HER

19.

"What do you want to eat?" Ximora asked KJ as she pushed the shopping cart through the aisle.

KJ shrugged "Pasta"

Ximora nodded "Bow tie? With salmon?"

"Yea"

Once Ximora got all the ingredients and did some regular grocery shopping, they headed to check out.

"My fault" a deep voice apologized as their cart crashed into Ximora's.

KJ scrunched up her face causing Ximora to laugh.

"Oh hey Ty, you good"

"Wassup Mora, this your sister?"

"Yea, hey Eli" she smiled waving at his son.

He shyly waved back "I need to get him to you soon, he need his hair braided"

"I can get him in tomorrow" she offered.

"Yea that works, they gotta half day so I can bring him in right after" he told her.

"Okay that's fine, what you in here getting?" She asked.

"Just shit-stuff for the cabinets, what you got?"

"Same, but I also had to get things for dinner tonight" she said.

He nodded "What you fixing?"

"Bow tie pasta with salmon" she told him.

"You fixing me a plate?" He asked causing her to laugh.

"Yea, y'all can come around 5"

____________

"Mhm around 5" Ximora heard Sakari say.

"Who you on the iPad wit?" Ximora asked, she heard shuffling and Maliyah's face appeared.

Maliyah gave her a smile and waved.

"Mmm okay" she said turning back to the cutting board.

"Can you make more for lunch tomorrow?" KJ asked.

"I was gonna make something else but okay" Ximora nodded as she pulled out more onion to cut.

She cleaned then seasoned her salmon before putting it in the pan to sauté.

Once she did that she started on everything for her pasta.

An hour had passed and the food was ready.

"Come get your plate mama" Ximora said to KJ who was till on the phone with Maliyah.

"I'll see you" KJ said hanging up.

Soon, her doorbell rang and she went to open it.

"Hey-" her smile dropped as Jaelen pushed past her.

"Where that nigga at?" He asked looking around.

"Jaelen.. stop no one is here"

"So he on the way? You inviting niggas and they kids over now? You a step mama now?"

She fought the urge to laugh and straightened her face up.

"Jaelen you're not my nigga, you have no right to question me. I'm free to invite anyone here, and not that it's your business but we just friends" she told him.

He scoffed "Mane fuck that 'just friends' shit, you cooking for him like he your man"

Before she could say anything else, a knock sounded at the door and Jaelen had already answered, not giving her a chance to react.

"Oh.. wassup man" Ty said.

Ximora shook her head and grabbed his plates.

"I packed y'all some extra," she said with a forced smile.

He nodded "I appreciate that, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes you will, have a good night"

Before Ty could say anything else, Jaelen slammed the door shut in his face.

"You need to leave too," she said walking to the kitchen to fix her own plate.

"Mora I wanna talk"

She scrunched up her face "We talked last week, what I said stands. So leave"

"Nah you talked last week" he said.

"I want another chance Ximora, I fucked up and I'm sorry." He looked at her and searched her eyes for any emotion, but didn't find anything.

"Jaelen-"

"I ain asking you to just jump back in the relationship wimme, but I want a chance to make it right and for you to forgive me" he told her.

She shrugged "You fucked that chance up bad Jaelen, ion know"

"Babygirl just think about it" he said as KJ came out the dining room.

"Snitch" Ximora said as Jaelen picked her up.

"He promised new shoes, I'm sorry" KJ said.

"Y'all are the opps" Ximora said like JT.

She heard Jaelen chuckle as she went to the back to go lay down.

"I'm bout to head out" he told her coming into the room.

"Okay bye" she waved.

"No hug?"

She scrunched up her face "Jaelen... don't piss me off"

"Ight I love you"

She nodded "Okay bye"

"Mora..."

"Ughh love you too please leave"