Quinn smiled. “Thanks. Once I get unpacked I need to check out you and Mr. Washington’s bedroom to make sure everything is up to code.”
“Well, his room is right across the hall so you don’t have to go far.” Skye pointed. “My room is upstairs.”
Quinn looked somewhat confused. “Oh…okay well that’s cool. After I check on that, I’ll come and talk to you about my schedule and days off. We also need to discuss our rotation in regards to taking Mr. Washington to physical therapy.”
“Your days off? And who’s taking that man to physical therapy? I’m not doing that,” Skye said, walking out of the room to go pour herself another glass of wine.
Again Quinn looked at her strange wondering why Skye stayed in another room and why she didn’t want to take care of her own husband. Let me mind my own business, he thought. My job is not to pry.
Not long after, Quinn joined Skye outside on the patio and began to discuss Sandino’s care. It was so many different things that came along with Sandino’s rehabilitation, Skye was glad Quinn was well trained and handled all of it because she hadn’t planned on lifting one finger. She was living up to her part of the agreement by being in the same house with him and making sure he was cared for. But that was as far as she’d planned to go. Skye even wished she could block off part of the house so she didn’t have to see him.
Later that afternoon, Skye tried to lay down and take a nap, but still couldn’t sleep. The nervousness of Sandino coming had her on the edge. So, instead of resting she opened another bottle of wine and continued to sip.
Suddenly chill bumps ran up and down her arm as Skye heard the beeping noise of a truck backing up. She looked out the upstairs window and saw a white van backing into the driveway that read, HealthSouth Rehabilitation. When her leg started shaking Skye wondered if she was going to be able to hold her composure when she saw Sandino for the first time in months.
“I hate that demon. He destroyed my life and I plan to return the favor,” she said to herself, then looked in the mirror.
The nude colored Herve Leger dress she wore fit her now curvy size eight body like a glove. She’d been working out every day in the gym downstairs trying to relieve her stress and drop some pounds all at the same time. And it was working because she’d managed to drop most of the weight she’d gained while living in Georgia. Plus, she didn’t have much of an appetite now since she’d moved back to Miami. Skye knew she was way over dressed, but she wanted Sandino to see what he was missing out on and how much he’d fucked up a good thing.
Skye watched as Quinn went out and greeted the other nurses transporting Sandino. A huge ramp on the side of the van was lowered down and a few minutes later, she saw Sandino’s wheelchair being pushed off. Skye was shocked when she finally saw his thin frame and thick, full beard. He looked more like Teddy Pendergrass after his accident then Sandino Washington. It was actually scary.
As Quinn pushed the wheelchair off of the ramp and started wheeling him towards the house, Sandino looked up and noticed Skye standing in the window. While his eyes lit up like an excited child, hers were cold as ice. Sandino stared at her like he was hypnotized.
“When I get through with that muthafucka, his ass is gonna wish he really was dead,” Skye said.
Once Quinn pushed Sandino’s wheelchair into the foyer of the house, Skye stood at the top of the spiral staircase looking down with Payton in her arms. Her eyes widened a bit as she got a closer look at the frail man who no longer looked like the muscular Sandino Washington that she’d married years ago. To say he looked awful was an understatement when describing his appearance. In all her years married to Sandino she’d never seen him with any facial hair so the beard was beyond creepy.
After a closer view, he looked less like Teddy Pendergrass and more like a scrawny injured veteran returning home from the war. Or like a homeless man you see on the street. Watching him slouched over in the wheelchair dressed in an oversized army green sweat suit made her feel like she was looking at a complete stranger. Over the years of their marriage even during his abuse and drug use, one thing never changed. Skye could never deny the fact that she always found Sandino to be irresistible and sexy. But for the first time ever, that had definitely changed.
When she walked down the stairs, Sandino studied her up and down with his piercing eyes. She immediately began to think about all the promises he’d made to her that the abuse and cheating would stop, but each time it only got worse. Thinking about her constant pain, Skye actually hated Sandino for everything he’d done, and planned to show him just how much.
This shit is going to be harder to deal with than I thought. I wanna run over and kick his ass so bad just so he can see how it feels to be abused and belittled in front of someone. But now that the tables are turned, he will endure some of the pain I experienced. Payback is a bitch, she thought to herself.
As Skye walked down the stairs, a smile instantly formed on Sandino’s face and his eyes lit up like a bright sun. He seemed especially excited to see Payton. She’d always been daddy’s little girl and he was surprised at how big she’d gotten. Payton studied Sandino strangely with the beautiful green eyes she inherited from her mother. But then suddenly started crying as Sandino sat in his wheel chair staring at them like a mad man.
Skye purposely turned her back so he could no longer see his daughter. “Your scary looking ass hasn’t been in here five minutes and you’re already making us upset.”
Embarrassed, Sandino turned his head and looked in the direction of the boys’ rooms expecting to see his son’s next.
Once again Quinn felt awkward as he cleared his throat. “Are you ready to assist me with helping Sandino get settled into his room?”
Skye sucked her teeth. “No, I’m not! I thought that’s what you were here for. I mean… I made sure he had clean linen on the bed, what more to you want me to do? I’m telling you right out the gate, don’t be expecting me to spend a lot of time in that room,” she responded.
Quinn looked at her funny. “Yes ma’am. Thanks for the heads up. Well, I’ll be right back. I have to go help the medical supply company bring in some of the equipment needed in Mr. Washington’s room. He’s going to need a holster to help him in and out of the wheelchair along with a few other things,” he said before walking toward the front door.
Payton was still whining so Skye took her upstairs to lay down for a nap. Seconds later, she returned and walked towards Sandino in an intimidating manner and bent down towards his face.
“Just so you know, it’s a new day muthafucka. The old Skye is gone! Your controlling ass set it up so that I didn’t have any other choice but to come back here. But I just hope you’re ready to deal with the consequences,” she said, letting him know she meant business.
She then took her finger and plucked him several times on the forehead really hard in the same manner he did to her on several occasions in the past. “Do you hear me talking to you, cripple boy?”
Sandino’s eyes bulged and he moved his head trying to avoid her screams.
“Let me take you on a tour of the new house,” Skye said, getting behind his chair and pushing him into the living room.
She cringed when she saw that the hideous cut literally from ear to ear across his shaved head.
“Do you like the new red color in here? You’ve always said red represented hoes. I wonder if Asia had on red the night you fucked her and got her pregnant.”
A huge frown formed on Sandino’s face.
“Well, since you fucked one of my old friends, I don’t feel bad that I fucked one of yours.”
Once again Sandino produced an evil scowl.
“On with the tour,” Skye said, displaying a devilish grin while pushing him down the hall. The heels of her new Gucci sandals echoed loudly on the expensive marble floors as she made her way to the family room; a place that was formally Sandino’s shrine. It used to contain all of his trophy cases and pro-football memorabilia, but not anymore.