Trial & Error

5 | Jade

"Aww. Did Zay go?"

"No, sadly. School and baseball has him busy. But, Xavier went."

My brows rose. "Are y'all working it out?"

"Slowly, yeah." She nodded, "He's going to therapy to work on himself. I rather him for him first before we go any further. We still live separately, I'm not wearing my ring, and no sex."

"Well that's good he's working on himself. But I do have to ask, what's gonna happen if you actually don't want to stay in your marriage?"

Caren sighed. "Divorce, seriously, this time."

"I get it."

"How are you?" Caren asked me.

"I'm...better. I'm sure you watched the news—I'm in damn near every story. I signed my divorce papers today, judge granted me the restraining order against Cairo. I needed that for me to move back. Norman Records is fighting me with my contract and I was finally brave enough to tell the world what I really dealt with in my marriage."

"And I'm so proud of you." Caren smiled.

"I'm not," I chuckled uneasily resulting Caren to appear confused. "I have been staying off of social media because to the world that loves a music mogul like Cairo, I'ma liar and since I never kept track of when he beat my ass, no one believes me and he wasn't canceled. But he had time to make his lawyer call me and threaten me with defamation of character."

Caren shook her head. "Cairo's sick. He's really sick to just act like he never done anything to you."

"Well, that's a man for you." I sighed heavily, "I have an attorney fighting to get me out of my record contract with his label. I still have a full year left. They holding my music. I can't perform any of it like at all or make any new music while I'm under contract."

"Whhat!? That's your entire music career."

"Exactly. That's Cairo for you. I'm not with him anymore, so he's trying to do everything to control me. Now he's snatching the music I worked hard on from underneath me. I didn't realize how much I hated him until I left him."

"This just a minor setback. You gone pop out like you never left. Trust me." Caren gave me a comforting hand squeeze and I smiled small.

I heard a car door close outside and it made me jump up, leaving Caren behind and reached the foyer just as one side of the door pushed in and Carla came in with the brown carseat stroller where I could see her tiny Air Forces sticking out and I grinned from ear to ear, cheeks aching. I couldn't even stay still anymore, rushing to the stroller and crouching in front of it. I pushed back the shade cover, and came face to face with my only joy in life.

Sarai Jolene was sleeping peacefully, her eyelashes natural, long, and thick. Sarai was a combination of Cairo and me, with a sepia skin complexion and chubby cheeks, wearing a colorful seashell romper. I unbuckled her, pulling her out and cuddling her against my chest as I stood up. Her head full of hair smelled great and it was moisturized, in four chunky buns. She had her ears pierced, nice Rose Gold Diamond studs.