Tuff as Nails

"Aw!" Brent sighed as Tuff showed him the picture of Britney and Cheryl Marie as mother breast fed child.

"Yeah, one day, one day you might have one of these, oops! Well, you and your boyfriend might ADOPT one of these," Tuff said.

"Frank hates kids," Brent admitted.

Tuff stared at Brent for a long moment. Then the two friends smiled and punched each other playfully.

"Fucking knew it," Tuff said.

"Yeah, well, not everyone does, okay?" Brent said. "So, keep it between me and you, all right?"

"Oh bull shit too! Going on my Twitter soon as I leave here," Tuff joked.

"You don't have a Twitter account," Brent said.

"Where were you?" Britney demanded when Tuff returned.

"Went to work out," Tuff lied. "Britney, I've been in this house forever, going out my mind. I just needed a little time for me, okay?"

"Well, we missed you. Didn't we, Cheryl Marie, didn't we? We missed our big strong Daddy, yes that's right," Britney sang to the baby.

Harry and Cheryl came over to the house. Harry smiled smugly when Britney told them that Dr. Sweetman had confirmed what they'd already known; Ezekiel Aaron Richards was the father of Cheryl Marie.

"See, darling?" Cheryl said softly, resting a motherly hand on Tuff's bicep. "You're the father. Now we can move forward, right?"

Tuff said nothing, just smiled a tight smile. Harry's smug expression slipped away when Britney told them that Tuff had demanded a copy of the test results.

"Now, you are on paternity leave; I don't want to see you in the building until six weeks have passed," Harry playfully ordered the young man.

"Uh huh," Tuff agreed. "I'm still trying find a solution to angled drilling."

"No. No more work," Britney ordered. "You have a baby and a wife that needs you."

At that moment, Tuff's cell phone rang.

"Hey Tuff, you come on over?" Brent asked.

"Lunch tomorrow? I need me some Tommy's po-boys, hear?" Tuff said.

"Tommy's? Carbs? No, man, how about Saladelights? On nineteen?" Brent suggested.

"I'm there, dude, twelve thirty," Tuff said.

"Who was that?" Britney asked.

"Pack. Meeting him at Tommy's tomorrow for lunch," Tuff said.

At twelve thirty the next day, two men in dark suits sat in Tommy's Po-Boys restaurant, dawdling over fried oyster po-boys. They lingered long after they'd finished their po-boys, but Tuff and Pack never did appear.

At one fifteen, Harry looked up as Tuff entered his office.

"Don't know how much you paid Dr. Sweetman," Tuff said.

"I have no idea what..." Harry said.

"And don't really care," Tuff said, dropping a folder onto Harry's desk.

"What's this?" Harry asked.

"A second, actual DNA test, run by a college student with no skin in the game," Tuff said.

"Well, how do you know..." Harry blustered.

"And said it's the damndest thing," Tuff said, flipping the folder open. "Both females? Both females have the same father."

Harry's face lost all color. Tuff stood, silently regarding the man.

"The college student? Doesn't have a clue who the two females are. They're Jane Doe and Jane Doe Junior to him," Tuff said quietly.

"Well, I suppose you think you're going to blackmail me now, huh, you little bastard?" Harry snarled.

"The only thing I want from you is my freedom," Tuff said plainly. "Let me go. Let me go get my Masters, my Doctorate. I'll divorce Britney; she can keep the house, the car, everything."

"But she loves you," Harry begged.

"But I don't love her," Tuff snapped, slapping the top of the desk. "Jesus! You ever hear me say I love her? You ever hear me say anything like that? No? Know why? Because I can't stand the whining stuck up little cunt."

"Your baby?" Harry begged.

"Your baby. Your baby," Tuff said. "Don't know how long you been fucking her, don't even care. When I'm gone? Y'all can keep on fucking, I just don't give a shit. I just want out."

"My company; God damned it, you know how hard I worked make this company what it is?" Harry groveled. "Britney? She'll never be able run this company. Cheryl would run it into bankruptcy in a heartbeat. I need someone here can take it over when I'm gone."

"Then go public," Tuff suggested. "Go public. Hold on to fifty one percent of the company, the shareholders will appoint you as Chairman of the board. When you're gone? Shareholders will appoint someone else, someone that will keep your legacy going. One day? Cheryl Marie will take over in her granddaddy's shoes."

"The Britney, the TR One, the bonuses, they've made, they've made you a millionaire, son. You can't just walk away from that, can you?" Harry wheedled.

"Why not?" Tuff asked. "I been broke before; didn't kill me."

Harry tried to grab Tuff, tried to prevent him from leaving his office. Tuff smiled as he slapped Harry's hands away, then delivered a backhand to Harry's face that had Harry seeing stars.

