AND AGAIN | ✓

-77-

"Mom, What is you doin here?" I asked, eyeing Barakisha while she did the same to me.

"I came to see you, son. And my grandbaby," my mom answered.

"Damn, when'd you even get here? You coulda called me when you was a the airport," I told her.

"I brought Barakisha because she wanted to come with me when she found out I was heading here. She was even willing to pay for her own ticket," she whispered the last part.

"...aight, come in." I grabbed my moms duffle bag and both of them followed me inside.

From there, I lead them to the family room where the two of them sat down on either one of the chairs or the couch.

"This place is big and nice, son. Where's Jaelyn?" My mom asked me.

"She's supposed to be upstairs. Want me to go get her?"

"First, I want you to get me some water. I'm parched."

"Aight, I'll be back."

I was aboutta start heading in the direction of the kitchen when I was stopped.

"Hey, Zay. Sorry I didn't tell you I was coming...your mama wanted to surprise you," Barakisha said in an uneven tone of voice.

I turned to look at her and shook my head. "You good, ain't no need to apologize."

She ain't respond, she just sent me a small smile in which I sent back. I turned back around and continued walking my way to the kitchen.

On my way there I took my phone out to text Jaelyn.

Me- U still upstairs?

𝖩𝖺𝖾🥺🤍- No
𝖩𝖺𝖾🥺🤍- I'm in the theater room to finish my birthday
𝖩𝖺𝖾🥺🤍- Why?

Me- My moms is here and she wanna see u

𝖩𝖺𝖾🥺🤍- Ur mom is here?

Me- Yeah so get yo ass to the family room

Read 8:44 PM

When I got back wit my moms water, Jaelyn still wasn't here so I went looking for her to see that she was still in the theater.

"Jae," she whipped her head around to look at me.

"What?"

"Come on, I told you to go to the family room."

"I know and I'm going, just gimme a second."

"Nigga, we don't have a second, I'm tryna go to bed and you bein a obstacle right now..."

"Zay, relax," she stood up. "I was just staying for a few more seconds..."

"I don't care, let's go."

I grabbed her hand and walked us all the way to where my mom and Barakisha was waitin.

-Jae-

When I entered the room, I seen Zays mom and another girl who looked really familiar.

"Hello, Jaelyn!" Ms. Ross came walking to me with her arms wide open.

I smiled as both of us engulfed each other in a hug. "Hi Ms. Mavis it's nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too," we pulled apart. "How's my grandbaby doing in there?"

"She's doing just fine," I answered, not wanting to refer to my baby as 'it' anymore.