Temptations

By Takoya Milhouse Leach

A young woman who loves her husband and 3 children finds her self caught up when an old flame comes to town. She also finds herself in the sights of a stalker. While this is going on she must find a way to keep her family and not lose it all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312408227

Book preview

Temptations

Preface

I would like to say thank you for choosing to either pick up or download this book. I do appreciate your support, even if your support is purely out of curiosity. I chose to write this book, and all of the books that are going to follow this in the series, because these characters have come to life in me and I felt they needed to be shared.

I would like to thank my husband (Bernard). I would also like to thank my 4 children (Dy`Nasia, Abriella, Brianna, and Catherine) whom I love dearly. They have been part of my inspiration to get out there and step out and do this work.

I would like to thank my god mother (JoAnn Guion) for imparting the word that I would write a book into me and for my god father (Garland Guion) who asked me about it anytime I saw or spoke to him. I would like to thank my parents for allowing me to be creative (and sometimes a little, seemingly, crazy as long as I was respectful) when I was younger. I would like to thanks my family and friends for loving me.

I would like to thank my mother (Wanda Milhouse) and my dad (Andr`e Milhouse) for raising me to be the person I have become. I would like to send a special thanks to both of my sisters. One for Shaundre`a who, in her brief 21 years on this earth gave me my 2 nephews, I love you the same even though you were taken from this world and our family so violently. Also one for my sister Jacqualyn who is still coming into herself as a young woman.

I would also like to say a thank you to everyone who supported me through the writing of my book. Many people were unable to support me because I did not tell them that I was writing my book. For the handful of people that I did tell who help support me either by pre-reading my book or by just checking in on how the book was coming, or even offering to help with anything I needed for me to write.

My Original Fan Club (SS, MG, AW, RB, DW) I do appreciate how passionate each of you are about this book for me. I thank you for all of the words of encouragement. I would like to send a special thank you to my editor Affini Woodley, I know you are both an enthusiastic reader and great friend.  RB thanks for the inspirations in the book. GB thanks for the full support from the day you found out. DW thanks for the encouragement.

Chapter 1 - May 29, 2010

I am at this party as I am every Memorial Day. The family is all here, we seem to be growing every year, with friends who are close enough to be family. With all the new babies and such. I contributed my share, I had 3 kids in 4 years. I'm done, I told my husband, all I didn't have before 25, I wasn't having. I mean really, who wants to have an old mom? And well, who wants to be an old mom?

I guess with me telling you all these dealings I should start from the beginning.  I am Taylor India Stevens (formally Taylor India Avery, that's why my nickname has always been Tia). After 27 years, I'm finally starting to enjoy the fact that I'm 5' 3 (being short used to bother me) and I'm weighing in at 120 lbs... I have always had hair past my shoulders. I've never had the good hair but I do get my hair done enough so that it looks like I have good hair. (In the words of Will Smith in Men In Black I make this look good").

I'm married to a gorgeous, mildly successful man named Terrell John Stevens. I met him when I was 19 and a student at Fayetteville State University. We had a Critical Thinking class together. I saw him on day 1 and it was…nothing at first sight. Hey, what can I say? I was into the books. Now don't get me wrong, he was good looking. He was tall (to me) and had a smooth brown skin that was perfectly flawless. I won't say every girl on campus was after him, but he did have quite a few admirers. However, we had a partnered project to do and he and I were both absent the same day so we got partnered together. As time went on I found I wanted to see him outside of just school work. I mean we had the best conversations and we seemed to have so much in common, I just wanted to get to know him better. I was so happy when, right before Christmas/Winter Break he asked me out on a real date. When we were dating then, we used to tell people that we're so strong together and so big we're TNT.  That's funny to think about now, but then I meant that with all my heart. I was 19, however he was 21 and he only was in the Critical Thinking class because he had transferred in from a community college and therefore he was missing certain Core classes. All I know is, even with all the drama that we have sometimes, it was meant that we met that day.

Together he and I have had 3 beautiful girls. There's Tiffany Jane, Tianna Angel, and Tamia Rose.  I have heard people say that you don't really love any of your children more or less than another, you just love them differently. I always thought that was a bunch of bull, until I had my children. So first there was Tiffany Jane, she is my 7 year old and she was quite a surprise when she showed up. Everyone joked about us coming back from our honey moon with more than just souvenirs.  Well that's exactly what we did. I'm glad we got started early, but I did want to take time to enjoy being married. Well this bundle of joy burst into our lives on May 15, 2003 and things have never been anywhere near the same. She is as smart as the day is long and she is just like her daddy. She looks like him, has his mannerisms and it just looks like I incubated her. She is coming into her own. She realized that everyone in the family's name begins with T, so she decided she wanted to be different. Now she has decided to go by her middle name of Jane.  Then, there is our 2nd child Tianna Angel. She wasn't planned per say but she was thought about. I knew that we wanted Tiffany to have a sibling that was close enough in age for her to enjoy.  However, we didn't set out to have her right then, but here she came. February 10, 2005 is the date she bounded into our lives. Now this child here, this one is ALL me. She is my mini me. Which is why it's so befitting that her nickname is also Tia. It's so funny because as I said, I wanted no children after 25. Well my husband, going for his boy, snuck one more in there just under the wire. September 4, 2006. Her name is Tamia Rose, nicknamed Mia. She started out so mild mannered and even tempered, but now in her effort to be just like Tia, she is getting into so much trouble.

Just like she is about to do right now. Tia is riding her bike and Mia decided it was her turn. So she decided she was going to take it. Well, Tia was not going down without a fight and that is exactly what ensued. My husband looked at me and I looked at him. I knew where he was headed; straight for the nearest tree. Tia saw him going that way first and got off the bike and ran to play something else. Mia, thinking she had won this round jumped on the bike and started riding. I am only saying this happened because I know it happened. My husband got from the tree to Mia, popped her 3 times and got back to the grill before anyone could blink. Mia, still sitting on the spoils of war, was crying inconsolably.

Now there are 2 types of families: the kind that when a child is reprimanded take the side of the parents (She knew better, I saw it coming, or just laughing) and those who, even though they beat the dog snot out of their children, can't stand to see it happen (Oh he didn't have to do that, Come here baby, or rolling their eyes in disapproval). Since we had both of our families there, we also had both family types. So you heard it all. I just sat there, and turned to my best friend Kayla Ann Johnson (KJ for short). I said Oh boy, this day is only halfway over. Let’s hope we can recover from this one. KJ said Girl you know this happens every year. Hey it was Mia's turn in the spotlight.  And speaking of spotlights, have you heard that Jahiem is back in town?

Kayla and I have known each other since we were 2. We went to the same daycare and happen to go to the same elementary schools. Actually, excluding college, we always went to the same school. And the Jahiem she is speaking of is a guy we went to high school with. He was in my gym class. I had a slightly minor major crush on him. However, he was dating another friend of mine at the time. We sort of tested the waters when they broke up, nothing major just some kisses and light petting. We would catch up here or there when