Determined not to let old habits ruin their stable lives they miss out on love. Ignoring similarities. Shrugging off bonds. Their only difference is the very thing that brought them together. Fame. Where did things go wrong? When did things get so deep? Now they have a life in common. Can they survive the differences?
I left Lane up putting him on my shoulders. Let's see if we can get Trey's attention. I didn't tell anyone we were coming. I have a female bodyguard in the audience with me. Lane was surprisingly okay with all the people.
"Oh my fucking gosh." The person next to me says making herself taller. "Little Trey Songz."
"Please maam." Emma says tapping the girl.
I look up at Lane. He was waving to the stage. Trey walks over in the middle of the song. He sings a bit then he jumps off the stage out of nowhere. The crowd gasps. It was too sudden to be a part of the show. Everyone starts making a fuss. Somebody reaches up taking Lane. I spin around. He's passed up two people. I stand on my toes. A few seconds later Lane was up on stage followed by Trey. How they just gonna fucking take my fucking son like that. Everybody in front of me turns around looking at me. I look back at them like what. Trey sings with Lane in his arms. Lane was watching everybody. I'm surprised he not crying.
"I love you." Someone says to me.
"You love me?" I ask confused.
She hugs herself. "Can I take a picture?"
I shrug. "Yeah."
"Thank you. I love you so much." She says taking the picture of me then a selfie.
I thought I would be able to blend in with the crowd like I used to but it was quickly starting to turn into a selfie party. The crowd is moved and Buggiz comes up to me shaking his head. He let's one more person take a picture then he moves me through the crowd where he came from. I hug him as he tries to help me up the stairs. He starts walking with me hugging him.
"I miss you."
"You retarded." Is all he says.
He unlocks a door walking through it to the backstage area. I kiss his cheek then put my hands on my hips looking around. Where are we? He starts walking. I walk behind him until I hear my son. I push pass him and run to where I hear Lane talking.
"No. No." Lane says. "That one."
"This one?"
"Put it on." Lane demands. "This."
Trey laughs. "Okay. Give it here."
I walk into the room. Lane is standing up on the couch flipping through Trey's clothing rack. I chuckle. I'm pushed into the room more then the door closes behind me. Trey smiles at me before he even looks at me. I smile harder.
"Thank you." He says then changes his shirt. "This the right shirt?"
"Yes." Lane says putting a hat on his head. "Taden at the room."
Trey smiles at him. "Caden at the room? You left Caden by himself?"
Lane snatches the hat off. "No man."
"No?" Trey laughs. "Who with Caden then?"
"Grandma got Taden. Grandma take Caden in the room."
Trey comes over to me. He had a straight face. Lane is steady talking about Caden and being left in the room with his grandma. Trey grabs my hips and smiles really hard at me. He just stares at me for a few seconds. I kiss him. There's a tap on the door then it opens.
"Trey... oh hey family." CiCi says.
"Caden came?" Trey asks.
I roll my eyes. "Lane was whining about me coming to get him. Me, Caden, and Amber went to get Lane. Your grandma..."
"Don't do that." Trey says rubbing my side.
"Tremaine she locked herself in a room with my son."
Trey chuckles a bit then stops. "It's not funny but Jay... come on."
I roll my eyes. "I was going to miss you so I just left him. But now I can't go with you to New York because I have to get milk to him. You know how he is about the bottle two days in a row."
"He is spoiled." Trey kisses me. "Lane you coming to New York with me?"
"I know that is. I not." He snatches the hat off again. "Daddy I go."
Trey kisses me. "I got my talkative buddy."
"Can you believe that Marco..."
"Who the hell is that?"
"Can you believe Hydia husband fucking some stripper and this other girl. Fucking ridiculous. What the fuck does marriage even mean?"
Trey kisses me. "It takes a lot of women to equal up to that one. Jayla I'm sorry. Don't go giving her advice like you in her shoes. It wasn't even like that."
I nod. "I know. It still passes me off just the same. I just wanted to vent about it. I'm not comparing it to me or nothing."
"Yes the hell you was. Men ain't shit. Fuck them bitches." He whispers in my face. "I'll have someone bring Caden to New York okay? So we can all be together."
"No I'm not about to be stressing about my baby on a plane without me."
He kisses me. "Well send him some milk on the plane. Ma's got him."
"Umm..." I blow.
"Umm." He kisses me. "CiCi? What we doing?"
"Calling the family and going to the hotel room to whine about missing them." She shrugs acting like she fighting Lane.
Trey kisses my neck. "I'm trying to hold my news but... I cant."
"You make a million dollars a year?" I say like I'm excited.
"I got the title of my album approved along with the first single."
I smile. "Titled Jayla."
"Forever Jayla." Lane laughs squeezing between us. "Mommy you say Jayla?"
"Yes, Lane."
Trey picks Lane up. "It is Jayla. Forever is the song being released next month."
I giggle. "That's a cute idea but what is it really?"
"CiCi?"
She hands me a iPad. There's a picture of our hands from our wedding photos. I drop the iPad to my side and cover my mouth. I felt instantly emotional. Like this is my favorite picture that we took that day in the freezing cold. Did I tell him that it was my favorite picture. He takes the iPad from me handing it to CiCi. He comes close to me but Lane hugs and kisses me first. I smile. Trey says something to CiCi then guides me towards the door. I never imagined having a fucking album named after me. A fucking Trey Songz album. Being in the crowd watching him today had already brung back my teenage memories and dreams. They say artist write their best stuff in their darkest hours. I never thought an album about me would come from that. I was near tears as we get into the waiting car.
"Mommy I pee."
"Buggiz." Trey says opening the door back. "Lane has to use the bathroom."
Buggiz gets into the car. "There's a store I can take him in right here. That person acting too wild for me."
"Close?"
"Yeah." Buggiz nods.
Lane watches the iPad that CiCi gave him. He probably doesn't have to pee. He likes to lie about using the bathroom. I don't want to say that and he has to use some unsafe restroom.
"Tremaine." I say looking at him on his phone.
"Yeah?" He looks up from the phone.
I shake my head. "I'm too popular to blend in with the crowd."
He chuckles. "You sad about that?"
"Yes." I pout. Lane snaps his head at me. I smile. "Just a little."
"I told them to get my fucking wife out that gotdamn crowd. Bitches are jealous as shit. Might try to fight you."
I stare at him then say. "Fight me? They love me."
"Thankfully those girls did. I think about the ones that hate you cause they ain't you."
"This is really going to make me a big deal for 15 minutes."
Trey kisses my cheek. "I feed off your energy. So humble. You make me better. Aye CiCi write that down. I feed off your energy. You make me better. Neyo said it first. You make me better..." he sings. "Movement by myself but we're a force when we're together."
"Trigga." Lane laughs. "Be quiet."
"What?" Trey says.
Lane snickers. "It's a Trigga." He plays Trey's video. "Be quiet."
"How cute?" CiCi says. "You need to record that. Lane say Trigga Trey."
"No." He shakes his head wild. "He say that."
"You say it. Here." CiCi says recording him.
He pushes the laptop to the floor. "Trigga. No Trigga. Be quiet."
"Let's use the bathroom, Lane." Buggiz says opening the door.
"Let's go Mommy." He comes over to me.
"Dont be mean to ladies, Daylan. Pick that up."
Lane cries immediately picking it up. He gives it to CiCi. I patiently smile and guide him out of the car. He is fake. As soon as we are out of the car he stops crying and starts talking about random stuff he sees.
Rollie
I stare at the itinerary for the baby shower. They put this thing together fast. I was tasked with finding out what we needed for the baby. I don't know. Leah likes to shop online so shit is constantly coming. I figure we don't need to buy anything for the house. We have a crib that came in the mail the other day. I really don't know.
"What is this?" I ask picking up an Amazon box.
"Stuff keeps coming in the mail. I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
She shrugs. "Read the label."
I look at it. "You didn't order this?"
"No. I didn't order any of that stuff." She snaps.
"But it all matches." I say opening the box. There's a letter inside. "For Jordan."
Jordan cuts her eyes in our direction. "Huh?"
"You do those damn dishes." Leah snaps. "Playing over shit like you love doing dishes."
"Yes maam." She whines.
I put my arms around Leah. My dick gets hard. I let her go looking down. Ain't no shit like that had ever happened. She cups my dick then walks away. I start walking out the kitchen. I stop sitting the box down. I tap the box to get Jordan attention then I put my finger to my mouth. She rinses her hands off then gets off the stool slowly. I smile at her then walk away.
"One day of sleeping with that pillow and I was rejuvenated. I swear. Huh? Yeah. I wasn't around as much when the moms came in. Not like that. No really. Really. I don't. It's okay. Aight. Love you too."
"Who was that?"
She lifts her shirt over her head. I step out of my pants kicking them to the side. Leah grabs that damn pillow. Fuck no. We not having sex with the damn pillow around. She leans over offering her ass to me. She looks back like I'm taking too long or something. I slap her pussy.
"Who the fuck was that?"
She moans. "I'll tell you afterwards."
I kneel down and bite her pussy as if I were biting into a big burger. She moans loudly. I dart my tongue into her. Her nut follows my tongue out oozing to her clit. I rub it in with my hand as I slide my dick into her. She screams into a blanket that she had. Her pussy was throbbing. I rest my dick into her. I wanna fuck her hard so bad. I push deep and fuck her slow. Deep and a little hard. Not too much. She grabs my hand putting it on her waist. I hold her steady. She nods.
"What that mean?" I lean forward.
"Do it harder."
I look down at her ass. This bitch must be trying to have this baby today. I grab her waist with both of my hands and I do as told. She moves a bit. I start to switch it up but she gives me a look. I fuck her harder like she wants. She moans into the bed as I cum. I lean over on her. Gotdamn. Should have made her comfortable months ago. Guess I fucking know now. When pregnant happy doesn't mean comfortable. Comfortable equals sex.
"You trying to go into labor?"
"From fucking?" Leah moans.
I stroke my soft dick into her. It doesn't work. I get off of her to stand back and watch her. She holds her stomach. See dumbass. I go to the bed and kiss her. I rub on her stomach. She chuckles.
"Help me lay down." She asks then moans. A painful moan.
"It felt too good?"
She laughs then stops. "Shit."
"You need some water?"
"I got some right there." She blows. "I couldn't breath."
"You a dumb bitch."
She rolls her eyes. "Hell yeah."
I walk into the bathroom. "Who were you talking to?"
"Cammie Talking about how she abandoned me."
"How she abandoned you? When this happened?"
"She said she just up and left. Something else about so much going that she didn't check on me. Something else about how Trey's mama and your mama. Oh them being overbearing. She's going to surprise Trey at his show."
I give her a gown and a rag. "Your ass bout to be stuck in the bed."
"Imma drink this water and go to sleep. Ain't nothing to do."
"Fuck you mean? You were about to cook."
She gets comfortable in the bed. "Mhmm."
"Oh lazy ass."
"Ma!"
I turn away from the door. "Wait!"
She closes the door back. "Why you naked in the middle of the day!"
"Your mama sleep."
"Whatever." She blows.
I hit Leah on the ass. "Wake up. Ignoring your fucking daughter."
"Rollie." She snaps exposing her ass.
"You want some more?" I say rubbing her naked ass.
"You wanted me?" Leah asks.
I start to say something. But she is on the phone.
"Rollie gonna take you to dinner. I don't know talk to him." She giggles. "He a stinky man. Who knows why he likes to be naked. Yes, go get ready. Yes that's fine. Wear whatever you want. Okay. I will. Love you too." She turns to me. "Get off my ass. Jordan said wear your Jersey so yall can match."
"How your ol lazy ass gonna fucking..." I hit her ass again.
She moans. I suck my teeth and go get ready to take my baby out. She can find something fun to do. Maybe we will eat at a fancy restaurant and go ride some cars. She doesn't need to go shopping. She's had enough gifts.
I bite the cucumber making a face at it. Eww. Why do I want this shit? Why the he'll does it taste good? I dip it in the honey mustard sauce and sigh. So fucking nasty.
"Hello?" I say with an attitude.
"You so damn nasty. Chew your food first." Cammie snaps. "Rollie... hold on."
I eat the cucumber feeling so satisfied. Maybe it's because it looks like a dick. I stare at it then bite a big chuck of it.
"Hello."
"Yes." Hydia says.
"Alex?"
I answer in the middle of chewing. "What?"
She sucks her teeth. "What are you eating so rudely?"
"A damn cucumber. I hate cucumbers."
"Okay." Cammie says. "Leah having a baby shower next week in Atlanta. Think you can make it? Both of yall."
I shrug. "A fat bitch like eating."
Hydia chuckles. "Okay, stupid ass. I can make it too."
"Hydia is Ike talking still?"
"Ike can fucking talk?" I snap. "What if my baby comes out slow? Oh gosh. Let me pray."
One of them suck their teeth. "My fucking son isn't slow."
"Of course he not." Canmie retorts.
I roll my eyes. "I was just... ignore me. Continue. Is he still talking was the question."
"Yes please ignore that rude bitch." Cammie says.
"He did a few times. He started to argue with me when I was telling him not to open the divorce papers."
I put my cucumber down. "Divorce papers? You not a damn lawyer. Why you got those?"
"Cause she was about to turn them into her lawyer but I told her I got a better lawyer who will get those military benefits for sure." Cammie says.
I get mad. "You fucking encouraging a gotdamn divorce? Fuck no."
"He can't fucking be out there getting chlamydia from dirty ass stripper bitches and whoever the fuck else he fucking. That's too fucking much. Too fucking far." Hydia says.
"So you wanna be fucking single? What the hell for? Ain't nobody taking care of a child alone. What the hell Cammie? Did your fucking husband not cheat on you?"
Cammie sighs. "Any fucking way."
"No. Cause what the fuck."
"Nobody even getting a divorce. Shut the hell up and listen."
"I am listening. Pregnant or not I can fucking hear."
"Pregnant or not you talk too damn much."
Hydila sucks her teeth. "I put my Airpods in my ear. I'm going in the house so yeah. Imma just listen."
I call Jamal on my work phone. "Where the fuck you at?"
"Okay. I apologize." He says away from the phone. "Excuse me. Oh no. One minute."
"This man is sitting on the floor crying." Hydia says.
I look at the phone. "Who? Your son?"
"No the father."
"Crying?" Cammie snaps. "What the fuck wrong with him?"
Hydia sucks her teeth. "I don't know."
I roll my eyes then hang up on Jamaal I wasn't even paying attention to what he was saying. My mind is one tracked right now. This fucking cucumber. I bit it then roll my eyes at it. I've been pregnant for about 3 months. 10 weeks pregnant. What the hell?
"Bitch you got a damn mute ass son who wants to talk now and you bout to put him through a divorce? That's fucking insane. One damn thing my parents got right is getting married and staying married. Fuck the world. Them bitches ain't shit to that man."
Cammie sucks her teeth. "She is not divorcing him! Damn. It was a fucking joke."
"You said he was mad about the paperwork. I heard that."
"Oh no." Cammie laughs. "I mean the only joke was me hiring a lawyer for her. I was being funny cause that's what she said I should have said to her. And my husband hasn't physically cheated... I don't have proof of it. Anyway whatever. Hydia go see what's wrong with your husband."
"Whatever." I say.
Hydila sighs. "I guess."
Cammie chuckles. "If anything remember to show him those damn papers and fucking pictures."
"What pictures?"
"The private investigator I hired took pictures of him and some fucking stripper who gave him chlamydia. She admitted the shit like whatever."
"Too much." I say wanting to cry. "Marriage not about any of that."
Hydia makes a lot of noise. "Don't even. I'll let yall know."
"I promise it's worth staying. Tell him what you know and demand that he kiss your ass or you leaving. It's not just his fault cause you gave up too."
"Yeah."
"This cucumber is about to make me cum I swear." I say.
"This bitch fucking a cucumber." Cammie snaps like I'm simple enough to fucking do it.
Hydia laughs really hard. "Oh please."
"I'm eating it." I bark.
"Kinky pregnant mind." Cammie says.
Hydia laughs some more. I roll my eyes and hang up. I look at my office door. Jamaal walks into it slowly staring at me.
"Why aren't you answering? Why the fuck you hung up like that? I thought something was wrong with you. Is something wrong with you?"
I shrug. "I didn't want to talk to you anymore."
"You could have fucking said that." He spats.
"Oh." I say surprised. "Excuse me."
He takes his phone out of his pocket. "Yeah its fine. Yeah. Aight. Tomorrow is fine. Thanks."
"Why are you all shitty acting? Leave."
"Are you eating a cucumber?"
I drop it into the container. "Maybe it's a dick I really want."
"What?"
I answer my phone. "Robeson speaking."
"This is Micheal Paul. I'm returning your call about that contract."
"You signing it or wasting my time?"
He chuckles a bit. "I'm trying to tell my manager about it but I don't remember the shit so yeah."
I sigh. "So yeah you wasting my time. Got it. Wait on the phone for my assistant." I hang up the phone on him.
"Did..." Jamaal walks over towards the phone. "Who did you hang up on?"
"He not serious about a damn contract. Michael something."
Jamaal gets in my face. "I left my meeting with Bryant Knightley to see what's wrong with your ass. You need to get your shit together."
"I will after I have this baby."
"We can't afford that. Get your shit together."
I touch his cheek. "You smell good."
He smiles. "Thanks."
"Maybe we can do a personal date or something."
"You can sleep over to my house and we do breakfast in the morning."
"My house is better." I say touching his chest.
He looks down. "I redecorated my place. You will like it."
I shrug. "I don't know. I doubt it is impressive."
"Try it."
"Eat this cucumber so you smell like it."
He looks into my eyes then laughs as he stands up. "I heard of freaky pregnant women but what the fuck is wrong with you?"
"Maybe if we work together things won't be shit."
He bites the cucumber and shrug. "No. In a few months people will automatically know you pregnant and excuse your extra bitchiness."
I stand up and kiss him. He did smell like a cucumber and whatever delicious cologne he had on. He chuckles a bit eating the cucumber. I walk away from him smiling. Jamaal is fucking hopeless. I rub my stomach looking in the mirror.
"You haven't proposed to me yet." I say turning to him.
He opens my desk drawer pulling out a velvet box. He unlocks it, turns it to me, then opens it. I stare at him. He so fucking hopeless. What has this been the entire time? A fucking trap maybe? I put my hands on my hips.
"Your infatuation with me is actually kinda touching." I say.
