Fixin’ Tyrone (9 page)

“I’m almost home,” Mia said. “It’ll take you about twenty minutes, so you can leave now if you want.”

“All right. I’m on my way. I can’t wait to see y’all. Mica, too. I miss you,” Tyrone said.

“All right, we’ll see you when you get there.” Mia disconnected with an odd feeling in her gut. She was nervous, but she didn’t know why. She called Eric just so she could talk about something different.

“Hello?”

“Eric, this is Mia.”

“Hey. Thanks for calling back. What are you doing? You’re off work.”

“Yeah. I’m on my way home.”

“Cool. So, uh, were you taking me up on my offer? You wanna have dinner tonight?”

“Yeah. I’ve been thinking about what you said. I feel stupid. I mean, if everything you’ve told me is true, I’m an idiot.”

“No, you’re not. That girl is convincing. If I were in your situation, I probably would have believed her, too. What time can you get out?”

“Probably not until seven-thirty.”

“That’s great. Do you want to go to T’afia?”

“No. I don’t feel like getting dressed up. There’s a Chile’s close to me on Altamesa.”

“That’s cool. Can I pick you up?”

“No,” Mia said. “I’ll meet you there.”

“When are you going to let me pick you up, like a traditional date?” Eric wondered.

“I don’t know,” Mia said. “Bring those pictures and we’ll go from there.”

“You want me to bring the pictures?” he asked. “I thought you believed me.”

“Do you not want to bring the pictures?”

“It’s not a problem, it’s just—”

“You’re making me wonder if this dinner is a good idea,” Mia said.

“Don’t say that. I’ll bring the pictures. Everything’s cool. Seven-thirty, right?”

“I’ll call you if something changes.”

“Okay. I look forward to seeing you.”

“Bye, Eric.” Mia hung up and drove the rest of the way home in silence. She wondered if she shouldn’t postpone one or both of her scheduled encounters, but figured it was best to get them over with—the Eric situation in particular. She couldn’t go one more day without getting to the bottom of that one.

DADDY’S HOME

When she got home, TC met her at the front door.

“Mama, I talked to my daddy today!”

“Yeah, I heard. I talked to him, too.”

“Is he coming?” The boy was so anxious. Mia smiled down at him. Out of his school clothes, TC wore denim shorts, a white T-shirt and leather sandals. He was getting taller. He didn’t look so big this time last year. Mia checked her watch.

“Yes, he’s coming. Should be here in about ten minutes.”

“Cool!” TC spun, his legs already pumping, but Mia grabbed the back of his T-shirt and halted his forward progress.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m gonna tell Mica!”

“No,
I’ll
tell Mica,” Mia said. “Where’s Crystal?”

“In her room, on the computer.”

“You go tell your aunt, and
I’ll
talk to your sister.”

“Okay!” TC yelled and sprinted off in that direction. Mia went to her daughter’s room and found Mica lying on the floor on her stomach. She had a video game controller in her hands, and her eyes were riveted to the television screen no more than five feet away. Mia sat on her bed and watched from behind. Shrek and Fiona were scampering through their swamp collecting snail eyeballs for some reason. Mica controlled the male ogre rather than his portly wife.

“How’s it going?” Mia asked.

“Fine,” Mica said without looking up.

“How was school?”

“It was okay.”

“Just okay?”

“Yeah.”

“You know TC’s dad is coming over, right?”

“Yeah, I know. TC keep talking about it. He won’t shut up.”

“Is he getting on your nerves?”

Mica pushed “Pause” and looked back at her mother.

“A little.”

Mia patted the bed.

Mica sat next to her and stared down at her hands. “I’m in trouble?”

“For what?”

“I said TC got on my nerves.”

Mia smiled. “TC’s daddy is coming over, and your daddy’s in heaven. So I can understand why you’re a little upset. Everything you’re feeling is fine. You’re just a little girl and you didn’t do anything wrong. Your daddy should be here too, but he’s not. It’s okay to be upset.”