Tuff got into his pickup truck and sighed. He knew what was about to come would not be pleasant.

He did not love Britney. He did not even like her. But she would be hurt and he did not relish the idea of hurting another human being. Years of his mother's skewed religious fervor had rubbed off on him.

Britney screamed, begged, sobbed, threatened suicide if he left. Cheryl Marie cried for food, for a dry diaper.

"Your baby, you're not, you can't leave," Britney begged.

Tuff dragged his suitcase, Britney clinging desperately to it. Had it not been so painful, Tuff would have actually laughed at the comical sight of dragging suitcase and woman down a hallway.

"Baby's crying," he reminded Britney.

Tuff thought briefly of going to Pack's house. Then he remembered Harry's goon squad. Pack could take care of himself, but Pack's mother would be an easy target for the goons. Same thing with Brent and Frank.

So he went to his mother's house. The whole time, his cell phone rang and rang, Britney alternated between hanging up and leaving long, tearful messages.

"Well, what did you do?" Marie demanded when Tuff put his suit case into the second bedroom of her home.

"Forgot to put the toilet seat down, and boom! World War Three," Tuff said.

His cell phone rang. Tuff saw that it was Cheryl's number.

"Ezekiel? Hi, it's your favorite mother in law," Cheryl said quietly. "We meet somewhere?"

"With or without the body guards?" Tuff wanted to say.

They agreed to meet at the St. Elizabeth's Parish Library, on the park benches behind the building.

"They really did a beautiful job restoring the place," Cheryl said, looking at the library.

"Yes ma'am, they really did," Tuff said.

"Harry told me they weren't doing that anymore," Cheryl said tightly. "He swore to me they weren't doing that anymore."

She punched her thighs with her fists.

"God damn it to hell, he swore!" she screamed an anguished scream. "He promised, he swore!"

Tuff watched the woman's rage morph into extreme sorrow. Silently he held out his handkerchief.

"I didn't know men still carried these things," Cheryl said bitterly.

"Yes ma'am," Tuff said.

She dabbed at her eyes, then blew her nose. Wadding the linen up, she jammed it into her purse.

"I'll get it back to you after I wash it," she promised.

Tuff said nothing. He watched a few children playing on the swing set, on the slide.

"Twenty percent of the TR One and the Britney are going into your account," Cheryl said after a long moment.

"That's very generous," Tuff said. "I was given a bonus when they..."

"Should be a few millions," Cheryl continued. "Quite a few million. You'll have enough money to do whatever you want."

"Thank you, Cheryl," Tuff said.

"And don't worry about Harry," Cheryl said, getting to her feet. "He won't dare do anything to you."

"I'm not worried about him," Tuff said, getting to his feet.

"I'll get you your handkerchief, I promise," she smiled sadly.

"I got a few million dollars now; keep it," Tuff smiled. "I think I can afford buy myself a few new ones, huh?"

"Why they call you Tuff anyway?" Cheryl asked as they slowly walked toward her car.

"Wouldn't ever cry," Tuff said. "My momma would beat me, beat me 'til I was bleeding. But I refused to cry."

"Britney's heartbroken," Cheryl said as they stood by her car. "I'm sorry, I know, I promised not to say anything about her, but..."

She looked at Tuff's impassive face.

"She really does love you, God, it's almost like worships you," Cheryl said.

She touched Tuff's arm.

"She's, son, I know she's such a spoiled girl, I know she's terribly immature; that's her daddy's fault, and mine too, I suppose. But Ezekiel? Can't you? Won't you try?"

"Did try," Tuff admitted and suddenly felt a tear trickle down. "I did try. And when Cheryl Marie was born?"

"See?" Cheryl smiled, wiping away his tear with her thumb. "You're not so tough."

"No ma'am, guess I'm not," Tuff agreed.

He gave her a kiss, then waited until she was in her car before walking to his truck. He sat in the truck for a long moment. Then he saw a small child, hair in two pigtails running from library to playground equipment. Behind the girl, a young mother walked, smiling at the child's enthusiasm.

"No ma'am, guess I'm not so tough after all," Tuff said, watching the girl bravely climb to the top of the slide.

Britney kept calling his cell phone. In order to get some sleep, Tuff shut it off. In the morning, he saw that he had nine voice mails, fifty three missed calls, and a long string of text messages.

The one that hurt was the simple picture of a sleeping Cheryl Marie. The baby was beautiful, a little angel as she slept.

"So, what really happened?" Marie again demanded to know.

"Did a DNA test," Tuff revealed. "Turns out, I'm not the daddy."

"See? See? You hadn't been fornicating, wouldn't be in this mess," Marie crowed.

Then she thought of something.

"This, they ain't going make you give this house back, huh?" Marie asked.