"Infatuation? Naw."
I roll my eyes. "Right your obsession with your mother who is me."
He makes the box open out displaying more ring choices. "Want me to get on my knee?"
"Do it." I nod. "Schedule a dinner with my parents. A nice one. I might be showing next week."
"Please."
I dismiss that. "Have you told that cute faced little me yet?"
"She will tell my parents first chance she gets."
"When will they find out?"
He shrugs. "Don't know."
"It's strange... Jamaal if you cheat on me without permission anytime during your life I will have you anally raped by a small midget with a big dick."
"Permission?"
"Little person with a big dick." I nod.
He sits down at my desk. "Don't hold back the good gossip."
I roll my eyes walking to the desk. "Same old bitch."
"Me? Yeah." He says eating the nasty cucumber.
"Mhm." I say looking at the beautiful rings.
Marco
"Why is my baby sleeping on the floor?" Hydia asks picking him up off the floor.
He jumps out his sleep looking at her. He starts crying then looks back at me. Hydia puts him on the chair and kisses his forehead. He watches me drifting off to sleep like her kisses are hypnotizing.
"You can't talk?" She snaps turning around.
"You ain't ask a question that needs an answer."
She rolls her eyes. "Hello? I didn't know who you was. I got headphones in." She laughs. "I don't know. Airpods. Whatever. I'll call you later. I will. Bye."
I erase my phone completely. I never sent any of my shit to the cloud. Text messages and all that shit always got deleted daily. Hydia grabs the folder that the divorce papers were in. I sigh as she takes them into the kitchen. I don't know what to say to her. I'm sorry. I'm a sorry fucking asshole. This the first time I seen her in a week. No Hello or nothing. My mind jumps to her phone call just now. Who the fuck was she talking to? They wanted a special greeting? Short conversation. Promise to call later.
"Why are you crying?" She spats. Very cold for her usually bubbly personality.
"Ike talked to me."
She smiles suddenly. "We are moving to California for a few months. I want him to be close to Lane. He really connects with him and they get each other. I don't know but in the last month he has spoken out loud more than... well he never talked."
"We can't afford California." I snap.
"I'm not asking you to afford nothing." She says with one hand on her hip. "I have more than enough to do it on my own."
A blanket of anger comes over me making me stand up. "Sounds like you planned to fucking leave me."
She shrugs like so. "I did."
"Wha?" I say knocked down by her words and attitude.
"You need to get tested."
"Tested?" I throw my hands up. "What the fuck for?"
She sucks her teeth turning her lips up. "I don't know if I want to do this."
I narrow my eyes at her. "Do what man?"
"You not even in this marriage. We can just continue like so. Ike needs you around. He seems to be okay with how much he sees you. So just continue like that. I don't want to do this. Try." She chuckles then shake her head. "Those therapist were wrong about him. He wanted a real friend. Not one that we picked out. I don't blame him. Real is better. True bonds feel better."
"You not in this fucking marriage either. Don't try that shit."
She crosses her arms. "I'm supposed to figure out my own faults and point them out to myself? I'm supposed to fix me and you in this? That's a gotdamn question that needs an answer."
"I don't want to argue with you."
"Right. That's what you always say." She walks away. "We having meatball subs for dinner."
I put my hand on my forehead pulling my skin back trying to relieve the pressure. My head is killing me all of a sudden. What was I thinking? I get rid of my outside shit and it's happily ever after? I don't know how to fix my marriage. I didn't when I stepped outside of it and I don't now. All of my friends are single or divorced military idiots who egged on cheating and said fuck her. I could afford California. I walk into the kitchen. She is washing dishes. I lean on the counter next to her. I try to suppress my overwhelming emotion.
"The first sentence my son said to me is Mommy getting a divorce. Not what's up Dad or fuck you nigga."
She just keeps washing the dishes. I shake my head. I look at her phone and notice that she was talking to someone. That fucking pisses me off. I knock it over into the sink of running water. She gasps and reaches into the sink to grab it. It's just running water. They waterproof.
"You asshole." She snaps walking away.
"Mommi." I say grabbing her arm. "Siento."
She pulls away from me. "Get off me."
"Siento, si?"
"Marco." She turns to push me.
I step into her grabbing her waist and pulling her to me so she couldn't push me.
"Okay. Bye." She says crying.
"I apologize."
She tries to get away from me. "I heard you the first time."
"But you not hearing me. You not saying shit."
"Because I don't want to go through this with you." She snaps.
I try to kiss her. She slaps the shit out of me like I'm a fucking stranger at a bar. I let her go livid. What the fuck was the point of that? She tries to walk away again. I follow behind her stopping her from slamming the door in my face.
"I've been erasing your shit for years. I'm fucking tired of it. I'm tired of arguing with you over the wrong shit."
"Lets argue about the right shit." I push the door open.
She rolls her eyes. "I no longer have the energy."
"This shit is depressing. I hate coming home. Coming home to go to fucking appointments cause my child broke. My wife occupied by anything else besides me. Now you go and wrap yourself up in your family/celebrity shit."
"Then leave Marco." She snaps.
I blow frustrated. "I just want you."
"Me?"
"Yeah." I say touching her hips lightly.
She rolls her eyes. "It's always me trying and me going out of my way. I was even willing to follow you to fucking Mexico. Like what the fuck? I'm always trying. I'm tried of this shit. I say that I want to move for our son and you make it about finances and yourself. Fuck you if I need permission to help our son. Your fucking burden."
"No." I say mad. "I never..."
"What? You never what?" She retorts with her hand on her hip.
I shrug. I did say that. I drop my head and shrug again. "I'll try alone."
"Try alone? Try what alone?"
"To fix us." I say sincerely. I'm defeated.
She wasn't fucking buying it. "How the fuck you gonna do that?"
Damn. She really mad at me. I don't fucking know.
"California is affordable."
"I told you I didn't need for you to agree."
I sigh. "I'm switching my phone back to the family plan."
"How convenient? Why weren't you on it again?"
"My phone broke in Mexico so..." It's a test. Fucking bitch. "I didn't want you checking the phone bill and shit."
She makes a noise turning up her lips. "Get tested."
"Tested? What do I have?"
"Some fucking stripper cooties. Who the fuck knows?"
I scrunch up my face. "You think I'm stupid enough to fuck a stripper raw?"
"You stupid enough to fuck a stripper. Who gives a damn how stupid you are after that low shit."
I take the blow. "Fine if that's what you want."
She walks pass me going into the kitchen. I put my head on the wall and breath deeply. Just calm down and think. Get your wife back. Stop doing dumb shit. I walk into the kitchen.
"I can wash those dishes." I say.
"What?" She turns the water off.
"I'll wash the dishes and cook."
She stares at me. "You gonna cook meatballs?"
I look at the stuff on the counter. "It's not from a bag?"
"No."
"Oh naw I don't know."
"Don't worry about it."
I step over to the sink. "I mean if you season it, I can make it round and fry them."
"All the work will be done."
I turn the water on. "If there's a chance to fix our marriage you have to at least accept me fixing it."
"I'm pissed the fuck off and I don't want to let you just charm your way out of it."
"Lo Siento." I say then start washing the pot.
Ike walks into the kitchen staring at me. I pout then cut my eyes at his mama. He starts whining and walks over to her sticking himself to her side. She kneels down kissing his cheek and rubbing his back.
"You want a snack. I'm cooking your favorite. Meatball subs."
"Yes." He says smiling.
She kisses him then stands up. "I got you some cheese sticks. Which snack?"
He takes the cheese stick and walks away. He spins around. "Thank you."
"You welcome." She wipes her face.
"Is you happy?" He asks.
She nods. "Yes."
He runs away. "Because I talked to Mommy? Yeah."
"You still love me?" I say after it was silent for a while.
I look around the kitchen. Her ass is in here. Not playing me any attention. More than likely on purpose. She loves me. We been together for a minute. I walk up behind her wrapping my arms around her belly putting my chin on her shoulder. I let her go standing up and looking down at her body. When the hell she lost all that damn weight?
"Lose your 5 year old baby weight then get rid of your man."
"With military benefits."
I put my arms back around her. "You my girl."
She aggressively slams the crackers against the counter breaking them up. I kiss her ear resting my head there. She keeps cooking like I'm not there. I rest my hands on her hips then standing up pushing against her hips. I go back to washing the dishes. A few minutes later Ike comes whining in the kitchen. He eats some of the crushed crackers then stands there next to her on his tablet.
"My husband is a bitch. He giving those people hell. He made a girl cry yesterday and he made this guy cry today. No they both cried yesterday."
"He not doing so good, is he?" Amber blows. "I feel bad for giving him a hard time the other day."
I throw the dry clothes in the basketball hamper and chuckle. "That man is okay. He is choosing to be mean. He is a brat. He was on the phone with Caden having a good time a few minutes before he went off on the lady. I was going to send Caden to him but Caden too much. He trying to crawl and shit overnight. Trey won't be able to take his eyes off him."
"Wait where is Caden?"
"I sent him to fake daycare. He is with Mama Joyce at Chris' house."
Amber starts folding a shirt. "Fake daycare?"
"Yeah she has two nannies and Chris' daughter. I just wanted to act like I was dropping him off. For when Trey has to go somewhere while I'm filming or something. Trying to get okay with leaving him, you know?"
"Yeah."
I cut my eyes at her. "What?"
She hugs Lane's shirt. "Lane is so big now."
"Yeah he's still my baby. He went to Charleston with my mom then he's going to see Rose. Rose is trying to decide whether she wants to make the trip over here for 2 months so Lane can be close to me."
"He's been acting up lately its time for some grandma Rose. I swear he always come back so sweet and helpful."
I laugh. "Don't do my baby. He is always sweet and helpful."
My phone rings. I made a sad face watching Lane cry as the phone loads. He was looking away crying when it connects. Rose gets the phone then gives it back right away.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, baby." I smile even though I wanted to cry too.
He stops crying. "Way Taden?"
"Caden?" I ask shocked. "He is with the nanny."
"Mommy you get me?" He pouts.
I smile. "Okay. Do you want to go see Daddy with me? Daddy at the concert."
"That Tem... That Trigga. Man-ma... Grandma Daddy Trigga. He name."
"Your daddy's name is Trigga?" She answers.
Lane pouts, remembering he sad. "Grandma that Nevaeh?"
The phone is put down. Rose comes to the phone. "He is missing his brother. He won't stop talking about Taden. Taden can roll over. Taden knows how to eat food. Everything he eats he wants to know if Caden can eat it."
"Mommy?" Lane whines coming back to the phone.
"She's still on the phone." Rose says all sweet and patiently.
He hugs her. "Grandma I come back, okay. I come back."
"Okay baby. He so special. Where is Nevaeh?"
"Mommy I going outside." He picks his shoes up and runs away.
I smile. "Love you."
"Grandma what did Mommy say? Mommy taking me to see Daddy job."
"That's a new word." I smile.
"Yes, Baby?" She chuckles. "He did not wait for an answer. I don't think he is going to stay away from Caden anymore. You will have to send them both."
I blow. "Bye, now."
She huffy. "You can't keep my baby away. Soon they gonna both be telling you."
"Well that's not now."
"Okay, Cammie."
I smile. "I'll see you soon."
"Okay, Love."
"K." I hang up then roll my eyes. I call Trey. "Your grandma always trying to steal my baby."
Treys background was loud. "I can't hear you right now."
I hang up and send him a voice message. "Why the he'll he answer then?"
"To prove a point maybe?"
"I don't know."
He sends a gif of someone hiding their face. I suck my teeth. He just don't want to tell his grandma no. She said that to get me ready for next time when she asks for Caden because of Lane. Good try Rose. You probably gonna get your way.
"Oh no." Amber snaps. "Ain't nobody getting my baby. You will get me and my baby."
"I can't say that when I have rehearsals and stuff." I pout.
Marco
I walk into the quiet room. My fucking mute ass son sitting here in a gotdamn quiet as house alone. I blow frustrated before even attempting to talk to him. Don't even know why I bother with the little dude.
"Where your mama?" I ask.
He looks at me. Nothing. I look at what he is doing. He has a Lego set sitting out neatly on a Lego table. I walk over to him and sit down near his table looking at him. He watches me still silent. Me and Hydia always arguing about something. Last night I slept in his room while they slept together.
"Mommy getting a divorce."
"What the hell?" I jump startled.
First fucking words I hear my gotdamn son say to me and that's what he fucking wants to say. I should slap the shit out of him. I start playing with the Legos not sure what to say or do. He starts grabbing Legos really quick including the Legos I had. I scrunch up my face as I stare at the damn car he made in two seconds. Is that your way of saying I'm doing it wrong? I pick the car up and tear it apart. He stares at me for what seemed like an eternity then he starts laughing really hard. I smile. Bitch ass kid.
"What is a damn divorce?"
He picks his tablet up and starts playing a YouTube video. The fucking video starts acting out situations where people are discussing divorces. I blow and shake my head. Well damn. Not only did he choose to tell me he looked the shit up. What can you hide from kids these days? I start putting the Lego parts together really fast. He just laughs knowing it wouldn't be right.
"Your mama not leaving me, Amigo."
He gets up, climbs on the desk, then he reaches way up grabbing a folder. He brings it to me with a mad look on his face. I'm mad too my nigga. I snatch the folder emptying it out. It's pictures and of course divorce papers. I give it back to him.
"Put it back."
"No." He snaps.
I hit him with the folder. "Put it back, Dude."
"No."
"I'm not going nowhere. Those videos are bullshit. Your mama on some bullshit."
He tears the Legos up then stuffs them in his box and walk away. My fucking son talking to me. Holly shit. He actually saying words. I can't lie with myself that shit got to me so fucking bad. My fucking son goes years without talking to me then the first fucking thing he says to me is his mama getting a damn divorce. He shouldn't be saying nothing but damn sure not telling me that shit. He gasps startling me. He had a new Lego set in his arms. He drops it and starts crying. He runs to me.
"I will talk to you." He says.
"Huh?" I look at his face.
He looks at me. "You crying cause I don't talk to you?"
Oh shit. I ain't realize he crying cause I'm crying. I wasn't meaning to cry. I cry more. He does too. It's fucking emotional. Kids will do that to you. Have you in your feelings regardless of what anybody would say about it. This my son. My son talking to me. He not fucking retarded either. That was disappointing. Thinking about his life without his mama. He would always need somebody. But ain't shit wrong with him.
"I'll talk to you daddy. I don't like talking."
"I'm not... shit I don't know." I say hugging him. "You don't have to... you got to talk. Sometimes it's important stuff to say. There are people that can't talk so if you can talk you got to use it."
He wipes my face then wipes his face. "Okay."
I hit his ear bringing him back to my chest. "I'm crying because... I've been waiting for you to talk to me. I ain't want to hear what you said though."
"I made you cry?" He says getting upset again.
I try to think about how the therapist said talk to him. Fuck that. I don't know. He fucking understands me. It's just like I said from the beginning, some spoiled shit he decided to do. Fucking boy smarter than me looking up a damn divorce.
"Naw. I ain't want to here about your mama wanting a divorce."
"I hate it. Cause we leaving you."
I kiss his head. "Naw. Don't worry about that. I just got to make your mama like me again."
"If you cry Mom does what you want." He pouts. "Like this. Do it."
"Like this." I smile too hard.
He grabs my face making me frown. He laughs when I try to smile again. He shakes his head. I push him away from my face. He was digging those long as fingers in my face too hard. He laughs and crawls to his Lego box.
"Lane gave me this." He says opening it.
"Yeah. Let's do it. We don't have to talk." I shrug.
He smiles and continues opening the box. I frown at the fucking price on it. Gotdamn. $150 for this shit? He needs to get all of them from Lane. We spend about an hour on this thing. First he wanted to sort them out by color. Then he sorted them out by each step. He ended up falling asleep half way through. I set there watching him sleep and crying to my fucking self. My son talked to me today. Wonder if I can get him to talk again. It feels like a damn dream.
"Yo." I say on video chat.
"What's up, Papi?" She smiles.
I sigh. "I told you this day was coming."
"What day, Papi?" She plays stupid.
"You not gone see me no more."
She pouts. Sorta like my damn son did. "You call me over the phone?"
"Cause you gone want to fuck."
"You said it wouldn't be until after we go to Peru."
I shake my head. "I shouldn't have promised you that."
"After the trip?"
"No."
She blows. "Why?"
I stare at the phone for a hot minute. "My son talked to me today."
"That's why?" She says like so.
I nod my head. "Yeah... I mean no. Stop trying that shit. Aight."
"Marco." She says emotionally. "Don't do this."
"Aight." I hang up then immediately block her number. I blow. "Yo."
"Hey, Bae."
I shake my head. "What did the doctor say?"
"Oh." She says looking away from the camera. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
She closes a door. "It wasn't a miscarriage. I wasn't pregnant though."
"Good."
"What?" She says looking at me horrified.
I look at my son. "Yeah. I'm married yo. Your brother was right."
"Marco." She says low.
"Yeah." I shrug.
"You are a fucking jackass. I fucking believed you over my fucking brother. You fucking ripped my fucking family apart. For what? I hope you fucking die."
I stare at the phone. I don't say nothing. Wasn't nothing I can fucking say. It was all fucking true. Just a game I was playing all by myself. Everybody getting hurt but me. I did it. Oh fucking well. I'm not getting a divorce. Her fucking ass is married though. In the bathroom whispering so her kids can't hear her. So fuck it. I hang up. I block her number as well. Man. I call the phone company and disconnect the phone. I'll go back to using the phone that's on the family plan. The number I made some bullshit excuse for not using.
"Hola, Papa." My mom says. "Oh no. What it is?"
"Nothing."
She sucks her teeth a few times. "I need come to America?"
"Naw. I'll call you back."
"No."
I think of Ike telling me no and shake my head. I font know what to expect from my mama when I call her on video fucking crying. I blow and try to get it out. Mama's make you emotional as well.
"Ike talked to me."
"I don't... comprehendo. I don't."
I nod trying to get myself together. She was crying and carrying on instantly. If you got somebody in your life who don't understand what's important to you they shouldn't be there. I want my family. I want to be here for when my son starts talking about everything. If I'm not around how the hell can I do that? The front door opens. Hydila walks in carrying some bags. She looks at me then kicks the door closed and walks away.
"This man on the floor crying. No the father. I don't know." She retorts.
I look at the iPad. "Mama."