“It’s not fair,” Mica agreed.

Mia looked up at the ceiling. “No, it’s not, but we have to get through this. Your daddy’s been gone for a long time. You knew TC’s dad was going to get out sooner or later. We’ve got to keep moving on. Me and you, we’re Clemmon
s
women. Clemmons women don’t cry when things don’t go our way. Even though you’re sad, you have to keep your chin up.”

Mica lifted her head a little. “Why did my daddy have to die?” she pondered.

Mia fought back tears, knowing she had to lead by example. “Mica, when I met your dad, I really loved him. He was tall, dark, and handsome. He had eyes just like yours. Every time I look at you, I still see him a little. He treated me good, most of the time, but he wasn’t a good person. He did bad things. I’ll have to explain it to you when you’re a little older, but no matter what he did, he didn’t deserve to die. Nobody ever deserves that.

“But that’s where being a strong woman comes in. Even if something happens to us that’s totally unfair, we still have to keep marching on. One day Mommy will get married and you’ll have a new father. And I’ll make sure he’s a good person this time. Deal?”

Mica smiled. “Deal. Are you going to marry TC’s daddy?”

Mia grinned. “No, but I’ll make sure I get one you like. I won’t even marry him unless you say you like him. Okay?”

“Okay,” Mica said. “Can I go in there when TC’s daddy gets here?”

“Yes. This is your house, too. Come on, let’s go in the living room and we can wait for him together.”

“Okay!”

* * *

Mia hoped she’d have time to change clothes, but Tyrone came a little earlier than expected. She was sitting on the couch with Mica when the doorbell rang. TC rushed from his aunt’s room and ran straight to the door. Crystal followed him out wearing the same pajama bottoms and tank top she had on this morning.

“I thought you had a class today,” Mia said.

“It got cancelled.”

“You picked the kids up like that? You didn’t feel compelled to change clothes
all day
?”

“I was—”

But Crystal’s explanation got cut off by the entrance of a man Mia still recognized, though there were a multitude of physical differences.

“Hey, TC! You got big, boy!” Tyrone stepped in and scooped his son up for a full-body hug, and Mia stared, unaware that her mouth was open.

It was the same Tyrone, but the six-year stint inside changed him in many ways. He wore a pair of jeans that were starched to crisp perfection. His K-Swiss sneakers were dazzling white, probably brand new. He wore a solid blue Polo shirt that was short-sleeved with no patterns.

Mia stared at his arms, which had the same tattoos she remembered, but she also noticed a few new ones. He now had a length of barbed wire above his left bicep. In the same area on his right arm, Mia saw the letters
TC
tattooed in Old English lettering.

Tyrone put his son down and looked around the room. Mia saw that his Polo was unbuttoned. He wore a white tee, but the undershirt did little to hide his rippling physique. Tyrone had large pectorals Mia definitely didn’t remember. His arms were also bigger, with defined muscles in his forearms and swollen biceps. And Tyrone used to have a pencil neck that met with the rest of his body with no flair. His traps and shoulders had serious bulges now.

And it wasn’t overdone. He looked nice. He was damned fine.

Tyrone had a strong jawline. He was a bit more bronze now, and the darker skin tone accentuated his beautiful hazel eyes. His moustache and goatee were gone, as well as his afro. Tyrone sported a crew cut that would have made the Marines proud. His edge-up was flawless. Overall, he was without a blemish.

He looked into Mia’s eyes and smiled, and she couldn’t help but smile back.

“You look good,” he said. “You gotta dress like that for work?”

Mia nodded, still a little speechless.

Tyrone dropped to his knees and stared at his son at eye level.

Mia looked over at Crystal and she was looking back at Mia. Crystal’s eyes were big. She looked at Tyrone then back to Mia and mouthed the word
Damn!

Indeed,
Mia thought.

