All She Can Take

T W E N T Y - F I V E

"You looking good though, mami." Frenchie was back on her usual bullshit. Trying to get Sid to start playing for the other team. Sid took that as her cue and quickly unlocked the front door.

"Thanks. I've haven't really been eating. But I gotta go pick up the baby. Good seeing you." Sid said to her. Frenchie replied with a small grunt and reached her hand down toward her crotch which she gave a tiny squeeze. What is she squeezing? Sid thought as she headed toward Chante's apartment. She knocked with the thought still pinging through her head.

Chante pulled open the door looking upbeat even though it was late. Her sweatpants hung low on her wide hips. She'd stuffed her ample breasts into a Nike sports bra. Sid wished she carried extra weight that beautifully. All her fat just rushed to her stomach so that she looked like an old man who had too many beers in his lifetime.

"He's sound asleep." Chante said as Sid stepped through the door and into the apartment. It was quiet for a change as she rounded into the living room and spotted Chante's seven year daughter Skye on couch the watching Nickelodeon and eating Goldfish out of a huge Ziploc bag.

"Hi, Ms. Sidney." Skye said politely before shoving another handful of crackers into her mouth.

"Hey, beautiful." Sid went over to the couch and squeezed her plump little shoulders, the scent of coconut oil drifting into her nostrils from beneath Skye's silk headscarf. Skye giggled.

"Where is everyone?" Sid asked Chante.

"Mama's in Atlantic City at that Old Timer's thing. Theresa's laid up at some dude's house and Neicey...shit I don't even know." Chante said, her eyes shooting up to the ceiling as she tried to remember the location of the women of the house. Sid giggled.

"He's back there?" Sid asked. Chante nodded and pointed toward the back.

"Laid out on my bed like it's his."

Sid made her way down the hallway and into one of the three bedrooms. She opened the door quietly and quickly made out AJ's tiny frame laid out in the middle of the bed, surrounded by a fortress of pillows on all sides and his Elmo blanket clutched in his hands. Sid crept over to him lifted him out of the bed and onto her shoulder. He smelled like fresh baby wash. She spread his blanket over his back and he snuggled deeper against her.

She found Chante back in the living room watching TV with Skye.

"Thank you so much again, Chante."

"You really have to stop thanking me. Us single mom's gotta stick together."

Chante had come in like a godsend for her over the last two weeks. Now that she was working in the kitchen that meant that she had to work late shifts and with non-traditional hours, traditional day care was out of the question. Thankfully, Chante offered to watch AJ for her, since she wasn't working -- and had never worked as long as Sid could remember. It wasn't Sid's concern. She was happy for the help and Chante was happy for the money Sid slipped her each week.

"Oh and take this. I made entirely too much food for dinner. Forgot all these bitches was gonna be gone." Chante ducked into her fridge and emerged with two Tupperware containers. From the outside, Sid spotted baked macaroni and cheese so she took it greedily.

"I'm starving. This is going to hit the spot." Sid said even though she'd never tasted Chante's cooking before and wasn't sure it would but after cooking all day she was willing to try.

Sid left the apartment, closing the door gingerly behind her before she rode the elevator up to her place. AJ remained deep in his sleep and she laid him in his bed without him even twitching. Sid kicked off her shoes, wiggled her aching toes, and and popped the Tupperware bowl into the microwave. While it turned she surveyed her apartment. It looked like a tornado hit it as usual. Toys that she purchased AJ over the last few days were sprawled everywhere. She went overboard for him. She needed to reel it in. But when you finally have the opportunity to do everything you've always wanted for your child it's hard to not spend a little too much. Nothing was overboard if it meant seeing him smile and glide giddily across the floor, playing to his hearts content.