Raymond is a loving mother, however. The Irish twins are always playing in her bed. “I love it, but we can’t make it seem like there isn’t room for anyone else in here, right?” she laughs. Are there any candidates? “I am dating,” says Raymond, who keeps her body toned by practicing Pilates and yoga a few days a week. “It’s refreshing. I have not been single in a while. I got divorced and married in the same year. It was a run-on relationship,” she jokes. “But a lot of guys like to play games. I like a man that’s a boss. I am not the dominant one. But a lot of the ones with the right mind-set wear OshKosh overalls. And if they are not fly, I don’t like them.” She also has strict rules. “I don’t bring men around my children. They have never met an ‘Uncle Tony.’ The two that I did bring around, I married.”

At the backdoor entrance of her home hangs a sign: “Home Is Where Your Story Begins.” Tameka Raymond is now focusing on her next chapter, though still grateful for the past. “Being raised in Oakland, and having been able to see and enjoy five of seven continents, and working in such a highly competitive field, makes me very proud,” she says. “I never imagined some of these things to be obtainable. And my sons teach me the meaning of true, unbiased love.” She stands up and walks back to the kitchen. It’s dusk, and the boys are hungry. I ask her if her ramen noodles special is on the menu tonight. She laughs. “You know it!”