Sincere didn't think that she would be a divorced mother of two running to freedom at 35. She dreamed of a love like her parents, where the love lasts beyond death. Where the only shouting that happened were the declarations of love to each other fr...
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"Do you have to leave so early? And why eight hours away from your poor mother? Who is going to keep me company? I think you should unpa-"
"Mom! Mom." Sincere sighed and interrupted her mother from the same speech and questions that she had been saying to her since she told her about the move to Cincinnati.
"One, it's too late now... I got the job, signed the lease, signed the kids up for school. I can't just say nevermind and waste these folks' time. Plus... I can't stay here mom, you know this." She whispered slowly. Eliza Dallarosa huffed at her daughter and walked away complaining about her family being so far away from her now. Sincere blanked for a while as her mom ranted and thought about the time that made her say no more and start planning to get her life back.
Her mind went back to the night when Cecil got so angry at her for conversing with their male neighbor. He shouted and shouted and she told him that he was making a big deal out of nothing, Mr. Givens was just a neighbor to her. Givens wasn't her friend, she barely remembered his first name, and for christ sakes he was nearing fifty and was married. Cecil hated her reply, she made him feel dumb and incompetent like a kid. He was a grown man. He rushed toward her and smacked her hard on her cheek, when she fell down he grabbed her locs and dragged her from the front door to the living room. She prayed that Nico would stay asleep, if he didn't it wouldn't be the first time he witnessed his father getting handsy with his mother, but she tried her hardest to shield her kids away from it.
"You're a fucking liar, bitch! You think I don't know?! You think I don't fucking know? You think you can just have me out here looking like a fucking fool while you go entertain every nigga who shows you a little bit of attention?" Cecil yanked her about, breathing hard, face red, fist balled, eyes angry.
"Fucking stop Cecil! STOP! I hate you, stop!"
"These niggas making you think you can talk to me any type of way huh." Cecil laughed and it was dark. It made her cry harder than she already was, then her breathing stilled for a moment.
"STOP HITTING MY MOM!" was what she heard through her cries and Cecil's slaps. She heard Nico's feet running towards them.
"Nico, go upstairs baby! Cecil, stop! Nico, Mommy needs you to go back upstairs now." She tried to tell him, but Nico was persistent. He was tired, he was scared. He heard her cry, he heard his dad shout and saw him hit her before. He couldn't let his mom get hurt again and again. So he began beating at the back of his father, for the first time he let his bravery and strength for his mom shine through. And with almost all of the strength Cecil had in his right arm, he pushed Nico until he flung away from him instantly hitting the ground.
"Ow, momma." Nico groaned. Sincere saw red and she continued to scream and tried to fight back until her body got tired. Eyes and mouth leaking with water and blood, she cried out her son's name and passed out.
When she woke up she heard her son crying and saw her daughter laying at her feet, she rushed to her feet putting on their coats and shoes. She packed everything of theirs that could fit in three suitcases and drove to a motel. First thing she did was a concussion assessment on Nico and unfortunately he did show signs of a concussion, she then bathed her children and coddled them until they fell asleep. She went into the bathroom, sank down to the ground and wept. She sobbed and cried until her eyes were red, her face was ashen, and until her eyes refused to produce more tears. Standing up, she grabbed her phone and took pictures of all the bruises and cuts that were tattooed onto her body. The dark handprint on her cheek, her busted and bloodied lips. Then she sent the message...
"Cecil... You pushed my son so hard he has a concussion. My fucking son. Hurt me, slap me, but you will never lay a finger on my kids. I promise you. You're insecure. You're a bully. You're fucking weak. I will never forgive myself for keeping my babies in this situation. Five years you tormented me, tried to break me. I'm done. I don't love you anymore. I hate you. You will never lay a hand on me again and certainly not my kids. You're scum. Get ready for these divorce papers... and you will sign them. Because if not you will be in jail for domestic violence where you actually should be rotting away your life. Do not, I mean it, do not try contacting me, you won't be seeing Nico and Jade until everything is settled and certainly not alone. Fuck you"
Throwing her phone in the sink, she sat on the toilet with her fingers gently rubbing at her temples trying to soothe an oncoming headache. She gagged at the nausea she felt thinking of how her life turned out in the last five years. PING. Her phone signaled a message.
"If you think this is over, Sincere... You are mistaken. You're so wrong baby. Wherever you go, I'll be and the next time I get my hands on you, it'll be way worse."
A shiver ran through Sincere's whole body. She knew he wasn't lying, but there wasn't going to be a next time because Sincere was already planning her escape. Fuck you Cecil, she thought.
"Sinny, Sin, Sincere!" Her mother yelled. "Girl, you might be thirty-five, but baby I'm still your mother and I know you heard me talking to you." Eliza crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at her daughter.
"Ma, jeez. I was just inside my head, zoning out. Mom... I promise you can come visit whenever you wish. We will call, facetime, send letters, whatever we need to do. It'll be like we never left." Sincere's lips rose to a small smile when she saw her mom sigh.
" I love you, you're my best friend. You know I would never move eight hours away from my Lifeline if I didn't need to." She kissed her mom and hugged her tightly.
"My little insulin drip, I'm going to miss popping up on you and my big headed grandkids. I love you so much Sincere." The pair hugged for a while longer before Sincere announced that she was going to bed to prepare for the long drive tomorrow morning.
"Goodnight my baby. If it's okay, can they stay up a while longer with me since they'll be able to sleep in the car? I'm going to miss them so much."
"Of course, goodnight."
Tomorrow morning Sincere will be leaving her mother's in Raleigh before taking a long drive to Cincinnati. She was nervous and scared, but she needed this. She needed this move, to her this move felt like life or death. She felt like if she stayed any more time in Raleigh Cecil's threats would become real and she did not want them to get anywhere close to real. When she divorced Cecil and moved out of the home they started their family in, she knew that it didn't stop there. The text he sent her the day she left made it even more real. Cecil wasn't going to stop until she gave into him and let him control her longer.
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