PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9 | PART 10

“Hey Rita.  Let me guess.  The fellas are in the room glued to that Zombie game?”

“Girl you know it.  Let’s sit in my room where it’s quiet.”

“Sure.  What’s on your mind?”

I look up after melting into her plushy easy chair to see an expression of concern on her face.

“What’s wrong Rita?  Your job?  A Man!”

A stern serious expression covers her face.

“Yes it is about a man, but not mine.”

“Ohhhh.  You have me curious now.  Who and what?”

I smile. It quickly fades.  What is wrong?

“Lisa, your husband is.  He is  um.  I just don’t know if I should tell you.”

I notice her eyes welling with tears.

“He is a hoe? Girl I know that already.  I thought that you were having problems with someone and needed a “ride or die” running partner.”

“Lisa.  How can you be so nonchalant about this?  He is cheating on you and you don’t even seem to care?  Wait a minute!  Are you creeping too?”

A devious grin slides onto Rita’s face.

“No way girl.  Although I have been approached.  I won’t do to him what he is doing to me.  I appreciate the concern but I am just biding my time until Devon graduates from high school then I am gone!!!”

“Lisa.  That’s two years away?  How will you?  Hold on. What about . . . you know?”

“Child, I lost interest in that with him a long time ago when he cheated the second time.  I will not leave this earth by anything that he might give me.  I just pray and take a lot of cold showers.”

Our laughter draws a knock at the bedroom door.

“Mom.  Are you and Aunt Lisa okay?  You’re both really loud.”

Rita opens the door.

“Boy, I know that you are not complaining about my level of noise up in this piece!”

“Just kidding Mom.  Can Devon and I go to the park?”

“Be back in an hour. Dinner will be ready.”

The boys zip out the door.

Rita closing the door turns and smiles.

“That boy is my joy.  He is the only good thing that my sorry ex gave me.”

I sit on the barstool at the kitchen counter.

“Mine too Rita.  Mine too.”

Silence and sighs.  Rita smashes the silence.

“Smirnoff or Sangria?”

To be continued…