"They might," Tuff lied, enjoying her panic. "In these kinds of things? She'll probably get all kinds of lawyers, really rake me over the coals, you know?"

A week after leaving Britney, Tuff asked Carmen Davis to help him find another home; his mother was driving him crazy. She found him a condominium in Kimble, Louisiana.

"Yeah, used to be apartments, but when the hospital opened..." the real estate agent admitted.

"It's perfect," Tuff said.

"I uh, I know it's none of my business, but you and that girl, y'all seemed so happy together," Carmen said.

"Yeah well," Tuff said, not answering her query.

For a moment, a brief moment, Tuff wished he had Britney and Cheryl to help furnish the condo. But a very flirty salesgirl at O'Neil's Furniture and Appliances did her best.

"And we can have this delivered there on Thursday; morning or afternoon?" the girl asked.

"Morning works for me," Tuff agreed.

Miller's Electronics had a crew out on Wednesday evening and PC Nation had the cable up and running the moment the Miller's team was out of the way.

Three months later, Tuff opened his mailbox and found a thick envelope from Richards, Pellichet & Jones Law Offices.

"Been wondering," he said.

But it was not the divorce papers he'd hoped for. Instead, it was papers from Kendricks Engineering, outlining the company's public options, and giving Tuff one thousand shares of K.E.

Tuff smiled, seeing Cheryl's hand in Harry's decision to give him anything, anything at all. He signed the documents and dropped them into the envelope the law office had provided.

On August Fourth, two days before the one year anniversary of his marriage, Tuff received a frantic call from Britney.

"Tuff, it's Daddy, he had a heart attack, they've taken him to St. Elizabeth's," Britney wailed.

"I'll meet y'all there," Tuff promised.

By the time Tuff parked his truck, found what floor Cardiology was on, and made his way to the wing, Harry James Kendricks had passed away. Cheryl stared numbly at nothing. Britney held onto a whining, fussing Cheryl Marie, and Robert Brown stood behind Britney's chair, looking smugly at Tuff.

"Cheryl, I am so very sorry for your loss," Tuff said quietly.

"I have this for you," Cheryl mumbled.

She dug in her purse, then pulled out Tuff's handkerchief, neatly folded. She held it out to him. Tuff folded her hand around the scrap of cloth.

"Think you need it a lot more than I do," he quietly said.

"I'm sorry I called you," Britney quietly sniffled. "I just, I just didn't know who else to call."

Tuff saw the little flash of anger on Robert Brown's face. He gently touched Britney's hand.

"It's fine; I'm glad you called," he said.

"What am I going to do?" Cheryl asked.

"Mrs. Kendricks, I'll take care of everything," Robert smugly offered.

"Daddy had this all already set up, Robert," Britney snapped at the young man. "There's nothing for you to take care of."

Cheryl Marie struggled mightily to get out of her mother's lap.

"She crawling yet?" Tuff asked, nodding toward the baby.

"Not yet, but she's trying," Britney smiled sadly.

"Mrs. Kendricks?" a doctor asked softly.

"I just, I just didn't know who else to call," Britney repeated as Tuff took the seat to her left.

"Told you, glad you did," Tuff said.

"Thank you," Britney said.

Robert simmered as he listened to Britney. He had rushed over the moment he'd heard about Harry's collapsing. He had attempted to handle Cheryl Marie, but Britney wouldn't release the child. He had tried to ingratiate himself to Cheryl, but the grief-stricken woman basically ignored him.

Then to hear that Britney had called Ezekiel, Tuff, her ex-husband, the man that just walked out of her house, leaving her with a newborn baby? And he was the one Britney called first?

"Labbe's Funeral Home will be picking your father up," Cheryl said heavily.

"Ma'am, let me drive you home," Tuff said.

"I'll follow, bring you back to get you, you still driving that old truck?" Britney quietly agreed.

"Hey, got you here when them streets was all flooded," Tuff defended his old truck.

"Oh, I wasn't saying anything about that truck," Britney said. "Love that truck. I'm in labor, losing my mind? And that truck just goes right through everything? No, no, Sweetheart, I love your truck."

Tuff guided a nearly catatonic Cheryl to the elevators. As they waited, she nervously twitched her fingers along his massive bicep.

"I hope Harry still has that twenty year old Scotch," Cheryl said as Tuff unlocked her car door. "I feel like getting good and drunk."

"Twenty year old Scotch will do it," Tuff agreed.

Tuff pulled the car into the garage, lowered the door, then helped Cheryl out of the car.

"Sir! Welcome back," John Johnson said when he saw Tuff enter the house.

"Mr. Johnson, it is good to see you," Tuff smiled. "But, no sir, I'm not back."

"Harry died, Johnson," Cheryl said. "Where's the Scotch?"

"Oh, ma'am! Oh I am so so sorry!" John gasped.

