Times Are Changing

"I am going for my jog," Monique smiled, giving me a kiss. I returned the smile and waved off, as her new friend Vivian jogged in place outside waiting. The girls were asleep, and it was now my time. I turned on the TV, making sure it isn't too loud, and enjoyed some Beavis and Butthead. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Did you forget something, babe?" I ask, not bothering to check who it is. We don't usually have visitors, unless it's Weston or Vivian and blegh, who cares.

"Ugh," she peeped. I furrowed my brows as I saw Chelsea stand in front of me.

"What are you doing here?" I lightly growl, and suddenly tears fell down her cheeks.

"I'm scared, David!" she cried out, rushing into my arms. I backed up, and pushed her.

"Stop," I demanded. Chelsea nods, then stared at the floor.

"Please, don't push me out, David. We've been friends for too long," she sniffled.

"What do you want, Chelsea?" I repeat, feeling annoyed at having to wait for her to explain herself.

"I have a child," she whispers. My brows furrowed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I groan.

"I have a child, okay. Gaby didn't tell anyone, that's why you didn't see me for a while, I have a child!" she cried out, I slightly gulped.

"What does that have to do with me?" I quietly inquire.

"You know why," she whispers.

"No, I don't, explain," I retort.

"Stop," she begs. "I just need help, like from Monique."

"No, I draw the line. Get out," I order.

"Not like that, David!" she cries out.

"Then what the hell are you talking about?" I almost forgot my two girls are sleeping there, until I heard one of them make a mum-mum, noise.

"Are these..." Chelsea breaths out, walking over and staring down at them. "They're like, little angels, David. Really beautiful."

"Thanks, now what the hell were you talking about?" I furrow my brows. What the hell was she talking about? What did she need Monique for? I felt so confused.

...

That's when all hell broke loose. That's when I came back inside after Weston came over offering Monique his services to inform the authorities of our physical fight. I glanced at the girls and sat there. If any man dare touch them, I'd make him disappear. I averted my eyes to outside, where I saw Monique decline Weston's help up. What makes me any different on what I did to her? I let out a sigh and stood, going up stairs.

"David?" Monique's angelic voice calls from down stairs. I was almost finished folding the clothes and lining them up. "David," she whispers after she entered the room. "What, what are you doing?"

"I agree with you," I mutter, gulping down a lump in my throat. I didn't want to look at her, to see the damage that I caused to her lip. I tightly closed my eyes and picked up the last pile.

"No," she whispers, placing her hand on mine. I open my eyes and stare at her hands.

"I'll be back," I assure, again not giving her my full attention.

"Look at me," she begs. I shake my head.
"David, look at me now, or I wont be here when you return."

"Then," I thought about it and smiled a little to myself. "I am taking Dominic on a men's trip."

"No," she whispers.

"You'll have the girls to take care of, it'll be easier for you anyway," I shrug. Monique was pissed off, because now she wouldn't have all the power if I take Dominic. She can't just disappear with the kids.

"David," she grabbed the bottom of my face and jerks my head in her direction. In response, I tightly close my eyes. "Look at me." Something about the way she said it that time, I slowly opened my eyes. I felt a tinge, a tight pain in my chest when I saw how big her lip had gotten. "At me." she points to her eyes. "If you go, that wont make anything better."

"Yes it will, we need time apart," I excuse. At which she shook her head.

"It might make it worse, because we'll have so much time to think about bad shit, because we didn't handle it, we just ran from the situation," she explains. I roll my eyes.

"It might be what you need," I say with a slight smile, a weak one at that.

"What I need is you," she lets out a deep breath. I noticed her chewing the inside of her lip as she shifted her eyes from my left one to my right one. "I need you to stop, just stop. Having Chelsea in here to talk to me."

"You didn't even give me time to explain," I sigh.

"I don't care. When I wanted her gone, you should have had my back," she frowns.

"I'm sorry," I apologize. She perks up a little, and stares at me.

"Usually you don't apologize so wilingly, lately, why?" she furrowed her brows.

"Because when you realize you love someone, you don't care if you look weak to them or not," I say with a smile and kissed her beaten up lip. I craddle the side of her face in my hand, allowing my thumb to lightly stroke over her busted bottom lip. "I shouldn't have hit you."

