Everything I Expected

Chapter 24

Y/N POV

       As I finish typing up the last contract of the day I send it to the printer. I lift my head up when I hear a soft knock on my door to my office. "Come in." I yell out. Beverly, my assistant, pops her head in. "You have a couple of guests out here. Can they come in?" She asks. "Send them in. Can you grab the last contract that I just sent out to the printer? Just keep that in the file under 'Dreamdoll'. After that you can leave. I'll just close up when I'm done." I tell her as I watch her open the door wider. "Okay, I will file that for you. Have a goodnight Ms. Y/LN." She says. "I told you about calling me miss. You're older than me. Just call me by my first name. Have a goodnight Beverly." I say as I pick up up Kalia and place her on my lap.
        "Hi Princess. Hi Leelee and Nika. You can put him in the playpen over there." I say as I point to corner. "Mama I go see the dolphins and shark." Kalia says as she grabs my face to make me face her. Kalia loves eye contact when she's speaking to somebody. I think that's so she knows you're listening. "Oh really baby? Was it big? Were you scared?" She shakes her head and giggles. She has the exact same giggle Dinah has. "Mama it was this big." She says with wide eyes and stretches out her arms wide. "I no scared. It was in tank silly. They no get me. Bro bro try to scare them." "Yeah he did. He was roaring at them. I told him it wouldn't work. We saw the penguins. I got a stuffed penguin too, but it's in the car." Ashley adds. "Did you guys say thank you to Nicki?" "Mhm. And we got ice cream." Ashley answers. "Gma my favorite people." Kalia says. "Oh yeah? Mama isn't your favorite person?" I say as I start to fake cry. "Mama you my fav too. No cry mama. I sorry mama." "Okay okay I'll stop crying. You're my favorite too. How about you and Ashley try to catch Beverly before she leaves and see if she'll give you some lollipops?" Kalia nods her head and gets down off my lap. She grabs Ashley's awaiting hand and go find Beverly.
      I look over at Nicki who's sitting front of my desk. "How'd it go with your dad?" "We talked. He apologized." "Details Y/N." She says sternly. "I mean at first I guess he was putting on this act that he was still evil as he was, but then he apologized. He told me that was sorry for the things he did to my mom. I had to tell him she was gone. I think that hurt him in a way. That's when the apology came. He admitted that it was wrong for what he did to me and Ayana by kicking us out. That he still loved the both of us. That he was proud of me. That he accepts me and everything that comes with me.  He's also okay with me taking my time on accepting his apology and forgiving him. He also said that since he's been there he's been doing some serious thinking and that he's been going to therapy." I say with a shrug.
        "Why the shrug?" She asks as she looks at me with a puzzled face. "Because I don't know if I should believe him. I mean how do you explain kidnapping kids and one of them being your granddaughter? It doesn't make sense. It's just he's seemed so sincere." I explain. "From what I know about your father from what I've heard, he sounds like a manipulator. He's probably just trying to get you to feel bad for him since he's in there for life. But then again prison does change a person. He has nothing but time to think about his actions. I would honestly say if you want to see if he's really and truly sorry about what he's done, see him consistently. Go like twice a month. It doesn't have to be talking on the phone everyday. Just every two weeks. And maybe then you'll be able to see if he is really sorry and if he is that's where you take the next step." Nicki says genuinely.
      "He also told me that Odell is trying to get me setup out here." I say. Nicki's jaw drops. "He's in there with him? Oooouu I know your father probably beat his ass." "He told me he did. He also told me that Odell tried to get him to help set me up, but my dad wasn't having none of that. He said that he doesn't help no one taking down his own seed. He can do that himself." "Wait how is Odell in prison if he hasn't been sentenced?" She asks. "He got sentenced for six months for violating his restraining order. When he popped up at Chris' house." I hear crying from outside of the door and that's when the door opens and Ashley walks in with Beverly behind her carrying a distraught Kalia. "Sissy, Lia is crying because Beverly didn't have anymore lollipops." Ashley says as she makes her way to stand right next to me.
       "She didn't get her nap. She must be cranky because she's tired." Nicki says as she takes her from Beverly. "Lia, what did I tell you about crying when you don't get what you want?" I say looking at her. "No cry." She lets out a sniffle. "Alright then. Stop crying and wipe your face. Crying ain't going to get you what you want. There's no more so she can't give you nothing." I tell her sternly. Nicki fixes her to lay on her lap, cradling her, and starts rubbing her back slowly.