"What did he say?" She asks in Spanish.
"Talking about the toy we were playing with."
She smiles really hard. "His mother."
"Huh?"
"Uh..." She blows. She hates English like it's a person. "She is a good mother. I know she will figure it out." She nods agreeing with herself.
How the fuck she assume that it was his fucking mama that got him talking? She thinks she knows everything. Fucking mama's. She does fucking know everything but still. I'm not telling her about the talk of divorce. She won't talk to me then until I fix it. I don't know if I can though. I sigh.
Jordan whines then walks out of the room. Her fucking big ass whining like she gotdamn 2 years old. She has her gotdamn friend here. Why do I have to play a fucking game with her? I finish scrambling down the figures I was adding up for this new budget. A nigga got royalties that are about to start rolling in.
"Jordan." I say.
"Sir?" She peeks her head in the door.
I close my notebook. "I told you I would play with you?"
She pouts. "You said last night tomorrow. You said it cause you fell asleep."
"You do have company."
"She's sleep already. She said she was up early with her tutor."
I point to the TV. "Turn it on then."
"Not in here." Leah snaps.
"But Mommy..." She falls against the wall.
I point to the TV. She stares at me. I got this mean beast. I rollover in the bed putting my hand on her hip.
"We won't be loud." I kiss her cheek.
"I'm not believing that. Go..."
I kiss her shoulder. "Wasn't it you complaining?"
"Okay?" She retorts.
"Love you." I say reaching for the controller.
Jordan hands it to me staring at her mother. Leah just being a bitch. She super uncomfortable and doesn't fucking like me anymore. Jordan has noticed that she doesn't talk as much as well. She 8 months pregnant but got 8 weeks left. Shit confused me. 8 weeks is a long time to be dealing with this.
"My delivery!" Jordan yells running out the room.
"What the hell her fucking problem?"
I stand up off the bed. "They sent her something."
"Who?"
"The mama's. April and Gwen."
Leah rolls over. I start walking out the room then turn around when I see her getting up. I go over to the bed. She let's me help her up. This baby must be big as shit. She said it felt different. This pregnancy. Her pregnancy with Jordan was light and easy. She worked the whole time because she was alone. I kiss her. She chuckles about it.
"You fucking fake as hell." She walks away.
"Here comes the daily shit talk." I walk faster out the door. I try not to get mad with her.
Jordan is looking out the window excited. I nod. "Open the door, girl."
"Oh Ma. You got up? Sorry." Jordan runs to the door.
"What did they send?"
She throws the door open. "Everything I wanted."
Leah sucks her teeth. "Everything you wanted?"
"I picked it out." She says outside picking up a box.
"Bring them inside first girl." I say pushing her inside gently.
She runs to her mother with the box. I pick up the rest of them bringing the boxes inside. Jordan hasn't been around much and April said she forgot about her. She said she was going to get money from Trey to go shopping for her. And that'd what they did. Sat on the phone and picked out gifts.
"A laptop?" Leah snaps.
"A MacBook." Jordan sings moving on.
I give Leah a box. It had her name on it. She hands it back. Girl being fucking annoying. We got to have a talk. I start to sit the box down and move on. There's like 20 boxes.
"No, Rollie, open it."
"How I supposed to know that?" I open it with the scissors that Jordan had.
Jordan was opening another box. "My Airpods. There's 2 of them. Jordan and friend. Oh for Lexi. She was on the call too."
"Pregnancy stuff." I say shrugging.
"What is it?" Leah asks reaching for it.
Jordan comes over. "That's your strap! I saw it online. It goes around you and holds the baby up to help your back."
Leah smiles. "You asked for something for me? Thank you."
"Put it on." I say taking it out the box. "An appointment for pictures, a gift card for target... don't buy a hospital bag just the stuff you want inside. Oh damn. They sent a diet."
"Yeah and the people deliver the food." Jordan nods.
Leah stands up putting the belt around her. "I didn't need this for my first baby."
I help her making it tighter.
"Rollie." She snaps then she gasps. "Oh my fucking gosh. Fuck."
"It's too tight?" I say starting to let it loose.
She starts crying. "I thought I supposed to feel like that. Thank you, Jordan."
"You welcome." Jordan says holding up her outfits. "Everything pink? So I got to have pink shoes."
She starts opening boxes faster. She cuts her eyes at the big box. I cut it open since it was by me. She screams as she opens the box and it was filled with shoe boxes. I shake my head. At no damn point saying anything about this shit. It's done. She has 5 pair of shoes in the box. She moves on. There were only two boxes left.
"Where Lexi stuff?" She puts her hands on her hips.
"Those?" I point.
She looks at the box. "Oh it say Lexi."
"Let her open her own box."
"Okay." She goes back to the shoe boxes. "They said that Lexi already rich. Her daddy said only 2 outfits and a pair of shoes. Lexi said she has two closets of stuff. At her dad house and at her grandma house. Her grandma picky about what she wear. It has to make sense. Has to be stylish yet classy."
I cut my eyes at Leah. She is fucking sleep on the couch sitting up with her gotdamn head thrown back. I shake my head and sit down next to her opening the laptop. I minus well go ahead and put the child block on here like her phone. I call my mom cause why the he'll they do this?
"Hey, Baby."
"What was the point of all this stuff?"
She chuckles. "April had so much money to spend so we spent it all."
"That's your only reason?"
"I know she is going to be feeling left out at the baby shower. I didn't know you had a child already. I would have been done more. I told her she could come to Charleston. I would love the company other than Monk baby. She's so well behaved. I told her I had so much fun really getting to know her. Oh well."
Jordan was in my face. "Is that grandma?"
"Here. Move." I say guiding her away from her mother.
"Oh." She says grabbing the phone and putting it on speaker. "Thank you, grandma. What about grandma April?"
"Hi, Beautiful." April says.
Jordan giggles. "Thank you."
"You are welcome sweetheart. When it's time to start school, I have a back to school party at my house with all the family kids. Everybody wins prizes and goes home with school supplies. Make sure you come this year."
"Yes maam."
She talks to them a bit longer then goes to hang her outfits up. I lean back on the couch near Leah. She is sleeping hard. I kiss her until she wakes up. I'm not going to let her sleep in this belt or sitting up like this. I reach down in the box. It's a blow up pillow. I go into the garage and blow it up with the bicycle pump. Damn she gonna be excited for this. It was shaped different and more firm than her body pillow. I throw it on the bed. It has some soft fabric on it as well.
"Rollie?" Leah says walking into the room. "What's that?"
"A fancy pillow."
She crawls on top of it laying on her stomach. Oh. Is that what it's made for? She starts whining then stops. I start to walk over and see what's wrong with her. The fucking mean ass thing is sleep. I take the strap of the belt loose. She doesn't fucking budge. Jordan bounces into the room. She holds up a bracelet then holds out her arm.
"You not wearing this to bed."
"Yes sir." She dances a bit. She twirls her hand in the air then holds it towards me. "The baby shower in 4 days. That's what grandma say... Daddy?"
I nod. "I heard you."
"No." She puts the bracelet in a box. "Is April my grandmother?"
"Uh... naw. But call her what she say. What she okay with."
Jordan puts the bracelet down going to the bathroom. "She say call her anything. Grandma will be okay cause that's what Grandma is."
I cut my eyes at her. Damn I didn't realize her life would be affected so much from Leah and I making a real relationship. Selfish thinking. I always thought about Leah and myself. Baby girl has been missing out on two competitive grandma's. Hope they ready for this battle. I don't know how Leah is about letting her child out her sight but that's gonna be their main focus.
"Don't go thinking people owe you stuff." I say. She blows from the bathroom. "You hear me?"
"Daddy! How do women get pregnant?"
I blow. "You ain't have this conversation?"
"Yeah but Lexi's grandma said some girl was twisting her tail so much she bout to get a baby in her tail."
"No." I shake my head. "Mother's have sayings. They metaphors."
She comes out the bathroom. "Oh so dancing won't get you pregnant?"
"She talking about different kinda dancing not shaking your butt like this." I say shaking my butt.
"Naw, you probably pregnant." She laughs.
I laugh. "Don't go thinking..."
"People owe me nothing. I said okay."
"I didn't hear you. And if those grades don't stay good I will tell them and no gifts until it is fixed."
She nods. "Yes sir."
I nod. "Okay, Cocktail."
"Grandma said to Grandma April that giving gifts can send the wrong message. Grandma April said she don't care cause it's her money. Then she said her message is she gone make sure the family taken care of. Daddy..." She runs out the room. "I... I'll be back."
"Please don't come back." I say low. Damn all that talking.
Trey
"I don't have another choice?" I say dryly.
"I tried. We already moved it a couple times. You have two performances that are mandatory so this won't be in the way."
I hang up the phone. Damn I feel like as soon as I leave the house shit gonna fall apart. Something gonna get fucked up while I'm gone.
"Umm... who were you talking to?" Jayla asks.
"Gilon."
She walks back in the bathroom shutting the door. "Hmm."
"Why the fuck you come in here like I can't be on the damn phone?"
The bathroom door swings open. "What you fucking say?"
I lay down turning away from her. "Nothing."
"Damn." She says far away.
Amber walks into the room and look at me. She keeps walking. "Bae, your man broke?"
"Don't pay him no mind. He just needs some pussy."
"Then why you in here calling me?"
She starts whining. "I can't get this thing off. I tried to ask him but yeah."
"His wires tripped." Amber says walking out of the room.
"I'm fucking everything you have. The fuck?" Cammie snaps. "Amber already helped me. I called you first obviously. Shut up. Bye."
I sit up in the bed and hang my feet off of it about to stand up. I don't feel like being around nobody. I'm just getting more and more irritated listening to her in the bathroom. I stand up off the bed. I don't get away from the bed.
"Tremaine?"
"What?" I say.
She rolls her eyes standing in front of me with her hands on her hips. "You got a call about leaving?"
I look her up and down but don't say nothing. She rolls her eyes again. I don't know how the fuck she knows that. She steps to the side and motions towards the door like she directing traffic. I just look at her. She makes a face at me then walks away. I sit down on the bed. I don't really want to go anywhere.
"Caden trying to hold himself up. He is so fucking cute. I never thought I would love another child as much as I love Lane. Like me and Lane cried together many nights." Cammie says across the room.
"Cause of me?"
She walks up to me. "Cause I didn't know what the fuck I was doing. I was so determined to do it myself."
"Oh."
"Are these shorts too much?"
I shrug. "No."
She turns around showing me her round ass. "I mean are these shorts too much?"
"To wear?"
"To see where my babies are?"
I frown. "Why ask me that?"
She walks away. "Imma turn the air up cause it's hot."
"Yeah."
"Say your prayers and go to bed." She says walking out the room in a house coat that's not closed. "Huh? I don't feel like it. Who baby?"
"Mine." Chris says walking into the room.
Cammie comes behind him hitting him upside his head then walking back out. Chris cuts his eyes in her direction but doesn't stop his stride. He stands in the middle of the floor. He just looks at me for a few seconds then looks down at Minnie. She had on an onsie with a hood on it. Looks like Gucci or something.
"I'm bout to head to the airport. You good?"
"Yeah."
He turns Minnie towards me. "Aye, she a pretty ass baby ain't it? Fucking brown skin bitches. You think you make prettier babies than me? I got me a brown skin girl so we gone see if I win."
"Yeah okay."
"You deserve to be happy, nigga. Don't let these women gain up on you while I'm gone."
I nod once. "Wouldn't matter."
Chris stares off into space. "Aight, hit me up."
"Yeah."
"You taking JJ with you Chris?" Cammie says walking in the room.
Chris starts walking out the room. "No."
"He got his bag packed."
"Oh hell I guess then. I ain't made no plans for him." Chris shrugs closing the door. "Aye man, make my nigga happy."
Cammie smiles at me then licks her tongue out with her face scrunched up. She stops then smiles at me. I smile back at her. Chris opens the door back really fast. I wipe the smile from my face. He chuckles locking the door then slamming it.
"His wild ass." Cammie snaps. "Stop making everybody think something wrong with you my nigga."
"Shut up."
She starts dancing silly. "Want some good loving?"
"No."
"No? Boy bye." She turns her back to me then starts scooting back towards me. She stands up straight. "April got this much of the bed and Lane sideways won't let her move him. But she say noooo... leave my baby alone. He purposely hogging the bed. Too fucking rotten."
She comes over to me and reach towards my waistband. I always want pussy. She knows that. She pulls at my boxers until I help her by taking them off. She grabs my dick firmly. I lean back a bit. She kisses my shaft then my head. I put my hand on hers. She moves her hand sliding my dick in her mouth. I shake my head as the nut shoots from my dick into her mouth. She doesn't pull away just sucks my dick. I fall back on the bed. Cammie laughs a bit stroking my soft dick. She gives up trying to make it hard. She grabs my waist.
"Tremaine?"
"No." I answer.
She giggles running her hand up my stomach to my chest. "Our son is 5 months old. That's insane. Tremaine?"
I exhale looking down at my dick. Cammie grabs my neck really hard all of a sudden. What the fuck going on with her ass? She doesn't loosen her grip. I didn't want to kick her or hurt her but I couldn't breathe. I grab her hand trying to pull her away from me. This bitch crazy. I sit up in the bed.
"Tremaine?" Cammie snaps.
"Did you suck my dick?"
Cammie face goes blank. "I'll call you back. What is wrong with you?"
What the fuck? She not even by me. She is across the room sitting in front of the mirror braiding her hair. She stands up turning to me. There's no way that was a damn dream.
"You gonna wake the baby up." She says getting to the bed. "You okay?"
"Who you talking to on the phone?"
"My trifling sister. You okay?" She asks reaching towards me.
I move back a bit. "You were choking me."
"From over there, Trey?"
"Yeah."
She rubs my chest. "I thought you were sleep and it was safe to move."
"Did you suck my dick?"
"There was an attempt."
I felt so weird. "What you mean?"
She rubs my stomach. "You fell asleep."
"Jayla?" I say trying to project my seriousness.
"You need to relax." She says straddling me.
I narrow my eyes at her. She giggles then slap my chest.
"Damn."
"That hurt. Did it hurt when I choked you?"
I shrug. "I was being choked."
She kisses me covering my eyes. "I'm worried about you. Stop it. Did you take something?"
"You choked me."
"I'm sorry, Tremaine." She chuckles a bit.
"Hmm." I say as she kisses my neck. I close my eyes.
Everybody acting weird around me. Must be me acting weird then. Damn. I sit down in a chair in the dining room. Lane is sitting there eating some mashed potatoes and cut up hotdogs by himself. He stands up in his chair and flips through his tablet that is setup in front of him. He stares at me then he sitting down. I fix myself some rice and whatever this is. Looks like curry. I start eating in silence.
"Lane."
"Huh?" He says eating a hotdog.
"Where you get that hotdog?"
He eats his mashed potatoes. "Mommy."
"You love me Lane?"
"Love Mommy." He points.
I look behind me. Cammie is in the next room with her back turned to us. I nod my head. Yeah I love Mommy too.
"Trigga." Lane laughs. He sounds like a little country red neck.
"I love Mommy too."
He smiles. "You love Mommy? Yeah."
"Yeah."
"Love me?"
I smile at his little face. "Yes, I love you Lane."
"Mommy!" Lane starts crying just like that.
"No." She says then laughs as she comes into the room. "Daylan I am standing right here. Look you have your daddy right there."
He cries his fake tears. Cammie kisses my ear then wraps her arms around me. Lane is eating his mashed potatoes watching the tablet. He didn't even want his mother for nothing. Just was tried of her talking to someone else. Cammie rubs my chest. I grunt.
"You need something?" She says softly in my ear.
"Your son right there?" I answer.
She kisses my ear. "You need something to drink or something out the kitchen?"
"No I want what you offered me the first time."
"Mommy." Lane almost falls out his chair.
Cammie blows then talks in my ear. "Put your son to sleep."
"I'm good. I don't need nothing."
"You can't fucking do that?"
"Don't play, Jayla. Why would I fight that kid?"
She rubs my chest. "Look he halfway there."
"No." I say eating.
She giggles. "Lane you want to play with Daddy?"
"Jayla." I hiss looking at Lane.
"No." Lane retorts.
She kisses my neck then walks away. Lane is busy staring at his tablet. Cammie walks back out of the room. I watch Lane as he watches his tablet. Two years ago I didn't know this little boy. Damn. So much has happened in 2 years. The shit is overwhelming to think about. My son is going to be 4... wait 3. Damn. I forget he talking early.
"Mommy?" He gets out his chair and cry.
"I thought that it was her baby daddy. It's her boyfriend. Then who is the baby's daddy?"
"Mommy!" Lane kicks the chair.
Cammie walks in the room and walk around the table. She grabs Lane's hand then grabs his tablet and keeps walking out of the room. I watch him as he cries and acts like he didn't like her. What? He was just crying for her. That boy is something else. A few minutes later he comes walking in the dining room. He starts screaming crying when he gets inside. I watch him. He walks all the way around the table. At first I thought he was going back to his food. He comes to where I am and stops near me. I turn to him and hold out my arms. He climbs into my lap with my help. Cammie comes swaying her fine ass in the room.
"You have to ask him." Cammie says.
"I'm asking you." April snaps from another room.
Cammie picks Lane's plate up and walk off. "He in there hugged up on Trey like somebody did something to him. We went to check on Caden."
I look down at Lane on his tablet ignoring everyone. He laughs at the tablet then he looks at me. He chuckles again. Oh is he laughing at me? I swear he thinks he funny. He probably has a joke and don't know how to say it to me. I make a face. He goes back to his tablet. He is playing a game. He lies his head on my chest. I eat my food. If he goes to sleep that will be a surprise to me. He sits up really fast hitting my arm and knocking my food back into the plate. I look down at him. He was flipping through videos now. He starts whining.
"Bruh what's wrong with you?" I ask.
"I go Mommy." He whines dropping his tablet and putting his head down almost in my plate. "Mommy."
Cammie walks back into the room and picks Lane up. He starts screaming crying in her arms. He must be sick. Ain't no way he that damn sleepy. All you hear is screaming for like 5 minutes. I get up and go find them. Cammie is rocking Lane singing to him. He just wants to cry for no damn reason. But he 2 so... it's normal. Cammie hits him on the butt. He stops crying. She does it again still singing to him. He slides down in her lap like he getting up but just hangs there. Trouble twos are real. Nothing is wrong with him. Cammie let's him hang there. I walk over and look at his face. He is sleep.
