Imitation of Wife Read online

  “Okay, that’s fine. But wait a few seconds before pulling to the door. That’s Myrtle Ford. Let her get inside first. I don’t feel like being bothered with her bourgeois ass this morning, and if she sees me, she’s gonna try to talk to me,” Aunt Connie said, causing Janelle to laugh.

  “Aunt Connie, now you know that ain’t Christian-like.”

  “Neither is what you and Titus do, so I guess we going to hell together,” Aunt Connie said with a smirk, then opened the car door and hopped out. Janelle didn’t know whether to be offended or amused, so she just shook her head.

  After parking, she sat in the car for a few moments. Sherrod called again, then sent a text asking her to call. She thought about calling him but decided not to. Not until she’d talked to her sister. She didn’t want to complicate things any more than they already were.

  She got out of the car and hit the lock on the remote. As she walked through the parked cars, she spotted a familiar face sitting in one of them, and she stopped in her tracks. At first, she thought she was mistaken, but as she began walking closer, she had no doubt who it was. She had almost made it to the small green Honda when the door opened and he stepped out. Janelle reached into her purse and grabbed her cell phone, dialing the number by heart as fast as she could. Before the voice on the other end spoke, she did.

  “Titus, I found Tank.”

  Chapter 4

  Tricia

  “Where the hell is he?” Tricia demanded.

  “I’m going to pick him up now, Tricia. He’s safe. That’s the only thing that matters,” Titus said. “We’ll be home in a little while.”

  “What matters is how I’m gonna go upside his head when you get here,” Tricia said, grateful that her son had been located but still pissed that he’d pulled his little disappearing act.

  “See you in a bit,” Titus said, then ended the call.

  Once she arrived home, instead of retreating to the den where she spent most of her time, she went upstairs and into Tank’s bedroom. His bed was made although still rumpled where he’d probably sat on it before leaving for the game. There were pictures of him and various teammates from over the years hanging on his wall, along with ribbons and shelves of trophies. It seemed as if she blinked and he had grown up before her eyes. Tank had always been independent, but now it seemed as if he didn’t need her for anything, especially with Titus being so hands-on. Her son was now a young man she didn’t even know.

  On his desk was a pile of letters and envelopes from countless colleges. Tricia flipped through them until she spotted one that Tank had circled and put a red star on. It was from Mission College, the college Titus was attending when Tank was born. Tank hadn’t made a decision about what school he’d be attending. Out of all the offers he’d received and scouts he’d met with, Mission should have been the last school he should be considering, she thought. With his stellar grades and basketball talents, Tank was Ivy League material, or another top school, not some middle-of-the-road black college.

  The ringing of her cell phone interrupted Tricia’s snooping. Seeing her mother’s number on the screen, she took a deep breath before answering. “Hey, Mama.”

  “Good morning, Tricia. I was just calling to see how Tank’s game went.”

  “They won. As a matter of fact, he made the winning basket,” Tricia bragged.

  “Is that right? Well, good for him. Where is he so I can congratulate him?”

  “He’s out with Titus. They should be home in a little while, and I’ll have him call you,” Tricia said, not mentioning that Tank had been missing overnight. There really was no need, especially since he’d been found and was on his way home.

  “Those two stay in the street. I don’t know what Titus gon’ do when Tank go off to college. I guess you and him gonna have plenty of time to spend together and get on each other’s nerves.” Her mother laughed.

  “Probably.”

  “Y’all can always make another baby. Start over again.”

  “That’s one thing we won’t be doing, Mama. I’m almost forty.”

  “And? Plenty of women over forty are having babies these days.”

  “Not me.” Tricia thought she was imagining things when she heard crying in the background. “Mama, who is that?”

  “That’s Bethany whining. Her mama is trying to ween her off the pacifier, and she has not been a happy camper.”

  Bethany, Tricia’s 2-year-old niece, was the daughter of Violet, Tricia’s youngest sister. Tricia also had another sister, Felicia, and an older brother, Wyatt. Unlike Tricia, all of her siblings still lived in the same town where Tricia had grown up, four hours away. They also all had major drama in their lives, something Tricia avoided by avoiding them.

