Lasting |His Block the Trilogy |

|2.2|

Tears stung Jhenea's eyes as she immediately found herself to blame. She didn't understand why everything continuously happened to her family. She never seemed to catch a break. "I just got to L.A, I don't know when I'll get the chance to get back to New Orleans."

"You need to get here fast, this may be the last time you see him as a free man in a while." Samantha stated honestly.

"I have to go." Jhenea abruptly hung up on Samantha. She needed to figure out how she would be getting back to New Orleans as soon as possible.

She dialed Lamont's number and he answered within an instant. "I'm on it, Anyul's on his way to pick you up. He's gonna be flying private with you. Just get ready now."

Year One, Present

"Artist Jian Mason Taylor, touch my keys one more time and we'll have a problem." Jhenea warned her son with a chastising finger. Even she couldn't take herself seriously when she was disciplining him, only meaning he damn sure didn't take her serious.

A few feet shorter than her, he pushed his hair out of his eyes and grinned showing all eight of his teeth that came in equally on the top and bottom row. "Gimme my keys weirdo." She held out her hand.

He eyed her before letting out a laugh and dropping the keys on the floor beside him. He lifted up both arms insinuating he wanted to get picked up. Jhenea convulsed in his cuteness and swooped him right from the ground along with her keys. "I got assignments to do and all you wanna do is play." She plopped down on her bed with Artist still in her grasp.

He laid on her chest looking her in her eyes. His hard stare didn't last long before he let out a laugh and kissed her lips. "Just like your father, can't resist the lips." She shook her head.

In response, he babbled on and on in his gibberish. He only could say a few words resulting in his vocabulary bank to consist of: no, mama, dada, oh, duh and huh. After a straining ten minutes of his babbling and her faking as if she understood everything he said, Jhenea's phone went off.

"It's probably your grandma." Jhenea chuckled as she reached for her phone. Samantha never missed a beat with her grandson. She made sure she called everyday and if she couldn't she was for sure to send a text out.

Jhenea furrowed her brows at the unknown number that flashed against the screen. Removing Artist from her chest, she sat him next to her. Reluctantly, she answered the phone.

"This is a prepaid call from an inmate in the Orleans Parish Prison by the name of Anthony. To accept this call, press zero, to reject this call press one or hang up." Jhenea's breath grew shaky, but in swiftness she pressed zero. Her heart was working faster than her mind resulting in the call going through and her being lost for words.

"Hello." She heard his voice. She immediately set the phone on speaker trying to gather herself as quick as possible. "Son, I know you hear me." He spoke again, he seemed pretty vexed and impatient in his tone, but even that couldn't rid the shock Jhenea was in.

Jhenea cleared her throat. "Yeah, i-it's me." She let out timidly.

"I know who I called." He replied in an obvious tone.

"Oh." She states flatly.

"Oh!" Artist shrieked out mocking her.