1 year later.
November 23rd, 1:45am Friday
I was exhausted to say the least. I closed my locker and grabbed my bag to finally head home. I got in my car and sat back for a moment until I heard my phone ring. I looked at it and immediately answered.
"Hello?"
"Yo missy"
"Yes Rico" I sighed and started up my car.
"Don't yes rico me. August been tryna call yo ass for a week now"
"I'm sorry. I have to put money on the phone, but I'm visiting him in a few days anyway"
"What's a few days?"
"Rico please don't start right now" he sighed.
"Ight man but why it sound like you in the car? Where you going at 1 in the morning?"
"Um I just left a late study session"
It fell silent until he spoke again." Ight text me when you get home"
I hung up and drove home. As I was pulling up, I heard my phone ding signaling I had a text. I looked at it and smiling seeing it was Taurus but I noticed I had 15 miss calls.
"Shit" I got out and grabbed my bag. I rushed up to the door and unlocked it and ran in. I stopped at the sight and smiled.
I walked up to her and picked her up trying not to wake Chris nor Melody.
Yes, Melody Marie Alsina. It's simple but meaningful. Melody because August call me his melody to life and M for Malcom.
I took her upstairs and laid her down in her black bed. We went to find her a bed seat and she immediately went towards the black one, I don't know why. I walked back downstairs and went to the kitchen.
"Where yo ass been?" I closed the fridge and turned around to come face to face with Chris.
"Work" I sat down some stuff to make me a quick sandwich with.
"And where is work?" I rolled my eyes and continue making my food.
After August got sentenced and I had Melody, I didn't want to pause my life and ruin hers by being so depressed with how things turned out for me. So I decided to keep living forward with moving to California and going to school. Since Chris was moving here to, I decided to use him as a babysitter since he's the only person I knew here. It was perfect.
"You can leave now Chris. I'm here" I sat down at the table and ate my food while he just stood there.
"Alright" I watched him grab his stuff and shook his head. He looked at me as I ate and I sighed knowing where the conversation was going
"So you gonna let what happened make everything weird between us?"
I sighed and threw away my trash. "I'm not"
"Then why you actin like dis?"
"I'm not acting like anything. You watched Melody now you can leave" I crossed my arms and leaned back on the counter as he chuckled and swiped his bottom lip with his tongue.
"Ight meme" he grabbed his keys and walked out the door.
I wiped down my face and went upstairs to check on Melody before taking a bath.
She looks just like August. I don't know rather if I want to be happy that I have him present through our daughter or be sad that I have to look at her and see him every day for rest of our lives. I walked to my room next door and ran my bath water. I stripped out of my clothes and got in and turned on my speaker.
I had a big weekend with going to Nola for thanksgiving so August family can see Melody and going back to New York for her big first birthday.
I closed my eyes and laid my head back. My body began to relaxed but moments later tensed when I heard a thud. I opened my eyes to see Melody with her teddy bear in her hand that Chris brought her with her thumb in her mouth.
"Melody baby you are suppose to be sleeping" I sat up as she walked over to hopped in the tub fully clothed and started laughing.
I sighed and laughed at her and got out. I put on my robe and I took off her clothes and wrapped the towel around her. I walked into her room and she shook her head at me.
"But you have to be a big girl and lay down in your own bed baby" she looked up at me with her big brown eyes and stuck out her bottom lip.
"Dada" she whined.
"Melody?" I watched her cry and continue to shout for dada.
She's been saying this for the past month and I honestly don't know why. Melody has never met August, just listened to him talk to her on the phone and sing to her.
I sighed and walked in my room and sat her down on the bed. I slipped on her pjs and got dressed while she continued crying. I got in bed with her as she stood up and started screaming at the top of her lungs.
"Melody please mommy is tired"
"Dada dada dada" she pouted. I sat up in my bed knowing she wants going to calm down and picked up my phone.
"Yo"
"Can you come back over. I'm tired and Melody is fussing" I heard a rustling which means he was getting up.
"Give me a minute" I hung up and picked up Melody and walked downstairs.
"Shhh" she kept crying for what seems like hours until I heard the front door open.
"Mel" Chris shouted. Melody hopped out of my arms and ran to Chris. I sighed leaning on the counter.
I gave Chris a key for emergencies since I do live by myself with Mel. So if anything happens he has easy access to get in if something is wrong.
"Thank you" i sighed as melody was smiling from ear to ear.
"Dada" I scrunched my face in confusion.
"Dada?"
"Yeah she been calling me that for a while na" he smiled at her and I felt my hands getting sweaty.
"Don't you think that's a bit much?"
"I mean I am the only father figure in her life right now meme"
"But—"
"She's just a kid, I'm sho when she get old enough to understand that August is her dad she'll look at me as her uncle. It's coo" he shrugged and went upstairs.
I shook off the thought because I just needed sleep right now. I was going to deal with that situation later.
August...a few hours before
I called Promise phone number for the thousandth time today and still no answer.
"Come on pixie stick we got people to call" an inmate yelled. I clenched my jaw and dialed Rico number instead.
"Wassup yung"
"What the fuck wrong with Promise phone?" He sighed.
"Ion know man I told her that you been calling"
"Times up Alsina" I looked up at Cooper and nodded my head.
"Just tell her to pick up next time man" I said defeated.
Copper been a big help throughout this shit. If I need him to pass a message he did it. Needed some food other than the shit they got in here he got it. He even came through for Melody on Christmas, and Promise on her birthday for me and for that I'm grateful. Ian care about nothing but my girls on the outside of this shitty ass place.
I hung up and they cuffed me immediately and put me back in the hole. I've been in here for a few months now due to me fighting almost everyday. These mother fuckas did not fuck with me in here. Every time I turned around somebody wanted to test a nigga but I wasn't in the mood to be fucked with and all this anger I got build up, all these niggas can be the spew of it. I got out back in the hole and stared at melody brith picture on the wall.
This is the only thing that keeps me sane. I don't know why but Promise stop sending pictures of Melody, and she never let Melody come visit me. That's why I'm talking to my lawyer to make sum shake. Reduce time or something, I just can't stay in here and let Melody grow up without a father like I did.
"August boy. You got a visitor" I looked at the door latch open and I stuck my hand in so he could put my cuffs on. I felt like a fuckin wild animal in here.
They walked me down the hall as I heard a few comments from people. Ian paying them no attention, I'm already in trouble and I need the judge to see that I ain't a trouble maker. When I walked in I seen my lawyer sitting down. I sighed and sat down across from him while they took my cuffs off.
"What you got for me?"
"They seen you fighting man. They ain't giving you anything. It's still life for you" I shook my head and my mind instantly shifted to my daughter.
"But I got something for you that I think can help" he smirked. He slid me a folder and I looked around.
"They wanna play dirty, we can too" i looked over it and I started smiling.
"That's why I fuck with you" I grinned and looked at everything in my hand. These some dirty motha fuckas.
"Imma warn you, this a dangerous game we playin" I looked at him through my eyebrows.
"So let's play"
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