Megan~
Megan stood in front of the mirror and checked her outfit. It was the first time she'd been out in awhile. Even though they were only going across the street, she still wanted to look presentable. In a way it seemed as though she were overdressed, but if this were a dinner out at a restaurant, it's what she'd wear. For the 50th time, she combed through her hair and made sure it looked right.
"Please don't embarrass me." Akira pleaded with her mother as she came downstairs.
"How would I possibly embarrass you?"
"You always find a way to."
"Well how about you lead the conversation? It's great practice for you to learn to open up."
"Aren't I doing that already by going to this dinner?"
Megan grabbed the cake that she baked and smoothed out her dress again. "You know what I mean."
Akira rolled her eyes and walked out of the front door. "She definitely got her attitude from her mama." Megan mumbled as she followed behind her daughter.
The two of them went across the street to Normani and Chance's house. Akira rung the doorbell and stepped back. She heard a dog barking on the other side of the door and stepped closer to Megan. Megan looked down at her daughter and laughed, "the dog won't hurt you."
"You don't know that."
The door opened revealing Chance with a big smile, "Hey! Come in!" She stepped to the side and allowed the two of them inside. The dog immediately came up to Akira and Megan to sniff them and Akira jumped back. "Please get it!"
Closing the door behind them, Chance quickly picked up Nala. "You don't like dogs?"
"She's extremely scared of them."
"But Nala's so sweet she won't hurt—.
"Can you just put it away? I don't like dogs."
"Sorry." Chance put Nala in her cage and then turned to formally introduce herself. "Hi I'm Chance! Akira's new friend!"
Akira rolled her eyes, "please don't call yourself that."
"Akira be nice. It's very nice to meet you Chance, I'm Megan, her mother."
"Nice to meet you! My mom's just finishing setting up in the kitchen. Follow me."
Chance led the way with Megan and Akira following behind her. Akira looked around their home and admired the decor. It looked similar to how her mom would've decorated their new home if she was here to see it. The atmosphere was very warm and gave off a "homey" feeling, one that Akira was surely missing right about now.
"Mom, this is Akira and her mom Ms. Megan."
"Just Megan is fine. It's Nice to meet you..." Megan waited for Normani to say her name but was mesmerized by Normani's beauty. She stared at her as she held out her hand for her to shake. Normani smiled and shook her hand, "Normani, it's nice to meet you both."
Megan dropped her hand, still staring at Normani. She hadn't seen someone this beautiful in a long time. She also only had eyes for her wife for the past 9 years so that could also be a reason. However, as soon as the thought of her wife popped into her head, Megan felt guilty. She shouldn't be looking at another woman. Beyoncé has only been gone 6 months... It's way too early.
"Um," Megan broke her gaze, "I bought a cake. Baked it myself. I wanted to say thank you for inviting Akira and I over."
"Oh, that's so sweet of you thank you." Normani took the cake, "and it's our pleasure to have you. It's so refreshing to see other black faces in the neighborhood."
"Yeah, I can understand that." Megan laughed.
"Where did you two move from?"
"Chicago."
"The windy city? How nice, I know it must be different coming here where the weather is practically always warm."
"Oh definitely, if we were still in Chicago we'd probably be snowed in right about now."
"I'm getting so bored." Akira mumbled with a sigh. Chance looked over at her and let out a laugh, "show me your room?"
"Good idea! Mama, I'm gonna show Akira around the house."
"Dinner is almost ready."
Chance nodded and waved for Akira to follow her, "we'll be quick." The two of them went upstairs and Chance opened the door to her room. Akira looked around in amazement, "damn. This is your room?" She sat on her bed, still taking in the scenery.
"Yeah," Chance shrugged, "it's not much but I love it."
'Not much?' Akira thought, her room was twice the size of hers. She lived like a Princess and now it motivated Akira to persuade her mom into getting her bigger and better things for her room too. "If this isn't much, I wanna know what is."
"My mom is an interior designer so she's big on this type of stuff. What does your mom do?"
"She's a lawyer. Why don't you have friends?"
Chance furrowed her eyebrows. She found it weird that someone was questioning her so straightforward in this way. She crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight to one side, "why don't you have a dad?"
"Never knew him. Where's yours?"
"Somewhere in this city."
"Friends?" Akira raised an eyebrow, wanting her question answered.
"I haven't had the best of luck making any. I tried last year but that ended in the worst way possible."
"What happened?"
"Don't wanna talk about it."
"Does it have something to do with that girl on the bus?" Akira jumped down from the bed and went over to Chance's dresser, picking up her stuffed animal. "Why did you run when you seen her?"
"I didn't run and please don't touch that." Chance snatched it from her and sat it back on the dresser.
"Did she do something to you?"
"It's really none of your business."
"So you don't mind if I sit with her at lunch tomorrow?" Akira raised an eyebrow. Her question gained silence from Chance and she laughed, "thought so. What happened?"
Chance contemplated in her head on whether or not she wanted to tell Akira what happened. She was ridiculed and bullied so bad by those girls that they're the main reason behind her being in therapy. Chance shook her head and sighed, "it's really nothing."
