“Alright, already. I got it. I know you’re doing your job. I hear you loud and clear,” Olivia groaned.
“Okay. Give me a hug. You may breathe again.” Merilyn reached out to her.
Olivia embraced her as if her life depended on it. In a lot of ways, it did.
THIRTY-NINE
Olivia
Once Olivia entered her car to return home, she checked the phone and saw text messages from Simone: Mom. Come over. Please.
Puzzled and alarmed by the simple message from Simone, she speed-dialed her daughter’s number. Thoughts about her cutting herself again dominated Olivia’s thoughts. She wheeled onto the highway to high-tail it to Malcolm’s place as she waited for her to answer the phone.
“Simone. What’s wrong? Honey are you okay?” Olivia rushed through her questions.
“Yes, Mom. I’m fine. It’s Dad.” Simone responded with concern in her voice. “He’s crying.”
Olivia snapped upright with shock from Simone’s words. “Your dad is crying? About what?”
“I don’t know. Can you hurry up and get here?” Simone sounded frantic.
“Yes, baby. I’m about five minutes away,” Olivia said. “Oh, and make sure you put those dogs outside.”
“You don’t have to worry about them, Mom. Hurry up.” Simone clicked off the phone.
Olivia’s tires squealed as she turned into the apartment complex parking lot. She bolted from the car and sprinted to their door. After pounding on the wood, she listened for the dogs. A sigh of relief slipped from her lips upon not hearing any barking.
The door swung open and Simone greeted her with her face drawn in concern. Olivia grabbed her by the shoulders and bent to inspect her expression. “Where is your dad?”
“He’s in the bedroom,” Simone said. “Christian is in there with him.”
“Okay. Take me to him,” Olivia instructed. She followed Simone through the hall. As they approached the door, the sounds of a grown man whimpering emerged from the room. It reminded Olivia of being at a memorial service where people wept and attempted to keep full-out wailing from occurring.
“Dad,” Simone took one timid step into the room, “Mom’s here.”
Christian jumped from the side of the bed and bolted toward Olivia. “Mom. Dad won’t stop crying. Make him stop,” he pleaded.
Malcolm laid curled into a fetal position on the bed. He scrunched a grungy blanket in his hands and had a pillow between his knees. A constant flow of tears wet his cheeks. He seemed oblivious to Olivia’s presence in the room. She couldn’t recall a time she’d ever seen him reach this level of pitiful. Unprepared for this scene, she didn’t know how to approach him.
“Um. Malcolm? It’s me. Olivia.” She sat on the edge of the bed and laid a hand on his back. “What’s going on? What happened?”
Her questions brought about a loud wail that didn’t fit with Malcolm's persona. He kept his eyes closed and continued to cry. The baby boy in him emerged in an instant.
“Okay. Kids, go out of the room and close the door. I need to speak to your dad in private,” she requested. The kids didn’t hesitate to exit the room.
Olivia put on her psychologist's hat to get Malcolm to relax and speak. “Malcolm. I’m here for you. I want you to do your best to breathe in through your nose and let it out real slow from your mouth. You’re beginning to hyperventilate.” As much as she hated being in the same bed Mariah slept in, she slid closer to Malcolm until she could guide his head onto her lap.
Malcolm groaned and his tears began to subside. He hiccupped a couple of times as he inhaled the deep breaths Olivia instructed him to take. His reddened face began to return to its normal caramel brown color. His swollen eyes fluttered open as if he finally comprehended Olivia’s presence.
“Malcolm. Tell me what has you in this emotional state right now. What happened?”
Malcolm wiped his face with the blanket. He managed to raise from Olivia’s lap and sit on the edge of the bed. After letting out a labored sigh, he gazed at his hands with a gloomy expression. “Mariah. Is-is g-gone,” he stammered.
Olivia straightened up in shock. “Malcolm. What do you mean? Gone where?”
“She left me and moved to Miami,” Malcolm whimpered.
Olivia’s heart jumped in her chest. “Why did she go there without you and the kids?”
“Mariah confessed to me; the baby isn’t mine. She told me she led me on to believe he was my child to me to make me marry her. When she found out about me being with you, she moved in with her cousin. She decided she didn’t want to be with me anymore. She packed her clothes, took the dogs, and left.”
Confused, Olivia questioned, “Malcolm. I don’t understand. If the baby isn’t yours, why are you crying like this?”
“She doesn’t want me. You don’t want me. I don’t have a baby on the way,” Malcolm sobbed. “I’m all alone. Nobody wants me.”
Olivia's face warmed with anger. “Are you kidding me? You’re having a conniption because nobody wants you?”
“Stop making light of this, Olivia. I’m hurting right now.”
“Oh. My. Gosh. Really? You have the kids all worked up. They’re worried about their daddy who can’t stop crying.” Olivia slapped the side of his head. “You did this to yourself. I don’t feel sorry for you. Not one bit.”
“Oww. Olivia. Can’t you see I’m in pain?” Malcolm cried.
“Uh-uh. You’re not getting any sympathy from me. You should never have been involved with that woman. This serves you right,” Olivia snapped.
Malcolm peered at Olivia with red-rimmed eyes. “You are cold-hearted and soulless. I wanted us to be a family again. Instead, you sexed me up and turned me down.”
“Oh, no. You don’t get to blame me.” Olivia pointed her finger in his face and stood above him. “This is your mess, not mine.”
Malcolm hung his head in his hands