  “Mama, please don’t tell me you’re still the drop-off babysitter for Violet. I told you to start telling her no. Now here it is Sunday morning, and you gotta deal with an overgrown baby crying about a pacifier,” Tricia groaned as she walked out of Tank’s bedroom and into her own. Sitting on the side of the bed, she slipped her sneakers off and slid her feet into a pair of slippers.

  “I ain’t babysitting, Tricia. Calm down. Your sister is here too. She’s actually been staying here and will be home for a little while.”

  “What? Why? Where is Maurice?” Tricia said, referring to Violet’s husband.

  “They’re having problems right now.” Her mother’s voice lowered.

  “What kind of problems?” Tricia asked.

  Her mother whispered, “She left him.”

  Tricia wasn’t surprised to hear the news her mother just shared. Violet and Maurice dated on and off for years before marrying. But they constantly fought about the dumbest things: an outfit Violet wore, the way some girl spoke to Maurice in the store, some random item one of them purchased. Maurice was a truck driver, and Violet was a nurse. Their lavish wedding was the talk of the town. When Violet got pregnant, the last thing Tricia thought her sister needed was a baby, but everyone else was elated. She knew their marriage wasn’t going to last, and it seemed as if she was right.

  “And she ain’t have nowhere else to go except your house? How convenient,” Tricia said.

  “I told her to come home. She’s gonna need help with the baby.”

  “You act like she’s got a newborn, Mama. Bethany is a toddler. And help doing what? Isn’t Violet working at the same middle school where Felicia works?”

  “Yes, but still.”

  “Bethany goes to day care every day. Her mama don’t work overnight or weekends,” Tricia pointed out. “And Felicia got that big ol’ house. Why can’t Violet stay with her?”

  “Tricia, it’s just temporary. You would think she asked to come and stay with you the way you’re acting. I probably shouldn’t have even said anything to you and let Violet tell you herself.”

  Tricia couldn’t remember the last time she’d spoken to either one of her sisters. They weren’t close at all. She and Wyatt kept in contact mainly because he checked up on Tank every now and then.

  “Okay, now you’re trying to be funny, Mama.”

  “I’m just saying if she don’t bring it up next weekend, don’t you bring it up.”

  “Next weekend?” Tricia frowned.

  “You said you were coming for my luncheon.”

  “That’s week after next, Mama.” A sigh of relief escaped Tricia’s mouth. She’d been putting off her visit home for a while, but this trip would not only allow her to celebrate her mother’s birthday, but to make sure the plans for her retirement were handled correctly.

  “Okay, whenever, just don’t say nothing. And make sure Titus don’t say nothing either.”

  “I won’t, and I’m sure he won’t either.” Bethany’s screams in the background became too much for Tricia to deal with. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Tell Tank I’m proud of him, and make sure he calls me.”

  “I will,” Tricia told her before hanging up. Noticing the time, she wondered what was keeping Titus and Tank. Sh
e’d expected them to be home by now. Plus, she was starving. Normally on Sundays, Titus and Tank would go grocery shopping while she slept in, and they would pick up something for her from IHOP or Denny’s on their way back home. She would eat while they put away the groceries, then they’d head out, leaving her home to relax and enjoy her day. It was doubtful that after the events of the morning they would be bringing her food, so Tricia decided to just order Uber Eats. After placing her order, she sent Sylvia a quick text thanking her again and letting her know Tank was found.

  * * *

  “What took you so long?” Tricia asked an hour later when Titus and Tank finally made it home.

  “You ordered food?” Titus asked, staring at the IHOP bag on the sofa beside her in the den where she was sitting. “Did you order us anything?”

  “No,” Tricia admitted.

  “Good thing we stopped and got something. Tank, come in here and speak to your mother.”

  Moments later, Tank eased into the den, his eyes lowered. “Hey, Ma.”

