"What's wrong baby?" The woman asked just as confused as I was.
"How does he know?" Jovan pointed his finger at Lovell and then asked his question louder. "HOW DOES HE KNOW?"
"What are you talking about?" I was now asking the questions because he wasn't making any sense to me.
"Nessa stay out of this I ain't talking to you." His finger was still pointing at his newphew, "Momma dont make me ask you again."
"Baby I think you're mistaking something. What are you asking me?" His mother spoke in a calming tone trying to calm his temper.
"HOW THE FUCK DOES HE KNOW YOU'RE HIS GRANDMOTHER?"
He wiped his hand over his face and closed his eyes, "The last time we spoke at the dinner you acted like you didn't even know Athena had a kid and all of a sudden he's here calling you grammy like he's knows you. The nigga doesn't even call me uncle yet and he's seen more of me than you."
I felt so dumb because I didn't notice until now. The way Lovell was just in her arms and not scrambling around, but was also comfortable in her presence. He's been around her more than once, plenty of times actually.
"J-Javon," She stuttered but no other words came out her mouth.
"Why did you lie? You hiding something and I know it. First you lied about Morris then you lied about not know Lovell was alive. What the fuck else are you lying about?"
"N-nothing. I swear i'm not lying about anything else that's it. I knew he was alive I just kept it to myself because if everyone else knew then they would've tried to kill him like they did your sister but clearly she's not dead according to Ram."
"You and Ram," He mumbled angrily, "both you niggas hiding shit. I bet he's the one who killed Sal and I wouldn't be surprised if your dumbass helped especially after finding out Dove cheated on you those years ago."
"Wait no. No. I swear I had nothing to do with his death. I love Dove too much I would never ever do that shit to him or his kids. Im not hiding anything else baby just please let me explain myself," She wined trying to grab her arm but he shoved her off and yanked Lovell with him.
She sat herself on the porch and instantly broke down in tears. I wasn't sure if I wanted to kick her or check if she was okay, but now that I was aware that she's Jovans mother, I wanted to be on her good side.
"Um, are you okay?" I mumbled, taking a seat beside her and trying to rub her back.
She shook her head no. "Do I fucking look okay? You don't fucking see me crying my eyes out over my son!?"
I backed my hands up and just kept them to myself. As much as I wanted to pop off, I decided against it. "I'm just trying to help."
"PLEASE, help? You can't do shit for me. Who are you even?" She scolded brushing me off.
Honestly, I wanted to knock the hell out of this woman. I couldn't believe this was his mother, but at the same time I could because they represent the same attitudes.
"Gosh you're a terrible mother. No wonder why he wrote so much shit about you in his journal," I spat out before getting up.
Yeah, before his journal was stolen from my bag, I read into it every night before bed. There was a lot of harsh, crazy, abusive, and sad shit in there. It's crazy how far someone is willing to go for their parents even if they don't deserve it.
He even wrote about a time his mother dropped him off at some woman's house and he sat outside for days waiting for her to pick him up. She didn't tell him where she was going or who she was going with but when she came back to pick him up he suddenly had a new "father".
"Wait what did you just say?" She grabbed on my arm and pulled me down with tears running down my eyes, "What did it say about me?"
"How you're a fucking selfish bitch," I lied before kicking her off. She was disrespectful, as hell, for allowing herself to talk to me the way she was doing.
"NO!" She grabbed my arm back and kept pulling at me, "Im sorry okay? Please don't go."
"And why would I do that?" I crossed my arms together feeling some sort of pity towards her. Her eyes were bloodshot red and swelling up a little.
"I love him. That's my only son and i'm pushing him away and lying about shit, i'm hurting him."
I closed my eyes slowly and let a breath of air escape my mouth. I could tell she meant her words and that she really wanted to fix things. "If you really wanna work on your relationship with your son then I need you tell me right now that there are no more lies. And i'd there are any then I suggest you speak up now."
"There's no more." She admitted before standing up.
"Positive?"
"Positive." She pulled me into a tight hug and wrapped her arms around me aimlessly. "Thank you."
•••
Quan asked me back out on a date again, but this time it wasn't to KFC.
He said he should've did better and that I deserved better so that's what he was planning on giving me. I was actually happy since he's been ignoring me for the longest ever since i've declined him.
"So where we going?" I asked in a cheeky tone just looking out the window to keep up with my location.
For a second I thought he was going to say: is you wikipedia, but I had to remind myself he wasn't Jovan.
"You gone see girl. Trust me it's better than KFC and actually more expressive too." He glared over at my direction and I lent him an opposing smile
I wasn't really sure if I liked Quan like that. We've only dated in kindergarten because I wanted his pop tart. That relationship lasted who knows how long. Maybe up until second or third grade since we had every class together.
I was no trip off of him though since he started liking other girls and I started liking other guys. Basically, we were in an open relationship.
"You needa start taking us serious, cause i'm taking us serious," He said lowly with a chuckle following afterward.
We had finally pulled up to the restaurant and my mouth nearly dropped when I saw what it was. I know damn well I didn't dress fancy just for us to go to..
"HOOTERS?" I yelled out clutching my purse tightly to myself. "Please tell me this is a joke?"
"It's expensive-er than KFC. I told you i'd be spending more money don't even be like that Nessa. Since when you become boujee? You use to love when I slid us down here in like 6th grade." His eyes furrowed as he stared in my direction.
"But you told me to dress nice, and even got me to wear heels. Do you know how stupid im going to look in there compared to everyone else who's dressed casual?"
I stepped out the car to call an Uber because I knew if we rode back together than there would be unwanted commotion and energy on the way home.
He snatched the phone out of my hand and looked down at it. "Damn Ness you was really finna get you an Uber? I was fucking kidding bruh." He turned around and pointed at the Olive garden across the street.
It was obvious he switched his mind up last minute when he realized that his choice for a date was terrible.
"Do you have Olive garden money?" I asked with curiosity lingering in my voice.
"Hell yea I do. Don't play with me like a nigga broke." He tossed me my phone back and I held it tightly.
"Okay, let's go then." I grabbed his hand and we walked off towards the entrance.
•••