Akira didn't like the sound of that. She didn't play around when it came to bullying and although Chance didn't say anything, she could easily tell that this was a case of that. Bullying wasn't really a thing where Akira lived. Of course it happened like it did in every school, but it wasn't as big of a deal. She knew it probably happened a lot here especially given the white:black kid ratio in school.
The girls sat in silence the remainder of the time. Akira felt bad with how she approached the situation and Chance was stuck pondering with her unwanted thoughts of what had happened last year. No matter how hard she tried to forget, they always came back to haunt her.
Downstairs with their mothers, Normani had no problem spilling the beans to Megan. "I was absolutely devastated for her. I didn't know kids could be so cruel. It was the first time Chance felt like she actually had real friends. I even allowed her to go to the sleepover because I was excited for her, but had I known it would've ended the way it did... I would've made her stay home. I regret being the cool, fun parent that night." Normani shook her head.
"You couldn't have known. That's so sad, Chance seems like a really sweet girl."
"She is. Sometimes her friendliness is a curse, but I gotta love her for it. She seems to really have hit it off with Akira which surprised me. I didn't think she'd actually talk to her."
"Honestly? Akira becoming friends with her shocked me too. She's actually the opposite of Chance. She hates making new friends and doesn't take lightly to those situations."
"Has she always been that way?"
"It probably started with her dad. He was in and out of her life until she was 5, then he disappeared completely. It was just her and her mom until I came along when she was 8. Earlier this year her mom passed and during the time that she was sick, it was when I saw Akira shut herself out from everyone and everything."
Normani was taken aback hearing that Megan had a wife. She thought that she was in the same boat as her—divorced with a deadbeat baby daddy who barely comes around. Megan was undeniably a really gorgeous and attractive woman, and now Normani was intrigued finding out that she played for a different team.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm guessing that she isn't taking it so well?"
"Not really. I've hardly seen her show any emotion towards her moms' death. It's beginning to get so bad that I'm starting to think she hates me."
"I'm sure she doesn't hate you. You're practically all she has left. She's just taking it harder than the usual, which is understandable. Losing one parent, yet alone two, can be tough and it's probably deeper than you think... Maybe she just fears losing you too and shuts herself out so she doesn't have to deal with the disappoint of you eventually being gone."
Megan had never thought of it like that. She was sure that her daughter absolutely hated her especially for moving them here. But Akira did change a lot once Beyoncé was diagnosed. She talked less, spent more time in her room, and during moments when the 3 of them could've been making memories, she was nowhere to be found. Once Beyoncé did pass, Megan didn't see much of her. But then again, Megan was grieving in her own way and neither of them bothered to try and get through it together.
"I'll call them back down." Normani placed another dish on the table and Megan took a look at what she had cooked.
"This all looks amazing."
"Thank you." Normani smiled, "Chance! You girls can come downstairs!"
The pattering of their feet was soon heard and both girls came to sit down at the table. Normani noticed that Chance looked a little upset but the girl quickly covered it with a smile as she looked over all that her mother had cooked. "Mom this looks so good."
"Thank you baby." Normani smiled as she sat down, "you wanna say Grace?"
Akira furrowed her eyebrows and glanced over at her mother. Megan gave her a side eye, silently telling her to be respectful. She slick rolled her eyes and sat there with her eyes open and hands in her lap as the 3 of them said grace.
"So how are you liking the school so far Akira?"
"It's cool," she shrugged, "my classes are pretty easy."
"We basically have the same schedule! I see her all day and now I can finally have someone that wants to be my partner in Chemistry."
"Wants." Akira mumbled with a raised eyebrow
Megan hoped she was the only one that heard her and shook her head, "So what do you do in this city? I've only been here once before with my wife but—
"Wife? You're married? You have two moms!?" Chance excitedly turned to Akira, "that's so cool! Where is she?"
"Dead." Akira answered.
The room fell silent and Chance sat back in her chair, "Oh. Sorry for asking."
Normani cleared her throat after the awkward pause of silence, "Chance and I really enjoy catching a Hornets game during basketball season. There's also a lot of other fun things to do Uptown."
"Like axe throwing!"
"Axe throwing?" Akira sat up, suddenly interested in their conversation. "I'd like to do that."
"Umm we'll see." Megan didn't know how to feel about Akira having an Axe in her hand.
"Charlotte has a lot of activities that I'm sure the girls will enjoy. But you know, if you're looking for things for yourself I recommend the Spa on Central Ave."
"Mom and I go all the time, it's soooo relaxing! Everyone is so nice and they give the best massages." Chance spoke to excitedly which made Megan smile. It was nice to see a teen who didn't have the attitude and nonchalantness that Akira gave off. Megan actually enjoyed it.
"You two do a lot together?"
"Oh yeah! My mom is my bestfriend! I'm not sure what I'd do if I didn't have her. We really are just alike."
Normani took note of how uncomfortable Akira grew. She could read her body language and how she shifted around in her seat and started to pick at her food. "So axe throwing... I think that'd be fun." Normani switched the subject and let Chance babble about how cool Axe throwing was.