"You holding him like that?" I ask.
"He trying to stay up and wait for April to get out the bathroom. I'm waking him up. Right, stank boy?"
He starts crying. "Mommy."
"Here I am." April says walking in the room straightening her clothes.
"Damn you could have took a minute." I say.
She ignores me picking Lane up. "Okay, Buttbutt. Come on."
Lane wraps his arms around her half sleep crying. April walks out talking to him. Calling him different made up names. I shake my head.
"He did not act like that in Europe."
"He has a baby to compete with now. He just going through a phase."
"Yeah I hope."
Cammie
I hug Amber. "Wake up, Mama."
"Girl those people drugged me. Oh!" She snaps pushing me off her. "My fucking mama gonna ask me if I'm on drugs. Talking bout how she think Chris would be the one get me on drugs. Bae, what?"
I chuckle. "Oh behave."
She rolls her eyes. "Fucking people man. Didn't act excited about hearing I'm pregnant. Your only daughter having a daughter. No?"
"No. They not gonna say oh that's exciting. You already know your overachieving ass parents."
My mother walks into the room. "Hey, Baby. I wanted to ask you about..." She closes the door. "Tremaine." She whispers.
"You act like he has bionic ears. What about him?"
"He seems a bit under the weather. Maybe we can all pray together."
I chuckle. Pray together? "Go pray with him mother. Lift his spirits."
She sighs a bit. "I know that's a joke but he is such a gentle soul. Can't really handle much pressure."
"You doing too much. That man can handle pressure. He has been a celebrity for years. He gets pressured daily."
"He has never been married and I know he doesn't want to lose his family."
I blow. "Poor Tremaine. I mean I hear you but I just want to be allowed to be mad at my husband for stupid decisions he is making."
"God says turn the other cheek."
"What do you want me to do?" I roll my eyes.
She smiles opening the door. "I know I know. You have to navigate your marriage your way. Praying relaxes the spirit."
"Okay, ma." I put my hands on my hips. "I'll ask him about praying."
"I'll get him to come to church this week. Lord knows there are some troubled men in that church to learn what not to do." She leaves out closing the door.
I roll my eyes. "He's a brat."
"That you love."
"And I'm not doing shit for him until he leaves the house. Then I'll remind him why he loves us."
Seven laughs. Chris who was sleeping lifts his head up looking at us. I roll my eyes at him. He turns to the side away from me. I look at Amber rolling my eyes. He needs to shut the hell up. I grab his phone that he exposed when rolling over. Royalty was calling.
"Hey, Royal. This Cammie."
"No." She hangs up the video chat.
I giggle. "Babies video chatting. What has this world come to?"
MiNi walks into the room followed by a crying baby. She spins around looking at JJ about to go off on him. He cries louder running pass her. I watch him run around the bed thinking he was coming to me. He goes to Chris crying in his face. Not touching him.
"Man." Chris says jumping out his sleep. "Yall gone watch this man cry?"
"He ain't crying to me." I shrug.
Chris gets out the bed walking away. JJ follows him crying. He stops once they were out the room. He is being exactly like his damn friend. Difficult. Spoiled ass kids.
"Man why you got that nigga in his feelings like that?" Chris says walking back in the room.
"My son will be okay. His ass needs to go to sleep like his fucking friends." MiMi snaps.
Chris points at me. "I'm talking bout your miserable husband. Look fucking depressing."
"Chris you want me to go back in time and do exactly what? Cause last time I checked it was him who hurt me. Why yall fucking annoying me?"
"You punishing him."
I roll my eyes. "My husband is okay. If he needed me he would come find me, believe that."
"For real." Amber sucks her teeth.
"Yes ma'am." JJ says walking into the room. "Yes ma'am. Mommy Grandma coming to get me. Mommy. Mommy can I go? Say yes mama."
MiMi rolls her eyes. "Yes, JJ. Go. Shit."
"Her said shit. What her say? Her say go. I go with you now. Yes ma'am. Sorry. I sorry Mommy. Mommy. Mommy? Mommmy?"
"Okay, JJ."
He starts pouting. "Not now? Yes ma'am. Okay? Waffle fries? It at the door? Now? Yes maam."
"And they gonna fucking deal with him when he 15." MiMi says. "And you wondering why these niggas almost fucking 30 years old acting like it's finally time to grow up. Bitch please. Get that tittie out yall mouth and accept your fucking repercussions. Big ass babies." MiMi says.
JJ goes to find Chris in the bathroom. He ends up crying in the bathroom. He walks out on the phone again. He goes and hides behind a chair listening to Mama Joyce talk to him. Ridiculous. That's not even your grandma little boy.
"Seriously I care about my husband's mental health. I just want him to be here with the family. That's your reality check right now. Enjoy the life you ignoring when you in the streets."
"Could have actually fucked a bitch and now she calling to tell you about her baby and she keeping it."
"First thing came to mind..." I sing.
MiMi slaps my arm. "You should have picked Usher."
"Girl please. I love my husband... fucking spoiled or not. I wouldn't change him."
"You sure?" Trey says walking all the way in the room.
I reach my arms out for Caden. He bucks like he didn't want me. I push Trey arms away. Caden looks around like why he still got me. It was the cutest face. Okay little butt. I grab him from Trey. Once again he bucks himself back. I let him fall back all he wanted.
"Why he doing that?" Trey asks trying to take him.
"Hmm." MiMi says.
I laugh. "He wants something. Caden stop your games. Stop it."
Trey stares at us when Caden twists away from him. "Feed him."
"He acting hungry to you?"
"I don't know. He responded when I said mommy."
I stand off the bed. "You want your food now?"
Caden holds on to me and nothing else. He not responding to shit. When we all walk into the kitchen he starts looking around. I sit him down on the seat we put together earlier. Let's see if he can hold himself up. He does for a few seconds then starts leaning. I strap him in supporting him. He gets happy.
"You like this ugly chair?" Trey asks smiling at him. Caden gets excited grabbing his own hand. Trey claps. "Yay."
"Taste it Tremaine." I say putting some of the pudding I made to his mouth.
He stares at it then taste it. "What is this?"
I giggle. "Breastmilk, bananas, and cereal."
"Hmm." Is all he says.
"Okay Caden." I say giving him some. He eats it poorly spitting a lot of it out.
"He don't like it?"
I hand it to Trey. "He don't know how to get it all down. He learning."
"You want me to feed him?" Trey says surprised.
"Say hurry Daddy. I am getting frustrated."
Trey comes closer. "He turning red. Stop holding your breath."
Caden leans towards the spoon this time. He was excited about getting more. I smile. I leave them in the kitchen to go get my phone. The devil was walking down the hallway. He looks at me looking at him. I stop walking and stare at him. He stops walking and stare at me. I smile. My bad ass baby. He just stares still.
"I go outside, Mommy?" He asks.
"Let me take some pictures first."
He half sleep talking about outside. I get my phone as he follows me then go back to the kitchen. Caden is leaned over more trying to get to the food. Trey was feeding him as fast as he opened his mouth. Caden was loving it. I take a video of them.
"Taden not eat that!" Lane snaps up on a stool. He was so angry. "That milk! Mommy?"
"Yes Lane."
He climbs on the table. "Tell Daddy stop." He gets to Caden and sit him back hard. "Taden you eat it?"
Caden eats his hand. Lane wasn't having it. He wipes Caden's mouth and hands.
"Don't eat that Caden. Caden drink milk."
"Caden is bigger now. He can sit up and eat."
Lane not convinced. "What that is, Daddy?"
"Breastmilk and bananas."
"It Caden milk?"
"Yeah."
Lane reaches for it. "Let me see."
Trey puts some in the spoon and feeds it to Lane. Lane frowns then moves towards Trey. "I eat it?"
"Here." Trey feeds him more.
"I do it. Myself." Lane turns his head.
"It's Caden's food."
Lane pouts looking at Caden. Trey gives in immediately.
"Caden will share. You get some then Caden."
"Caden eat this?" Lane digs a big spoonful out. "Taden you like bananas?"
Trey chuckles. "Lane do you like it?"
"It oatmeal." Lane says eating it.
"Next time it needs some strawberries." Trey says tasting it.
He chuckles to himself then feeds Caden. Caden wasn't interested. What am I gonna do with my men? I take a picture of them. Caden eating his hand, Lane digging in the bowl, and Trey looking at me. He goes back to Lane talking about bananas and oatmeal. It's not oatmeal boys. I post the picture on Instagram. Let them bitches know I'm still winning. Mad or not.
I try once again to get the shirt to go down over my belly. This is ridiculous. Overnight I have become a size medium for no apparent reason. I mean I can't even see my fucking baby bump. My stomach feels hard as a brick but nothing. No visible change. I look at the time. I suck my teeth and throw the shirt across the room. I stomp to the front door and swing it open. Jamaal walks in looking down at my half dressed body.
"The... you not ready?"
"I can't fit nothing in my closet!" I yell.
He makes his eyes big. "Already?"
I push him then walk away. "Go without me."
"I can't complete this deal without you being there. They don't want to see my ass. I'm going as your boyfriend. I'm tagging along. Not representing nothing."
"I can't go without shit to wear!"
Jamaal blows. "So what do you need? I'll get someone in Dallas to go shopping for you."
"No." I snap. "Buying what's on the shelves? I can't trust anyone to do it right."
"You don't have any clothes that... maybe a loose dress. Something that was made to be big? A pants suit?"
I go back to my clothes. "I have to button all my suits. They not made for wearing open."
"Where is that suit with the gold pocket?"
"I probably gave it away."
He snatches something off the rack. "No you didn't. It was too big right?"
I take it from him. "Yeah."
"And that dress your mother bought you that was from the vintage collection and was sized different?"
"All that stuff over there."
He pulls something out. "This is cute."
I try the pants on then the top. It fits almost too big but good enough. I blow. I have to wear too big clothes already? So I'm gain weight super fast? I wipe the tears from my eyes.
"I'm fucking... Damn." I say crying harder.
"You gonna wear that on the plane or just pack it?"
I take it back off and throw each piece at Jamaal. I throw on some sweat pants and a Hoodia. Jamaal gives me a funny look. I throw the Hoodia back off. Yeah that's extra. Maybe just a cute sun dress. I put it over my head the look down. Okay. I take the sweat pants off.
"I'm too fucking vain to be pregnant."
"Yes, but if Mariah Carey can pull it off you can too."
I blow. "I need to diet."
"No then your teeth will fall out and your hair."
"That's not real!" I hug myself.
He nods. "The baby will take all your nutrient. Leave you sagging and brittle."
I cry again. "Fucking stupid ass birth control."
"Mighty sperm." He says holding up his arm.
"Oh so it's your fault?"
"Can we sue the birth control company?"
I roll my eyes at him. "You are going to get tired of me."
"I knew you before you were pregnant. Trust me I'm good." He says holding up a dress. "For the meeting?"
"It's too short not too big."
He puts it next to his body. "Does look short."
"It rides up and has that spit."
"Oh." He flips it over. "Ass out. Throw it away."
I snatch it hanging it back up. "I can just get it tailored."
"You know your clothes like people know their kids." He takes out my suitcases. "Sevyn had to stay at the hospital overnight for being dehydrated and malnourished. You like hospital stays?"
"I get it." I snap.
He comes over to me. "You know mean girls are soft as fuck pregnant."
"Only thing ever soft on me is my pussy."
"You sure?"
I smell him. "You smell like a bagel."
"Uh... I got you coffee and a bagel with turkey and egg white. Cheese on the side."
"Creamer?"
"On the side."
I look down at myself. "Did you grab shoes?"
He puts some slides on the ground. "Wanna head to the car? Let em know we coming?"
"Underwear?"
"Socks and toiletries. I know how to pack."
"I don't take my toothbrush from the house. There's some bags already made in that box. Grab one."
He does as told. "You got draws and shit in here. I thought I was going to get a zip lock bag."
"Holy shit." I say crossing my arms. "Bitch I been on birth control too damn long. I forgot about this emotional shit. I'm hungry."
"You emotional or hungry?"
I leave out the closet and grab my phone. "Cammie!"
"Damn, what?" She snaps.
"How do I fix this shit? Like... I don't know. Like the emotions and shit?"
She giggles. "Have the baby."
I suck my teeth. "I shouldn't have called you."
"Fix your fucking life. No point asking if you meant to be pregnant. Did you come to terms with it? Accept it? My first pregnancy was from hell. My second one was a bit better but I didn't have my man like I wanted. So I don't know."
"Ugh." I suck my teeth. "Jamaals gonna hate me."
"I'm not!" He yells.
I roll my eyes. "So if I keep him around I'll have a better pregnancy than you?"
She sucks her teeth. "Bitch I guess."
"I can't handle your attitude." I say crying.
She blows. "Seriously?"
I wipe my face. "I'm so damn soft."
"Talk to a damn therapist cause who cares about you being soft? Who said you had to be tough? And who the hell said you can't cry?"
"A therapist? Yeah I'll do that." I say about to hang up. I put the phone back to my ear. "K bye."
"Call me anytime. I'll try to remember you can't handle me."
"Bitch."
She giggles hanging up. I cross my arms.
"What if I stay emotional?" I scream. "Oh no."
"Our ride is getting impatient."
I go into the bathroom. "Who the fuck cares? They not getting paid?"
"They are."
"Okay then tip them or some shit. Rushing me."
Chris
I throw my arms up in the air. "Shad. Where the fuck you been?"
"Trying to get some shit setup." He says dapping me up.
"You came to visit the royal family?"
He shrugs. "I ain't seen Caden."
"Eva?" I snap.
"Naw." He looks back into the car. "First time I had my baby in 2 months. She started school."
I open the door as he takes his daughter out of the car. I close the door. She was sleeping hard. I pinch her nose. She doesn't fucking move. If I didn't see her damn breathing I would think she fucking dead.
"You give her some shit?"
"She was at a birthday party. Been sleeping since I picked her up."
I poke her back. "They had liquor at the party?"
Bow laughs. "No nigga."
"Amber pregnant."
"Damn by who?" He frowns when I react. "Shit what I miss?"
I walk away from him. "Unbelievable."
"Wha?" He says to himself.
"Aye, look who I found."
Lane walks up looking behind me. He pulls Shai from Bow's fucking hands almost. He grabs her causing a chain reaction. Lane hits the floor and screams like somebody pushed him. Shai pops her head up and looks at Lane on the ground screaming. She starts to go to Lane but then grabs Bow's face.
"Dad!" She screams.
"Yeah." He kisses her. "Why you surprised?"
She hugs him. "How I get here?"
"Huh?" He says as she gets down falling on Lane.
"Lane!"
Lane laughs excited. "You went to where?"
"I be in school." She says standing up. "Mama!"
Cammie comes rushing out the kitchen. "Is that my baby?"
Shai jumps up. "Yes!"
"Oh my gosh. Look at you." Cammie kneels down kissing her. "Oh I missed you."
"What's up, Cammie?" Bow says.
She looks up. "I don't even got words for you no more. Hey."
"Cause I'm sorry and you love me."
"Look at you trying to get taller than me." Cammie says hugging her again. "Come see Miami. Look at this girl."
She leaves out of the room. I tap Shad on his shoulder then carry then bag I had to the bedroom. Amber yawns laying down on the bed. She only had on a house coat that barely covered her ass. I put the bag on the bed. She gets under the cover closing her eyes.
"You came here to sleep?" I say hitting her foot.
"Leave me alone, mister."
"You ain't seen your bestie and this what you do? Get up." I say grabbing her foot and pulling it.
She giggles not opening her eyes. "I don't even got the fucking energy, bruh. Damn."
I hit her ass. "I'm ready to know what this baby is. Yo?"
"Chris!" Lane runs into the room. "You baby. You baby crying."
"Who my baby?" I snap.
"The girl."
I smile. "What her name Lane?"
"Kamirah."
"Who?"
Amber kicks me. "Minnie."
"I forgot she had a name."
"You get yo baby!"
I walk out of the room pushing Lane on the floor. He falls on his ass laughing. He gets up then starts screaming crying. Oh my goodness. Ike runs out into the hall looking around. He stares at me. What kid? I jump at him. He runs back into the room slamming the door. Someone starts fussing inside of the room then there's silence.
"Where my baby?" I say walking in the kitchen.
"Nigga go back into that room where you left her." MiMi says.
I lift the blanket up. She slaps my hand away messing the blanket up more. I throw it at her face. She was breastfeeding the baby. I lean on the counter.
"So how do I keep my relationship through this pregnancy? I'm taking all criticism." I say looking around.
"Boy please." Miami says.
I cut my eyes at her. "What that mean?"
"That you too emotional." She spats.
"Be understanding and don't cheat." Cammie says. "Fucking some bitch can give your girlfriend and baby a deadly disease. Bitches nasty."
Bow walks into the room. "Trey not in the best spirits."
"We know that?"
"Oh." Bow says blowing. "The show being cancelled."
"For real?" I say looking at him.
"Yeah. I got more fucking time to do shit. Who out there with Shai?"
Cammie looks around. "JJ and Dee."
Bow starts walking towards the door. He stops near Miami. "What you got under there?"
"A baby fool." She snaps.
"Seriously?" He says leaning over and touching Minnie's little foot that was sticking out a bit. "Oh yeah. You was pregnant. Damn."
I stand up. "Maybe I can order some food."
"The mamas doing that already." Cammie says. "Where is the lazy belly?"
"Amber? Sleep."
Cammie throws some stuff in the blender. "She probably ain't get no sleep in that hospital."
"What are you doing?" I ask walking closer.
"Making mush."
I look at the stuff. "A smoothie?"
"You want to taste it?"
"Naw you being too nice about that shit. Mush?"
She chuckles. "Breastmilk, Bananas, and rice cereal."
"Man." I say walking away. "Fucking women."
"Chris."
I turn my head only. "Hmm?"
"Apologize right now for everything and just try to be happy. You being happy will make her happy." MiMi says.
"I like that." Cammie says.
"She hated me for being happy." I suck my teeth not looking at them.
"No she was anemic and dehydrated. She is happy. Just be yourself. Loyal." Cammie says.
I stare at Lane. This boy is bad. He looks at me watching to see what I'm going to do about him pouring out Caden's milk. He just took it upon himself to pour it out on the table. I sigh and grab some paper towel throwing it near the milk. Lane licks the milk off the table. I pull his head away from the table.