“You gettin’ big, boy,” Tyrone said. He reached out and held the boy’s shoulders. “You gettin’ old, too. How old are you? Nine already?”

TC looked to the ground nervously. “I’ll be ten in—”

“I already know,” Tyrone said with a big smile. “September twenty-sixth!”

TC looked up at him and smiled back. “How’d you know that?”

“I’m yo daddy,” Tyrone said, then pulled him in for a hug. “I’m yo daddy. I know everything about you.”

Mia still had Mica in her lap. It was odd to see TC disappear in those massive arms. Mia thought that hug was going to make her uncomfortable, but she actually felt good as she watched the embrace.

Tyrone stood and looked down at his son with his eyes glistening. A tear rolled down his cheek and he wiped it away nonchalantly.

“I know you’re a little nervous, but you don’t have to feel weird around me,” he told TC. “I’m your daddy, but I wanna be your friend, too. I wanna have fun with you. We can do anything you want.”

TC’s face lit up. “You wanna see my Hot Wheels?”

Tyrone grinned. “Yeah, man. I want to see whatever you got to show me.”

“C’mon,” TC yelled, already racing towards his room.

Tyrone looked to Mia with uncertainty. TC stopped when he realized no one was following him.

“Mama, can Daddy come in my room?”

Mia nodded. “Sure. He can go.”

“Come on!” TC yelled, on the run again.

Tyrone stopped at the couch and looked down at Mica. “And who is this beautiful little girl?”

Mica turned towards her mother’s breasts.

“Go ahead, tell him your name,” Mia encouraged.

She looked back to Tyrone hesitantly. “I’m Mica,” she said softly.

“I know,” Tyrone said. “Your name is Mica Lynn Clemmons. I know a lot about you, too.”

Mica smiled and looked back to her mother, a little surprised.

Tyrone stuck out a hand for her to shake. “I’m Tyrone. Nice to meet you.”

“Go ahead,” Mia said when her daughter made no move to reciprocate. She watched Mica’s tiny hand get swallowed up by Tyrone’s, and again Mia didn’t feel awkward like she thought she would.

“Daddy, you comin?” TC called.

“I’m gonna go play with TC,” Tyrone said to Mica. “You wanna come? Is it all right if she comes, Mia?”

Mia nodded and Mica bounced from her lap. She took Tyrone’s hand and led him out of the room.

“I’ll show you his room.”

Mia watched them go, and for the life of her she couldn’t understand why she didn’t have any of the uneasiness she expected. Tyrone looked back at her and winked, and that brought it all back into perspective.

This nigga ain’t slick
, she thought.
I wanna be TC’s daddy. I’ll raise Mica like’s she my own
. That shit wasn’t happening.

Crystal couldn’t wait for them to leave. “
Girl
,” she said in a hushed voice.

“I know. He looks good,” Mia said, also whispering.

“You didn’t say he was
fine
,” she hissed. “He
fine
, girl! Look better than anything you brought home since
I
been living here.”

“Thanks a lot,” Mia whispered. “And you haven’t seen Eric yet. He’s fine, too.”

“You talking bout Secret Ag—”

“I don’t think he’s a player,” Mia said. “I talked to him today.”

“What’d he say?” Crystal asked.

“I’ll tell you later, but he explained everything. I’m going out with him tonight.”

“What about his kids?”

“They’re not his,” Mia said. “We’ll talk later. Can you look after them for a minute? I want to change clothes.”

“Okay, but you better know what you’re doing. You bust his window out. It could be a setup.”

“It’s not a setup,” Mia said. “I’ll talk to you when this fool leaves.”

* * *

Tyrone didn’t leave for an hour. After TC showed him around his room, Mica took him to her room and they sat on the floor and played a video game. Mia watched from the doorway after she changed. Seeing the three of them together made her feel good for a minute, but she kept reminding herself that this was all part of Tyrone’s ultimate scheme.