As Long as There is Love- Chapter Five
Nina waited until the children exited the car and headed to the house before she shifted in her seat and questioned Travis about his silence. To her surprise, he had been quiet the entire ride except for his usual sly remarks. Now that they were alone she could ask him about it.
"Okay what's with the silent treatment? Did you and Ronnie have a fight or something?"
He shook his head, but didn't speak. He seemed to be in deep thought.
Nina rolled her eyes and opened the door. "Okay, well see ya." She started to get out, but Travis reached for her.
"Wait Nino."
She smiled and sat back down. He was ready to talk about it. "Yes?"
"Ronnie's pregnant again." He replied quietly.
"Um," Nina raised her brow, confused. "Well, yeah. It's pretty hard not to notice with that ever growing stomach of hers." She joked with a giggle and Travis watched her with disbelief.
"Why?"
"No reason." He smiled.
Sensing the change in his mood, Nina got suspicious. "What are ya hiding?"
He then shoved his hands into his pockets. "Nothing. I just thought you were gonna yell at me for putting that kind of burden on Ronnie again."
"I'm over that now. We've been through that when little T was born. As you said before, if you marry Ronnie you're going to do it when you're ready." Nina smirked, holding her hand out. "Now…give it to me." She demanded.
Removing his hands from his pockets, with his fist balled up, he released the item into her hand.
It was a small velvet case. Nina watched him with probing eyes, before opening it. "What the fu-"She gasped in shocked at the sparkling jewel shining back at her.
"What do ya think?"
"You're kidding right?" Nina retrieved the small ring from the case. "Damn, what store did ya rob T? This is beautiful. Is it for Ronnie?" She beamed.
"No it's for one of my ho's," He smirked playfully. "Of course it's for Ronnie," Travis quickly corrected when Nina shot him a hateful look.
"Yeah, but I've been thinking of this for a long time, since little T was born."
Nina didn't know what to say, obviously thrown for a loop. Suddenly she wondered why he constantly fought with her over getting married when they first found out about Travis. However, Now, he says he's been contemplating it all along. She couldn't believe she was sitting here listening to her sister's simpleminded boyfriend admit that he was ready for marriage, and mean it. After three years, and one and a half kids, Travis was ready to make a transition from boyfriend and father, to husband.
Nina handed the ring back over. "Ronnie will love it. She'll be shocked, but she'll love it." She laughed.
"Ya think so?" Travis grinned.
Nina nodded and reached over to hug him. "Are ya coming inside?"
"Nah, I gotta think this through some more." He laughed, nervously. "Tell Ronnie and little T I'll see them later."
"Okay." Nina exited the car. "Ya gonna do this tonight?"
"Yeah, maybe…hell I don't know." He threw his hands up in frustration.
He's nervous. I can't believe it! Nina giggled, shutting the door. "See ya brotha."
"Bye sis." He drove off.
Nina shook her head as she walked to her house. What a day she had. However, she felt honored that Travis wanted her to know first before making any final decisions. She just couldn't believe he was ready. Wait until Ronnie hears about this one! No, I can't tell Ronnie about this it's supposed to be a surprise.
"Hey Nina what took ya so long?" Cameron met her at the door, holding a drooling little Travis on her hip.
"I was talking to Travis."
"Oh," Cameron looked over Nina's shoulder. "Is he still out there?"
"No. He said he'll see ya'll later though." Nina walked by her.
Cameron closed the door and followed her into the kitchen. "I wanted to talk to him."
"Oh." Nina retrieved little Travis from her embrace as she sat down at the table. She made cooing sounds in his face, receiving a sweet laughter from him.
Nina smiled. She remembered when the twins were babies, full of laughter, and at times, full of cries when she tried to feed them both at once. Still to this day, they would battle for her affection, but not as much. She wished she had a second parent to rid some of the burden. Sure Cameron and Travis were helpful. She wouldn't dare dismiss that. However, she knew the twins needed more, she needed more, but it was no use wishing for it, she decided.
"Do ya think me and Travis are working out?" Hearing her sister's question, Nina realized she'd zoned.
"What do ya mean?" Nina watched Cameron, who was now sitting across from her.
"This? Our relationship?" Cameron waved her hand.
"Oh. Of course Ronnie." Nina smiled widely.
She raised her brow, surprisingly. "Really? Humph." She rested one hand under her chin and the other on her protruding belly. "Weren't you the one who constantly fought with him about marrying me?"
"Well-" Nina began but Cameron interrupted her.
