The Butterfly Effect

The Caterpillar Phase.

The reading of the will was postponed but now it was back on. They were all present at Chevella's house, seated in the dining room. All of Remington's children were looking at one another, except for Remy. She was in pain and ready to go.

"Before we start, I just want to say that Remington would've been happy that we were able to convene here today. Whatever happens just know that he loved you all," Chevella decided to say some words.

They all nodded their heads and they all look at the executor; the person who's going to be reading the will. Before Remington died, he opted to give the legal documents to Moe but he couldn't handle it, though he helped him prioritize his hospital plan in his last days. The executor was his lawyer, Jesse Donovan. His parents' good friend and neighbor when Melody was alive.

"Remington has an insurance policy. We can dissect that now: it was split three ways. Mosaic Theseus Morris, Theory Reneè Morris, and Chevella Morris," He began.

His father had a 1-million-dollar policy. He gave that first bulk to his older son, and Chevella was highly upset about that.

"That can't be right. Let me see that," She opened her hand so he could give the paper to her.

"Sorry ma'am. I cannot do that. The only person I could share this documentation with is his and I quote "biological son, Mosaic". I'm sorry ma'am, but shall we continue?" He spoke respectfully and Chevella's mouth was on the floor.

The second half of his policy went to Theory. She didn't smile, laugh, or celebrate. The amount didn't even seem real. She wasn't in the mood, but she could say that she's grateful. And the last half of his policy went towards Chevella. She was pissed off.

Mosaic now has $500,000 from his insurance policy. Theory has $325,000 from his insurance policy. Chevella has $175,000 from his insurance policy.

"This has to be a joke! You did this!" She pointed at Moe.

"I didn't know that he was going to break his insurance policy down like that. If I did, I would have told him to don't get me shit," He shrugged.

"Good so let's trade," She suggested.

"No." He said sharply. He was grateful, not dumb.

"You're broke? With this big ass house?" Theory chimed in.

"Reneè, not right now. Continue, Mr. Donovan," Ms. Majorie wasn't having it. She was mentally and emotionally tired.

He continues to read the documents. "To Dillani, he gave specific instructions. Go under the bed and look for the red chest," Once he heard that, Dillani zoomed upstairs.

He was already in the room so he immediately plopped to his knees and went looking for the box. Once he found it, he pulled out and opened it. It was an array of things. Most stuff were in ziplock bags.

He pulled out the first one he saw. For every game I missed: inside was the tickets to his basketball games that had the date on it and the time of the game. Attached to the tickets were money; of how much the ticket costs to get in. There were 11 tickets in the small ziplock bag. Remi missed the entire season.

He immediately grew more saddened than he already was.

He pulled out another one. For when the tooth fairy was late: it was his lost teeth in the bag, also with money in it. It was only four tooth's he lost, so he counted the money. It was all 20-dollar bills so it was $100 in the bag. This one caught him by surprise, but then he remembered that he'd known Remi since he was 8.

Another one.

When you told me that tying a tie was too hard: in the larger ziplock bag, there was a plethora of pre-tied ties in the bag. All Dillani had to do was put it over his head and tighten it around his neck. It also came with tie clips and matching cuff links.

Dillani opened up a few more ziplock bags and by the time he was done reading them all, his face was completely wet. Things that Dillani thought that he didn't remember, he remembered. He wasn't present in some of them but he knew about it. And the things he was present for, made Dillani smile.

Majority of the ziplock bags had some type of money in it, no matter the amount and it was all in cash. Dillani wasn't money hungry, but he was grateful for what Remington left behind.

Once the ziplock bags were out of the way, he went deeper into the life-sized chest. It saw his favorite cigars, his favorite lighters, and his favorite watches. Dillani wasted no time putting one on. It was Remington's one and only Rollie, but he knew that he wanted to leave it behind with him. Dill always complimented it whenever he wore it.

With all of Remington's jewelry on his body, he notices that there is a specific place that he didn't touch. It was covered so he knew that whatever was shielded, should remained covered. Curiosity killed the cat.

It was Remi's one and only firearm. Dillani couldn't tell you what type of make or model it was, but he knew that if shit got spooky, there would come a time where he'd have to use it. It also came with more money and a letter underneath.

He picked up the letter.

"From the moment we first met..." After that, Dillani closed it. All of his emotions about Remington just flooded back to his mind. Then it came like a rushing wind.

The tears were uncontrollable and there was no way that he could stop it. Dillani lost his father, and he was upset about that. Just looking at the things that Remington passed down to him made him think on the good things as if he was here. Dillani wished that he was still here.

Back downstairs, Mr. Donovan continued reading.

"And lastly, he leaves behind a 2015 Chevy Impala for his daughter Remedy," He announced, and Remy lifted her head.

Once Mr. Donovan was done, he exited the house to let the family talk. Dillani eventually came downstairs once he finished crying and rejoined the table. Personally though, Moe was ready to go.