           I look over at Ashley and see her looking over at Kaleo sleeping in the playpen. "Ash?" I call out and she turns her head to look at me. She smiles at me and I smile back. "Come here." I beckon her over and she walks over to me. When she's close enough I pick her up and pull her onto my lap. "So, remember how I said we would talk about daddy when we seen each other?" I ask her and she nods her head. I take a quick glance at Nicki and let out a sigh. "Do you know where daddy is?" I ask softly. "Mommy said he went to where all the very bad people go. And then Yaya told me that he was in prison." She answers.
         "Do you know why he's in jail?" "Yaya said it was because he was hitting mommy. But mommy isn't here anymore, so does that mean he's coming home, since he's being good?" Ashley asks as she tilts her head to the left looking at me. "Well, that's not exactly how it works. Papi isn't in there because he was hitting mommy. He's in there for something worse. When papi was out here he was making a lot of bad choices like hitting mommy. He got caught doing something worse. I don't want to say the details about it now, but I will when you're older." "Will daddy ever come home?" Ashley asks with a slight pout. I barely shake my head. "No baby he's not. He has to stay there forever." I say. "Why if he's being good? If he's being good he should come back home. That's not fair."  Ashley says with teary eyes.
      "Well Ash, he hurt a lot of people. It wouldn't be fair to them if he was able to be out here with us with all the pain he caused them." I tell her trying my best to explain. "He can't just say sorry?" She asks. "He had his chance Ash, he didn't want to say sorry. So he has to be there." Ashley stares at me for a minute. "Okay." She says with a shrug. "That's it?" "He didn't want to say sorry. When you say sorry, you're good. But he didn't so he's bad, so he can stay there." She says as she gets off my lap. She goes to the side of my desk and starts drawing on a blank paper. "She's too innocent." Nicki comments. "Who are you telling?" I say.
      My phone rings and it's a FaceTime call from Ayana. I swipe over and answer it. "Y/N I swear I didn't want to fight this girl! And when I say that I tried so hard not to I really tried! But she was trying me. She was really trying me! And I couldn't sit there and be no punk either because she was calling me out and you know I don't take no Ls. I had to beat her ass!" I hear come out Ayana's mouth a mile a minute. "Wait, slow down. What happened?" I ask her. "So boom, Jack, Ana, Kaash, and I went out for lunch. Like just on a double date. Then we decided to go mini golfing. We were at the place and these girls from school were there. I don't know much about them except for the fact that they just run their lips. So I kept it cute and smiled and waved at them. So we leave to go to another hole because we already did the one they were at." She pauses as she takes a sip of water. "As the date goes by or whatever I start to realize that they were always behind us. Plus, every time they were talking they'd say my name extra loud. Probably trying to get me to say something to them. So I said something." She runs her hand across her neck symbolizing 'period'. 
         "So I walked over to them and asked them what the issue was. They're going to say 'oh there's no issue.'" She says changing the pitch in her voice. "So I'm like obviously there is because y'all stay walking directly behind us as a group. I understand that we're going by the holes but I shouldn't hear your conversation. And then on top during that conversation y'all are saying my name too loud. So obviously y'all wanted my attention.'" She says shrugging like she's talking to them again. "Why they're stupid asses going to say 'we were just saying how you think you're the hot shit because your sister is famous and you're dating a famous rapper after getting Anthony locked up.' Like bitch if you just stupid just say that. How I get that man locked up? I ain't give him the drugs and tell him to sell it. That is his business. I gave that boy attention for all of two weeks and these bitches are weak."
       "So Ayana, when does the part with you fighting come up?" I ask confused. "You didn't let me finish. So then one of them walked up to me and stood right in my face. I looked her up and down and laughed. Then I told her the dick ain't even worth it and that she looked stupid. Then the bitch did the most dustiest shit by spitting on my shirt. So I popped her and we started fighting." She ends with a shrug. "You see who won because what? I don't have not one scratch, but that bitch? Oh yeah she ain't coming to school for a couple of days." She ends. "We got banned from the place. We couldn't even finish our game. A lot of people were recording. We're all about to be on theshaderoom later." I hear Ana yell out. "She got that southern ass whopping she wanted." Ayana says. "I have to tell Yonni to get you a PR team. She's going to be annoyed when she hears this. Did you call her and let her know?" "Nah I called you first. I had to tell you because girl, she had me messed up and I knew you wouldn't yell at me. Yonni would have started yelling from the get go." She answers. "You need to call her. How's Jack and shorty?" I ask. The phone taken from her hand and Jack's face pops up with a scratch under his eye. "Y'all should've told me that you guys were MMA fighters beforehand." He says then sucks his teeth. Nicki and I start laughing. "I told you I was sorry bae. I didn't mean to scratch you. She made me break all my nails on her hard ass face." I hear Ayana says solemnly.
