Read Online Fixin’ Tyrone by Keith Thomas Walker - Free Book Online

in Iraq. She told you they were my kids? Man, that’s a new one. That’s crazy . My kids? I hope you don’t believe that.”
    “I don’t know what to believe,” Mia said, and that was the God’s-honest truth.
    “Well, if you still believe her, will you at least meet me so I can show you my brother’s pictures? She’s a liar, Mia; an evil, evil woman. Please believe me. I thought we had something special.”
    “I gotta go, Eric. Five minutes is up.”
    “Are you going to meet me? Can we have dinner tonight?”
    “I don’t know,” Mia said.
    “Well, tell me you believe me, at least. I’ll bring a copy of the restraining order if you want to see it.”
    “I’ll call you later.”
    “Tonight?”
    “We’ll see,” Mia said.
    “Okay. Talk to you later. And, once again, I’m sorry about all of this. Hopefully this is just a little hump we can get over.”
    Mia hung up and looked around her office for the candid cameras. There were none, which meant this was all real. Unbelievably, ridiculously, and preposterously real.
    She sighed heavily and left her office to find the new hire.
    * * *
     
    Crystal called the office to let her know Tyrone had been calling, but Mia didn’t have time to call her sister back until the drive home.
    “Hello?”
    “Crystal, it’s me.”
    “Oh, what’s up, girl. You off already?”
    “Yeah. Tyrone’s been calling?”
    “He called twice already; once when we first got home and again around four-thirty.”
    “What’d he say?” Mia asked.
    “He said he wanted to come see TC. He got a deep voice. He sound like he look good.”
    Mia shook her head. “I’m already on 35. I’ll be home by five-thirty. What are the kids doing?”
    “Mica’s playing a video game. TC’s bouncing off the walls.”
    “He knows Tyrone’s been calling.”
    “He answered the phone the first time,” Crystal said.
    Again Mia felt that sting of uncertainty. “You let them talk?”
    “Not really. I think Tyrone said who he was and TC said hi. They might have talked for a minute. TC came and gave me the phone.”
    “What’d he say after that?”
    “He just told me he wanted to come over.”
    “No, I mean TC.”
    “He was happy. Girl, what’s wrong with you?”
    “I don’t know,” Mia said.
    “You mad ’cause Tyrone talked to TC?”
    Mia knew it was wrong to feel that way, but couldn’t help it. “That’s wrong, ain’t it?”
    “Yeah, Mia. Just ’cause you don’t like him, don’t mean you should ruin it for TC. That’s his daddy, the only one he got.”
    “That’s deep , Crystal. Your wisdom surprises me sometimes.”
    Crystal chuckled. “Girl, I be watching Montel !”
    Mia laughed too. “Hey, where did Tyrone call from?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Can you get the number off the caller ID?”
    “Yeah,” Crystal said. “It’s, um, 817, 555”
    “Three-four-eight-six?”
    “Yeah. How you know?”
    “That’s his mother’s number,” Mia said. “It hasn’t changed in ten years.”
    “I don’t even remember my last boyfriend’s phone number,” Crystal said. “You’ve got a bionic memory!”
    Mia chuckled. “Tell TC I’ll be home in a minute and Tyrone can come over then.”
    “All right,” Crystal said and hung up.
    Mia took a few deep breaths before calling TC’s father. She dreaded this moment for the last six years but knew it had to be done. Tyrone’s mother answered on the first ring.
    “Hello. Mrs. Story? This is Mia.”
    “Mia? Mia? Good Lord, girl. I haven’t heard from you in ages.”
    “Yes, ma’am. It has been a while. How’s everything been going?”
    “Oh, fine, baby. I hear you did real good for yourself . . .”
    “Thanks,” Mia said. “I’ve done all right.”
    “You’re calling for Tyrone. He hasn’t stopped talking about you since he got home. Hold on, baby, let me get him for you. Tyrone !”
    Mia wondered why old people didn’t take the phone away from their mouths when they yelled. She waited a few seconds, and