"Daylan!" Cammie yells from the hallway.
"No." Lane says and starts crying.
Ike comes to the table and starts cleaning the milk up in a hurry. I guess he didn't want Cammie to see it. Lane just cries watching Ike. He takes the paper towel from Ike and run it to the trash can. Cammie walks into the kitchen.
"Go clean up like I told you." Cammie snaps.
"Yes, Mommy." He says walking out sniffing extra hard.
I sigh. I hate this shit man. She doesn't look at me or acknowledge my existence. I feel like melting away in shame. But I got to remember to be present. I got to stay focused on the things that I can control. Bitches man.
"Trey." Amber says taking Caden from me. "Hey, Diaper butt. Why you holding that empty cup?"
"Lane poured his milk out." I say.
Amber puts the cup on the counter. Caden turns his body reaching for the cup. She giggles giving him back the empty cup. I go to the fridge. There's really no point giving him back the milk. It's not like he was drinking it. I put a new milk brick in the fridge from the freezer. Just in case.
"Trey, I just wanna say that you are a gotdamn lucky bastard."
"Thanks." I shrug.
"Like you really don't fucking deserve to have such a beautiful family. I mean not that you a bad person but damn. Do you not want it?"
I take Caden from her. She grabs my arm.
"That's a serious question. Do you want this?"
"Get off me." I snap.
"Damn." Chris says walking in the kitchen with Minnie. "You good bruh?"
I take the cup from Caden putting it in the sink. "I'm good."
"I'm trying to see if he really want to have his family."
Chris sucks his teeth. "Don't do that man. That ain't fair."
"Why the fuck not?" Amber snaps.
"Cause he can't fight you for disrespecting him in his house. Yo, stop."
She sucks her teeth walking away. "Whatever."
Chris blows. "They fight for their own. Women."
"I guess."
"Yo I know you want this. You wouldn't be encouraging me to be a better man if there wasn't good in it."
I look at Caden, who's falling asleep. "I love my wife."
"Bruh, you ain't got to tell me. Ever since I found out about yall fucking behind my back I could tell she had your ass. And Cammie ain't settling for less. She gets what she thinks she deserve."
"According to your girl I ain't what she deserves."
Chris sucks her teeth. "Won't it you that said ignore that pregnancy talk? It was you. So fuck what she said."
"It's hard when it's true."
"Bruh." Chris blows. "You fucked up bad. It comes home to your kids and shits. It ain't simply coming back to some golddigger you fucking. You know what got me fucked up right now? My pass. My daughter gonna see the man I been in my youth and that shit scares me. When that shit starts coming back to the people that look up to you It hurts. Ain't shit you can do to change the past. Just got to look at that innocent face and hope your love ain't see through."
I narrow my eyes at Chris then look at Caden sleeping in my arms. He sure don't give a damn about nothing but seeing me walk into the room when he cries. I go to the sink and start rinsing his cup out. Cammie tryna get him to drink from a cup since he don't like bottles. She says Lane was picky after breastfeeding was over.
"Bitches ah go through anything to fuck up your life. I feel like you ain't fuck her so that's why she mad." Chris says sorta to himself.
"I had to say I did."
"But you might not have."
I shrug. "Wasn't given the chance to prove myself."
"Which is some bullshit. Aye, I hope I have a boy. I mean I love my baby but I don't want no more girls man."
"I want at least one but I'm good with my boys. I'm about to go to the studio." I say walking out the kitchen.
JJ runs pass me going into the kitchen. "Uncle Chris! You mama gave me a turtle. Wanna see? Pick that baby down in the basket? Pick her down and come see."
"Trey." Gwen says. "Sweetie, are you okay?"
"I'm good."
She hugs me and kisses my cheek. "Listen baby you need to pray and give it to God. Pray that he helps you find some strength within yourself. You always walking around so sad looking. Do you want me to pray with you?"
"I'm just gonna go to the studio."
"Okay, Baby. You do that. Go make some beautiful music and let it heal your worries. You are such a talented humble handsome young man. Don't let the devil win. Don't let him take you too soon. You pray now."
I nod. "Yes ma'am."
She takes Caden from me. "Sweet sweet angel."
I watch her walk away rocking and humming to Caden. I push the studio door open. It suddenly starts opening faster. I look down at Lane as he pushes the door open. He runs inside and climb into the first chair he gets to. I smile and walk inside. I turn everything on and sigh.
"Daddy, I press it." Lane says turning on the tablet.
"You gonna sing a song?"
Lane puts the headphones on. "I not hear, Temaine."
"Little ass can hear me."
"Ready reco." Lane says. "Record. Daddy record?"
"Yeah go head."
Lane points to the mic. "Go over there. Sing."
I chuckle. "You not gonna play the drums?"
"That JJ do that." Lane says.
"Okay." I say turning the record on.
Lane think he fucking know what he needs. I chuckle. My son can't wait to be grown.
Cammie
I got a text from Chris saying that he doesn't think Trey is handling this Instagram thing well. Once again I am forced to put my fucking feelings to the side.
Chris: Don't tell him I said it though
"Mommy." Lane says staring at his tablet. He takes the headphones off. "Mommy, it daddy. Mommy, daddy?"
"Let me see." I say taking his tablet.
He crawls in my lap looking at it with me. "Yep!"
"It's your daddy."
"It say... mommy it tigga?"
I giggle. "Trigga Trey."
"That daddy?" He looks at me.
"Yeah. That's daddy nickname."
"It... call daddy. Daddy tigga?"
I smile. "Yeah go call daddy Trigga. Tri...gga."
"Trigga." He repeats me.
I pause his video. "Go ahead."
He jumps down and takes off running. He runs in the wrong direction. I get up to let him know where his father was. He's in the hall talking to Chris. Chris walks towards me with Lane bouncing.
"Open tio door." Lane says.
"You talking Spanish?" Chris asks.
Lane gets to the door first and tries to open it. Chris opens it for him. Chris looks at me and raise his eyebrows. I roll my eyes at him. He keeps the door open but doesn't go in. I walk into the studio. Trey was singing a song I never heard before. I go to Lane at the panel. Lane puts the headphones on and just sits there listening.
"Trigga Daddy." Lane says then giggles with excitement.
"Lane." Trey says into the mic.
Lane stands up pressing a button. "Are you Trigga?"
Treys whole face lights up. He leans into the mic. "What?"
"That you name!" Lane laughs. "Trigga Daddy."
"Where you be getting this shit from?" Trey says standing up and walking out the booth.
Lane laughs and presses another button. "Yep!"
Trey kisses Lane's head then hug him. Lane was focused on pressing buttons. The song Trey was singing starts playing super fast. I look down at the baby monitor. Caden was crying. I turn to go get him. Somebody picks him up. I look up. Trey had touched me. I turn my head to him. He looked so fucking sad compared to that huge smile he had talking to Lane.
"Damn shit." Lane says.
I roll my eyes. "You filthy mouthed little boy."
Lane gasps. "No, Mommy. I sorry."
"I wrote you a song." Trey says wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Trigga Trey." Lane says. "Daddy... Aye Daddy?"
Trey turns around. "Huh?"
"It not work."
"What are you trying to do?"
Lane turns the knob. "I not hear it."
Trey slows the song down then turns it up. Lane gets out the chair then just stands there listening to the song. He copying his father. I smile. He don't know what the hell he listening to or what he listening for.
"It sound Trigga?" Lane asks.
"Yeah it sounds good. It needs some music though."
Lane nods. "It a hit."
I cover my mouth and laugh. He being so serious right now. Trey turns and looks at me then looks at Lane who bobbing his head randomly like there's music already. It's just Trey singing. I wish I had my phone to record his grown butt. Trey comes up to me then rubs my upper arms. I make a face at him.
"I feel like I let you down." He says. "Do I still make you happy?"
"Yeah."
"Don't just say that Jayla."
Lane giggles. "Foreva my Jayla."
"What?" I say looking around Trey.
Lane laughs. "My Jayla. It say that Mommy."
Trey hugs me. "It says Forever be mine Jayla."
"It forever." Lane says running to the door. "Let me out!"
I walk over to the door. He tries to open it himself once I get there. I lift him up a bit so he can grab it better. He pulls it hard opening it up. I pull it open more and put him down. He pushes the door like he is mad at it. Trey grabs my arm so I couldn't walk out the studio. I wasn't about to walk out. I hadn't made up in my mind that I was walking out. He pulls me back a bit so the door would close.
"I feel like you mad at me." He says.
It's frustrating that I have to let go of my feelings to comfort him. It's like I can't go days or even hours without talking to him. What most people do in normal relationships. I have to forgive him so fast and move on either because he can't handle it emotionally or because he is leaving town. It's as if our relationship isn't allowed to be average because he is famous.
"Yeah, I am." I shrug.
"How can I make you happy?" He says getting into my face.
I shrug again. "I don't know."
"Make you forget you mad at me?" He says leaning forward and kissing my neck.
"I don't know if that will make me forget."
He doesn't stop kissing my neck. I think I just want to be mad at him. So there's probably nothing he can do to make me not mad. Forget I'm mad? Maybe. He puts my back on the wall. I look over at the panel that's playing his unedited song. He kisses my lips. I don't kiss him back. He doesn't care. He takes my clothes off anyway. I look down at my body then at him as he steps out of his pajama pants that he had on all damn day.
"Do you not care that I'm not into this?" I ask him.
"Those just words." He says lifting me up a bit on the wall.
I guess. He kisses my neck then enters me just a bit. I grab his arm. He pulls out entering me very slowly. I bite me lip. He pulls out then enters me again fast but not deep. I hold my breath. He starts doing it faster not going deep at all. I put my head back against the wall. He puts his hand on the wall behind me almost making me fall. I grab his shoulders then start moving my hips. He grunts coming up closer to me. I moan moving my hips faster. He leans his upper body against mine. His hands smack my ass sticking to me. He grips my ass controlling my movement. I keep moving against his motion.
"Fuck, Jayla." He says thrusting inside of me and busting.
It was so satisfying to hear the pure need in his voice. Like he had finally got his high he had been craving. He groans busting a second time. I stop moving my hips as my orgasm builds up. He moves my hips perfectly making my body jump from the beginning to full climax. I moan as he moves me more making it climb higher. He grunts then kisses my neck.
"That almost ended bad." He says squatting down with me still attached to him.
"How so?" I ask.
He lifts me up making his dick slide out of me. It sounded so nasty. He grunts. He looks down. I make a face. It sounded like sticky slime. I guess that's a good thing but my mind set on being negative. Trey reaches down putting his finger in my pussy to hear the sound again. He smirks. I push against his shoulders standing up. He stays squatting.
"Tremaine. How was it almost bad?"
"I busted too early too many times. Before you."
I think about it. He did. "Mmh."
He stands up grabbing me and leaning against me. "I don't know who it was but somebody was walking in here."
"What?"
"I shut the door on them though." He smirks.
I pick my clothes up off the floor. I need to stop being mad. It's hard not to be. He thinks he made some progress so whatever. I'll let him think he did. I put my shirt on. The door opens. I pull my shirt down a bit. Lane comes in then spin around shutting it on whoever opened it for him. I put my underwear on. This shirt covers a good bit of my body. I'm walking to my room to take a shower. The door opens again.
"Lane, stop." Ike whispers.
"Oh." Lane says looking at me.
Ike walks into the room. Lane walks by Trey hitting him on the hand. Trey had put his pants on and was standing there looking at me. Trey looks at Lane. Lane goes over to the truck that was in the room.
"What's up, Ike?" Trey says.
Ike puts his hand up to give Trey a five. Trey hits his hand. Ike runs to the door as Lane comes flying by with the truck. Ike laughs. I step to the door opening it.
"You going out there like that?" Trey snaps.
"Yeah just to my room." I shrug.
He makes a face at me. I suck my teeth.
"I'm just going to take a shower. You remember what that is?"
"I'll join you." He says walking towards me.
I snatch his shirt off the floor and put it on. "That was not me asking you to join me, Tremaine."
Lane bounces around on the floor behind my feet. He being clingy today. Following me around the house and talking about everything I do. I'm peeing so he doesn't want to talk about that but he wants to be in here with me.
"Now wash you hands." Lane snaps. "Flush it."
"You too much of your mama." I say flushing the toilet.
JJ walks into the room. "Lane. I got this."
Lane puts his stool at the sink and turn the water on. "What that is?"
"A turtle." JJ says looking in the box.
"A turtle?" Lane asks leaving the sink.
He gasps when he gets to the box. JJ runs away. "Don't touch it."
Lane runs behind him. "I see!"
I walk into the living room. MiMi had a tank on the coffee table. Who the hells idea was it to buy a damn turtle? MiMi gives Lane a small box like JJ had. Lane immediately reaches into his box picking the turtle up. He puts it back down then looks at me. He was excited. He leaves the box.
"Daddy, I... it a turtle. Touch it." He says going back. "I touch it."
"Who's idea was this?" I ask MiMi.
She cuts her eyes at me mad. I shrug at her. What the hell is her problem? She rolls her eyes at me.
"Joyce sent them." She says with an attitude. "You should go find her before she has time to really think about it."
"About what?" I snap.
She rolls her eyes putting rocks in the tank. "JJ don't dump it out. Leave it in the box like I said."
Damn is she my damn wife? I suck my teeth and walk away to go find my wife. April walks down the hall shaking her damn head. I stop walking. Maybe she will tell me what's going on. She taps my shoulder and that's it.
"Ma?" I say looking back at her.
"Gwen and I have some errands to run. You need anything?"
"No." I mumble walking away.
I walk into the bedroom. Caden is on the bed trying to roll his body over into another position to get a toy that's near him. I walk into the closet where I hear Cammie. I stand there watching her. She seen me already but she not saying anything. I just stand there watching her. She folds something up then puts it in a box. I step into the closet more. What the hell she doing? Packing? I stop when I notice they were my clothes. Packing me up?
"Check on Caden." Cammie says dryly.
"He fine." I say.
She blows walking towards me. I stop her from walking pass.
"What's wrong?"
"Don't ask me that." She moves towards the closet door. "Caden did you lose your toy? Get it."
I let her go looking back. Caden looks at the toy then he starts trying to reach it again. She giggles walking back into the closet. She looks me up and down then goes to the box. She folds it up. It said donate.
"You donating my shit?"
"April. Why you got an attitude? It's annoying. Get away from me."
"Yeah." I say walking out the closet.
Caden kicks his feet flipping over on his stomach. He grabs the toy then rolls back over putting it in his mouth. Cammie comes out of the closet.
"Did you give him that?"
"I'm standing here." I say.
She kneels down on the bed getting in his face. "Yay, you figured out how to rollover. Good job. Was it hard?"
Caden screams at her throwing the toy. He makes a face at her like she took it then he starts looking for it. She puts it where he couldn't reach it. He twists his body rolling over and grabbing the toy. He snatches it then shakes it as he rolls back over. Cammie cheers him on. Is that a milestone or something? I look rolling over up on my phone.
"Tremaine just tell me now." Cammie says standing up with Caden. "Did you have sex with anybody while you were on your hiatus?"
"Not that I remember."
She rolls her eyes. "But you attempted to have an affair?"
"Affair? No."
"Say yes."
"I'm not agreeing to that shit."
She picks up her phone and hands it to me. "You see the thing about electronics these days is its easy to fucking prove shit. You got screenshots and now sharing screens. A step from recording conversations and waiting for bitches to knock on the door with kids."
"What is this?" I ask watching the video in disbelief.
"Your number. See your number. Yeah that's you. Texting her. In real time."
I stroll up the conversation. The shit women go through for what? Why do this shit to ruin someone else's life? I can't say shit because clearly it's me texting her.
"Nothing?" She says snatching her phone from me.
I just shrug my shoulder. I don't know what to say to that shit. I've been catch doing shit many times but it feels different. Like I really failed. It followed me home and ain't shit I can do about it. I got to try to get myself out of it.
"We argued about this already."
"About this video?" She asks narrowing her eyes at me.
I keep pressing on. "About this? About when I was away."
"You said you didn't fuck anyone then."
"I didn..."
"Don't fucking say you didn't when you just told me you don't remember."
Damn I said that? I drop my defense. I'm caught. Save yourself Trey.
"I remember texting someone else but it wasn't her. I don't remember meeting up with anyone."
"So there's more shit out there that I'll be getting?" She says sadly.
I step toward. "No they can't... they don't have my number."
"What?"
Fuck. I don't know. "It's just a generated number. Not mine."
"Oh so this girl you just were too stupid to hide. Too drunk or whatever you want to say. Do you hear how this shit sounds? You got caught cause you forgot to use your fake number? So how many women did you talk to?" She sucks her teeth walking away with Caden. "Just don't talk to me."
"Jayla." I say stopping her. "Jay, I'm trying to fix it."
She looks straight into my eyes. "Fix what?"
"The shit I've done."
"How about you fix my life after I become the single mother of two young boys who daddy married me for whatever fucking reason but decided he wanted another life."
I don't think any of the girls I ever argued with was as smart as Cammie. None of them ever stunned my ass with one sentence. I wanna be with you... then why go to other girls? I love you... then why hurt me? I'm sorry? What will she say to I'm sorry?
"I apologize." I say sincerely. "I talked to those women out of..."
"Say it how it is, Tremaine. You cheated with those women."
"I didn't ch..."
She sits Caden on the bed. "If you are going to apologize then apologize for the whole truth. The known and unknown. If you wanna say we argued about this then say it all."
I sigh. "It was never my intention to cheat on you. I don't want it to make it to you being a single mother."
"Because that's what every bitch out there wants. To say they ended our marriage. You will just be Trey Songz the eligible bachelor with kids. I will become a bitter black divorced woman with two fucking kids and anything else they want to throw out there. There's no fixing who I will be without you."
"I understand that." I pick Caden up. He had started screaming.
He twist away from me looking at Cammie. He turns back to me looking at me and smiling. I kiss him then look at Cammie. She walks away to the closet. I follow behind her.
"I am sorry." I say leaning on the door.
"Yeah I know."
I sigh. "But it don't help shit?"
She looks at me. "When you go out of this house I hope you remember to take us with you from now on. Our family doesn't stop being a family just because you are away. It's up to you to choose how you want to come back to us. You want to be here or just stop by."