        "If I ain't pull you off of her she would've had more scratches on her face." He says. "She asked for it when she stepped up. I was laughing to let her know I was going to beat her ass." Ayana says. "You better hope Ashley don't start fighting." Nicki says. "No my sister is too cute for that mess and she's too innocent." Ayana says. "Innocence don't stop no fighting. Look at you. You were innocent." I say. "Then papi kicked me out. Shit happens. You, let alone, Dinah aren't going to kick her out." She comments. "You're right. Well go call Yonni and piss her off. I'm about to head home soon." I say. "The kids coming home?" "Kid free until after Jamaica. Ashley might come home before then because she has her therapy session." I say. "Why can't pop pop Gordon take me? Or Milika? I don't know the man that's with Titi." Ashley says. "That's your primo. That's your cousin. Just meet him. He's nice. He probably has a lot of stories about the army that he could tell you." I tell her. "Fine." She says as she lets out a sigh. "What's wrong?" I ask her.
         "Why do I always have to meet new people? I meet someone new every week. It's either your friends or some new family member. What are you having a baby next?" She says sassily as she rolls her eyes as she continues to draw. "Oop, this is when I hang up because that mouth? Mama would've snatched her little ass up." Ayana says before she hangs up. I turn all my attention to Ashley who is still drawing. "Who are you talking to little girl?" I say with a lifted eyebrow. She finally stops coloring and looks over at me. She drops the pen on the table once she sees the look that I'm giving to her. "You going to say it with your chest with the eye roll again? You still didn't answer me." I say. She looks down then back at me with a pout. "Nobody and no. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that. I'm just tired of having to meet too many people. I feel bad because I never remember their names." She says. I let out a chuckle. "It's okay. Your memory will get better." She nods her head and looks over at Nicki.
     "Ms. Nicki are you coming to my birthday party?" Ashley asks as she tilts her head. "Well, your sister never told me about it. I will try to come though." Nicki says unsure. "I want you there. You're always nice to me. You didn't have to take me to the aquarium and you did. Plus you got me a penguin. You don't have to get me anything either. I'll be fine with the penguin." Ashley says. "You don't want a gift?" "No. I only want my mommy back. I already got a necklace with my mommy on it. I don't need nothing else. Y/NN is getting me a puppy." "How do you know that?" I ask her.
        "I asked mommy to ask you, duh. Plus, you spoil me so I always get what I want." She says matter of factly. "Since you know that so well, you need to get a job." I say. "I'm too young for a job. I'm only seven. Yaya said you have to be at least sixteen. I have nine more years." She replies back. "Technically eight since you turn eight this year. But you're about to work right now." I say as I go on my computer going to my emails looking for the one from the manufacturing company. "So I told you that you were going to pick the colors for the sweatsuits. So this is the spring collection colors that you can choose from and then we gotta choose the fabrics and everything." I say as Ashley makes her way over. "Can we name it the Ashley collection?" She asks. "Why would we do that?" "Because I'm picking everything. I like the top row colors. You should make the outside fluffy and the inside nice and soft." "So you like the pastel colors?" I ask her. "Yeah." I get a phone call and I look at the caller and see Tia Sammie.
