Grind & Pray

38.

38.
Ariel.

~The Next Day

I wiped my tears and looked at the clock on the hallway wall, it was 3:38 in the morning. I've been crying all night, I still can't believe everything I've worked so hard for was destroyed just like that.

"Ariel baby where you at?" I heard Chris's voice echo through the quiet house. I wiped my face, stood up and walked into the bedroom.

"Here i am." I faked smile. "What's wrong?" He watched me in my eyes and asked. "Nothing." I lied. He took my hand and brought me to sit on the bed. "You ain't gotta lie, you know that right?" I started crying again.

He hugged me and tried to get me to stop crying. "Everything I worked for is in ashes, I built that store from the ground up. My tears and blood wept into that ground." I said.

The baby started crying so Chris went and got her. He tried getting her to calm down but she wasn't having it. Chirs gave her to me then went and made a bottle. He returned with the bottle then I began feeding her.

Once she was finished, I made sure she burped then changed her. I slowly rocked her til she fell asleep. I smiled at my little baby as I laid her in the crib.

"Baby it's time for you to get some rest. C'mon." Chris said when I walked in. I sighed out and walked over to the bed. I got in, cuddled up next to him and he held me tight.

"Allah please guide and protect my wife, my family and everyone a youngin care about. You know wassup in these streets, they ain't playing. But with You, we gon finish strong. Amen." Chris prayed.

He looked down at me then kissed my forehead, "Keep ya head up lil mama. I love You." He looked at me saying. "I love you Too." I told him. We both fell asleep after a while.

~12:30 p.m

I used my foot to gently rock Aniya's car seat. She was in it sleeping while I was at the police station with Eli. "So Mrs. Tiller, you were the owner of the establishment that burned down last night?" The detective questioned.

I swallowed hard, it felt like I had a lump on my throat. "Yes." "But you were unaware of this fire til about an hour later?" "Yes that's correct." I answered, he wrote something down and then turned to Eli.

"Ms. Bryce, your were the acting manager of the establishment. Is that So?" "Yes officer." She answered. "Was there anything inside the store that could have caused the fire?" He asked Eli. "No sir. All electric things were plugged out, all light were off when i left the store." She explained herself.

"Do you think someone would've set the store on fire on purpose? Do you have any enemies or someone who had a grudge against you?" He asked.

Simone you as the only person that came to mind but could she really have done this to me.
**

We finished talking to the officer and was on our way back to my house. "That nigga look really familiar but I cant remember from where." Eli said as we drove. "Who?" "That police officer." "Oh." He does look kinda familiar.

"Who you think did it?" She asked me. "Honestly, I think it was Simone. But then again I don't know." I said. "Do you really think she would go that far to ruin You?" "Simone is capable of a lot. But Arson?" I asked. I shook my head at that thought.