pepperoni?" I fold my arms in front of my chest and grin as I expect her usual answer. "Yep," she nods. I take in the notice of Gracie approaching towards me with her eyes sparkle with interest. "Kehlani, who is that cutie that played Olly in Everything, Everything? He is hot!" Gracie fans at herself with her hand, baring her teeth in a grin. I snicker and look away before facing her.

"That's Nick Robinson, why'd you ask?" I gesture by touching my forehead with the fingers of my dominant hand as well as bringing my hand forward and down, changing it to the letter y while my palm is facing me.

"Because he is so cute!" Gracie signs. "Gracie, he's born in the same year as me and Kehlani is two years older than him," Charlotte reminds while she uses her fingers and hands. Gracie raises her eyebrows. "So?"

"So," Charlotte begins. "Gracie, you're a year younger than him, let alone that you're a Pisces and he's an Aries, just like Laia. So, furthermore; you're a year younger than him. And besides, the compatibility between Pisces and Aries means your sign is gentle and his is the protector, yet you're the real protector. Your sign also understand Aries in a deeper way than most other signs do." Charlotte explains while she makes signs of a fish and spelling Aries letter by letter. I watch Gracie's eyes enlarging and her mouth is agape just before she lets out another squeal of glee.

"Thank you, guys for watching Tessa. I'll give you both twenty dollars each," I reply while my thumb and index finger unfasten the zipper of my purse for me to examine the interior to find my wallet. "Kehlani, you don't have to reward us. We got jobs and it really is great for the kids to get along while you and Blake work until the second hour of the evening." Charlotte assures.

"No, the both of you deserve it. Shoot, I save a lot," I hand Charlotte and Gracie twenty dollars each. At first, they seem reluctant, yet Tessa walks to my direction and takes the twenty dollar bills from my hands. "Ooh, thanks, mom! I can save this for college," causing her aunts and I to laugh at her reaction.

"Tessa Nicole Davis, give those twenties to your aunts and plus, I already gave you your allowance last week." I remind her and her Cheshire cat grin displays on her face. "I was joking," Tessa giggles and hands the twenty dollar bills to Charlotte and Gracie.

"She has our mom's and my sarcastic trait." Charlotte notes. "Yeah, I know." I chuckle and my eyes scan at a piece of clothing that is supposed to be one of the memories that I buried a long time ago. "Tessa, sweetie?" I begin with my eyebrow lifting.

"Yeah?"

"Where did you find that shirt?"

"I found it in your closet that was in a bag that has some old clothes that I thought belongs to you." Tessa elucidates. The shirt that Tessa is wearing is something that is supposed to be sent back to Blake after our breakup, but I figured that I'll leave him and his then girlfriend turned ho-wife in peace. I didn't realize Tessa retrieves her father's shirt until I take a notice of the nearly odorless scent of him on his spruce blue t-shirt.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Tessa queries concerningly. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion to comprehend what she's talking about until a single stream of water trails from one of my eyes down to my cheek. My eyes blink swiftly as more tears spill down my face like paint when sliding down the paper while you hold it on each side of the paper until a drop plummets on the surface. Not wanting the girls to see the sensitivity of my emotions, I wipe the stream of tears with the back of my hand. "Thank you, guys for watching Tessa and tell Kelly and Theo that I said hi." I sniffle with a small smile and Charlotte hands over a soft, delicate white napkin to me and I take it to wipe the fallen stains on the sides of my nose as well as my eyes, too.

"Okay, we'll see you and Tessa later, KeKe," Charlotte and Gracie each pull Tessa and I in their embrace before they leave the apartment with my arm draping around Tessa. "Tessa, dear?" I start and Tessa peers at my direction.

"I'm sorry that you had to see me cry in front of you and your aunts." I frankly apologize. "Mom, you are strong and it's okay to cry. It means that you're tough intellectually and crying may be presumed to be a symptom of weakness when it's really not. Crying comes in all forms." Tessa counsels.

"Thanks, Dr. Davis," I joke with an improving smile and we begin laughing. "What do yo think of the t-shirt?" I question.

"It fits great. It's not too big nor too small, so it feels just right. Whose shirt did it belong to?" Tessa asks.

"It was your dad's." I reply and she tugs at the front of the t-shirt to the front of her nose, closing her eyes as her chest lifts. "It smells like Twizzlers, like the red kind." Tessa expresses.

"Yeah, that's one of your dad's favorite candies." I chuckle. "What's your favorite candy?" Tessa queries intriguingly.

"When I was little, I was not fond of candy because I thought they were something else that is illegal, which brings to me that D.A.R.E. would come to your school this year." I remind.

"What's D.A.R.E.?" Tessa inquiries.

"Drug Abuse Resistance Education. They have an assembly that teaches you about the prevention of drug use, membership in gangs, and violent behavior yet create a stable, healthy environment to make positive choices. Also, they would give you a pamphlet, workbooks, and a comic book." I explain precisely.

"That sounds cool," Tessa nods. "So, now that I'll be turning ten this month, I have made my birthday list and I know what I want."