Akira barely listened to her speak and Normani couldn't help but continuously glance at her from time to time. She wasn't the best at reading a teenagers language but she absolutely knew when something was wrong. Normani figured that maybe the conversation steering towards her mother stirred up feelings for her. Seeing Akira like this was different. Chance was probably the happiest person on Earth and seeing what other parents go through, having such a disengaged child, it made Normani feel bad.
The two families spoke more as they enjoyed their meal. It was mainly Chance speaking with Normani and Megan inserting their takes here and there. Akira didn't say a word and nobody even batted an eye, except Normani who kept looking over at her to make sure she was fine.
"Can you pass me more bread?" Chance asked Akira.
Normani and Megan both reached for the bread at the same time. Their hands grazed over one another and Normani pulled back, blushing without even realizing it. "Sorry you were closer."
"It's okay." Megan smiled as she handed Chance the bread basket
Akira looked between the two of them with a frown on her face. She had a look of confusion and anger. There was no way her mother was going to try and spark something with her??? Not when her mother's death was still so fresh. There was a good chance Akira was reading into it too much but she also made note of how quickly her mother was moving on. Her mom was practically being erased from their lives and now Akira was beginning to think that this was the real reason they moved out here.
"I'm not feeling well, think I'm gonna go lie down." Akira stood up from the table
"Want me to come with—
"No." She walked away from the table and Chance pouted hearing the front door close. She can't say that she was surprised about her friend leaving. Chance knew that Akira probably didn't want to be here but only said yes to the dinner to be nice. Their conversations probably stirred up old memories and feelings and now Chance started to feel terrible about the whole thing.
"Excuse me, I'm gonna make sure she's okay." Megan stood up from her seat.
"Oh yeah of course," Normani nodded
"It was nice meeting you Ms. Megan. I hope you enjoy it here in the city."
"Thank you, I'll keep your recommendations in mind."
Chance nodded with a smile, "goodnight."
"Goodnight."
"I'll walk you out." Normani stood up and walked with Megan to the front door.
"I'm sorry, this was all really nice. I wish we could've enjoyed it a little longer."
"No I understand, teenage girls can be a handful and Akira didn't look too engaged with what we had to say besides the axe throwing."
"Yeah she's not exactly taking anything too well and I think thoughts about her mom were going through her mind all night."
"Oh I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Maybe we can do this again? At our place?"
"I'm up for it," Normani shrugged, "I hope Akira feels better."
Megan smiled, "thank you. Nice meeting you again, goodnight."
"You too." Normani smiled back, "Goodnight."
Normani watched Megan go across the street to her home before closing and locking the door. She went back into the kitchen where Chance was texting on her phone. "Well that was something."
"I just don't think she takes to new friendships easily." Chance sighed, "I'm trying but it doesn't seem like she really likes me."
"I believe you just need to give her some time. She's still grieving her mother and now she's in a very unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar people. Eventually she'll come around."
"I hope so."
"Let's get everything cleaned up and then you and I can have a movie night."
"Yess it's been a long time since we had one!"
Chance and Normani talked about what movie they wanted to watch as they cleaned the kitchen. Dinner didn't go how they hoped it would, but there was always next time. They didn't speak about it, but seeing how Akira and Megan acted with one another made them appreciate their relationship a lot more. Chance was grateful that she had a mother who could be her bestfriend all in one.
It was unfortunate that it wasn't the case for Akira. Once she got into her home, she went straight to her room and cried to herself. She missed her mother more than anything and being around Chance and Normani didn't help with that empty void she always felt. She and Beyoncé's relationship was similar to theirs and she misses it. Akira doesn't really feel that connection with Megan and it's what makes her miss her mother more.
Megan knocked on Akira's door to check on her. When she didn't receive a response, she walked right in only to see her daughter lying face down. Her body language told her that she was crying and Megan walked inside to sit on her bed. Akira turned to glance at her mother when she felt the bed dip but then turned back the other way.
"No response isn't an invitation to come in."
"You're right, it's your privacy. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"My mother is gone I don't think I'll ever be okay."
"I think we should talk about it Akira. You shut yourself out from me when she passed and this is the first time in months that I've actually seen you shed a tear behind it. Why are you hiding how you feel?"
Akira didn't respond and Megan sighed, "I know you miss her but I think if the two of us—
"I'm really not in a good enough mood to talk about this. Can we try again another day?"
"Okay." Megan nodded, "But you do know that if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm here. You don't have to go through this alone nor do you have to shelter yourself and your feelings. I'm not going anywhere."
"I know." She mumbled
Megan stood up from her bed and kissed her cheek. She went to her own bedroom and let out a few tears of her own. Megan missed Beyoncé just as much as Akira did and right now she was feeling as if she wouldn't be able to do all of this without her wife by her side. Things were getting tougher between her and Akira and Megan officially had no idea how to handle it. She absolutely needed her wife.
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Hey ! I know it's been awhile since I've updated but I really want to take my time with this book and properly plan everything out !🤗
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Akira and Chance ?
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