Amber
I sit up in the bed and sign the release papers. The doctor made me stay overnight. I had some other things going on as well like dehydration and low potassium. I stand up happily ready to run away from this dreadful hospital. The door opens. Chris walks in with Cammie. I smile holding my arms out. She comes over to me but Chris comes up hugging me first.
"Now you know that ain't shit." Cammie says hitting Chris.
"Yall got to love me." Chris says.
Cammie hugs my side. "Ready to go home?"
"Yes, I'm more than ready. Fluid all night plus damn blood."
"You had to get blood?" Cammie asks then smiles. "You feel better?"
I stand up. "I was like Ain't no way finding out you pregnant make you feel like this. I felt like shit cause I was anemic not because I was pregnant. I got to take two different kinds of prenatals and come back next week. They say they were thinking my baby was in the wrong place and I was bleeding internally. Nope just worn out."
"So Chris taking you away for a few days?" Cammie says.
"Chris leaving town tonight."
Chris steps back. "I said I would cancel it."
I wave my hand. "Yeah and I said you don't need to."
"That's not how yall sounding."
"Stop pouting." Cammie says. "Caden ate food this morning. Ma gave him grits."
"Country ass. Grits?"
Cammie giggles. "He loved it. I recorded it."
I hug her. She goals. "You by yourself?"
"Yeah, Trey trying so hard to see if he can handle Lane and Caden. He is a sore loser. He refuses to spank Lane and thinks Caden too small to be bad. I tried to tell him that Caden is not too young."
"He like 5 months." Chris snaps.
I suck my teeth. "No, Bae, you listen. Lane was a little shit at 7 months. Biting, fighting, and trying to throw himself out your arms like his ass could stand as tall as me."
Cammie nods. "Yes. But Trey will get all that to himself while I'm dancing."
"What was up with you and Trey earlier? He said you weren't talking to him."
"Same old bullshit haunting us after I open my Instagram up and show family shit. I fucking hate women."
Chris grabs my bag. "Who?"
"Tell your friend you bought it back up so if I go home and kick his ass it ain't on me not letting shit go."
"It's like that?" I gasp.
She rolls her eyes. "Apparently some Instagram bitch wanna hassle me about the fact that my husband was all in her inbox trying to get a taste of it."
"Huh?" Chris says like he was asked a question.
"Who the fuck do you be mad at in this case?" I snap livid like it's me.
"Yourself." Cammie says. "I already fucking forgave him because of the suicide shit so what the fuck imma do? Hmm?"
Chris blows. "But it's fake though. Trey aint..."
"Here Chris since you wanna defend the shit like you did it."
"No." He starts then take the phone slowly.
I go over to him peeking at the phone. "She fucking knew from the get go that she was going to use this against him. You took the time to record his responses? How fucking cheap? I hate bitches."
"I mean but Trey..." Chris sighs. "Well fuck."
"He doesn't even remember whether or not he fucked her. That's the shit that really gets me. What were you taking? How the hell you don't remember nothing?"
"But you forgave him. That's what matters."
Cammie sucks her teeth. "No, Chris, what matters is our marriage and what shit like this does to it. You think I would still be by his side if he hadn't had a psychotic meltdown? My boys losing their father like I did is my worst fear but losing a stable household right there with it."
"Well I apologize." Chris says giving her back her phone.
"For what Chris?" Cammie spats.
He walks away. "For deleting it."
She unlocks her phone. "Why did you do that?"
"I also apologize for not being there. I'm not really the most dependable at times but I'm getting better at it. Slowly. Trey not perfect but he loves yall more than anything. He forgets how to ask for help like the rest of us veteran celebs." He says opening the door. "Oh good you here."
I grab Cammie pulling her to me. "What the fuck?"
"What did you do to Chris?" Cammie frowns.
"Huh?" I look at the door. He is talking to security.
She cuts her eyes at me. "That was the most adult fucking shit I ever heard come out his mouth."
I chuckle. "I don't know if it was me. He came like that yesterday."
"Must be nice." She giggles.
"Let me see Caden eating his grits." I push her off me.
She gives me her phone. "This was Lane this morning. Full of shit."
I laugh. "Are you on the toilet?"
"Yes. He wanted me to get up and go outside with him."
"He naked." I giggle.
She rolls her eyes. "You think he cared?"
"There's my Caden. He is sweet unlike Lane."
"To only you. He doesn't stay with anybody long."
Caden was so happy eating the grits. "What is Lane doing in the background?"
Cammie looks at it. "I don't even know. I didn't notice his faces he was making."
"They so cute." I touch my stomach. "If this little shit gets itself together imma be in so much love. I get a cute baby."
"Yay." Cammie says hugging me. "MiMi and Devin went to look at preschools. They thinking about sending JJ to one. And Mama J already said hell no. She gets him for another year until the real school starts. She's excited about MiMi being busy in the next few months. Oh..." Cammie takes out her phone. "Leah having a baby shower. You got to clear your calendar."
"Stop talking. She going home with you." Chris says waving us over.
Cammie kisses my cheek. "I'm so glad you okay."
"I love you too." I say hugging her. "Like yesterday I could barely walk. I was exhausted."
"Less talking."
I suck my teeth walking over to Chris. He takes my hand pulling me out the door with him. Cammie was close by doing something on her phone. Even with her problems she still my relationship goals. I love her energy and drive to set the world right. She always tries to satisfy everybody especially fucking Trey. He doesn't deserve her. I'm sure he knows it but I'm going to remind him when I see him. For fucking with my true love's happiness.
I exhale deeply. Mother father I'm pregnant. I lean my head on the table. My mother is packing her bags getting ready to go back home. I blow. She sucks her teeth looking at me. I sit up really fast trying to look normal.
"Are you on drugs?"
"Drugs?"
She walks away from the bag. "You are dating Chris... you know what has been going around about him for years. You didn't come to dinner. That's not like you. And you are slouched over on that table like a fiend. We can get you help. I promise I won't judge. He needs help too. The way he was acting at dinner was nerve wrecking."
"What?" I snap all late as it registers slowly.
"It's okay. I'll talk to your father. We put so much pressure on you just for the world to load even more onto your plate. We are proud of you."
I hold up my hand and shake it. "I don't have the energy to fight with you."
The hotel door opens. "I found this stranger."
"Who?" My mom snaps.
"Just me." Chris says walking in with his hands in his pocket.
I smile at him. He takes his hands out his pocket and shrug a bit. Did my father see him and talk him into coming up here? I look at my mom. She is looking at me look at Chris. I make my eyes big at her. She got fucking problems.
"I have to go to LA and see a doctor about my anemia. It's worst."
"I think we should go to LA with you." My mother says giving my father a look.
He gives her a crazy look back like no. "I've wore out my welcome."
"Good." I say.
"We have some news." Chris says coming near me a bit more.
My mama wasn't feeling it. "The engagement thing?"
"Huh." I ask.
"Oh you didn't know?"
I sigh. "Oh I mean... I forgot he told you. I have the ring already."
"More news?" My father asks lifting the bag from the bed. "Going on tour?"
"Me? Well neither of us are." Chris answers.
I roll my eyes standing up. "I'm pregnant."
"That's quick." My father says sighing.
"What's quick?"
He raises his eyebrows. "I assume you waited until you were engaged to have sex. Happened in a matter of days."
"Don't be funny. It's the 21th century. 2000s. Nobody does that stuff anymore. You'll be gray waiting."
"Heartbroken and waiting." Chris adds.
My mother was silent the whole time. "Is that why you are acting so funny? Are you bleeding? You just so happened to suddenly have anemia?"
"No." I shrug. "Never did nothing about when the doctor told me to take iron."
"That's a horrible way to start a pregnancy."
"Tell me about it." I stand up slowly.
Chris holds up his arms like he was gonna help me. I cut my eyes at him. Don't start treating me like I'm sick. He grabs something from by my feet. It was my bag. Oh yes that thing. He puts it on my shoulder for me.
"Pregnant." My father says. "Couldn't let that friend of yours have all the fun. What's her name? The one married April's son."
"Cammie." I smile. "I would never try to keep up with her. She's in a different league. Two boys... oh no. One and a grown man."
My father was more willing to accept it than my mom. "How does your baby feel about this?"
"We wanted to let you all know before the world. My daughter's mother would tell whoever answers her phone call. She won't wait to get paid."
"Dealing with baby mama's is..."
"I only have one baby mama." Chris says politely.
My father nods just a bit. "A married woman."
Chris blows. "I feel like I'm really going to regret that subconsciously."
"What's that? Your daughter?" My mother retorts.
Chris shakes his head. "Being married and knowing that karma could strike and some foolish man won't respect my marriage."
"Well if you weren't marrying my daughter maybe. But she was raised respecting the union of marriage. That you don't have to worry about. You just worry about yourself respecting your marriage. Making it last."
"Yeah." Chris pulls me a bit on the low. "I agree sir."
Dad nods. "Maybe we can meet your daughter next time."
"Definitely." Chris says smiling.
"Alright." I say catching Chris' hint. "I have to go. I really don't feel good."
"Call us baby. Keep us updated." My mom says.
I nod. "And mom... I'm not on drugs."
"Yes, Baby just pregnant. I'm sorry."
"You thought she was on drugs?" My father snaps. "Geesh."
She says something but Chris was closing the door. He sighs a big sigh of relief. I put my arms around him leaning my weight on him. He picks me up a bit walking towards the elevator. I feel so drained. I want to be excited about getting that off my chest but I'm so exhausted. This is extremely dangerous. No wonder I've been feeling like shit.
"Want me to carry you?"
"No." I say standing up slowly. "I'm fucking overwhelmed."
Chris kisses my hair. "Sorry, I should have came up from the start."
I look at him then turn his head to the side. "You got someone feeding you lines?"
"No."
"Remind me to reward your good behavior."
He licks his lips. "With what?"
Someone gets on the elevator with us. I lean my back against Chris' chest. He looks at me through the glass mirrors on the wall. I smile faintly as he wraps his arms around me.
"Damn I want a blunt." I whisper.
"Maybe if you weren't on your way to the doctor." Chris says kissing me then chuckling. "9 more months."
"Sounds like a prison sentence."
He kisses my temple again. "With me as the baby's father... most definitely a prison sentence."
"I will get Cammie to kill you. I swear she will do it."
He chuckles but doesn't say anything. I don't wanna jinx it but this is the calmest we've both been in a while. Was it the pressure of other people or us? Did it take me being sick to chill the fuck out? I won't bring it up. Just enjoy it.
Cammie
I tap Lane on his butt. He starts screaming running out of the room in a hurry to get sympathy. I'm on the phone with producers and writers talking about the show. Mainly the schedule and when we will begin training. Lane's bad ass wanted my attention to himself and wanted to interrupt my conversation. When I ignored him he head butted me. I didn't even pop him hard. I just tapped his butt like you would to get someone attention.
"Jayla, you..." Trey looks at me then holds his hand out stopping Lane from running back into the room for round 2. "Let's go find Ike."
"No." Lane falls to the floor. "Mommy!"
Trey stands him up nicely then turns him around pointing in the other way. Lane let's out a loud scream. Trey closes the door. My bad ass baby. I turn back to the conversation. This gives me flashbacks of all those times I talked to Chris with Lane right there and he knew nothing. It seems like life was simple.
"Cammie do you have social media?"
"Instagram but it's locked."
"Unlock it sweetie." Someone says. "We need you exposed for the world to see something about you. Makes you interesting if they can dig into your life."
I sigh. "Just don't want the drama."
"You are married to one of the top rated singers. Wouldn't be so without those fans."
"Yeah." I say rolling my eyes.
Glad they can't see me. I just feel like it's gonna be some shit. I go through my Instagram deleting anything with any bit of truth into my life. Nothing with my opinion or personal life in the background. It was ridiculous last time I had a public Instagram. I send my information to the group chat so they could see that it is opened.
"Jayla, could you just say something to him." Trey says sounding frustrated.
"Lane!" I say after muting the phone. "Come here."
He comes dragging himself into the room eyes full of tears and face all balled up. Looking like he so pitiful without being close to me. The moment he gets to me it's gonna be a different story. I help him crawl into my lap as he screams bloody murder. I rock him.
"Hush now. I need you to be my big boy until I get off this phone. Sit here and be quiet like a big boy."
He sniffs up his tears and sits there really still. I don't know how long he is going to do that. I missed so much of the conversation. I don't know what they are talking about.
"I know Cammie has her own PR agent. We have spoken to them. Who else?"
Lane twists in my lap laying his head on my chest. I rub his back. Now if he would have acted like this earlier we wouldn't have had a damn problem.
"That's this meeting. Any questions?"
"You said the schedule was emailed?" I ask.
"Yes."
I sigh. "Sorry and it's individualized?"
"Yes its all written out in the email."
I roll my eyes. I guess that's all I need to know. I wait for them to end the call. Nobody else had any questions. That sucked because maybe they could have asked something I need to know. Must not be much of nothing.
"Lane?" I say lifting his head.
He is knocked out. His head drops back on my chest. I sit there rubbing his little back. Why couldn't he say I'm sleepy mommy? He had to act like a damn fool while I'm on the phone. Trey walks into the room with a bowl. He pauses in the middle of the door and stare at us. He frowns.
"He sleep?"
"At the end of my call."
Trey keeps walking over. "He came into the room saying mommy whooped my butt. He said some shit like womped my butt. I said show me. He kicked his foot up and started crying."
"You know I ain't kick that liar."
"Yeah I know." Trey says eating whatever's in the bowl. "We all tried to calm him down but he wouldn't calm down. Jay, I can't handle him."
I try to give Lane to Trey. Lane wakes himself up and grabs me holding on like I'm dropping him. I suck my teeth and let go of him. He snuggles back into my chest. My baby only two. I hug him tight and rock him until he falls asleep again.
"April will have him Trey. She already planning it."
"She can't handle him." Trey whispers. "Just gives his ass what he wants no matter what it is."
I smile. "Caden is who you need to fear. Lane knows what no mean. You won't let me teach Caden."
"He don't do shit."
"He does. Like fight Lane and throw tantrums."
Trey sucks his teeth. "He 5 months."
I giggle. "We going nowhere. Tomorrow I'm going to feed Caden pears."
"Already?"
"He's rolling over and getting stronger. He needs solid food. He won't take a bottle for me to give him cereal."
Lane turns around and grabs my face. He kisses me then frown his face up at me. I love his personality. He loves playing games and trying to make people laugh. His games are never evil or get him in trouble. He kisses me again. I bite at him then kiss him back. He frowns again making a funny face this time. I chuckle.
"Dylan!" Cammie snaps.
"No." He says hiding.
I help him hide under the pillows of the couch. JJ bounces into the room followed by Cammie. She had a towel and clothes in her hands.
"Where is Lane?"
"I don't know."
She looks behind her. "I sent him in here to you. He didn't come back out of here."
I shrug. "Oh. Why you need him?"
"It's time for a bath. The water got green bubbles." JJ says excited.
"I here." Lane says revealing himself.
JJ spins around like he shocked. "Lane!"
"Come on." Cammie says walking back out the room. "Lane you were hiding from me?"
"Yeah." He says excited.
I answer my phone. It's Chris. "What's up?"
"She just had low blood. It's fucking low as shit. They had me fucking shitting bricks. I need to get better at thinking under pressure."
"Shit don't get easier."
He sighs. "I'm just glad you there and going through this shit before me. I got you by my side."
"I'm already married but you can be my side bitch."
"I ain't paying you no fucking attention. We probably gonna come by there after she sees the doctor. I hope she don't need to be admitted. Oh she is going to talk to her parents on her own. Without me. So they can talk shit about me."
"Why on her own?"
He takes a few seconds. "Cause I have been working my ass off to make her feel better these past few days. She been giving me her ass to kiss. She admitted it and to make up for it she gone talk to her parents alone."
"I mean I get that but you still don't want to put it off on her. Be there still."
"I like punishment better."
I chuckle. "No you don't. Cause when she sad..."
"Yeah." He sighs. "I'll call you back. I'm bout to go upstairs to their hotel room then."
"How you know you ain't miss it already?"
"Her dad just went upstairs. So I'm sure she waiting on him." He says. "Aight."
"Yeah." I say hanging up.
How do I supposed to help him through his shit when I don't know what the hell I'm doing for myself? Don't really feel like having the weight on me. I could really use advise myself. Forrest walks into the room carrying Caden.
"How your baby and his mama doing?"
"Good." He sits down.
I nod. "They don't need shit?"
"She got a new nigga."
"What is that saying to me about her needing shit?"
"If she need shit her nigga can get it for her."
"But she carrying your baby."
He shrugs. "I went to her last appointment with her. Going to the next one. He found out who I was and ain't letting her answer her phone for me. So let him take care of her. She was hinting around that he mad cause she ain't saying she hate me and talking child support. So yeah."
"You picking this lifestyle huh?"
"Everybody ain't God's favorite."
I sit up. "Damn what's that supposed to mean?"
"Don't nobody else get a wife like Cammie cause you got her."
"It ain't cause I'm better than you."
He bites Caden's hand making him laugh. "Well anyway. I'm keeping the peace between us. She down for coparenting and she gets along with April."
Caden turns his head in my direction. He kicks his feet and yell at me. Not a cry just a loud ass yell. Forrest turns him towards me. Caden looks back at Forrest and yells again. He swings his arm hitting himself. He gets mad then starts crying.
"Caden." I say.
Forrest brings him over to me. He doesn't stop crying when he gets to me. I rock him a bit.
"Aye take him back where you got him."
"Cammie gave him a bath. That's where I got him from. Can't take him back."
I put him on my shoulder then start patting his diaper. He screams a few more times then settles down a bit. He was done with Forrest very quick. I rock him some more then stand up rocking him. He quiets all the way down now that he got me up. He holds his head up looking around.
"Man just give me the baby when it's walking and talking."
"You gonna miss everything." I say holding Caden so I can look at him. "Caden?"
He watches me then start dozing off. He tries to move around waking himself up. I go to the bathroom that I hear all the noise in.
"Where King?" I ask.
"King went he mommy." JJ answers.
Lane was stacking bubbles on top of a boat. "Stupid ass."
"Say it again and I'm going to slap you in your mouth." Cammie snaps reaching towards Lane.
"Mommy." Lane rus away from her.
"Don't you call nobody that."
Lane just looks at her then goes back to playing like it never happened. I jump scaring Caden. Cammie had touched my leg. JJ laughs looking up at me. I smile then lean towards Cammie. I wasn't paying attention to her. After I kiss her she gets on her phone.