"You do?" I smile interestingly and take out two party size 3 Musketeers bars from my purse. "Want one?" I offer and she nods, "Yes, please." She accepts the bar, but I caution Tessa if she brushed her teeth.

"Yes, I did." Tessa sticks her thumb up. "As well as using the mouthwash?" I add. "Sure did," Tessa says while she nods.

I peel the wrapper and take a bite of the chocolate goodness with the fluffy nougat inside of the chocolate. "So, Tessa, what would you like for your birthday?" I ask.

"Well, I made a list that is not too long because I want you to save some money. I don't want a personal diary with a voice activated lock or a makeup kit since I don't like to wear makeup. I want a new bra." With what Tessa just said, I nearly choke on my chocolate bar but I swallow it. My daughter wants a new bra? I gave her one when she began growing a pair a month ago and I don't blame her. I do need to buy her some training bras at Walmart.

"Okay, I'm planning to go to Walmart this week to find some and show me your list first, okay?"

"Okay, mom." Tessa concurs and goes to her room. While Tessa is in her room, I enter my bedroom and place my purse on top of the ottoman just before I change into my bathrobe. After that, I discard today's laundry in the basket with the remaining clothes that needs to be washed. Picking the basket up in my hold, I walk to the front door of Tessa's bedroom in addition to knocking.

"Tessa, do you want your clothes washed and are you going to show me your birthday list?" I interrogate and l lean my ear forward to listen to the voices on her TV playing in the background. My free hand grips tautly onto the knob as it turns clockwise, opening for me to capture a glimpse of my Dimples Bunny slumbering in her bed with her chest and arm rising. I glance at the time of her digital alarm clock and it is just now around seven o'clock in the evening. Silly girl, I mentally snicker and quietly shut her bedroom door while I proceed to the door in addition to turning the knob for me to walk to the on-site laundry unit. I enter the laundry room and begin settling my clothes in the washer until I realize that I forgot my laundry detergent. Isn't that great? Just as I'm set to return to my apartment, shifting steady footsteps take place as I gaze at his face. At this moment right now, his shining blue eyes scan my body from head to toe and the tip of his tongue glides across his bottom lip. I remain myself in my tracks as I scan his casual attire of his navy blue tank top that his muscles are bare while his dark blue flannel patterned pajama bottoms hug his waist.

"Hey," Blake responds with a small smile.

"Hi." I greet him by waving my hand and giving him a half smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm about to do my laundry. How about you?" Blake questions.

"I was about to do my laundry until I forgot to bring my laundry detergent." I mention.

"You can use my laundry detergent," Blake lifts his gallon of Tide, shaking it as I hear the liquid swish from the inside. "Thank you, Blake." I grin and he hands me the detergent by the handle as well as pouring a cup of Tide on my clothes prior to setting it on with cold water in addition to gently shutting the lid down. "I saw Tessa's teacher at work today." Blake mentions, causing me to turn my head to him.

"Mrs. Arnolds-Stevens?" I beam.

"Yeah and she has this idea of Tessa joining the volleyball team for the fall season. Do you think she's up for it?" Blake queries. I begin ruminating about whether or not Tessa wants to join her first after school sports activity, yet this is Tessa's choice since the situation is offered to her.

"I'll ask her first thing in the morning." I say. "What is she doing right now?" Blake queries concerningly.

"She went to bed early and I usually make up her bedtime at eight o'clock." I tell him and he begins chuckling with his head down.

"Like mother like daughter," he comments. "Do you still wake up at 4:15 in he morning just like back in high school?"

"Nah. As of now, I go to bed at around eight thirty and wake up at six in the morning." I reply.

"Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I wake up between six and seven in the morning to have Kelly and Theo ready for school." Blake informs and I merely giggle nervously because I don't know what else to say, but stand beside the washing machine while Blake is gawping at me. Pivoting to get my laundry basket and return Blake's Tide detergent, I begin sauntering.

"Key, about this evening," Blake starts and I halt, turning my head to face him.

"Blake, accidents happen. We've seen each other nude before, so... apology accepted." I cut him off with an assuring beam. He nods understandingly.

"Yeah, accidents do happen." Blake responds with a brief nervous chuckle. We stand across each other in an awkward silence. "Well, good night, Blake."

"Night, Key." I briefly perambulate back to my apartment with my back leaning against the door as all I can think about is, did it really happen? I mean, yeah. Blake and I gawp at one another undressed, but with Blake being a married man seeing me naked at work seems hella weird because relationships change.

Blake

After I put the kids to bed by reading Dr. Seuss' Sleep Book, I enter the bedroom with an empty made up bed since Phedora came back home for simply fifteen minutes before she left to do her night shift at Applebee's until five in the morning. So, that's great for her to work overnight, so I can be available for the kids in my mom's apartment. I pick the remote up from the bed to turn the TV on to the show, Cops displaying on the screen. I sing along the theme song while I lay on my back on top of the bed after feeling the bed dip beneath me.

Crossing my arms behind my head, my eyes are glued to the screen as I take a gander on the Mardi Gras special edition of Cops just before my heavy eyes are threatening to begin to finally squeeze shut after working ten hours today.