Nobody To Trust

1 ½ Later - January 15, 2018

Omniscient Point Of View

Staring out the car window Toi tried to get her fast beating heart under control before she lost the little bit of sanity she had left. Today was the day she’s been dreading since she first learned the potential fate of her husband.

As much as she wanted to go crazy and just break out in tears she know she had to be strong for the three beautiful kids. Two year old Jurnee Emani, one year old Legend Messiah, Three month old and Sanaii Alani were the only thing keeping her emotions in check at the moment.

“Baby,” Her husband squeezing her hand got her attention. “You’re going to be fine alright,” He tried to assure her.

Toi gave him a small smile and nodded but she didn’t really agree with him, she knew as soon as the judge pounded his gavel down she was going to be emotionally broken she just hoped it didn’t happen in front of their children.

When they pulled up to the courthouse she sucked her teeth at the media frenzy that was going on outside of the black suburban they had just pulled up in. She didn’t understand how the media or anybody else could try and make a spectacle of the blow her family was about to feel.

Sure the outside world just saw this whole situation as the law doing its job and taking a criminal off the streets but in doing that they were also taking a husband away from his wife and a father from his children.

“I hate these muthafuckas,” Toi mumbled to herself before pulling the dark shades she had in her purse over her eyes.

“Me too ma, let’s just go.” Legend said while pulling his own pair of sunglasses over his eyes. The driver he hired for the day opened his door. As soon as his foot hit the concrete multiple news reporters rushed to him to get some sort of a statement but he politely ignored them while helping Toi out of the car. He gripped her hand as they walked up the courthouse stairs with their heads held high like they royalty they were.

When they entered the courthouse Toi walked over to where both she and Legend’s mothers were waiting with their children. “Do you see all of those cameras out there? You would think the president was here or something.” Toi’s mother Geneva said to her daughter.

“I know, and they’re out there asking dumb ass questions. It’s annoying.” Toi sat down and took her newborn Sanaii into her arms while Legend sat down with Jurnee on one of his knees and baby Legend on the other.

Looking down at her baby girl’s face Toi wondered how she would manage raising three kids alone, and the fact that she didn’t know exactly how long she was going to have to do it was making her angry and nervous. Her husband was about to face anywhere from 15 to 30 years nobody knew for certain. They could either give him the minimum or be dick heads in her opinion and give him the max. It was really up in the air.

“Baby there goes Diamond,” Legend told her and she looked up seeing her husband’s oldest daughter by his ex-girlfriend walking over to them with their best friends Tone and a very pregnant Mickey.

The last thing anybody wanted to deal with was Diamond’s mother Isyss and her bad attitude on a day where emotions were already at a high so they asked their friends to pick Diamond up and bring her.

“You’re going to talk to her right now?”

“Yeah,” He put the two kids he had on his lap on the chair he was sitting in then walked over to Tone and Mickey meeting them halfway. “Thank you for getting her, I didn’t feel like dealing with Isyss today.”

“Don’t worry about it, it was nothing.” Tone told him. “Yung get here yet?”

“He called me and told me he was on his way. They had to drop Naima, Mecca and Khalil off at his mothers.”

“Who would’ve thought that nigga would have three kids?“

“I can’t even say anything I got four and never thought that shit was going to happen. It;’s crazy though, his son is like a month younger than Legend. You’re about to be a father too.” He said while looking at Mickey’s swollen belly. “How far along are you again Mick?”

“38 weeks, I’m ready to drop her man. This is my last kids, tubes tied after this shit.”

“Sure, you say that now.” Legend laughed at her then looked at his daughter. “Hi baby girl.” He bent over then kissed her on the forehead. “Excuse me y’all I gotta speak to her real fast.”

“No problem,” Mickey gave him a small smile then they both walked off.

“Diamond, daddy needs to talk to you. Come with me.” He grabbed his daughter’s hand and walked over to an unoccupied space. He sat down in a chair then placed her on his lap. “Listen, I won’t be leaving with you today. When you leave you’re going with Toi to the house with your sisters and brother.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have to go away for a little while because I did something bad. When you do bad things you have to get punished and my punishment is not going to be able to see you like I do now.”

“So when are you coming back?”