"The Scotch?" Cheryl demanded.

"Yes ma'am, it's right over here, ma'am, shall I pour you a glass?" John asked.

Outside again, Tuff approached Britney's Lincoln SUV. He could see Robert sitting in the passenger seat and guessed that Cheryl Marie's baby seat would be behind Britney's seat. He opened the rear passenger door and heard Britney demanding, "Robert, get out, all right? Just get out."

"I am not leaving you alone with HIM," Robert snarled. "Uh, after what he did to you? You really think I'd leave you? With him?"

"He's my husband, you stupid dumb ass," Britney snarled.

"Heard her, Bobby, out," Tuff said, opening the front passenger door.

"I don't think so," Robert shrilled.

"You can get out. Or I can pull you out," Tuff said.

"My car," Robert said. "My car's at the hospital."

"Well, no one told you leave it there," Britney said. "No one told you get in."

"Get in the back seat, Bobby," Tuff sighed.

"I don't think..." Robert said.

Tuff delivered a light slap to Robert's face.

"You want another one?" Tuff asked.

Robert knew he was no match for Tuff's physical strength, so sullenly got out. Britney hid her smirk, poorly.

"Thank you again, Tuff," Britney said as she drove back to the hospital.

"Call me, let me know when the visitation is, Tuff requested.

"And me," Robert demanded.

"So, uh, how have you been?" Britney asked.

"Been all right. Working on a hydraulics project, get water to areas in a drought," Tuff said.

"No, I mean..." Britney quietly said.

"I know what you mean," Tuff said. "I'm keeping myself busy."

"Thinking of selling the house," Britney said.

"Selling, why?" Tuff asked. "Thought you loved that..."

"Too big for just me and the baby," Britney said.

Then her eyes filled with tears.

"And now that Daddy's gone," she suddenly wailed.

"Pull over, pull over, pull over now," Tuff ordered.

Britney pulled to the side of the road. Tuff reached across the console and held her until her racking sobs subsided. Robert sat in the rear, fuming.

Finally, Britney softly pushed Tuff away. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, then pulled back out into traffic again.

At the hospital, Britney softly touched Tuff's hand. Then she leaned across the console and kissed him softly on his cheek.

"Thank you, Sweetheart," she whispered.

"It's going get better yeah," Tuff said, then got out.

Robert attempted to open the front passenger door, but Britney hit the door locks. When he attempted to walk around to her window, Britney drove away.

Cheryl asked Tuff to be one of the pall bearers and Tuff agreed. John Johnson, Cheryl, and Britney insisted that he ride to the Garden Of Memories cemetery in the long limousine. Getting out of the limousine, both women clung to him, again infuriating Robert Brown.

Father Goldbridthe was his usual impassive, no-nonsense self; it was just too hot and humid for any long, flowery services.

"And you'll come back to the house?" Cheryl begged as they walked back to the limousine.

"Yes ma'am, just let me get my truck, Tuff said.

At the house, some of Britney's relatives were none too polite as they pried into Tuff's presence.

"Really, darling, but I thought, didn't he leave you?" an aunt asked Britney.

"Yes, yes, Harry said something about a divorce?" a female cousin sniffed.

"He is here because I asked him here," Cheryl piped up. "If his presence makes you uncomfortable then perhaps you could just leave?"

Robert hung around, tried to fraternize with the relatives, the friends. He was never rebuffed outright, but very few encouraged him either.

"Robert, you ask me again if I need anything, I will slap the shit out of you," Britney finally barked. "I need anything? My husband is right here."

"Just trying to be helpful," Robert grumbled.

"And he's your ex-husband, remember?" he muttered under his breath.

Finally, it was just Cheryl, Britney, Tuff, Robert, and the household staff.

"Robert, thank you for coming," Cheryl said pointedly.

"Oh, it's nothing," Robert said glibly. "I couldn't let you go through such a trying time on your own."

"Well, thank you, drive carefully," Cheryl said.

"Oh, I uh, I mean..." Robert stammered.

"Take a hint, Robert," Britney said abruptly.

"The reading of the will is next, no, I guess it's this Friday," Cheryl said as she poured herself a tall glass of vodka.

"Vodka?" Tuff smiled. "I thought you were going to drink all of Harry's Scotch."

"I did," Cheryl smiled. "Why I'm drinking vodka now."

"Britney? Want one?" Tuff asked.

"Breast feeding," Britney responded. "But believe me? Minute I wean little Miss Piggy? I plan on having one very tall Long Island Iced Tea, you hear?"

"As I was saying, the reading of the will is this Friday; Donald Pellichet is, is, was Harry's lawyer," Cheryl said, faltering.

Tuff wrapped his arms around a sobbing Cheryl. Britney hugged her mother from behind. One of her arms went around Tuff's waist.