"I'm back." She says.
"So how are the babies?"
"B. A. D."
Lane stands up. "What you say Mommy?"
"B. A. D." JJ repeats.
"You say that!" Lane laughs splashing in the water. "B. D."
Cammie chuckles. "Girl. They are doing fine. You hear Lane and JJ."
"Hey, Lane. Hey, JJ."
I turn and walk out the room. The phone said it was Kim. More than likely k. Michelle. Gwen stops me in the hallway. She takes Caden from me without saying a word to me. She walks away talking to him. That boy is fucking sleep but thats how they like him.
Cammie
Trey moves Lane off of my lap. Now why he bothering my baby. Lane has been on my lap being good for about an hour. Watching YouTube videos and playing a million games for 2 seconds. Not bothering nobody. With his headphones on, I might add. Perfect little angel enjoying my lap being free of Caden. In this case or Trey.
"Daddy." Lane says taking his headphones off. "I go to Mommy?"
"She right here." Trey says putting his head in my lap.
My poor baby so confused. He puts his tablet down and walks away. Trey sits up kissing my lips. His childish ass is probably proud of himself for getting rid of the competition. I shake my head as he turns to the TV. I had it on reruns of other Dancing with the Stars shows.
"Why you watching this stuff?" Trey asks.
"To see what the show really about. Looks like I'm going to be paired with an unlikely match. Probably older and white. Young black raising to fame dancer. Underdog partner."
Trey looks at me. "You making that up?"
"No."
"Doesn't seem like you planning on winning."
I kiss him. "Just to the finals. That's my goal."
"So you gonna have to train your partner really good."
"That's MiMi's job."
Trey blows. "Really?"
"Yeah. Plus all the men do are fancy steps and catches. I mean it's not like super hard to catch somebody and shake your hips a bit. But for a non dancing background white man. Geesh. I dont have the patience after dancing with Chris for so long."
"Your kids?"
"They have dancing backgrounds, they black, and they love to dance."
Trey looks at the TV. "So this not going to be simple?"
I suck my teeth. Trey looks at me. "Lane?"
"Ma'am." He says turning to me.
"What do you have?"
He looks down then at me. "This?"
I roll my eyes. "You want me to yell at you. You know you know better. Give it here."
"This?"
"Oh shit." Trey says playing attention to Lane.
I hold out my hand. "Bring it here, Lane."
"I don't Mommy." He says walking to me. "It okay. Okay?"
"Talking his self out of trouble." Trey smiles.
This boy had a fucking knife out the kitchen. I don't know what he is doing with it. I don't know why the boy was in the kitchen. Trey grabs the knife from Lane then gets up walking out the room with it. Lane goes running after him talking about something. Like did you fucking come in here to kill somebody? Your daddy because he moved you out the way? What exactly is behind you carrying a damn knife? He comes back with a bowl. He sits it down by my leg then climbs on my lap. Trey comes back into the room eating something. Lane had strawberries, blueberries, and yogurt.
"Your mama was in the kitchen cutting up fruit for Ike."
"She didn't see her grandson steal the knife?"
Trey shrugs. "She was using the one she had. The rest were put up."
Lane eats his blueberries talking to himself. Trey squeezes himself between me and Lane. Lane sits back squeezing Trey more then he goes back to eating. They better leave me alone. Lane blows frustrated. I don't know what his problem is. He rams his body back against Trey again. Trey gets in my face moving away from Lane.
"Yall really killing it." I say through my teeth.
"We love you." Trey says kissing my neck.
I pause the show rewinding it. "I should be able to pick my partner. Have an audition first. I swear I ain't with no bullshit."
"That King say. Bullshit." Lane says cutting his eyes at me.
"Don't play with me."
Lane licks his finger. "I do it Mommy? Me? I do?"
"That's a bad word."
"No it not. What?"
I roll my eyes. "Go be a kid."
"Bullshit is a bad word." Trey says.
"No it not." Lane sucks his teeth. "Bullshit?"
"Shit. Bullshit." Trey explains.
Lane ain't having it. "A bull."
"Bullshit."
"A cow?"
Trey looks at Lane. "A cow?"
"B for Bull." Lane says like Trey stupid.
Trey looks at me then kiss my lips. "Your turn."
"I am not following him up." I snap.
Lane keeps eating his food like he won his case. He is going to say that fucking word again. He knows he isn't supposed to say it. I'm not playing games with him. I'm not following his ass up. Trey lost to an almost 3 year old. I can't just call him 2. He pass that stage. We doing full sentences and logic now. Tell me exactly why I can't do it. That's his current stage. Why? King says it why can't I?
"Lane Who said a bull is a cow?" Trey asks.
"Huh?"
Trey takes his food. "Who said a bull is a cow?"
"My fruit." He whines starting to get down. He is going to tell on Trey.
"Here." Trey says giving it back. "How the hell he knows that?"
Lane goes back to eating his food.
"Lane?"
"Ma'am Mommy."
I smile kissing him. "B is for bull?"
"Bah." He says.
"Oh." I kiss him. "Very good. Where did you see the bull?"
He licks his hand. "The church. The big church."
Trey sucks his teeth. "He tells you just that simple."
"I asked a different question, Tremaine. He figured it out on his own so he didn't know the answer to your question."
"Yeah." Trey says mad still.
I sigh kissing him. Lane spins around looking at me. He watches me kiss Trey again. He pushes the empty bowl off his lap. Just for attention. I push his ass down towards the bowl. He fights me then hits the floor. He picks the bowl up throwing the spoon. I ignore him.
"Lane, I love you." I say.
He moves towards the spoon then looks at me. "Mommy?"
"Daylan."
"Get the fork." He says grabbing it.
"I love you, Lane." I say again.
He runs. "My fruit." He starts whining.
"Right here, Lane." Someone says to him from the hall.
What am I gonna do with all these men? Caden fighting Lane. Lane fighting his fucking daddy. Next they both gonna be fighting Trey. If Trey doesn't spoil Caden so much he doesn't listen to me like Lane does. Me and Lane understood each other before Trey. I don't get my way with Caden. I can't say Trey not around because he is always there.
"If our next baby exist and it's not a girl I'm leaving." I say.
"I got what my mama had. I wouldn't care if we didn't have anymore." Trey says getting in my face.
I kiss him. "There goes your son."
Lane walks into the room whining. Gwen is behind him with his bowl. He cries pushing her back out the room. She lean over and stand him up straight. I'm getting happy inside to see some real discipline but she fucking gives him the bowl. He takes it walking away no more crying. Fucking fake. Where is the discipline?
"O big face snotty nose." Trey says to Lane.
"Mh." Lane says twisting his shoulder like he don't care at Trey.
I grab the bowl that almost tilts over on me. He falls out on the ground.
"Boy you need... get this bowl." I snap.
"It mine." He pouts.
His ass sleepy. I roll my eyes. "I know that sir. Get your bowl."
He climbs up on my lap first moving Trey. Oh my goodness. Trey picks with him. I'm about to run away. I sit the bowl in Lane's lap. He starts eating the blueberries out of the bowl. He had more blueberries than anything else this time. Trey kisses Lane. Lane tries to feed him a blueberry. They friends now?
Caden screams like I was talking to him. He across the room with Ma not wanting to take a nap. So he won't come to me cause he just sleeps with me.
"Did you see the message about the club promotion? They calling me still."
"I ain't doing it."
Nat sighs. "Okay."
I hang up. Cammie walks into the room with Ike and Lane behind her. Lane is whining and Ike is flying a plane through the air. Cammie gives Lane a piece of candy. Ike reaches for one too. They both leave out of the room.
"Listen to this." I say. "Jayla."
"I'm listening."
I read the text. "It's a promotion from a club. 50,000 to attend the club party with Trey Songz and his wife. Or 20,000 for Trey Songz to appear alone. Just appear. Not stay."
"I'm worth more than you?"
"I was looking at it as we worth more together. Damn."
April sucks her teeth. "She should get 50,000 without the mention of Trey. It should be fucking double that."
"For Cammie to go to a club?"
"It's not simply Cammie going to a club. It's the girl from Dancing with the Stars going to a club preseason. They seeing those commercials just like the rest of the world. The anticipation is there."
Cammie looks at her. "Oh you serious."
"Yes. You aren't going."
"And who are you to fucking say?"
April stands up. "She is presenting herself as a family person. Oriented around family. Starting her public image at a club is fucking tacky and you should know that."
"Who the fuck said she was going?" I snap.
"It don't fucking matter cause she not."
I make a face. "Says you."
"If they ain't paying a quarter million then they don't get a fucking public appearance. You can gotdamn go all day. She won't step foot in no damn club."
"April who the fuck said she going?"
She blinks her eyes at me then says. "Did you fucking say she wasn't because it sounds like I was the only fucking one against it."
"Whatever, you talking yourself now."
"Don't fucking play with me boy."
"Boy?"
She cuts her eyes at me. "I said something wrong? I got to fucking repeat myself."
"I ain't fucking ask you too."
"Say another fucking word and I'll show you."
I suck my teeth and mumble. "How fucking old are we?"
"Yeah okay." She says walking out.
I answer my phone. "What?"
"Oh its a bad time?" Jamaal asks. "It's not Amber is it?"
"Oh naw. My mama thinking I'm 5."
Cammie sucks her teeth. "You were being disrespectful."
"But yeah what's up?"
"Wanted to see if you knew where Chris would be Friday. I didn't want to call him with everything going on."
I take Cammie's phone and call Chris. He answers right away.
"Yo, I'm almost there."
"Oh naw this me."
He blows. "Oh. Don't want to get in trouble no more. It's scary."
"Whatever." Cammie says across the room.
"Jamaal wanted to know what you were doing Friday. I ain't know so I called."
"I think I'm in Florida. But I might not go. You know. It depends. Why?"
I look at my phone. "Jamaal you hear him?"
He was quiet. "Sorry, I'm here. Getting this girl's food so I won't die. What happened?"
"Chris on the phone. He said maybe Florida."
"Oh, I didn't wanna bother you. Lexi asked if you would come to her dance recital. I told her that maybe you could FaceTime her before and watch a few minutes of it. She doing a solo to your song. It's ballet."
Chris chuckles. "I can definitely call her if I can't come."
"I wasn't asking you to do all of that."
"Yeah I know." Chris says.
It gets quiet. "Yo Chris." I say. "Jamaal a first time dad dealing with Cammie's cousin. You ain't talk to him?"
"Say what?" Cammie walks back into the room.
"Oh nothing, Jay." I smile.
She walks back out. Chris chuckles a bit.
"Trey you just ignore the child we talking about?"
"Naw that's about like Royalty. I mean you weren't there in love with the mom. Jamaal either. You won't listen to me about shit."
"What problems Jamaal got with damn Alexis?" Chris snaps.
Jamaal huffs. "You don't get along with her and you ask?"
Chris chuckles a bit. "I mean that as in what is wrong with her, not saying she doesn't have issues or what not. Amber pushing me away constantly."
"Like any woman who has been through shit in their life." I say.
"Let me run through it. Yes she beautiful and bossy but it took a lot for her to make herself look so well put together. She basically had to grow up early and then raise her parents."
"The politician?" Chris asks.
Jamaal doesn't respond right away then he comes back to the phone. "Alex was raised by Cammie's grandmother. If I'm not mistaking Cammie's father is Alex father twin. If not then they were that close. But this pregnancy hard because her mother had 12 pregnancy and only 1 child."
"Damn." Chris says.
"Yeah. Alex was raised by her grandmother then as a teenager she came and started raising her mother, who was on drugs and heavy alcohol after being in the mental hospital for being suicidal and her father who was an alcoholic politician going nowhere in his career. Turn both of their lives around saved her father's business and their financial situation. All of this while not having a sibling to go through it with. So really it's what isn't wrong with her being pregnant. I know what kinda woman she is and I know that she will be one hell of a mother if she is given a chance."
I nod. "Damn is being pregnant safe for anybody?"
"Naw." Jamaal says. "We not announcing it right now. Alex was coming apart but I been fucking up on purpose lately to distract her. Give her something to fix."
"You like being bossed around?" I snap then laugh. "I can't talk. I love hearing Cammie say Tremaine. She be getting so pissed."
Jamaal chuckles. "Cammie got a soft side?"
"She a fucking baby." Chris snaps. "I'm at the hospital. I'll call later."
"Yeah." I say then the phone hangs up. "Her soft side is her being too sensitive to shit. If that makes sense. She gets what she wants. Spoiled but I wouldn't call that soft."
"Absolutely not. Cause she expects it."
"Demands it."
"So you don't think it's weird to find it attractive?"
I laugh. "Absolutely not."
"Chris is them so it annoys him."
"Yeah." I chuckle. "That's why none of them can deal with each other much. You so right."
Amber
I get out of the car. Chris is standing near the door smoking. He puts it out really fast then dust himself off like that's going to make a difference. He puts something in his mouth.
"Sorry. Nervous."
"Did you stop by the store? You said you wouldn't carry them." I snap.
He sighs. "Got a loosey from some guy."
I roll my eyes. "That's not important. I'm nervous."
"You okay?" He says coming close.
"Really that cigarette stank." I suck my teeth. "I'm trying not to be a bitch."
"Can we just not make a scene here?" Chris whispers.
I start walking. "Yeah you right."
He touches my back. "Cammie's doctor is going to review your chart and check whatever we hear for out."
"That's silently calming." I exhale.
"We just go through here and wait in this private room. I already talked to the staff here."
I look at him. Okay Chris taking care of business. I'm shitting bricks because so many things can be wrong. Like... I'm trying not to think about it. I hug Chris even though he smelled like a cheap hooker. After a few minutes the doctor comes in.
"Good afternoon. I'm sorry for scaring you. I wanted to get you here as fast as possible not thinking about telling my nurse to inform you of the situation." He pauses.
"Which is what?"
He looks at his papers. "Your hemoglobin is a shocking 6. Healthy pregnant women sit at 11 or 12. Yours is well below average."
"Why?" Chris asks.
"Your doctor said he advised you not to get pregnant. It's been low for some time."
Chris narrows his eyes at the man. "You can't not... It's not like she tried. She just stopped her birth control a few weeks ago. Didn't think she would get pregnant that day."
"I understand that."
"But I'm fucking pregnant now. So what?"
"Your doctor said that he was going to give you a call. I was going to admit you into the hospital for a few days. He said you were busy and that wouldn't work. If you are okay with it I'll just sign you over to him and you can discuss it further with him."
"My baby is okay?" I push out.
He nods slightly. "If you don't get proper treatment you and your baby are at risk. Do you want me to sign off of your care?"
I stand up. "Yeah. I guess."
"Wait." Chris says still sitting. "What do you think doctor?"
"Chris I'm going to my doctor."
Chris stands up. "Should this be addressed immediately?"
"I would treat it immediately. I don't know your doctor. Ms. Streeter has already agreed to go to her doctor. I can't do anything else."
"Bullshit. Just like that?"
"Christopher."
He blows walking to me after the doctor just leaves. Chris was pissed. My phone rings as we are walking out into the hall. I step back into the room.
"You go and get pregnant but not come see me?" Dr. Yang says.
"I told you I was getting off the birth control."
He chuckles. "But you didn't tell me you would be pregnant five seconds later. Are you on the way to LA? I presume you are taking residence near Cammie. I'm going to have you both in my office chained down."
"Why Cammie?"
"Preterm labor less than a year ago training to do extreme dancing for months. You two are making my job so tough. LA?"
I sigh. "Yeah I can be to LA tomo..."
"Today. 2 hours by plane. We need to get some iron into you immediately. I almost don't want you in a plane with those levels. Who knows what kind of levels your oxygen is at."
"I can see about a plane now. I just had some things to do."
Chris snatches my phone. "Dr. Yang? What's the plan? Chris. Brown. The baby's father. Why it matter man? Immediately? Okay, I was fighting for her to stay here and get treated."
Chris puts it on speaker. "...trust anyone to care for my patients. If they were to give you blood that reacts with your baby's blood it could be fatal. It could also make it hard for your next pregnancy if she isn't treated correctly. I want her here so I know what kind of treatment she is receiving."
"Okay." Chris nods. "We will be in LA as soon as possible. When do we find out... or confirm everything is okay with the baby?"
He chuckles. "As soon as you get here and I confirm there is a baby. What are you 8 weeks? 6?"
"Okay." Chris says giving me the phone.
"Why they had me worried like that?"
"Pregnant with a dangerously low hemoglobin and symptoms should have you scared. As soon as possible." Dr. Yang says.
I roll my eyes. "Yeah okay."
Chris kisses my forehead. "There's a plane available. Should we go have lunch with your parents, tell them the news, then go to LA? Or take them with us and discuss it in the air."
"I'm sorry." I say crying.
"Why?" He kisses me again. "I forgive you for whatever you did."
I try to stop. "You were trying so hard. You planned a dinner and got my parents here. You even ate dinner with them while I just ruined everything. Even your day today."
"Man, fuck that." He kisses me. "You come first. Not the baby or nothing. I need you to be okay."
"I guess."
He gets in my face. "No seriously. I love you. I need you to be a better person. I know why I tried this relationship and I'm sorry. I don't mean to be pushy it's just me. Let's just go to Cali and spend time with the stupid happy family. So we can remember our goals in life."
I smile a bit. "I love you too. They are so stupid."
"Yeah." He takes his shirt off. "This smell is making me mad. I hate I smoked that shit."
I call Amber. She got me worried about her now. Her assistant said she wouldn't go to her photo shoot because she didn't feel good. I told her to go to the doctor but she wouldn't. So I called the doctor to go to her. I walk out of the building. Fuck this other stuff I'm doing. Ain't shit more important than Amber right now. Of course she isn't answering.
"How are you Chris?" Her mother answers the phone.
"Worried." I say.
She sighs a bit. "Amber seemed just fine when I talked to her."
"But she won't do nothing or leave the hotel. This Her calling me. Maybe you can get her to have lunch with you."
"I will, Chris."
I suck my teeth. I don't care if she heard my reaction or not. That was a fucking lie. If her parents not talking to her or hearing shit from her they think the world is lying and shit is okay. As if I'm not a creditable fucking source of information.
"Amber."
"Chris the doctor says I have to go to the office immediately."
I try not to yell I told you so. I fucking know the doctor would say some shit like that. Cause she acting different. Ain't no way somebody go from I'm pregnant to fucking chaos that damn fast. The shit ain't normal. I blow.
