Arrangements were made; everything was set in motion. The couple dropped Mayer off at Grandma’s. They had little time to say goodbye to GeeGee and catch their plane. Jamila moved at a razor-thin margin of time. They needed to arrive an hour early at the airport.

Henry kept quiet to avoid an argument. The feeling in his stomach felt like diarrhea and nausea. He wished he had stayed home. The closer they got, the more uneasy he felt.

Jamila was crushing a cheeseburger from the food court, but Henry could barely even look at his food.

“Are you alright? You’re acting weird.” Jamila finally asked, trying to put his behavior out of her mind so as not to ruin her vacation.

“I saw Uncle James last night. He told me he heard of this place before, and the man he knew never came back. That doesn’t sound weird to you?”

Jamila rolled her eyes. “Your uncle James? He’s not the best role model.”

“He raised four kids, sent them all to college, and has been married for decades. What type of role models do you have, Cardi B?” Henry immediately regretted being vulnerable to Jamila.

“Well, I don’t like him. He didn’t want you to date me, remember?”

“Yeah, he was looking out for me,” Henry muttered, moving his body to face away from Jamila.

“Well, and now he doesn’t want you to go-”

“I did not want to go! He recommended I go with you! You’re insulting my uncle, and you have no idea what you’re even talking about. Disrespecting him for no reason at all!” Henry fumed.

Jamila quieted down, noticing the people now staring at them. Jamila slumped in her seat, afraid to say anything. It was rare that Henry raised his voice at her. Being on the plane together, and a weekend together… She was unsure what to do.

Henry didn’t even like going on dates with her because they would argue in public. Now, they would be a thousand miles away from their apartment.

“I’m sorry, okay? I wasn’t trying to insult your uncle, but he did not like me.”

“Well, you don’t treat me well. His wife held him down through thick and thin. You don’t.” Henry rolled his eyes.

“I have done my best, but this is new to me. My dad provided everything for my mom.”

“Well, both my parents worked.”

“You don’t work.”

“I just lost my fucking job! You can go by your fucking self. Fuck this shit.” Henry stormed off, leaving Jamila sitting alone.

Jamila let out a sigh before realizing Henry hadn’t touched his food at all. Not even the French fries were touched, and he loved fries. The day did not start on a good foot. And she couldn’t process why. They rarely spent any time together anymore.

Jamila found Henry marching to the entrance of the airport, stopping him before he reached TSA to go home.

“Henry! Please!” Jamila called out.

Henry ignored everyone looking at him. He couldn’t ignore Jamila. No one else was her Henry. He turned around to see Jamila following him with eyes full of tears.

“Baby, we need this. Look at us; We need this.” Jamila held his hands.

Henry remained silent, following her back to their seat.

They sat awkwardly in silence. Neither felt able to engage the other in conversation without it ending up in an argument or worse. Henry felt like here he could at least escape Newark Airport and head back home. He walked miles to get home the day before. It was a small sacrifice to walk home from the airport if it meant avoiding this drama in Florida!

He couldn’t deny they needed counseling.

Jamila was a thousand percent right.

He couldn’t even stand hearing the truth. She woke up early every morning to provide for their family. If the shoe were on the other foot, how would he act? If he paid all the bills and worked all day while she stayed with the kid, then how much better would he lead their household?

They would never know.

Jamila earned well over $100,000 a year after taxes. She worked like the dickens, but she earned more than Henry would earn in two jobs or five fights. He couldn’t fathom how to legally get that money. He would lose his family if he tried getting it from the streets. Instead, Henry built his business and brand in silence, keeping his efforts to himself because, compared to Jamila, his efforts felt laughable.

He wasn’t the breadwinner; he was getting a free opportunity to fix his relationship and had a good woman who was willing to work things out rather than cheat or leave. He would do his best.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m just stressed out, and this makes me so uncomfortable.” Henry couldn’t deny his instincts telling him to run.

“Do you remember when we first met?” Jamila asked, rubbing his thigh.

Henry shrugged.

“Well, I do. I always wanted to be with you. You paid for all our dates. You let me live with you in your apartment. We both worked. You took care of me until I got my degree, even if you didn’t have one. You hustled and worked for us. I will never forget that, baby.”

“I forgot all about it.” Henry rubbed the back of his neck, remembering he used to provide.

“Well, it’s different now, but I still love you. You still hold us down. It’s different now, but you still support me more than anyone else. I will never quit on you.” Jamila hugged him tight.

“Thank you, Jay Bird. I’ll do everything I can to make this work. I’ll leave my pride at home, and I’ll follow the program. I’ll do what they ask, and I’ll stick to the plan. I’m upset and hurt, but our son deserves two parents. Not the shit these streets are dishing out.” Henry rationalized.

“I agree. Come on, it’s time to head to the terminal. Maybe pack your food so you can eat it on the plane or when we arrive.”

“I’m starving. I might slam it on the way to the gate.”

“I mean, we have half an hour if you think you need to take me to the bathroom and slam me.” Jamila giggled.

“Girl, you nasty.” Henry blushed, chuckling with her.

“At least you like me for something.” Jamila sighed.

“I love you, Jamila. It just doesn’t feel like you feel the same sometimes.”

“Let’s commit ourselves. We will use this retreat to work through everything. Anything you need to tell me. I’ll listen to you. If you can do the same.” Jamila laid out the terms.

“I got you, baby.” Henry nodded, holding out his hand.

Jamila spat in her palm, then squeezed his hand. Henry made a grossed-out face, wanting to shake her hand off, but Jamila broke out laughing, refusing to let his hand go. Jamila laughed all the way to the terminal while Henry whined, wiping off his hand. Still, they felt brief moments of why they loved each other so dearly once Henry came around. He cracked jokes at Jamila, she rolled her eyes and ate his French fries while he laughed to himself.