“I don’t know yet,” He looked at his daughter who was now 10 years old and shook his head. His kids with Toi were babies and it killed him to leave them but they’re not old enough to understand that he’s not there. With Diamond being ten years old she’s old enough to realize that her father is in jail and that’s something he didn’t want her to deal with.

He had already missed the first six years of her life due to her mother’s pettiness, now he was about to miss her growing up completely. “I’m going to be gone for a lot of birthday’s and Christmas’s but I want you to know that I love you okay? Don’t let anybody tell you that I up and left you.”

“Am I going to see you at all?” She asked him.

“When Toi brings you to see me you will, she’s going to bring all of you to see me. You have to be a good girl while daddy is gone. I need you to watch out for your little brother and sisters for me too. Can you do that?”

“Yes daddy,” He smiled then kissed her on the cheek.

“Thank you, I love you,”

“I love you too,” She kissed his cheek then placed her on her feet and grabbed her hand before walking back over to where everybody was.

He looked around for Toi for a second to find her talking to her cousin Chanel he had no idea was even back up here from Miami.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming instead of shocking the complete shit out of me?” Toi asked Chanel with a light chuckle.

“I wanted to surprise you, I knew this was going to be a tough day for you so I wanted to be here. Hopefully make it somewhat less horrible.” Chanel answered her.

“Well thank you for coming, where are my babies and your boo?”

“At the hotel, Rich felt like it would be awkward for him to come since he doesn’t know Que too well.”

“He could’ve come it wouldn’t have been a problem. How are the boys and little miss busy body?”

“BJ and Brayden are fine, well Brayden is fine. BJ is feelin’ himself a little too much but I’m getting it under control. He’s not as bad, Brandon broke him out of that shit.”

“How? I have a boy I’m going to need all the advice I can get for when that little boy gets bigger than me because I know it’s going to happen.”

“Oh it is,” Chanel laughed. “I’ll say this much the little nigga got sick of punches being thrown at his ass. When it comes to these boys you can’t let shit slide, a punch from you is a whole hell of a lot easier to take then a blow from a cops night stick trust me.”

“I feel you,” Toi nodded.

“Maybe you can give me some advice about girls since you’re used to it. Adrianna is already acting too much like me I don’t know if I should be scared or not.” Chanel said referring to her one year old daughter that was only a few weeks older than Toi’s son.

“Girls are tough too don’t even think it’s easier. Do you know how weird it was to teach Jayla and Kayla about the periods, about bra’s, pads, tampons, keeping your virginity for the right moment and guy? They just about killed me but it worked out. Both of them are at Spellman killing it so we’re good.”

“Can I punch them?” Chanel questioned making Toi laugh.

“Not like you do BJ, they are girls so it’s different but you can’t be too loose either. You’ll do just fine. Enough about our off spring, let me see this ring.” She grabbed Chanel’s hand looking at the engagement ring Rich gave her. “Yass bitch, when and where is the wedding and I better be a bridesmaid?”

“May of next year for sure and I was going to ask you about that later anyway. It’s going to be in Miami so book your plane tickets ahead of time.”

“I got you,” They talked for a few more minutes when Chanel heard her name. Turning around she smiled when she saw Brandon and his girlfriend April walking over with his daughter Jasmine and her daughter Nicole.

“Well look who just popped up and didn’t tell anybody.” Brandon said when he got to her. They hugged then he hugged Toi before she walked away giving them some time alone.

“It was a surprise and I know you can’t hold water for nothing,” Chanel told him before she gave April a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, I’ll let you guys talk. Come on girls,” April grabbed both girls hands and walked off.

“So it’s been a year and y’all are still together. I’m guessing y’all are doing good, keeping your dick to yourself this time?” Chanel asked while chuckling.

“Yeah I learned my lesson, where my kids at man?”

“At the hotel with Rich, you can get them when this is over if you want to.”

“I’ll be doing that.” He looked her up and down. “You look good, are you happy?”

“Very, are you?”

“I am, I guess we made the right decision when we left each other alone.”

“We did, it had to happen. I’m surprised to see you hear with Jasmine, I guess Zashia and April get along.”

‘Fuck Zashia, she’s trying to make my life a living hell but I’m not worried. They don’t get along, April tried to kill her ass last week when she came to the house.”

“Why was she at the house?”