"I'll meet you there."
"No come here."
I hit my forehead. "Baby he said immediately. It's gonna take time for me to get across town then for us to come back. Just meet me here."
"Whatever." She hangs up.
"What the fuck!"
I call Cammie. Ain't nobody else to call.
"Hey, Chris."
"Your friend call you?"
Her voice changes. "Why you say it like that? What's wrong?"
"I got a doctor to go see her this morning. Now he calling her telling her to come to the office immediately. She acting like ain't shit going on. Want me to fucking drive fucking 40 minutes to her then back. Like immediately don't mean immediately."
"Hello. Amber what the hell? Why didn't you call me? Say what? Chri... huh? It does not mean something is wrong with your baby. You have to go to the hospital and see what's wrong. You can't wait for me to fly to fucking Houston. Chris is going to be there. Yes he is. He is not going to break up with you. What? Chris did you fucking tell her you wanted to break up with her?"
I exhale. "I didn't say it like... I just..."
"Oh my gosh. Fucking talk to him. You pissing me off. Tell him to fucking go to the office and keep his fucking stupid ass mouth shut. Gotdamn."
"Yo." Trey says.
"Yeah." I push out.
He sighs. "You going to the hospital?"
"The hospital?" I ask confused. "Not the doctor's office?"
"Jayla. She pissed." Trey says.
I suck my teeth. "You scared?"
"Of my wife?" He asks like I'm stupid for saying he is. "A smart man would be. Bae. Where is Chris supposed to go? She told him the office. Okay. Alright."
"Are you Chris Brown!"
I stop walking. Oh shit. You know how you get so wrapped up in a phone conversation that you just start walking? Can't do that shit when you are me. I back up from the girl which makes her go crazy. I ain't have time to run. Just time to realize there was more of them. Of her. More fucking fans.
"Excuse me maam." Buggiz says.
"I love you, Buggiz." I say escaping and walking away in a hurry. "Shit. Trey?"
"I sent you where to go." Trey says.
I get back to my car and get inside. A few minutes later Buggiz gets in. I ran into Buggiz yesterday at Amber's video. He said he would hang around today but he wasn't supposed to be my security. Glad he was there though.
"That girl started hyperventilating. Why you walk over there?"
"Wasn't thinking." I say giving the driver the address. "Aye Trey is everything okay or... I mean."
"I didn't hear what the doctor said. Cammie distracted her while she gets dressed."
I shake my head. "Damn man I was fucking going on like life don't fucking hate me and every fucking thing is going to go smooth. I ain't think about no shit going wrong. Didn't think about it being too perfect. Baby by the perfect girl when I want it."
"Why would you think like that? That ain't where nobody head goes." Trey says.
"I shouldn't have made a big deal about it then it wouldn't matter."
"Christopher shut up." Cammie snaps.
I suck my teeth. "What the fuck you fucking talking about Cammie? Man imma just get off the phone before I say some shit."
"Christopher!" Cammie snaps. "I swear you better get your head straight. Talking bad when shit might not be. You wishing it on yourself. So just shut the fuck up go to the hospital and be a damn picture on the wall."
"Look cute?" Trey says.
Cammie sucks her teeth. "Trey that's you if you think he a cute picture on the wall."
"People don't hang ugly pictures. Don't play."
"Tremaine you hear yourself?"
"Fly on the wall is neutral. Ain't no room for confusion. Flies are ugly."
"Shut up, Tremaine." She snaps.
I chuckle. Idiot. The bad part is he serious.
Alex
"Jamaal what makes you think I want a man that I can fucking tell what to do? You fucking act like I got to tell you every damn thing. After you fuck shit up you come to me. Then you have your pissy attitude cause you don't want to hear my mouth. Well you hear me now?"
Jamaal hands me the papers in his hand. "Your father is on his way to speak now."
I swap the papers away from me. "As if his senile ass is going to fucking read a speech by the time he gets to his destination. Hey, Maggie."
"You need a miracle?"
"Yes."
"In how long?"
I look at the tracking I have on my father's phone. "About 20 minutes to make him look adequate to cut a damn rope."
"Oh please. That's more like water from a well verses his normal parting of the seas."
"Thank you, Love. What you need this time?"
She doesn't hesitate. "Dinner reservations this weekend for 5 plus tip. You know me."
"Sure thing. I'll throw in a couple appetizers and wine."
"The cheap stuff. I'm entertaining the in laws. I will not sit through them being drunk."
I chuckle rolling my eyes. "Well do."
Jamaal looks up from his phone. "What she want special?"
"Cheap wine. You pick up the damn tab. 5 people plus her cheap ass can't pay the tip. Why spend outside your means to look good?"
"T..."
I put my hand up. "I don't care for an answer. I hate her."
"I'm sure she hates you too."
"Fuck you. I'm very lovable."
Jamaal hands me a stack of papers. He touches me his other hand. I start to snap at him and ask who the hell gave him permission to touch me. I think he catches on. He chuckles tossing the papers on the desk. I be trying to be nice to him since we fucking on a regular but I can't. He caresses my arm. I'm a bitch when I'm sick. Hell I'm a bitch when I'm not sick. But pregnant I fucking eat everybody up. I tell my client I have walking pneumonia and its best not to come around right now. So I email them or phone. Jamaal met with a couple people today for me. That's what the papers are. Their signed contracts.
"You are lovable only to your parents. Well and any nigga just finished fucking you."
"Yeah." I say taking his hands off me.
He hits my hip. "What do you want to eat? Take out online at a fancy restaurant?"
I pick the papers up and toss them somewhere else. "How do women do this for months? You know it's 2 months shy of a year? 40 weeks? You can make it to 5 fucking months and not take home a baby."
"What?"
"I was reading pregnancy stories."
Jamaal comes back close to me. "You shouldn't do that."
"Hidila texted me talking about I need to take care of myself and stop reading shit. It's hard not to wonder if other pregnant people feel like I do."
"How you feel?"
"Out of control. Like nothing is going right. I just can't get on top of shit."
Jamaal touches my shoulders and starts massaging them. "And they talk about feeling like that?"
"They were talking about fucking miscarriages at 5 months and delivering dead babies." She starts crying. "I can't fucking stop crying and shit."
"Cause you scared. You want to control the situation but this not your daddy's speech or Mike Griffin new contract offer. This God's play field. He controls this."
I shake my head. "I don't know how God feels about me or how much he think I can handle."
"You thinking about the stuff you can't control."
"Amber has to go to the hospital after the doctor saw her this morning. I wanna call her but I can't deal with nothing bad from somebody that close to me. My mother had so many miscarriages before and after me. She lost her uterus before 40. I wanna tell them but I can't." I stop to catch my breath.
Jamaal exhales with me. "Good thing you already a bitch and they won't figure out that way."
"I don't know why this baby likes you so much." I shake my head.
"You like me. Blaming it on the damn baby."
I roll my shoulders. "This massage making my nipple hard and my pussy throb. Ain't no fucking way I fucking like your ass that much."
"You never had good dick."
"Get off of me and go get me food."
He kisses my neck then steps away from me. "I ordered your usual from Gunther's."
"You never going to be able to be a shitty husband so you better stop doing shit right. You gotta keep this up forever."
"You wanna marry me?"
I roll my eyes at him. "If you think I'm about to have your damn kid and be a baby mama you better just kill yourself."
"That won't make you just a baby mama."
"Go through the motions of killing yourself."
"Your requirements change like the wind. One day you wanna be pampered one day you wanna be left alone and some days you want both along with the world. I'll do it all. The problem is when I'm old and don't fucking care no more."
I exhale. "Where is my food?"
"I have you a gift." He says. "From my mother."
"Oh but you got me a gift?"
He smiles slightly. "I'm giving it to you."
I open the small box that he takes from his back pocket. I don't pay attention to anyone but myself. So damn selfish. I close my eyes then open them looking at the bracelet again. My insides do a happy dance. I close the box then cover my mouth. It felt like I was about to throw up. Jamaal kisses my cheek.
"My father wants to meet you. Lexi has a dance recital Friday we can have dinner afterwards?"
"I got to go to the dance recital?" I snap.
He smiles. "No."
"We aren't announcing..."
"Oh no... no. They can find out after your parents. I'm not in a rush to have them down my back about anything else."
I blow. "Jamaal my food?"
He looks at me. "What do you want me to do call and tell their asses to hurry up?"
"Do something."
"I'll go downstairs and get you a virgin martini." He says walking out the room.
I roll my eyes when he is gone. He does too much. Somewhere in his head he blurred his job and me. My demanding ass can't stop being difficult. He is gonna get tired of pleasing me every minute of the day. Whatever. Why complain? If the dummy wants to do it let him.
"Oh Cammie." April says as I step into the side door from the garage.
"April." I say tilting my head at her.
She looking at me like I'm fucking stank. I know I ain't. If I was she not gonna fucking smell me across the room. I'm fucking dressed. Hell I don't know what I did to her. I put my hands up.
"What?" I say.
"So who is that making all that noise back there. I was gonna go see about it but I ain't got the stomach right now."
I had my mouth cover since she started. I talk through my hand. "What you talking about?"
She makes a stank face again. "Don't try to act like your ass don't know what I'm talking bout. You got two damn kids."
"I'm not." I wave my hand walking towards the door.
"Oh she suddenly shy like I ain't been there from day one of her fast ass hooking up with my son."
I look back then spin around. "You on the phone!"
"Yes, I need to schedule an appointment to see Dr. Keatin. For Caden Neverson. Yes."
"Whatever." I say walking out the room for real this time.
I chuckle. She was really coming for me. Calling me out from years ago like that. I get closer to the bedroom. It's fucking Trey singing. I start recording him. The studio wanted to see some family moments.
"This is what you return to when your husband is a singer and wake up without you in the bed." I say then go closer.
"Jayla come back!" Trey sings.
I laugh then step into the room. Trey laying on the bed stretched out with Caden beside him doing the same thing. I stop recording and take a picture. Trey rolls over looking at me. He smiles really big.
"Your son mean." He says.
"Looking like yall bonding."
Trey gets in Caden face. Caden just smiles like hey daddy. Trey starts singing. Caden frowns his face and tries to move away from Trey. I record it. Trey stops singing and kisses Caden. Caden laughs grabbing Trey's face to kiss him back. Like they best friends. As soon as Trey starts singing Caden pushes him away and cries. I stop recording.
"Why don't he like your singing?" I laugh. I get close to him and start singing.
"He fucking likes it." Trey says as Caden starts trying to sing with me. "Naw."
Trey starts singing. Caden tries to roll over to his side blowing like he frustrated. I laugh. They need to stop acting like that. Caden kicks his feet at Trey. Trey stops singing and bites Caden foot. Caden laughs immediately. He playing games with Trey cause it's not like he crying. He just making faces. He better not be like his damn brother.
"Where Lane?"
"With your mama and Ike." Trey says making Caden laugh. "My own son don't want to hear me sing."
"Hey, Tremaine!"
"Tweety. Ewh. It's the baby."
"The baby!"
I guess he is on a group chat or something. One of those voices is his Aunt.
"Tell your wife I made Caden's appointment." April says. "Her fake ass."
"Awh boo." One of his aunts says. "Don't get up on here and act like you don't think her shit gold."
"Thank you." I say chuckling. "She loves me."
Trey starts singing. A few of them start talking but some of them laugh. I guess only the ones that saw Caden's reaction. April walks into the room not on her phone.
"Why you upsetting my baby with your stupid singing. Tell that man to sing a real song." April says.
"Naw ma its any song." Trey kisses Caden making him smile. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star... see. He hates my songs. Travel across the country if I asked you to but I'm just bad for you..."
April gets in Caden view. He turns his little body looking at her then he looks at Trey smiling. He starts yelling and babbling. April walks away.
"Trey he sing better than you."
"Where Lane?"
Trey shrugs. "It's not nap time so I don't know. Caden? Ma! Ma come get him. Look at him looking for her. Say grandma. Grandma!"
Caden yells not saying shit but babble. Everybody reacted like he said grandma. April comes into the room. Caden kicks his feet turning his upper body a bit. Trey helps him look for April.
"Caden." April says. "You know you fake. I'm not walking around this house with you. We gonna go lay down in the bed and watch TV."
Caden turns away from her like no. I laugh.
"He said he rather not."
"Because he is fake. He lays in here with yall all sweet but no with me. He wants me walking him around the house. I'm not." She picks him up. "Let's go then."
"Ma you just said you not." I laugh. "Stick to your word."
She walks out talking low to Caden. I swear they got it bad when it comes to my babies.
***************************************
Trey wakes up when I walk into the room. He was taking a nap with JJ after JJ got in trouble for throwing away Minnies clothes because he was mad about her crying while he was talking. So I've been washing her clothes and Caden's. I put the basket down and smile at Trey. He just watches me. I don't know what the man be thinking. Forrest walks into the room. I hold out my arms.
"Baby, where you been?"
"Fuck no."Trey says.
I don't know how this man gets out the bed and across the room to me before Forrest gets to me. I laugh as he picks me up moving me away from Forrest. I kiss him before he throws me on the bed. This man know his soul is just jealous. Jealous of everything. Why can't I hug Forrest suddenly?
"Damn." Forrest says walking out. "Aight then."
"See you later!" I yell waving.
Trey hits my hand."Stop your shit."
I rub his stomach."Didn't we talk about your jealousy already?"
"I come here after not seeing you and I get no greeting. He gets aloud ass hug."
"Tremaine." I say reaching to grab him.
He moves away. "Next time I leave for more than five minutes I want a proper greeting."
I make a seductive look. "You were holding my baby I couldn't greet you like I wanted."
"Show me."
I smile at him faintly then get off the bed. He doesn't move to let me get off. I get up pushing my chest against his. I put both of my hands behind his neck bringing him to me and kissing his lips. I bite his bottom lip then start kissing him again. I run my hand from his neck to his stomach. Instead of touching his dick I grab his hand. He kisses my neck. I start walking to the bathroom. He follows like a light weight. I close the bathroom door. He pushes my back against the door making the mirror move. I start to look back and say something. He kisses my neck and grab my waist. I wrap my arm around him as he lifts me up pressing my back against the door. I exhale as he enters me as if he never entered me before. It was so unexpected.
"Tremaine." I moan as he thrusts slowly into me.
He puts his hand on the wall and bites my neck. I moan wrapping my legs around him. He kisses me like he was searching for the right spot but every spot was right to me. I start rolling my hips on his dick. He grunts putting his other hand on to the wall behind me. I pull his neck towards me holding myself up. I hold my breath so the loud moan wouldn't escape.
"Jayle...mmm." Trey groans grabbing my ass.
"Tremaine." I say but it wasn't audible. Just a fucking moan.
This nigga bout to drop me. I jump trying to get myself away from the wall. Something had pinched me. Trey finally fucking supports me. He backs up putting himself against the sink. He lifts my ass bringing me down on his dick. I scream then bite my lips. He continues lifting me up and bringing me down. I couldn't stop it or my mouth. He hits a spot making me bust. He lifts me up but brings me down really slow. I grab his neck as I cum harder. He leans back letting me go. I stay clung on to him for a few seconds then jump down. I take my sticky ass shorts off and turn to walk away.
"Aye." He says grabbing me by my arm pulling me back to him. Like I can't walk away.
"Tremaine." I say letting myself fall into him.
He sits on the counter then pulls me to him. I couldn't get no closer to this man. I just look at him. He reaches down grabbing my ass. I push myself up as he pulls me upon to his lap. Here aches behind me. I turn looking back. He lifts me up grabbing his dick. I look at him. He was barely hard but I guess it didn't matter to him. I reach back touching his dick. It immediately responds. I giggle. Something about a dick responding so quickly to my touch makes me griddy inside. He takes my shirt off. I ease myself down on his dick. He grabs my hips grunting. I grab my titties as I move up and down on his dick.
"Oh fuck my shits hurt." I say stopping.
Trey grabs them the squeezes them so gently and perfect. Some of the milk releases soaking my bra. He does it again. I move on his dick scared to do too much. He moves his hand to my hips grabbing it making me move more. I close my eyes grabbing my tittie hen let go. I open my eyes. He got the point. He puts his hand back in place on my titties. I start moving like he wanted. He groans. I cover my mouth. I don't know what I'm feeling anymore. It all just feel good at this point. Trey let's go of my breast bringing me to him. He puts a hand on my back and one on my hips. He moves my hips a bit then drops everything.
"Low milk production? Fuck." I say pulling my bra down and watching the milk leak out.
"That looks like some cum." Trey says touching my nipple.
I bring it close to him. "Want some?"
He chuckles a bit. "Don't have me drinking breastmilk, Jayla."
"You say that like you want to drink it." I giggle.
"I do. In this current state. I would enjoy it."
I look at his hand. "Why are you bleeding?"
"You bleeding?"
I lift up off his dick. "Why would I?"
He turns me to the side. "Your back."
"What?" I say getting off him.
"No. Come back."
I go to the mirror above the sink. I turn around looking for the source of the blood. He acting like it's fucking fine for me to be bleeding. I had on my right shoulder. I suck my teeth and go to walk out the bathroom. Trey grabs me.
"I'm bleeding." I snap.
"You bout to be bleeding more. There's glass over there."
I look at him. "Tremaine you acting calm like you knew about this."
"We broke the mirror... shit from the beginning."
"Tremaine."
"Keep saying my name."
I suck my teeth. "You stupid horny asshole. You knew the damn thing was broke."
"I tried, Jayla." He says sad. "I'm sorry."
He brings me close to him. Fine whatever. I roll my eyes. He kisses my shoulder then grab a towel and wets it. I start to fuss about the towel being a designer towel then I stop myself. I'm fucking bleeding and worrying about a towel. Trey puts the towel on the floor on the glass then wipes it up.
"That's smart." I say.
"I'm stupid?"
I roll my eyes. "With a cute face, good dick, and a beautiful voice why do you need to be smart?"
He cuts his eyes at me. "Damn."
"What?"
He just smiles and goes back to cleaning the glass. Well he pushed it to the side. He opens the door and reaches for me. I walk to him like a magnet. He lifts me up over the glass he already cleaned. I put some shorts on and just cover my tittes. Trey grabs me.
"Where you going?"
"To my mama."
He pushes me a bit. "Damn, Lane. Go then. You wonder where he gets his shit from. You had to sound like that?"
"I don't know what you talking about." I walk away to find my mama.
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