Page 82 of Certified To Handle You 2

“That’s the fuckin’ problem,” I replied as I stepped closer. “You ain’t askin’ me for nothin’. You ain’t tellin’ me nothin’. You just keep sayin’ you good, then do some shit like what happened downstairs and expect everybody to act like we ain’t see it.”

Pluto looked away from me again. “I already know I was wrong.”

“Then talk to me about why it happened.”

“I don’t know.”

“That ain’t enough.”

She let out a frustrated breath and rubbed both hands over her face. “Pressure, I said I don’t know.”

“And I’m tellin’ you I ain’t acceptin’ that shit no more,” I said as I stopped in front of her. “You either gon’ sit here and tell me somethin’, or I’m draggin’ yo’ ass to somebody who can help you figure it out. Them the only two options I’m givin’ you.”

Her head lifted, and her eyes narrowed. “You can’t make me go talk to nobody.”

“I can make sure you don’t keep sufferin’ in silence while everybody in this bitch catch the damage from it,” I corrected her. “Call it whatever the fuck you want, but I’m not lettin’ this keep goin’.”

Pluto stared at me like she wanted to argue, but nothin’ came out. Her lips pressed together, then started tremblin’ before she dropped her face into her hands. At first, I thought she was only frustrated. Then her shoulders started shakin’, and I heard the first broken cry leave her.

That shit took every bit of anger out of me.

Pluto tried to wipe her face and pull herself together, but the harder she fought it, the worse it got. Tears kept fallin’ through her fingers while she bent forward on the edge of the bed, and all I could do was stand here for a second ‘cause I had never seen my wife look this lost.

She had cried in front of me before. I had seen her hurt, mad and scared, but this was different. Pluto looked like she had been holdin’ herself together for everybody else so long that her body ain’t know how to stop once it finally gave up.

I moved beside her and sat on the bed. My arm went around her shoulders, and I pulled her against me even though she kept her face covered.

“Come here, baby,” I said while kissin’ the side of her head. “Quit fightin’ me.”

Pluto fell into my chest, and the second I wrapped both arms around her, she started cryin’ harder. Her hands grabbed the front of my shirt while she tried to breathe through it, and I held her close ‘cause I knew she ain’t need me askin’ a hundred questions right now. She needed somewhere safe to put all that shit she had been carryin’.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she cried against my chest. “I don’t know why I’m like this.”

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with you, baby,” I told her, rubbin’ my hand over her back. “You went through some shit, and ya mind ain’t caught up with ya body yet. That don’t mean you broken.”

“I don’t feel like myself,” Pluto admitted as she tightened her grip on my shirt. “I’m tired all the time, and everybody always need something. Then when I get mad, I feel guilty because they my kids and I’m supposed to want to do everything for them.”

“You ain’t supposed to do everything by yourself,” I told her. “That’s where you keep fuckin’ up.”

Pluto pulled back enough to look at me, and tears covered her face. “You already do a lot.”

“And I can do more,” I said without hesitatin’. “I got people handlin’ shit for me every day. Ain’t no reason I can’t move some shit around and be here more when my family need me.”

She shook her head while more tears fell. “I don’t want you thinking I can’t handle my own kids.”

“Please stop baby. I don’t think that,” I replied, reachin’ up to wipe under her eyes. “I think my wife tired, hurt and overwhelmed. I think you almost died havin’ my baby, camehome before ya mind had time to deal with it and went right back to takin’ care of everybody like nothin’ happened.”

Pluto lowered her eyes, and I slid my hand behind her neck before pressin’ my forehead against hers.

“You ain’t gotta prove shit to me,” I continued. “You carried three of my babies and raised four children. You already showed me what kinda woman you is. Now you need to let me be ya husband instead of treatin’ me like another person you gotta take care of.”

Her face crumbled again, and I kissed her forehead before pullin’ her on my lap. Pluto turned sideways against me and curled into my chest while I cradled her body in my arms. Her legs came up to her chest, and she wrapped both arms around my neck as I rocked her slow.

“I love you,” I told her, pressin’ kisses against her wet cheeks. “You hear me?”

Pluto nodded, but she kept cryin’.

“I love every damn thing about you,” I said as I kissed her lips soft. “You still the most beautiful woman I ever laid eyes on. That ain’t changed ‘cause you had a baby, gained some weight or started havin’ a hard time. Ain’t shit about the way I see you changed.”