AND AGAIN | ✓

-77-

"How far along are you?" She put her hand on my stomach.

"I'm gonna be 5 months in 5 days," I replied.

"Well that's good. Did she start kicking yet?"

"No but she is moving..."

"That's wonderful. I brought you some stuff that I read would be good for the baby..."

"You're pregnant?" I looked to see the girl that Mavis brought wit her staring at me with a shocked expression.

"Yeah, we is. My mom didn't tell you?" Zavon asked her.

"No, she neva mentioned it."

"Oh," Zay says. "Anyways, lemme show y'all off to the rooms cause it's bed time."

"Boy, we just got here...calm down," Ms. Ross exclaimed.

"Mom, I needa go to bed so just lemme show you ya room."

"Who are you talking to like that? You think that just because you are tall I can't smack you across the face? Well boy, I will find myself a ladder and come up there to give it to you," Mavis said to her son, forcing me to hold in a laugh.

"Mom...please."

Without saying a word, Ms. Ross grabbed her duffel and headed towards the stairs.

"You don't wanna take the elevator?" Zay asked her.

"No, I'm good at walking."

"Aight, come on Barakisha."

Barakisha? I've heard the name before.

Zay showed Mavis and the girl to their rooms. Now all the rooms in the Mansion were occupied.

"Zay, who's the girl?" I asked as we walked back to our room.

"Kisha? You ain't seen her at the cookout I took you to?"

"..."

"It don't matter..."

—The Next Day—

I woke up late. Like 12 PM late.

I yawned and looked around to see the spot next to me empty.

I got up and headed to the bathroom. After I was done doing my business, I decided to head downstairs to see if anyone made breakfast but as soon as I opened the room door to leave, Barakisha was standing there.

"You and Zay are cute together," she startled me, holding up her phone to show me something.

I put my hand over my heart and exhaled before taking a glance at the phone in her hand.

It was a picture Zay took of me yesterday and he posted it on his story.