eight months later
“janessa, are you completely sure about this?” Tempest asked, seemingly more nervous and agitated by the current situation than anyone else. She was pacing the floor in Janessa’s basement apartment and biting her nails. “If you have any doubts whatsoever, you shouldn’t go through with it.”
Janessa struggled to get Brendan’s suede boot onto his left foot. He was sitting up on the couch, smiling and cooing, obviously amused with the hard time she was having. He looked so much like his father that it was downright scary sometimes.
“I’m not positive this is the right move, Tempest,” Janessa replied in a near whisper, not even glancing in Tempest’s direction. “But like you’ve told me buku times, there can be no progress without discussion.”
“Hmph, true,” Tempest reluctantly admitted. She was still hoping Janessa would change her mind at the last minute, so she could have the honor of telling Dvontè to fuck off before slamming the door in his face.
“Don’t get me wrong. I was just as shocked as you, more even, when Dvontè called here out of the blue.”
Tempest stopped pacing, abandoned the idea of gnawing her nails, and opted to place her hands on her hips instead. “What do you think he wants?”
“How should I know? Do I look like a psychic?” Janessa asked with a tinge of sarcasm in her voice.
“No, actually you look like a fool,” Tempest snapped back at her. Ever since Dvontè had called a few days before, Tempest had desperately tried to keep her composure, but enough was enough. “How in the world could you even agree to see him, even for five seconds? Where was he during the pregnancy? Where has he been for the past eight months since Brendan was born?”
Janessa sucked in air to prevent herself from going off on Tempest. “Look, Tempest, I really don’t need this crap from you today. Aiight? I’m stressed enough as it is.”
“Whatever. It’s your life.”
Tempest walked over to the playpen and wiped formula off Sydney’s mouth with a bib. She was so elated that Kensington had allowed Geren and her to adopt the baby girl. Tempest had her already lengthy hair in small cornrows and had requested the doctor pierce Sydney’s ears during her last immunization appointment. Tempest loved the way the diamond studs brought out the hazel in the baby’s eyes.
“Dvontè claims he just wants to see Brendan and talk. What harm can come from that?”
“None, I suppose,” Tempest replied sullenly. If you can’t beat them, join them, so she decided to get with the program. It appeared Janessa was hell-bent on seeing him. “You sure you don’t mind Sydney tagging along with you guys?”
Janessa had succeeded with the shoe task and had moved on to stuffing Brendan’s short arms into a fleece Dallas Cowboys jacket. “Not at all. The more the merrier. At least he can’t try to get in my pants with two babies in tow.”
Tempest swung around and glared at Janessa like she had lost her damn mind. “Are you saying you would mess around with him again?”
“I’m not saying anything of the sort!” Janessa stated angrily, raising her voice a notch. “I just mean that he won’t try anything with them around.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about all of that.” Tempest hoped Janessa wouldn’t hop back in the sack with Dvontè at the drop of a dime. She took Sydney out of the playpen, walked across the room, and sat her down beside Brendan on the couch. The two babies immediately started giggling and smiling at each other. “We are talking about Dvontè, after all.”
Janessa really didn’t want to get into a full-blown altercation with Tempest. She was tense enough, so she decided to change the subject. “The kids sure love playing together.”
“Aren’t they the cutest things?” Tempest asked, grinning from ear to ear herself at the scene. “Oh, by the way, Kensington said to tell you hello. She called yesterday.”
Janessa left the babies with Tempest and went into her bedroom to get a pair of athletic shoes to slip on. She shouted back out into the living room. “How does she like the boarding school in Connecticut?”
“Well, needless to say, it’s quite an adjustment for her,” Tempest replied. Geren and Tempest had convinced Pauline to let Kensington attend boarding school. Pauline eagerly agreed as long as Tempest and Geren were footing all of the bills. It gave Kensington a chance to flourish academically and gave Pauline a chance to finally grow up herself. “She said that there are less than ten African-American girls in the entire school.”
“Really? That’s wild!”
“Yes, it is, and of course she misses boys. Hopefully, going to an all-female school will help her to concentrate on her studies and not get into any more sticky situations.”
“Oh, I’m sure Kensington has learned her lesson,” Janessa said, prancing back into the room. Tempest couldn’t help but notice that Janessa had put on some eyeliner and lipstick while she was back in the bedroom, but she decided not to take issue with it. “I know I have. No more babies for me until I’m married and have a successful career.”
“You go, girl, with your making-straight-A’s-in-college self!” Tempest exclaimed, getting up from the couch to give Janessa a high five. Janessa had started Howard a couple of months before and was acing everything, just like Tempest knew she would. “All in all, I think Kensington will be happy there. She seems to like her roommate a lot. She’s from Boston.”
“That’s cool. What’s even cooler is the way you and Geren keep looking out for Kensington, and me, for that matter. We both owe our lives to you.”
Tempest could feel her eyes filling up with tears. She dabbed at them, praying a full stream wouldn’t start. “Aw, hell, don’t make me cry up in here.”
Janessa snickered at her. “You know you’re my shero.”
Tempest gave Janessa a bear hug and whispered in her ear, “I love you, Janessa. You’re the best friend anyone could ever ask for.”