us.”
“This is a party for adults not kids! Believe me, he is grown enough.”
“I’m tired of you not liking my son, Yuri.”
“I don’t have to like him!”
“What you want me to do, pay child support and that’s it? Wash my hands of him?!”
“Now we’re getting somewhere! How’s that for a save-your-fuckin’-marriage idea!” Yuri jumped off the couch. What she’d just spat out rang in her ear like a bad tune. She looked at Jeff and thought maybe she’d cut him just a little too deep. After all, it wasn’t the kid’s fault, but it damn sure felt like it. Didn’t Jeff have a right to take care of and spend time with his son? But did he have to keep him every other weekend? Did he have to attend every play, recital and parent-teacher conference? Was it a must that he join the PTA and come home to tell Yuri all about it? Did he have to hang his son’s pictures all over their house? Was that how it was supposed to be? Was anybody sorry that this had happened to her? Or did Jeff’s always wanting a son, and his now having one, make this all good?
“My fault, Jeff.” Yuri walked over to him and placed her arms around his waist. “I know I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Who gives a fuck, Yuri?” He pushed her away. On his way into the kitchen the phone rang.
“Hello?” Yuri answered.
“Where’s my son and his father?” Kathy, Jeff Jr.’s mother, spat.
“Lets clear this up.” Yuri took a deep breath. “Don’t call my house out the side of your mouth no fuckin’ more, clean ya coochie up before you come talking shit to me, you trailer-park bitch! Jeff!” Yuri screamed. “Baby Mama Drama is on the phone. You better catch this skeezer!”
Jeff picked up the line and Yuri held the other end of the receiver to her ear. “You know, Jeff,” Kathy said. “I’m getting really tired of her thinking she can say anything she wants to me. And I know you hear me, Boom’ki-ki, or whatever the hell your fat-ass name is.”
“Unless that’s some shit you plan on saying to my face, then you need to get to the point.”
“I’m not coming to get him until tomorrow. I’m away for the weekend.”
“What, you catching another disease, bitch?!” Yuri spat. “I told you this dizzy bitch was gon’ do this, Jeff!”
“Oh, did I ruin your plans?” Kathy laughed.
Jeff shook his head; he looked at his son, who was still coloring, and patted him on the head. He knew his son’s presence restricted what he could say. “Katherine,” he said sternly, “tomorrow is Monday and we have to work.”
“And so do I, Jeff! Send his stepmother to take him to school!” And she hung up.
“I hope,” Yuri said into the phone, over the dial tone, “that this is worth every drop of that nut you brought to life! Now, I don’t know what you gon’ do, but I’m ready to go.”
“I’ma let that shit you just said slide, ’cause if I think about it too long, I’ma hurt you.” Jeff hung up the phone. “Jr., let’s go, man. We’re going out.”
“What about my mommy, Daddy?”
“She’ll be there to get you from school tomorrow.”
“But I want my mommy.” He began to cry.
“What did I say, Jefferson!” Jeff snapped. Realizing that he’d just taken his frustration out on his son, he turned to him. “Daddy’s sorry, man. I am. Get your coat and let’s go. You’ll see your mommy tomorrow.”
“Okay, Daddy.” He sniffed.
As they headed for the front entrance to step outside, Yuri noticed that Jr.’s coat was hanging off his shoulders, his hat was still in his hands and his nose was running. She took a tissue from her purse and wiped his nose. “Sweetie,” she said, making an effort to be kind to him, “let me fix you here.” She squatted to her knees and pulled his coat onto his shoulders.
Instantly Jeff’s face brightened up. “Thanks, Yuri.” He stroked her back.
“Let me see your hat, baby.” Yuri took Jr.’s hat from his hands.
Jr. squinted his eyes and snapped
“This is a party for adults not kids! Believe me, he is grown enough.”
“I’m tired of you not liking my son, Yuri.”
“I don’t have to like him!”
“What you want me to do, pay child support and that’s it? Wash my hands of him?!”
“Now we’re getting somewhere! How’s that for a save-your-fuckin’-marriage idea!” Yuri jumped off the couch. What she’d just spat out rang in her ear like a bad tune. She looked at Jeff and thought maybe she’d cut him just a little too deep. After all, it wasn’t the kid’s fault, but it damn sure felt like it. Didn’t Jeff have a right to take care of and spend time with his son? But did he have to keep him every other weekend? Did he have to attend every play, recital and parent-teacher conference? Was it a must that he join the PTA and come home to tell Yuri all about it? Did he have to hang his son’s pictures all over their house? Was that how it was supposed to be? Was anybody sorry that this had happened to her? Or did Jeff’s always wanting a son, and his now having one, make this all good?
“My fault, Jeff.” Yuri walked over to him and placed her arms around his waist. “I know I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Who gives a fuck, Yuri?” He pushed her away. On his way into the kitchen the phone rang.
“Hello?” Yuri answered.
“Where’s my son and his father?” Kathy, Jeff Jr.’s mother, spat.
“Lets clear this up.” Yuri took a deep breath. “Don’t call my house out the side of your mouth no fuckin’ more, clean ya coochie up before you come talking shit to me, you trailer-park bitch! Jeff!” Yuri screamed. “Baby Mama Drama is on the phone. You better catch this skeezer!”
Jeff picked up the line and Yuri held the other end of the receiver to her ear. “You know, Jeff,” Kathy said. “I’m getting really tired of her thinking she can say anything she wants to me. And I know you hear me, Boom’ki-ki, or whatever the hell your fat-ass name is.”
“Unless that’s some shit you plan on saying to my face, then you need to get to the point.”
“I’m not coming to get him until tomorrow. I’m away for the weekend.”
“What, you catching another disease, bitch?!” Yuri spat. “I told you this dizzy bitch was gon’ do this, Jeff!”
“Oh, did I ruin your plans?” Kathy laughed.
Jeff shook his head; he looked at his son, who was still coloring, and patted him on the head. He knew his son’s presence restricted what he could say. “Katherine,” he said sternly, “tomorrow is Monday and we have to work.”
“And so do I, Jeff! Send his stepmother to take him to school!” And she hung up.
“I hope,” Yuri said into the phone, over the dial tone, “that this is worth every drop of that nut you brought to life! Now, I don’t know what you gon’ do, but I’m ready to go.”
“I’ma let that shit you just said slide, ’cause if I think about it too long, I’ma hurt you.” Jeff hung up the phone. “Jr., let’s go, man. We’re going out.”
“What about my mommy, Daddy?”
“She’ll be there to get you from school tomorrow.”
“But I want my mommy.” He began to cry.
“What did I say, Jefferson!” Jeff snapped. Realizing that he’d just taken his frustration out on his son, he turned to him. “Daddy’s sorry, man. I am. Get your coat and let’s go. You’ll see your mommy tomorrow.”
“Okay, Daddy.” He sniffed.
As they headed for the front entrance to step outside, Yuri noticed that Jr.’s coat was hanging off his shoulders, his hat was still in his hands and his nose was running. She took a tissue from her purse and wiped his nose. “Sweetie,” she said, making an effort to be kind to him, “let me fix you here.” She squatted to her knees and pulled his coat onto his shoulders.
Instantly Jeff’s face brightened up. “Thanks, Yuri.” He stroked her back.
“Let me see your hat, baby.” Yuri took Jr.’s hat from his hands.
Jr. squinted his eyes and snapped
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