They were set to leave. On the plane, on their way to sunny Florida and their retreat. Their hope was revitalized with promises of one another’s commitment. And knowing deeply how much the other loved. In truth, Jamila looked forward to finally having sex in privacy without having to keep quiet for the baby. Being unable to have sex at all because the baby is wide awake builds up incredible frustration. She was used to Henry taking her wherever and whenever he pleased.

She kept glancing at the bathroom, giving subtle hints she needed relief only he could provide. She offered before they left the airport but his mind was elsewhere. He was against coming to the resort.

Henry began coming around to the idea as he saw Florida, growing excited remembering his uncle’s advice about Disneyland and Universal Studios. While Jamila began to feel reserved in the new territory. As they got out of the plane. There were women with tight bodies in bikinis eyeballing her six-foot-tall chocolate hunk. Their eyes made Jamila fawn and sneer uncontrollably.

She clung to Henry’s arm while he carried their luggage. Every woman who looked at him gave Jamila validation in her tenuous relationship. Especially if they were already married or dating. She felt like the luckiest woman in the world to have Henry. She rarely ever told him.

Her heart relaxed once their Uber arrived to take them to the island.

Henry’s unease returned when he realized they were moving further and further from civilization. They left the cities and towns, traveling on a long stretch of highway. An empty road, with keep-out signs and private property signs, led to the resort.

“Are you sure this is the right address?” The Uber driver kept asking in a Nigerian accent.

They assured him it was the only address they had.

“It’s going to be hard calling an Uber out of this place. Might take an hour to get a ride out this far.” The Uber driver said, driving as if entering a new state altogether.

A cop car blocked the road, sitting sideways, flashing its lights as they tried to enter. Their driver pulled over quickly, not wanting any trouble with the police. He retrieved his license and registration, then quickly placed his hands outside the window. Two officers left the car dressed in suits and ties, a man and a woman. Jamila studied the detectives intensely, wondering why they were stopping them.

“Do you have any idea how fast you were going?” The woman asked, eyeing the driver. “Why are you in such a rush today?”

“I drive Uber! I didn’t expect to be driving so far. I was trying to get there and back a bit faster so I could try to get another fare.” The driver explained.

“I’m sorry, but I need to give you a ticket… are you associated with the plantation across the bridge?” She asked, taking his information and looking it over.

“No, I just drive Uber!” The driver gave Henry and Jamila a dirty look in his rearview mirror.

Jamila sighed, “Excuse me, excuse me… but you can’t give him a ticket. There is no speed limit sign on the bridge.”

“Haha, yes, she’s right!” The driver cheered.

“I never said it was a speeding ticket.” The woman officer smiled, heading to her patrol vehicle.

Henry looked over at the male officer by the passenger side door, watching the road.

“Dude, have a heart… This guy is just working. Give us the ticket if anything,” Henry suggested.

Jamila punched him in the leg. “Shut up!”

“Why are you three heading to that place? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?” The man asked.

“Dangerous?” The driver asked.

“Yes, people have been reported missing from that place. Sorry, but we’re investigating the place. We need as much evidence as we can get. We need to ticket you to have a record of when we touched base with you. In case-”

“Hey, hey DeSantos, did you make some new friends?” The woman officer teased.

“I thought… maybe we should warn them?” DeSantos shrugged.

“We’re heading to the couple’s retreat,” Henry explained.

“Is that what they call it? Just please be safe. Call 911 if you need anything.” DeSantos insisted.

“If you just need to keep a record, how about a police report instead of a ticket?” Henry suggested an alternative.

The officers looked at one another and relented. The woman shook her head, rubbing her temples. She turned her back, heading back to the car to write up the ticket.

“I’m sorry…” DeSantos bowed his head. “Just hold tight. It won’t take long to write the ticket.”

Jamila groaned, “Can you believe this shit?”

“No, I can’t… dangerous? A couple’s retreat? Haha, what’s so crazy about this place?” Henry asked.

“I don’t know… but you two are far from the mainland. We’re only halfway there right now.” The driver informed them.

“Are you kidding? I need to get the hell out of this car… It’s like we’re driving to a new freaking country. Where the hell is this place?” Jamila cried out.

“I don’t know… I didn’t want to come to this place.” Henry sighed.

“Hey, hey, we needed to mark this down in the system… Here’s your e-citation. Please, we’ve been stopping every car headed to that place. If you turn around now, I’ll tear this ticket up. If not… I’m sorry but it’s the only way to put you in our system to track your whereabouts.”

“You really seem to be pressing this issue.” Henry rubbed his chin.

“You seem like nice people. I don’t want what’s been happening to other people to happen to you. We haven’t been able to shut the place down and people keep coming.” DeSantos shook his head, handing the ticket to Henry.

“What, you’re giving it to us?” Jamila protested. “We aren’t even driving.”

“For entering prohibited territory?” Henry read the ticket out loud.

“The driver will be long gone in a few hours. We need to make sure you folks get home safely.” His superior officer explained to them.

“Please be safe and call us if ANYTHING odd occurs.” DeSantos stressed.

“Thank you two.” Henry bowed his head.

“You’re so lucky I only passed the bar exam in Jersey. One more thing like this happens and I’m learning every law in Florida to prosecute, y’all.” Jamila declared.

“I’ll hold you to it, sister.” The superior officer chuckled, waving goodbye and returning to their squad car to patrol the deserted highway.

The driver put the car in motion, heading the rest of the way listening to Jamila complain about the ticket until she fell asleep.