  “Don’t ‘hey, Ma’ me. Have you lost your mind? What the hell is wrong with you not coming home? Do you know how worried we were?” Tricia screamed at him.

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.”

  “Where the hell were you?”

  “I spent the night at my friend’s house. I should’ve called and told you where I was, but I fell asleep,” Tank said. “Then this morning, my phone was dead, and I didn’t have a charger.”

  “What friend? Your friend didn’t have a charger?” Tricia waited for her son to answer those questions before she fired off any more of the hundreds she had to ask.

  “Palmer and no, he didn’t.” Tank shrugged. “I really thought I’d be home before you got up. You normally aren’t up this early. I’m really sorry.”

  “Who the hell is Palmer?” Tricia tried to recall the familiar names of Tank’s teammates.

  “He’s the team manager,” Tank told her.

  Tricia looked over at Titus to confirm this information, but he seemed to be more concerned with texting than the conversation she was having with their son. Her anger increased, and she moved to the edge of the sofa, preparing to stand, when suddenly the doorbell rang.

  “I’ll get it,” Tank offered.

  “You’ll stay your ass right here. Don’t move,” Tricia told him.

  “I got it.” Titus quickly headed out of the room.

  “Tarik DeVaughn King, what the hell is wrong with you?” Tricia went back to yelling at Tank, who looked as if he’d rather be anywhere than standing in front of her. “You are grounded, do you understand me?”

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I was irresponsible, and I know better. I should’ve made a better decision,” Tank said. “I honestly didn’t think you would panic, for real, and I really was trying to make it home before you woke up but—”

  “Man, do you know how worried we’ve been?” Coach Darby, Tank’s basketball coach, walked in and announced. He was a tall, older, but handsome gentleman, and he always seemed to talk louder than necessary, in Tricia’s opinion.

  “I know, Coach,” Tank said sheepishly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset anybody.”

  “No one’s upset, Tank. I told you, we all make mistakes, even me,” Titus said. Tricia had to bite her tongue to keep from responding. Mistake or not, she damn sure was upset, and he should’ve been too.

  Coach Darby put his arm around Tank’s shoulders. “Your dad’s right. We all make mistakes. I’m gonna need for you to perk up, because we’ve got a lot to celebrate. I’ve called a team meeting in an hour because I’ve got some news to share.”

  “News? What kind of news?” Tank asked excitedly.

  “I’ll announce it at the meeting,” Coach Darby told him.

  “Go get ready,” Titus told Tank, who wasted no time rushing out of the den. His rapid footsteps were so loud they could hear them as he ran up the stairs.

  “I told Tank he was grounded,” Tricia said. “He didn’t come home at all last night, remember?”

  The two men looked at her, and for a second, neither one said anything. Coach Darby’s eyes went to Titus, and he said, “He’ll be dealt with and punished, Tricia. Team meetings are mandatory. This isn’t a social event.”

  “He’s right.” Coach Darby nodded. “Players are required to attend.”

  “Isn’t the season over?” Tricia mumbled.

  “Coach, I talked to Tank about this, but I do wanna formally apologize to you, the players, and the coaching staff about what happened last night after the game. I was out of line, and not only did I embarrass Tank, but also myself and the entire team,” Titus said to the coach, ignoring her question.

  “Hey, tensions were high, and you just got pulled into the altercation. I understand. Hey, what did you tell Tank? Mistakes happen. You’ve been a valuable asset to the team over the past few years, and that was out of character. We not gonna let that incident overshadow Tank’s victory. That’s all we need to be focusing on right now.” Coach Darby smiled. “That, and that he’s fine.”

  “You’re right, Coach. I appreciate that.” Titus nodded.

  “A’ight, Titus, I’ll see you and Tank at the gym,” Coach Darby said. “Mrs. King, nice to see you again.”

  Tricia didn’t say anything, and both the Coach and Titus looked confused and uncomfortable.

  “I’ll walk you out,” Titus announced, and the two men exited just as Tank had earlier.

