Life on Banana Street

Really, I don’t remember much of that day that Tre and I were reunited.

All I know is that I loved him again, just not in that way.

****

I walked in the door of my house and I could see Billie and Joey doing some sort of puzzle.

“Okay, Joey, where do you think this piece goes?…Good job! High five!”

Obviously, neither one of them had heard me when I opened the door so I semi-slammed the door shut.

Billie jumped but it seemed to have to effect on Joey.

From what I could tell, Billie had fixed dinner already and it was still sitting in the oven until I got back.

I know. I looked.

“Well, dinner’s ready…”I said sarcastically. “Come get it while it’s…hot.”

Billie fixed his food and sat down, but waited for Joey and I to join him at the table.

When we did, he started shoveling it in.

“So, what did Tre want to talk about today?” Billie said between gouges.

My fork did not touch a single centimeter of food when I stabbed it down.

“What? I didn’t talk to Tre today…” I tried to shake it off. Billie wasn’t fooled.

He stared at me with squinty, I’m-retarded eyes.

“So, that wasn’t Tre’s number on my phone when Tre didn’t call me when we were at McDonald’s?”

Smart ass.

“Oh. That.” I took a few bites before answering. “Nothing. Just wanted to see how I was doing.”

“Oh.” He shoveled in the last bit and let his fork drop loudly unnecessarily. He belched and pat his stomach. “Well, I do some good cookin’ and you do some good heatin’ up.”

I smiled fakely and looked over to Joey to entertain him.

“Joey, are you excited about your first day of day care tomorrow?” I tried to sound enthusiastic, but it was only convincing to him.

“Yep, yep, Momma.”

“Okay, well go upstairs and brush your teeth and get in bed. You got a big day ahead of you tomorrow.”

Joey left the table and I picked up both his and Billie’s plates but Billie took them from my hands, balancing his beer in the other hand.

He just put them in the sink and turned around to me and I got to the sink and started rinsing them off.

“Where is it written where I, Adeline Armstrong, have to do all the chores?”

“Hmm…let me see…where are those papers that say we’re married?” Billie said.

I turned around and crossed my arms.

“That doesn’t prove anything,” I said.

We were playing the staring game of who was right, then Billie broke down and started hugging and kissing me.

“Baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be sexist in any way.”

I still stood there with my arms crossed not saying anything then he stopped.

“Are you mad?” he asked, flinching like I was going to hit him.

I merely shook my head and he grabbed me around my waist and threw me over his shoulder.

I shrieked in surprise and beat his shoulder playfully and laughed to put me down.

“Nope, uh uh. You’re been a bad girl. I don’t think there’s a bad enough punishment for you…” he said.

“Oh, Mr. Armstrong. Please go easy on me!” I pleaded.

“No way, Jose!” he said and threw me down on the bed. “You need to learn your lesson young lady!”

He bent down over me and kissed me deeply a few times, letting a few moans out here and there.

I rolled us over to where I was the one bent over him now.

Without breaking the kiss, he fumbled to the nightstand in search for a condom.

And you know what happened.

****

I bent over the toilet the next morning and spewed. Shit. I knew this was coming.

The timer went off and I checked the pee stick.

Well, we both wanted this, right?

I quickly shut off the timer because I didn’t want to wake Billie up.

How was I going to break this to Billie? Over dinner? While Joey’s at daycare? Next week? Now? The times ran in my head. Definitely not after work, he’d had enough stress.

The date was set. Whenever he woke up.

Or so I thought…