          "Hola, mi amor. ¿Que tu quieres con mi vida?" I ask once I answer. "Are you with the kids? Yonni said that you should be with them." "Yeah I am. What's up?" "Give Ashley the phone." I hand the phone over to Ashley. "Hi titi." "Hi mi corazón. Mami wants to talk to you." I hear my aunt say. "Ash, I want to say sorry for yelling in front of you. I'm sorry if I scared you sweetie." I hear Dinah say. "It's okay. Everybody has bad days mommy. It's okay for you to have them too. Where did you go? You aren't supposed to be driving." I hear Dinah let out a giggle and sniffle. "I went to clear my head baby. I just went to the beach. I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls. I know you were worried. I'm okay though." "Are you coming home? I want to see you." Ashley says with a pout. I kiss the top of her head and look at Dinah on the screen. "I have work baby. I'm not coming until the morning. I'll make sure I stop by to see you and the babies before I go home in the morning. You're not going home tonight either. You're going back with pop pop." Dinah says. "You promise to stop by?" Ashley asks. "I promise. I'll even eat breakfast with you guys." Dinah says assuringly. "Just forget about me." I mumble. "I didn't forget about you babe. We have a whole trip planned together." She says.
         "Are you okay?" I ask her and she nods her head. "Yeah, im fine now. I just got overwhelmed with emotions." "Okay." I say as I back away from the camera. "What's wrong?" I hear her ask and I shake my head. "Ashley give you sister the phone." I hear Dinah say. I get up as Ashley hands me the phone and I walk out the office and down the hall. "What happened Ofa? Does it have to do with your dad?" Dinah asks softly and I nod my head. "Can we talk about this when you get home?" I ask her. "You sure? I remember you saying you needed me. You can always come here and be with me. I know you probably don't want to be alone right now." "Dinah-" "Ofa come. You know that you will over think everything that was said if you're by yourself. Just come. Me and Sammie are here." Dinah says. "Fine I'll head over there after I send out this email for the clothes." I tell her. "When you get here I'll take my first break and we can talk." Dinah says and I nod my head. "I love you." She says. "I love you too bebe." I say. "See you soon?" "Yeah. I'll see you soon." She hangs up and I go back into my office. "You okay?" Nicki asks once I walk into the room. "We're going to talk when I get to the studio. I just don't want to bother her with my stuff when she has all this weight on her shoulders." I say as I sit in my chair and start to type up the order email. "She cares Y/N. You can't be mad at that." "It's not about her caring Nick. It's just.... She's going through all this stuff and I feel like me telling her about this stuff with my dad will just put too much on her. And I don't want that." I tell her.
       "You can't keep her in the dark about your feelings or what's going on with you. That's where communication comes in. And you not telling her what's going on and just doing something is where her trust for you can start to diminish. You don't want that. You don't have to ask her to do anything. Just let her know what happened and how you feel about it. She might just give you some good advice." Nicki says and I nod my head. "Can you drop me off there? I don't have a car. Benny dropped me off." "I gotta drop you and your kids off? I feel like an Uber driver." "I mean you can always keep them. I'll just tell Gordon." I say. "As much as I would love to, I can't. I have a photoshoot tomorrow. I can't bring all of them with me. Plus y'all are going to eat breakfast with the kids tomorrow."
      I finish typing up the email and hit send and close everything out on my computer. I shut it down and fix up my desk a little bit. "Leelee, can you clean up your pen and paper for me so we can go?" She nods her head and starts to fix her stuff up. "Mamaaaa!" I hear Kaleo whine out. I get up and walk to the play pen. He sits up and looks at me and stretches his arms. "What you whining for boy? Your sister is sleep." I say as I pick him up. "I want mami." "I don't know what to tell you." I mumble. "Why you don't want me? What mama do to you?" I ask him. "Nofin. I just want mami. Mama I want chain." He says as he plays with my chain that has my name on it. "You're not taking my chain boy. I'll bring you your chain tomorrow. Mama needs her ice." I say. "What do you need it for?" Nicki asks. "Paparazzi. They always get good angles of me. Kaleo should've had his on. I tried telling them about it. My twin can't be outside without his ice." I say as I fix his shirt. I look closely at it and see a stain.
     "How'd you miss your mouth? It's okay. I have extra white shirts for you here." I say as I walk to the closet in the corner. I pull out one of the white shirts from the kids little drawer and close it back. I walk over to my chair and sit Kaleo on the desk before I sit down in the chair. I take his current shirt off and grab the new white t-shirt and put it on him. "They changed you." "Huh?" I let out as I look over at Nicki while I fix Kaleo's shirt. "The twins. They changed you. Dinah leaving you changed you too." Nicki says. "Wow. What are you trying to say?" "Not saying that Chey didn't calm you down  because she did. The twins just changed you more. Also, you and Dinah breaking up in the past changed you too." "I mean, I think that was the point." "No! I mean you're really a family person now. Like you really get yourself involved with the family. Like taking the kids to work and having extra clothes for them here. You definitely didn't do that with Chey. Kalia really made you have a softer heart and Leo made you more aware in a sense." Nicki says.