  Tricia got up. She still had plenty to say to Tank about the little stunt he pulled. She’d barely made it to the top of the stairs when she heard Tank yelling.

  “Mom?” he called out as he rushed out of his room dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and a tank top that was clinging to his body. He apparently was still wet from his shower when he put it on.

  “What?” Tricia answered.

  Tank frowned and asked, “You went to Peyton’s house this morning?”

  Stunned by his question, Tricia responded, “Huh?”

  “This morning? You went to Peyton’s house?” Tank reworded the question.

  “I did.” Tricia nodded.

  “What? Why? Why would you do that?” he groaned and shook his head.

  “Because my son was missing, and I was looking for him,” Tricia told him.

  “Oh my God. I can’t believe you. You just popped up over there. How did you even know where she lived?” Tank began pacing back and forth in the hallway.

  “You’re damn right I popped over there. And don’t worry about how I know. The question is, why the hell didn’t I know that you even had a girlfriend?” Tricia couldn’t believe he had the nerve to be questioning her when he was the one in trouble.

  “I was going to tell you when the time was right. Jesus, I haven’t even been to her house yet, or even met her parents,” Tank said. “I thought Peyton was joking when she texted and told me that.”

  “Oh, now your phone works, huh?” Tricia rolled her eyes.

  “I put it on the charger, and my texts came through. So yeah,” Tank told her. “You shouldn’t have gone over there.”

  “You should’ve brought your ass home, and I wouldn’t have gone looking for you,” Tricia yelled. “Don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t have done. Have you lost your mind?”

  “Whoa, what’s going on?” Titus came running up the steps.

  “She went to Peyton’s house looking for me. Her parents don’t even know we’re dating, and she pops up, asking if I’m there. They’re pissed,” Tank explained to Titus.

  “I’m pissed!” Tricia yelled.

  “Me too!” Tank commented.

  “I don’t give a damn what you are!” Tricia went to grab Tank, but he moved too fast, and she missed.

  “Okay, let’s all calm down. All this yelling ain’t helping. Tank, apologize to your mother, and go finish getting dressed so we can get over to the school for this meeting,” Titus told him.

  “Sor . . .” Tank didn’t even get the full word out as he
turned and stomped off to his room.

  “This is some bullshit, Titus.” Tricia sighed and walked down the hallway into their bedroom.

  Titus followed. “Tricia.”

  “His attitude is fucked up, and he’s the one who’s in trouble. I can’t deal with this.” Tricia sat on the edge of the bed. She was so angry that sweat began forming on the bridge of her nose and on her temples.

  “He apologized, Tricia. I get it, and you have a right to be upset. I was too.”

  “Was?” She looked Titus up and down.

  “Am,” he quickly corrected himself. “But let’s just give him a little space.”

  “Space? He had space when he was at Pedro’s or Palmer’s or whoever’s house last night instead of his own. And now he got the nerve to be questioning where I went. He’s lost his damn mind.” Tricia exhaled loudly.

  “Fine, maybe space isn’t the right word. Let’s let him have his moment. I talked to him already, and I’ll talk to him again, I promise.” Titus nodded. “We’ll get through this. He’s a good kid, Tricia. A damn good kid who made a bad choice last night. And I have to take some fault in that because of the fight. Some of this is on me. But you know Tank is a good kid.”

  Titus was right. Tank was a good kid. Any other kid would’ve been out somewhere partying and drinking to celebrate their win. Tank was asleep at a friend’s house. Maybe I am overreacting, but I don’t care.

  “Still, the way he just spoke to me was disrespectful,” Tricia pointed out.

  “You’re right, and like I said, I’m gonna talk to him about that. But come on, Tricia, you would’ve been mad too if you found out your mama popped up over your boo’s house.” Titus laughed.

  “Whatever.” Tricia fought the urge to smile.

  “Say what you want, but that’s something she would’ve done too. You say you and your mama are nothing alike, but you might be wrong,” Titus said. “We’ll be back in a little while. You want me to put something on the grill tonight for dinner or order something?”