You Again

Chapter 3

He obviously didn’t know I was in it. He looked scared. “Adisa.”

“Ernie, what are you doing here?”

He gave me an envelope filled with money. “It’s about twenty thousand there. I’ll help with the rest as soon as I can.” I gave him the envelope back. “What are you doing?”

“Ernie, I don’t want your money.”

“I don’t care what you want Adisa. You couldn’t buy the child ice cream. Just take it.”

I started to cry. This was gonna be harder than I thought. “Ernest, I really can’t.”

“Think of it as child support. I want you and Aaliyah to have the best. I f****d up and I need to make up for it. I hurt you so bad. And I need to do this. For her. For your mom. For you. I love you so much Iss.”

I hugged him and held him tight. I loved him. He was my first love. And nothing ever made me stop loving him. “I still can not take this.”

“Either you take it. Or I’ll take it to the bank and pay the mortgage for you. Mrs. Goldberg still works there. What was it your mom used to say? She couldn’t hold water if it was raining in her glass.”

He wasn’t going to let it go. Or he was gonna make this worse. The last thing I wanted was for Cheyenne to know he’d been talking to me.

“I don’t think Cheyenne would like that.” I tried to remind him about his fiancé whom hated me.

“You’re the only one worried about her.”

“I’m not her biggest fan. She’d blow a gasket if she knew you paid that much money for me.”

“Again, you’re the only one worried about Cheyenne.”

I sighed. He was as relentless as I remembered. His persistence was something I once found endearing. How foolish of me.

“Thanks.”

“Come get your groceries tomorrow. I will make sure Ira takes care of everything.”

“Don’t do that.”

He picked up my chin and looked me in the eyes. “I own a supermarket, there is no reason for you and our daughter to starve.”

“Thank you, Ernest.”

“You know if I could, I’d give you the moon and the sun, and every other star in the sky.”

I took in a deep breath. “You should get back to work.”

He kissed my cheek. “I’m expecting you to get your food tomorrow. Don’t make me extort you again.” With that he walked back to his car. He waved at me before he pulled off.

I looked down at the envelope. My dad was definitely going to lose it. Ernest wasn’t his favorite person. Now he held the key to keeping us afloat for the next few months.

“Adisa, what would possibly possess you to take a dime from him. He nearly killed you once. Don’t you dare think it would never happen again.”

“He’s been sober for all her life.”

“Bobby”-

“Is very dead daddy. He isn’t coming back. And Ernest is her father. He loved mommy. He is just trying to help.”

“Iss, please be careful. For her. Be careful.”

As promised, I went to the supermarket 45 minutes before closing hoping no one would see me, and that Ernest would be gone.

“It’s really late for you to be out,” Ernest said as he led a train of shopping carts back to the front of the store.

“I thought that was a teenage boy’s job. You fire the poor kid?”

“School tomorrow, I sent him home an hour or so ago.”

Ernest walked the store with me. He loaded the cart with snacks. “My dad can’t have chips.”

“He eats at Laverne’s most meals. A few chips won’t due him in.”

“Does everyone know that?”

“That your dad is lonely and slept in the police station until you got to town... Maybe a few people know,” he said being sarcastic.

“I wish I knew sooner…”

“She didn’t want anyone to know. It was too late when she found out. She didn’t want you guys to watch her wither away.”

I hugged him. I missed my mom so much. I didn’t know how I was going to get through this. “I got you.” I knew he did. He always did.

Ernest entered his home after his shift to find the TV blasting and Cheyenne laying on the floor. She was dressed as if she was on her way to a posh night club. Her heels lay next to her. Ernest scooped her up in his arms and put her to bed.

He went through her bag and wallet. There was no contraband to be found. He was proud of her for respecting there house enough not to bring anything home that could interfere with their recovery. It wasn’t often that Cheyenne partied, but her baby sister was getting married. And he knew she was better at getting back on the wagon than he was.

His recovery was a bumpy road, but now he had a chance to make his future brighter. His daughter was no longer on the other side of the country. He was gonna have a relationship with her. At least he wanted to. Then again why would that perfect angel want anything to do with him?