He motioned for the girls to walk to the door and Chevella didn't like that. "Yeah, that's right. Take your money and go," She snapped.

"Ma, just chill out. He left all of us something, let's just be grateful." Dillani speaks up.

"Your father left them with thousands of dollars and a car. What did he get you, huh? A fuckin' box?" She rebutted, crossing her arms.

"Documented memories and a piece of his manhood. I'm grateful just for that," He replied. He walked towards the door where Moe and the girls were and hugged them each individually.

Moe didn't hug him back right away, but he really had to think about it. Dillani didn't do anything wrong to him. He was just upset that he gotten the love that he so desperately desired from his father. He was jealous.

"Call me if you need me," Moe said, really meaning it.

"Bet that," They dapped and then they pull away.

Before Mr. Donovan left; he gave Remy the keys to the vehicle. The clan step outside but Ms. Marjorie made it her duty to talk to a grieving Chevella. Dillani remained inside so that left Moe and his sisters.

The car was in the garage so they opened the garage, and Moe told Remy to unlock the car using the fob. She did what she was asked and immediately he went into inspector gadget mode.

He popped the hood to make sure that everything was functioning properly. He checked the tires, he checked the oil, he checked the brake lights, and even checked the damn horn. He wanted to make sure that his father didn't pass along a rinky dink car.

"Rem get in the car and test the accelerator for me," He requested, and she nods, walking to the car.

She gets in and adjusts the seat so her feet can reach the pedals. Once she was able to reach the pedals, she performed the action. He looked closely at the speedometer to make sure that was working too.

For the most part, his father took good care of this car. It was in very good condition; it smelled good, it was clean, and everything was functioning properly.

"Adjust your mirrors, fasten your seatbelt, and ride down the street to tell me how she ridin'. If you're nervous at any point in time, you stop alright?"

"Wait you're not gonna ride with me?!" She asked in a panicked tone.

"I'll ride if you want me to," He shrugged, hopping in the passenger seat. He told Theory to get in the car with them and she immediately shook her head.

"She ain't bout to kill me," Theory remarked with an eyeroll.

"Bitch that's why your—"

"Aye! First off, Remedy watch your mouth. And second, that's no way to talk to your sister," He scolded, instantly shutting her up. Theory didn't care though.

"Seahorse ass bitch. Deaf ass bitch! Bitches like you stayed egged up!" Theory yelled, making Moe get out of the car and trudging towards her.

As quickly as it was done, Theory barely remember being yoked up by her collar and walking onto the sidewalk. The only thing that she was able to register was her brother being in her face.

"Reneè you listen, and you listen good. I don't have time for your shit today, I really fuckin' don't. I understand that you're grieving, and I understand you're hurting but you have a disgusting attitude that you need to work through," He started, and she rolled her eyes attempting to walk away.

He yoked her ass right back up. "Calling your sister a fuckin' seahorse? Calling her deaf? Really, Theory? Last time I checked, when she gotten pregnant you knew about the shit! And to add on, you're the one who made her hearing impaired! So, before I blow my fuckin' top act like you got some sense and apologize to your sister."

Of course, Theory began to cry. For one, she hated getting yelled at and her brother never yelled at her before. And two, his words felt like cactus needles.

"Remy apologize to your sister," He requested, and she smacked her lips.

"No! I didn't do anything wrong," She says, adjusting the hearing aid in her ear.

Moe gets irritated. "The fuck did I just say?!"

She flinched at his time of voice because just like Theory, she wasn't used to her big brother yelling at her. Also, just like Theory, tears welled up in her eyes.

She gotten out of the car and walked to her sister and apologized. Seeing each other cry made them cry even more and they ended up hugging one another. Moe watched the encounter through the rear-view mirror.

Now it was Moe who was fighting off his own tears.

———

The nonnegotiable break that his therapist requested has been a godsend. Once he checked in on everybody else and made sure that things were squared away, he was able to rest. One week in and he has did nothing but cry, pray, workout, and sleep.

In between all of this, he and Bronnie kept in contact. They made sure to call one another every morning and made sure to see one another before they call it a night. It was clear that both of them needed a little space to themselves.

In their absence, Moe made it his duty to ask his girlfriend if she was okay. He didn't want to leave any stone unturned or allow space for assumptions. Bronnie always tells him that she's good. She's just processing.

He just came back from the gym and he took a picture of himself as a personal update to his gains.

His abs were getting more noticeable and carved out and he liked it. His goal was never to be a beef stick or extremely buff, he just wanted to look and be fit. Besides his journal, the gym was his escape. A place where nobody is looking at you or judging you.

His eating habits have improved, making him a full blown pescatarian. His favorites right now are tuna, salmon, and shrimp. He's made so many new recipes with these types of fish alone.