     I would say I did change a lot. I don't think the twins specifically were the ones that changed it. I would say that Dinah definitely did play a part. I guess becoming a single parent made me realize that I can't depend on nobody's help to take care of my kids. If I wanted them to be straight I had to be able to make them straight. It also made me realize that family is important. Just because my family growing up was fucked up that I don't have to spill that onto my kids lives too. "I mean the twins? They probably made me more cautious I would say. Like more aware of the little things and details of a family life. Dinah did the trick though. Just picking her shit up and leaving me there at the alter. It made me aware that just because kids come in the picture that I  can't give up on the relationship. Kids don't solidify relationships. Just make you and the other person bonded for life. Did I want more kids at the age of 21? No, but I wouldn't trade the twins for the world. They're my babies. It made me appreciate Dinah more I tell you that." I say as I pick up my stuff and standing up. I grab Kaleo and turn the lamp on my desk off.
      I walk over to the door opening it wide enough for everyone to leave out. Once everyone is out I walk behind them and close the door. I lock the door to my office and follow Nicki to the elevator. "So when are you having a kid Nick? We strolling with my kids where's yours? The twins need a play date." I say and Nicki starts laughing. "Girl, can I enjoy my marriage first? Kids come after with your unholy ass." She says. "Ashley cover your ears." I say and I watch Ashley cover her ears. "Listen, the first time I was drunk. The second time I admit my pull out game was weak. It's not my fault though. Me and Dinah had sex plenty of times with no condoms and without me pulling out and she still ain't get pregnant." I whisper and Nicki laughs. "They were the swimmers that made it. Can't be mad because they're cute." Nicki says as she pokes Leo's cheek. The elevator dings signaling that it's here.
        We get on and I remove Ashley hands from her ears and press number one. "Ash, you got sunglasses?" I say looking down at her. She shakes her head and looks up at me. "Just incase there's paparazzi just hold onto my hand right while security helps." I tell her. She gives me a stale face and shakes her head. "I already know what to do. I only have to do this when I hang out with you famous people. Me and Tia don't ever have to worry." Ashley says. "You're famous too Ashley. You're my sister." I say. "No it makes me the sister of a famous person." She says and Nicki laughs. "She's really on your stuff today huh?" Nicki says. "If I was really like this when I was younger, I'm sorry mama." I mumble as I shake my head.
         The elevator dings signaling that we made it to the first floor. The doors open up and I see paparazzi already snapping pictures. I grab Ashley's hand as Nicki walks out and I follow behind her stopping at the front desk. "You can tell the cleaning people to just vacuum my office. I cleaned and wiped down everything else in there. They clean the entire floor they way they regularly do. Have a goodnight Matthew." I tell him as I dap him up. "Alright, you guys have a goodnight too. Especially you Nicki." He says with a flirty tone. Nicki laughs and shakes her head. "Have a goodnight Matthew." She says with a smile. We walk away towards the door. "Whew chile. He's a lot. He looks like he's in high school." "He is. He wants to be in the music industry. I told him I'd teach him about it instead of going to college and spending all that money." I say. "How'd you find him?" "Me and Ashley went out for ice cream one day. He was working there and since it was late it was only me and Ash there. We started talking because he said loved the album. He's a good kid." I say as I push the door open and security already have a cleared path to Nicki's car.
       Ashley's grip onto my hand gets tighter. I stop and let go of her hand and pick her up. She wraps her arms around my neck. I follow behind Nicki and walk to the passenger back door. I put Ashley down and open the door putting Kaleo in and help Ashley in the car. "Ash put on his seatbelt please?" I ask and she nods her head. I close her door and hop in the passenger seat. I look back to see Nicki closing the back door on her side and see the twins and Ashley buckled up. "I know you didn't pick Ashley's big ass up." "I did. I know when my sister is scared. She hates paparazzi." I say. "They yell too much. Some of them try to grab me too. They do too much." Ashley says as Nicki starts to drive off.
      "When did they every try to grab you?" I ask her. "When me and Yaya went to get ice cream one day. Yaya threatened to knock him out." Ashley says. "Yeah I'm going to have to get her security." I say
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