• • •
The next morning, Dasia was awakened by a faint sound coming from their bathroom. Stephen wasn’t in bed, but a light shone from underneath the door. She heard the noise again so she tiptoed to the door, pressed her ear against it, and heard muffled moans.
“Um . . . uh . . . uh . . . hmmm . . . ahhh . . .”
“What the—” She slowly turned the knob, peeked inside, and saw the outline of her husband, in the shower, jacking off. Instantly, Dasia was hurt that he had chosen to get himself off instead of having sex with her.
Closing the door, Dasia sat on the bed, pissed. Within moments, the bathroom door opened and Stephen emerged.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked, seeing Dasia’s twisted face. He dried off and put on a pair of underwear.
“Were you in the bathroom getting off?” She knew the answer but wanted to hear it from him.
Putting lotion on his body, Stephen answered bluntly, “Yep.”
“Why do that when I’m right here?”
Stephen dressed but gathered his thoughts carefully. “When I wanted some last night, you were asleep. You’re never in the mood. Either you’re too tired or one of the kids is latched to you. Damn, I can’t even feel a titty because you’re slapping my hand away.” He reached toward her and tried to touch one. As he expected, she slapped it away. “My point exactly.”
“Stephen, I just had not one baby but two. What do you expect?”
He turned and looked at her. “Just had them? Dasia, it’s been four months. Hell, one of them is getting teeth.” Before he put the rest of his gear on, he hit her with an unexpected question. “Would you rather me get off at home or with another chick? I’m really trying not to step out on you because I love you, but damn, baby, it’s hard.”
If looks could have killed, Stephen would have been dead. Never in a million years would she have thought her husband would speak to her the way he had.
Before she could answer, a wail came through on the baby monitor. Heading to the nursery, Dasia heard the front door close and Stephen’s car start. Her heart broke. She wondered how her husband could be so heartless.
It took Dasia two hours to get herself and the twins ready before she made it to the United Methodist Church in Dunwoody for her weekly outing.
She headed to Perimeter Mall with a group of other moms, where they window-shopped and talked about their kids. A display at Victoria’s Secret caught her eye. She wanted to buy something, but she didn’t want Stephen to be put off by her newfound appearance, so she passed.
Strolling to the food court, the women sat around at the Baja Bistro eating a variety of Mexican food until one of them became very quiet. “What’s wrong, Stephanie?” Dasia asked. She noticed that she wasn’t as talkative as she had been in the past, nor did she order any food.
“Michael wants a divorce,” she confirmed. The women looked at her in shock. “He’s been sleeping with someone else since I had the baby, and now he wants out.”
Everybody tried to console Stephanie but Dasia thought back to what Stephen said a few hours ago. Would you rather me get off at home or with another chick? I’m really trying not to step out on you because I love you, but damn, baby, it’s hard. She couldn’t end up like Stephanie.
When Stephen arrived home that night, Dasia already had the kids down and wanted to talk to her husband.
“Hey, babe,” he acknowledged, looking at his wife in his sweats and a head wrap. What he wouldn’t give for her to get out of those just for one night. “I’m sorry about earlier. I was wrong for saying what I did.”
“The way you said it, yes, but I understand.” She looked at her handsome husband and reached her hand out toward him and through a stifled yawn, said, “I want to make love to you.”
Stephen looked at her. “I’d like to but maybe another time.”
• • •
Because of Stephen’s reaction, Dasia’s mind was busy and she was unable to sleep. The next morning, she called her mother because she needed someone to talk to.
“Hey, Ma,” she spoke when her mother answered the phone.
“Hey, sweetheart! How are you? How’re my grandbabies?” Dasia was silent. “Dasia. Honey, you there?”
Instantly, she began to cry. “Mom, I need your help. I think I’m losing Stephen. Things have changed since I had the twins. I . . . I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“I’ll be right over.” Her mother hung up the phone and within thirty minutes, she was at her daughter’s door.
Dasia was thankful to see her mother and hugged her closely. “Mom, nobody said it would be this hard trying to take care of kids.”