"You remember last week when I was talking to ya about marriage?" Nina nodded.
"Well, I don't think he's ready."
Nina's jaw dropped. Where was this coming from? She wondered. If they had this talk last night then she would've easily sided with her sister. However, due to recently learned information and that beautiful ring, she felt differently.
"It's been three years, one baby and one on the way. I mean we might as well be married, but I don't think he wants to marry me." Cameron sighed, confused. She didn't want to admit that the words she'd spoken were true, yet honestly, that's how she felt. Only if she were aware of the events to come.
"Oh, no you won't." Nina forbade. A light whimper escaped from little Travis as she clutched him to her. Her gaze averted to him and she apologized.
"I won't let ya do that."
Cameron rolled her eyes. "And I thought I was the oldest." She joked lightly.
"You're gonna to keep those triflin' thoughts to yourself and I don't wanna here anything else about it." Nina demanded and left the kitchen.
The phone rung and Cameron quickly stood up to answer it. "Hello?"
"Hey. Ronnie?"
"Yeah?" She knew it was Travis.
"Do you think you can meet me at Silver Spoons?"
Cameron choked. "Um sure. We have some things to talk about."
"We sure do." He replied rather cheerfully. "See you in an hour."
Cameron slowly placed the phone on the receiver after he hung up. She went upstairs where she found Nina putting Travis in his crib.
Nina observed the blank expression on her sister's face. "What?"
"Travis wants me to meet him at Silver Spoons."
So he's gonna do it. Nina smiled. "Ooh! Can I go?" She had to witness the look on Cameron's face when he proposed.
"If you go then who's gonna watch the kids."
Nina shrugged. "Beats me."
"Nina!"
"We can call Maurice." She said referring to their older brother.
"He can barely take care of himself and his two kids. What makes you think I'm going to leave him with four kids and one's a baby?"
"I guess you're right." Nina pouted. "I'll find you something to wear."
~*~*~*~*~*~
"So what do you guys want to do I mean we can play some board games, video games, watch a movie. I would take ya'll to the movies but I don't have a car and plus nothin' good is out." Nina proposed as five sets of eyes, including little' T, gazed back at her with blank bored expressions.
Tony was picking lint off the floor beside him. Neece was undoing the ends of her braids, which her mother had just done. Nikki bounced her Cinderella Barbie doll on her lap while huffing loudly and little T was drooling all over her favorite shirt.
"Tony, what do you want to do?" Nina questioned him first while pulling little T's hands away from her hair.
Tony continued picking lint up off the floor as he answered. "I wanna go over Richard's house but Mommy and Travis took the car now ya can't drive me." He whined. "He's having a sleepover cause his birthday is tomorrow and we were gonna go out to the arcade and stuff."
Nina sighed. "Well what time does the sleepover start?"
"At nine I think."
"Hmm…" Nina glanced at her watch. It was close to seven o'clock. She knew there was no way Ronnie would be back before nine. If anything, with what Travis had planned tonight they'd probably rent a hotel before coming home.
However, Tony was looking back at her with those wide brown eyes. She knew what he was doing, she always knew. He was trying to persuade her to find some way to get him to that sleepover.
Nina rolled her eyes. "I'm not making any promises but…"
"Thanks Aunt Nina." He launched himself at her too ecstatic to realize she was holding his baby brother in her arms. Little T didn't seem to mind though, he was giggling.
"Ya welcome Mano." Nina used the nickname she had given him as a baby and ruffled his hair. "Ya lucky I'm such a sucka too." She hated to admit but it was true. She was indeed a softy when it came to kids.
"I'ma give you a hair cut one of these days cause ya getting' a fro."
"Mommy said I could grow it out and you can give me some braids." Tony grinned.
"Great." Nina feigned excitement.
"Hey Neece ya wanna play some video games my friend Brandon let me hold one of his new games. I already got to level 3" Tony bragged excitedly.
Neece jumped up immediately and ran upstairs with him. "Yeah! What game?"
Nina smiled two down one more to go. She glanced over at Nikki who was silent, still bouncing her Barbie doll. "Nikki, what's the matter?" She scooted closer to her.
"Nothin'."
"Short Stuff, you don't want to play games with ya sister and Tony?"
Nikki shook her head. "I play no games mommy, I don't know how."
"Well have Neece and Tony show ya."
Nikki shook her head again. "That's okay mommy. Will ya just play dolls wit me?"
"Sure stuff, Short Stuff." Nina grinned and tickled her until she laughed helplessly.
