Downplay| Jordan Clarkson & Quincy Brown

•f i f t e e n•

"He really loves you Aya."

Yara told her honestly and Aya nodded.

"I know and this is everything I would've planned it's all I wanted, I'm just shocked."

Yara nodded in understanding even though she could never imagine herself feeling that way.

"I get that, but I think you're ready for this, you're ready for your family. So, Mrs. Booker are you ready to put on this beautiful dress?"

Aya nodded with a smile that infectiously spread across her face. Yara helped her into thee wedding dress, lacing her up snugly in the back before adjusting her veil and tiara. Upon seeing her sister Yara herself became teary-eyed, she looked exactly like her mother.

Yara shook off the memory quickly as she wrapped her hand around her glass of water. Her sister was married and Zolee was gone with D'Angelo to begin her new life. A lot had happened in the space of two weeks but above all, the only thing that stayed the same was her state. She was still pregnant and highly annoyed at the fact that she was torn and suffering with this by herself. These facts were sobering as she ambled into her kitchen.

As she allowed her eyes to scan the cereals in front of her, she exhaled before grabbing her guilty pleasure, fruit loops. She'd had cravings for it and she couldn't deny herself such a small piece of bliss.

"Yara, just keep it together."

She told herself softly as she prepared her bowl with extra milk before retiring on the couch. Jordan had called her every day, three times a day but she could never bring herself to answer. Now, the calls hadn't come in and she was wondering if he'd given up. She was sure that she had.

She was furious with him. Not only had he cheated, but he'd also gotten another woman pregnant. He'd made her, her mother and Aya's at the same time. The unassuming girlfriend and the dirty mistress. She was carrying a child that was half of him but more importantly she also still deeply cared for him, and she hated herself for being so weak.

"Still sulking over Jordan?" Ebony's voice bounced into her ears as the dark-skinned beauty emerged from what used to be Zolee's room, what would probably be the baby's nursery.

"Shut up, I'm not sulking. I'm furious, there's a difference."

"The fourth stage of grief, you're almost there love." Ebony offered Yara a pat before she made herself some cereal as well.

"So where are you then? Did you tell Kevin while I was gone?"

"Yeah, I told him and then I came to your place for refuge because I knew he wouldn't look here. So I may be in acceptance or denial."

"Well, how did he react to it?" Yara probed gently.

"He's ecstatic, he went on and on about how he's always wanted to be a dad and everything was great..."

Ebony's expression changed from one of mirth to sorrow quickly as she trailed off.

"Until?" Yara's voice was soft, she knew where this was going.

The other woman, the ever-existing complication.

"Until he remembered Zoë and Kyrie. Then, he realized he actually has to choose and I didn't want to stick around for his answer. I can't take a no right now Ya, not when I'm carrying this child, his child, my child."

Ebony mystified her. In a weird way, Yara was jealous. Ebony was sure that she wanted her child and deep down Yara knew that Ebony was secure in the fact that Kevin loved her. If it wasn't for Kyrie, Kevin would have left already but that little girl was like his daughter. Now that he had his own child, those lines would be blurred even more.