"I hit you first," she reminds.

"I wouldn't let you go," I justify and she rolled her eyes. "Besides, I am a guy."

"Doesn't matter, women want equal rights. That is equal rights for you, I struck first and attacked, you retaliated. It wasn't even as bad as you think." I glare at her after she said that, it's not as bad as I think.

"If any guy ever lay a hand on our girls, I'll beat his ass. But yet, it's okay for me to give their mom a busted bottom lip? So, you tell me, it's not as bad as I think? So if some guy gave Maxine or Maveen a busted lip, you would tell them it's not that bad?" I question, tired of her ignorance. How did she think she was comforting me?

"That is a good point, but when it comes to me, David." I put my hand up.

"Shh," I hush. "I need to get away."

"No," she breathed out, tears forming in her eyes. "Please."

"Stop," I glance down. "Just stop."

"David," she sniffled. "I don't want to be alone here."

"You wont be, the girls will be here," I remind.

"Please, please," she continued as I walked over to David's room.

"Don't make him think this is a bad thing, Monique. I want him to be able to enjoy a boys day with daddy," I growl. She stood there with her arms across her chest and a pouty face. I awoke Dominic and grinned.

"Dadda?" Dominic yawns, staring at me.

"Come on boy!" I squeal, trying to get him all excited. At which, it worked. He bounced around the room and helped me pack some stuff. I went in the bathroom to take a piss when I realized the small black eye that formed.

"Dadda, ready?!" I heard Dominic holler from the other room. I finished, and returned to him.

"Yep," I grin, giving Monique a kiss.

"Please," she quietly attempted one last time. I shook my head, grabbed the stuff and made sure Dominic was following me. Monique stood there, gawking at us with tears in her eyes. I glanced back at her then let out a deep breath, putting Dominic in the truck.

"I love you," I call.

"I love you too," she repeats. I weakly smile, then got inside driving away.

"John?" I called him, the only person I could think of right now.

"What's up?"

"I left."

"What?"

"I left with Dominic."

"What the hell happened?"

"Chelsea showed up."

"Come over, now."

"I don't know man."

"What did she want?"

"Help."

"With?"

"A baby."

"Who's?"

"She said...is the line clear?"

"Yeah, Gaby's at her mom's with Liam."

"She said it's yours."

"What the fuck!"

"Yeah, John...did you?"

"Fuck."

"Dumb."

"David, I don't need this right now..."

"Why didn't she go to you then?"

"I don't know... Maybe. She told you it was mine?"

"No, Monique asked her."

"Ooooh, that makes more sense."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe she just told Monique that, so she can get help."

"What are you getting at?"

"Maybe you are the father."

"Shut the hell up."

"No, it's possible. You were drunk that night."

"I don't remember it, just stop."

"David, Monique has to know."

"No, just no. It doesn't matter. Today was horrible."

"What happened?"

"I'm down your street now, come outside and see."

We hung up, and sure enough John came jogging outside. When he saw my face, he stopped in mid track. John's eyes shifted to Dominic, and a sort of relief over flowed him.

"She beat you up?" John stiffed a laugh.

"Not exactly." John's demeanor changed.

"Did you..." he didn't have to finish that sentence.

"Sadly. Pathetically."

"Damn it, David," John cursed. Dominic was running around crazily in the house, with his stuffed moose in his hands the whole time. I sat on the couch with a frown.

"I had to leave, she didn't want me to, but I had to." I cleared my throat. "I feel pathetic."

"How bad was it?" John hesitantly inquired.

"Does it really matter? I stooped to a whole new low," I felt myself ready to choke. "She has a busted bottom lip."

"Is she going to call the cops?" He suggested, at which I shook my head.

"Weston offered," I inform.

"There was a witness?" John sighs.

"Yup." I nod. "But, Mojo declined it."

"Damn," John mutters. "Maybe cause she knows it's not like you're going to become some woman beater, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Then again, I can see she has her doubts. She just wants us to work it out, but I feel..." I paused. I can't finish that sentence.

"Ashamed?" John filled in. "Embarrassed?"

"Yeah," I slouch forward. "I hate it."

"Well, man... Shit sucks."

"You're telling me."

Then we both turned on the TV and sat there in silence, occasionally peeking at Dominic as he played alone.