“Picking up Jasmine but she wanted to act like a crazy bitch, if I was a fucked up person I would go for full custody and take my daughter.”

‘If that becomes the last option then do that. Speaking of daughters, have fun with Adrianna when you get her later. She’s a handful,”

“I know she is, I should’ve known having a daughter with you would be like being around you 24/7. You’re still letting them come up for the summer right?”

“Yeah, June 1st they’ll be all yours for two whole months.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” He smiled. He was about to say something else when he noticed everybody going to the court room. “I think they’re about to start come on.” They both walked in the courtroom and took a seat while Toi and Legend stood outside in a tight hug.

It was time for them to learn his fate but she wasn’t ready to let go yet. “I don’t want you to go.” Toi said while tears fell down her face.

“I don’t wanna go either but I have to, baby stop crying.” He moved the sunglasses from her face then wiped her tears. “I love you and my kids more than anything you know that right?”

“Yes, I love you too. Que this shit is hard man, I feel like my heart is about to fall from my chest.”

“We have kids you have to be strong for, stop crying.” He kissed her on the lips then on the forehead. “Here take this,” He gave her his sunglasses and his wedding ring because as soon as he gets sentenced he was going straight into custody. He picked her hand up and kissed her finger that held her wedding ring and the letter Q for Quinton she had tattooed in the same place and he had the L for La’Toia on his hand. “Come on,” She put her sunglasses back on then walked into the courtroom with him.

She sat in the front row with her his mother, her mother and their kids while he sat in the seat right next to his lawyer.

The whole time they were talking Toi was zoned out. The only thing that kept running through her head was all they had been through in the four almost five years they’ve been together and the fact that she was about to have him through only a phone for the next ten plus years. The more she thought about the angrier she started to get.

She knows Que didn’t get arrested or locked up on purpose, nobody does that but she felt like he could’ve prevented it. He knew the Feds were watching him so why would you ride around with two guns in your car, in the state of New York no less. Being caught carrying a firearm in New York is no joke, you can get you ten years behind bars just for having it. They don’t play with that gun shit and he knows that.

As much as she tried to fight the feeling, resentment was starting to arise in her heart. She didn’t want to feel angry at him but she couldn’t help but remember what he said to her when he first told her the Feds were watching him. Legend promised that he would never be taken away from her or their family and that he would be careful, to her it was a bunch of bullshit now.

Her mother grabbing her hand and squeezing took her out of her thoughts. She looked up at the judge and realized he was about to give the sentence.

“Quinton Montega I hear by find you guilty of Second Degree Criminal Use of a Firearm in the state of New York. I hear by sentence you to 15 years of incarceration. You will hereby go into the custody for execution of this sentence.”

When she heard the judge say 15 years Toi’s heart dropped. It became super real at that moment. She wasn’t shocked or surprised but the she couldn’t fight the tears that started rolling down her face. They all knew what he was facing but hearing it made emotions they weren’t ready to face come to light.

Legend turned around and looked at his family, his wife and kids mostly then looked away so he wouldn’t start crying himself. The last thing a man like him would want is for it to get out that he cried like a baby in the courtroom.

As the officer came over and handcuffed him he turned back to his family and mouthed a quick I love you before they escorted him out the courtroom.

“This is bullshit,” Toi said while standing up. “Whole ass rapist and serial killers walking free and they’re going to give him that many years away from his kids? Fuck this courtroom.”

“Mrs. Montega, I’m going to ask you to watch your mouth in my courtroom before your children have more than one parent behind bars.” The judge said to her while she was gathering her kids.

“I can’t do this right now, get my kids out of here and home please.” She said to her mother before she walked out of the row she was sitting in. “Fuck you and this courtroom!” She shouted before going out the doors.

Mickey, Chanel and Taj all got up and followed her out the door. “Toi wait a minute,” Chanel called out for her. Toi stopped dead in her tracks but didn’t turn around so Chanel walked over to her. When she saw the tears on her cousin’s face she didn’t even say anything all she did was hug her and let her cousin cry like a baby on her shoulder.

Toi couldn’t put into words the way she was feeling. On one hand she was relieved they didn’t give him the max, but she didn’t want him away for fifteen years alone. Now she has to raise their three kids alone pus co-parent with a bitch she hates and that hates her.

How the fuck am I supposed to do this?

…