Vivian is awaken by the ringing of her cell phone.

“Hello,” she whispers. She keeps her eyes closed hoping this call is part of a dream.

“Viv, where is your man?” Kelly screams.

Vivian holds the cell phone away from her ear and looks at the time. It’s 2:00am. She glances at the empty side of her California King-sized bed. She then peeks at the baby monitor relieved that her best friend hasn’t woken up her six-month old.

“Taking a shit in the downstairs bathroom for all I know.” Vivian rubs her eyes. She hasn’t slept since baby Bianca was born and barely slept before that.

“Not unless that bathroom is at a salsa club downtown.” Kelly could barely get the words out. This was the angriest Vivian had heard her since that time her husband gave her an air fryer for Valentine’s Day.

“Girl, what are you talking about?”

“My sister is at Tropical Mambo right now and saw him. She said he is wearing dark sunglasses as if that is some clever disguise. She thinks he might have seen her, so he’s probably working on some lame ass excuse.”

“Let me call him. I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation.”

“Please leave him. You deserve better. I wish you could see that.”

“Like I said, let me call him.”

Before Vivian can dial a single digit, her phone lights up with a FaceTime call. She answers but turns her video off.

“Baby, I came to Mambo’s to pick up Robert. He had too many drinks and needed a ride home. I didn’t want to wake you or Bianca so I slipped out real quick. I saw Kelly’s man-hating sister, Camilla. But anyways it’s hard to hear with this loud music, but I’m just waiting on him and will be home soon. Love you.”

Click.

Phone rings again. This time it’s Camilla and Kelly on a 3-way call.

“So he saw her, Viv, and went straight to her looking guilty as hell. You tell the story, sis.”

“This mofo tells me ‘I’m not doing anything wrong. Just standing here. I’m not dancing.” Camilla chimes in. “He’s there with like five guys. They’re all standing there. Of course he saw me and is going to play it safe. And he’s wearing sunglasses.”

“I heard—“ Vivian stifles a yawn.

“Sunglasses! Like dude you have so many degrees and you may be book smart, but you are lacking common sense. Sunglasses make you stand out more, you dumb jerk.” Camilla says.

“I know this is devastating, girl,” Kelly interrupts. “What are you going to do? Do you need a place to stay?”

Vivian thought about her options. Sure, she was very upset that her husband was out in these city streets making her look bad, but what was the alternative? Leave a house that she paid half for and figure out being a single mom all on zero sleep? Or buy herself some time to figure her shit out?

“I know you think he’s the best you can do. He looks good on paper: great career, fancy degrees, lovely family. But that paper is a napkin, girl and it’s crumbling.”

Kelly wasn’t wrong. Vivian was smart enough to know her marriage was on borrowed time.

“I appreciate the concern. I really do love you both. But Bianca is sleeping through the night for the first time ever. I’m going back to bed.”

Vivian ended the call and cried herself to sleep.