"Mommy stop!"
"Okay." Nina put Travis down and let him crawl. "Where's ya other dolls."
"Behind ya." She pointed. "We can play re-re-lationship Barbie."
"Relationship Barbie?" Nina wondered. What the hell was that? She never remembered playing that when she was young.
"Yeah. It's when Barbie meets Ken they fall in looove and have a family. Happily eva afta, the end."
Nina couldn't help laughing at her rendition of a fairytale. "Okay I guess we can. But ya gotta tell me how it goes as we play."
"Okay. You hold Barbie." Nikki passed the doll to her mother. "And I'll hold Ken."
"Okay?" Nina nodded with a laugh having no idea where she was going with this.
"Okay." She smacked her lips in true ghetto fashion. "Ken meets Barbie at the mall and she shopping, buying toys and stuff. Her favorite is Sleeping Beauty Barbie."
"Right?" Exactly why would Barbie buy another Barbie? Nina asked herself.
"Mommy ya listenin'!" Nikki shouted.
"Yeah Baby."
"Afta she pays for her stuff she walks out the store and that's when Ken walks up to her." She smiled. "You gotta make Barbie walk out the store mommy so Ken can walk up to her." Nikki explained impatiently.
Nina did as told. Nikki bounced the Ken doll over to Barbie. She started to imitate her version of a male. Nina tried to hold in her laughter.
"Hey sweet lady you look fat in dem jeans."
"Oh my God!!" Nina burst out into a loud laughter. Her daughter was definitely a comedian. "Where did ya here that!" She managed to get out in between giggles.
Nikki was wondered why her mother was laughing so hard. "I heard that guy say it to ya when we went to the mall."
"Oh my God…" Nina repeated, shaking her head this time, but still laughing nonetheless.
"Why did he say ya look fat mommy? You not fat."
Nina remembered the incident clearly. Some pompous ass had shouted the obnoxious phrase at her as they were walking back to the car. "He didn't mean fat like that honey. He meant phat with a ph and he was just being an as- he was just being stupid." She quickly corrected.
"Oh." Nikki nodded somewhat understanding. "Can I ask ya anotha question mommy?"
"Mmm hmm."
"Where is the man ya fell in love wit and had me and Neece?"
Nina's mouth gaped, but she said nothing. What was she supposed to say? This was the first time she had heard anything from them about this. Before they never seemed to care about having a father. Maybe it was because they never understood and because Travis and their Uncle Maurice were there to somewhat fill the void. However, they had officially started school and there were many kids with fathers.
"I don't wanna watch this Tony, turn it off!"
"But I like this song."
"I don't. Mommy!"
Nina heard all the commotion and jumped up as soon as she heard Neece screamed for her. Nikki was right behind her. "Oh shit." Nina turned back around realizing she had left the baby and scooped him up from the floor.
"Mommy you say bad word."
"Sorry. Short Stuff." Nina grabbed her hand and they went upstairs.
"Mommy!" Neece was screaming louder now.
Nina walked into Tony's room and saw them wrestling for the remote. Tony was pinning Neece's small body to the floor as he tried to peel the remote control from her grip and Neece was swinging her arms at him in the process.
Nina grabbed the back of Tony's shirt, pulling him away and then she helped Neece up. "Now." She started sternly. "What happened up here, why are ya'll fighting?"
"I wasn't fighting him mommy. He tried to get the remote from me."
"She wanted to change the channel when I was watching music videos cause I waiting for X-men to come on."
"I didn't like the song." Neece defended.
"Well who's song was it Mano?"
"Justin Timberlake, Rock your body."
Nina was silent for a short moment. She didn't expect him to say that. Then, she glanced over at the TV, catching a glimpse of him as the video was ending. She looked away. She had her reasons not to like him, but why didn't Neece? Did Nikki not like him either?
"You don't like his music either Short Stuff?"
"I like it." Nikki grinned.
"Why don't you Little Bit?" Nina looked back at Neece.
"Cause you don't."
For the second time in five minutes, Nina fell silent again. How did her daughter, as young as she was, know this? Had she heard her and Ronnie talking one day?
"You look away wheneva he's on TV and if his song come on the radio you change the stay-tion unless Nikki or Tony is dancing to it."
So she had notice. And Nina could tell it was upsetting her. "I tell ya what? We'll start listening to his music okay?" Who was she kidding? There was no way she would start enjoying his music. She'd just start watching what she did around them.
"Come on so I can fix ya'll somethin' to eat."