How could she enjoy sucking dick but loathe swallowing pills? It was a conundrum that was currently puzzling Katrina as she studied the assortment of vitamins on the kitchen island. Clive peered at her eagerly hoping she'd dropped whatever was in her hand so he could gobble it down.

"I'm doing this because I love you." She stated before popping the prenatal vitamins that were unnecessarily big and a doctor prescribed an iron pill into her mouth and chased it with a big glass of ice water. She swallowed a couple more times still feeling the sensation of the tablet protruding in her throat then tore a big piece off the croissant and chewed on it.

"I love you, too." A disembodied voice sounded from the Echo Show on the countertop where Keurig sat.

Katrina choked on the flaky bread and took another sip of water. "Boy, I wasn't talking to you." She tossed Clive the last piece of croissant before he started drooling. "I was talking to my baby."

Terrence's voice appeared on the screen dressed in casual gear, his medical school shirt with a backward baseball hat which she knew was repping the Astros. "So in essence, still me because your baby is our baby which includes me." His coy smirk was covered as he lifted the mug to his lips.

She rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to chuckle at his extravagant frame of thinking. The few thousand of miles between them had removed the fiery animosity she had for him. Or maybe it was the child she was carrying. His morning check-ins and nightly progress updates were comforting. Although it wasn't how she hoped they would've been while she was pregnant with the child it was better than she could've hoped for. Or maybe it was because of Imani's health scare. It reminded her that life was short and at any time it all could come to an abrupt end. The last thing she wanted to do was waste time harboring anger and hostility.

He cheated. That sucked. But they were still healthy and alive so she was going to make the best of it.

She heard his pen click and she knew what was going to come out of his mouth next, "I haven't taken it. I'm not taking it. I feel fine." She orated robotically while peeling an apple. "My blood pressure is good. You're a doctor. Not my doctor." Her eyes went to the screen.

He held her gaze as if his eyes held the secret code to make her choose her stance and oblige him but once another second passed he surrendered with a nod of his head and then asked, "Where are you going, all dressed up?"

"All dressed up." She repeated, glancing down at her outfit. A short sleeve white tee was underneath her blue-striped overall shorts. Sure it was new but it wasn't fancy. It was casual, cute, and perfect for the day's plan. "We're goin' to this nearby farming area to pick fruit and other things. I think there's some festival happening today, too."

The happiness that glowed on her face made Terrence shift on his feet, "I'm assuming the 'we' ain't you and Imani."

"You assumed right."

"So, this is a date."

"It's a hang. We're hanging out."

"Cause, ya'll are friends."

"Exactly."

"Hmm." He sounded, nodding as if he knew something she didn't tell him.

She pointed the peanut butter-topped spoon at the screen, "We're doing good don't fuck this up."

It was a warning that he heeded letting out an audible sigh. "I'm not trying to be jealous..." He paused, his sight traveled off screen to his side as he thought then he continued. "Honestly, I'm trying not to be. I'm happy that you feel like you again, all cheerful and carefree but I hate that it's because of him and not me."

Silence claimed the space around her. She didn't know what to say next, words were not her acquaintance. Well, not the right words. Her therapist told her that her insistence to bring up the affair will do more harm than healing to the rebuilding of her and Terrence's relationship as co-parents so she didn't want to remind him of the reason there were thousands of miles between them. However, she didn't want to carry the burden of soothing his pain for the repercussions that his decisions gave birth to so she did the same thing that worked the last time this occurrence happened. She deflected.

"The crib came last night." She scooped a dollop of peanut butter from the jar captivating Clive as a line of saliva stretched from his mouth. "I love it. Thank you."

"That's great." He slid his glass over the bridge of his nose. "I got the same one so she'll have some sense of normalcy during the moving from house to house."

Katrina stopped smearing peanut butter on the apple, "What do you mean...moving from house to house."

"When she comes out here to visit me." He clarified, still looking down at his medical journal.

"By the time she starts taking trips to visit you, she won't need a crib anymore."

"What?" His sight refocused on her. "We agreed on joint custody. Joint custody means we share time."

"I know what joint custody means." She tossed the apple to Clive, no longer feeling the urge to eat it at this moment. "I'm not putting my newborn or toddler on a plane as an unaccompanied minor. I don't even think airlines allow it."

He pulled his glasses off, nostrils flared. "This is bullshit. So, what. I'll have to wait until she's...five to visit me here."

"Eight, atleast." She corrected. His eyebrows snatched together and before a rebuttal flew from his mouth she spoke up. "Look, Terrence..." She abandoned her perch by the island and moved to the counter where the device sat. Her tone stayed steady and calm knowing just how to connect with him. "We are her parents and we have to do what's best for her." Her hands went to the sides of her belly and his gaze followed them there. "I know you want to be a part of all her big moments and have time with her and you will. FaceTime during bedtimes, flying in on the weekends, you can always call and I'll be sending you hundreds of random videos all the time. We will make this work until she's old enough to fly out to you."

He nodded a sheer film of mist in his eyes. "I know." He nodded again, his sight venturing off to the side for a second and then turning back to her. "Don't forget I'll be there this weekend for Lamaze."

"I haven't." She smiled softly remembering the way he vehemently assured her that he was going to still be her Lamaze partner. In her mind, she was going to choose Imani because he was no longer residing in the county and Keir had offered but Terrence pleaded to remain in the position. So, she let him keep the duty to accompany her during her labor.

The doorbell rang and she knew who it was and so did Terrence.

"I got to go." She said her hand moved to the device.

"Let me know you got back home safely, Trina." Terrence leaned closer to the screen, "Please."

"I will. I will." Her eyes darted to Clive losing the battle of willpower. "Okay. Love you, bye." She tapped the red end call insignia before she realized what she had said.

"Shit!" She hissed, knowing it was a Freudian slip but also knowing that he'll take it the wrong way. There wasn't anything she could do about it now but there was something else she needed to do. "Get yo' ass down!" She snapped quickly at the pooch and pointed to his bed.

Clive hurried to his bed and she meandered to the door to go on her non-date with the friend she was fucking.

How do you think Terrence is going to take Katrina's 'love you' comment?

Why do you think Katrina made the comment?

Do you think Terrence should be her Lamaze partner or should it be someone else?

Do you think Katrina is right about not having their baby travel from home to home before eight?