𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭.

𝑿𝑿𝑽

"Tanks." Malani laid her head down on her mothers shoulder, who finally put her attention on everyone else. Her eyes naturally glanced to Syre first, but the attention on him left almost as fast as it came to place attention on the boys in front of him.

"Hi other babies." Amerie smiled, pressing a kiss into both Keoni and Xyden's foreheads. "Y'all both fake for not running up on me like my princess." She playfully rolled her eyes.

"We missed you too." Xyden laughed, giving her a small hug followed by Keoni who nodded in agreement.

"She just wouldn't shut up the entire car ride." Keoni rolled his eyes at Malani who slowly raised her head from her mothers shoulder to look down at her brother and cousin. Her twisted up face mugged them both, before looking to her father for help, but he was too busy in the middle of what looked to be a heated conversation on the phone.

Amerie could make out some of the words he struggled in speaking at a hushed tone with. It was evident he was arguing with one of his hoes, and it wasn't hard to tell it was either Nijah or Autumn. She didn't know his relationship status, nor did she care. But she was well aware one of them was his alleged girlfriend while they were still messing around, and it was the first and only time she'd ever witnessed his disloyalty to someone to that extent.

"We go park...water." Malani smiled back up to her mother who lowered her body back down to stand on her feet.

"I know, we're going to the water park?" She smiled, crouching down to fix the dress Malani wore.

It was October, but they lived in LA and it was still hot. The weather was surely dropping, but they had those random days where the heat was near unbearable even in these usual fall months. And today was one of those days, which was why Malani begged to go to the water park which Syre agreed on.

"Mhmm, come." Malani pushed past her brother and cousin to lead the way towards the front door where the exit was.

Shaking her head, Amerie glanced to the nurse who brought her down to give a small wave. She was ready to go because she'd done everything already, she was only sleeping because she chose to take a small nap while she waited because she thought she was going to the pool with the people in the facility. Not with her family.

"How you doing?" Syre greeted her finally, once only the two of them trailed behind the three kids who made their way to the car in front of them. He was off the phone, but the slight agitation in his voice still remained.

Her eyes gradually positioned to focus in on her baby father who she could admit looked amazing himself. The shirt he wore showed his arm and neck tattoos to be on full display, the main thing that attracted her to him in the first place outside of his face when it came to his physical appearance. But none of that really mattered when his eyes behind his dark shades looked near exhausted, and she could see right through the dark limo tinted frames.

"Fine." She mumbled, bringing her focus back forward. She would have asked how he was, but she honestly didn't have the urge to do the small talk thing with him.

Her energy never let up with him. Whenever he brought Malani, she didn't say any more than 5 words to him. And even that was a stretch. She just felt there was no need to communicate with him, or have any type of relationship outside of their daughter at this point. As the days went on she could feel herself getting better, and it showed physically and mentally.

And there was just no room for him when it came to her healing process. Of course they'd eventually have to build a better relationship, but she was still very deep in that anger stage of healing where it all was spewed towards him. She didn't necessarily blame him for much, the anger stemmed from how he treated her and the uncertainty of what their relationship even was.