Along with his prescribed medication, Moe researched ways to improve his mood and what came up was a bunch of his favorite fruits. Now as a snack, he'll eat his favorite fruit in between time. He didn't see a significant change, but he'll keep trying.

To help him further along in the process, he's also been participating in self-care. Within the first week, Moe realizes that sleeping in is apart of self-care. It was something that he used to feel guilty about since he always sticks to a schedule. His body hasn't felt more relaxed then in a time he could remember.

Once he showered up, he made himself lunch which consisted of Pesto Shrimp pasta and garlic bread. He blessed his food and dug in. While eating, he thinks of Bronnie. He missed her like crazy.

They've been in contact, but they haven't physically seen one another. He wanted to be right there, but he respected Bronnie's wishes. She told him that she needed a moment. She wasn't doing well but neither was he.

They talked about the essence of space and was glad that they had an understanding. Still didn't stop him from missing her and vice versa. One thing he did peep though is that their anniversary is coming up and he wanted to do something special.

Once he was done with his lunch, he took a much-needed nap. Before he took his nap, he tidied up his apartment and changed the plug-ins. When he finally laid down, he prayed to God and put on his noise canceling headphones. They were a godsend.

He puts them on to block out the sound; not the physical sound but more so the mental sound. His mind was constantly going and it seems like his mind was never at peace. But he strived for a sound mind; he needed a sound mind.

Once he was relaxed, he fell asleep.

Eventually he woke up, and he was pleasantly surprised by the girls showing up to his door. He welcomed them into his apartment and immediately raided his fridge.

"Clearly y'all brought y'all's stomachs to my house," He motioned towards them.

"We should cook something!" Remedy gasped, signing slowly.

While they cooked, Moe decided to bring up his previous therapy session and he ended up posing an important question.

"What type of light do y'all see me in?" He asked the girls and they looked at him hesitantly.

"Well," Theory began. "I kinda see you like a father in a sense, but like in a brotherly way," She says, being honest.

"Yeah, I agree. Why you ask?" Remedy spoke softly, putting the rice on the stove.

"Just wondering if I really had an impact on y'all..." He shrugged.

On the menu was baked whiting, rice, and string beans. Moe had the fish, Theory had the string beans, and Remedy had the rice, because rice is the only thing that she knows how to do.

"You do, Moe. We don't have nobody besides you. I mean, yes, we have grandma too, but you're the only thing that's steady in our lives. You been there for every single moment, of what I can remember," Theory answered and Moe silently nodded his head.

"Yeah so like a father but kinda sorta," Remedy giggled, making everybody laugh.

Moe means the word to those girls. He's been there for everything, and they truly couldn't imagine life without their protector. For all of the times they had boy problems, just needed to vent or otherwise, he never judged them. Whatever they were going through, he helped them through it.

Just like a father would do.

"I love y'all, real nigga shit," He opened his arms and hugged them, and they hugged him back.

Moe has the authority to tell them what to do but they'll listen conditionally. He was okay with that. Long as his sisters were okay. In that, Theory and Remedy made amends. Remedy was still giving her the side eye, and though nothing will be the same, but she still loves her sister dearly.

The moment was short-lived and sweet, but so needed. The topic turned light when they began to crack jokes on one another. After that, he asked them about school.

Remedy's temperature dropped immediately and Moe noticed. He questioned her about it. He wasn't prepared for what came out of her mouth.

"You know that I was out of school for a lil second because I was recovering from the accident. When I came back to school fully, Jalen was kinda acting weird. Both he and Kaylin," She says, mentioning one of her best friends.

Remedy was apart of a big friend group but of course like any other large friend group, she was closest to Jamie and Kaylin. They were her girls. Or so she thought.

"Jamie filled me on what's been going on and come to find out that Jalen has taken interest in Kaylin because I can't do 'fun stuff' anymore," She says, and Moe's mouth fell open.

Hell, Theory's mouth fell open as well because she immediately knew what she was referring to. Moe frowned his face and went in to console his baby sister. Remy silently cried in his chest but she didn't cry for long. She didn't want to cry over no boy, and besides...

"He a lil bitch anyway," He says, speaking from prior experiences. Besides, no one will never be good enough for his sisters.

He comforted his sister and then asked about Theory's progress.

"NA is so fuckin' embarrassing," She rolled her eyes.

"Tighten up. You're making a life decision; a healthy, life changing decision. You're doing it for the betterment of yourself. Sometimes, healing is embarrassing. It's never going to look pretty. You got this Ry," He encouraged her.

He took heed to his own words and charged them to his heart because he was currently going through it amidst his healing process. Everything starts with acknowledgment, because once he admitted that he was going through, it seemed like he's been stripped of every known thing. He feels bare, raw, just out to dry.

He needed to let his wounds heal.

The reason why is because when he goes into a depressive episode, he learns more and more about himself. He has incredible highs and dramatic lows, and each time that happens, he's reminded of what triggered him in the first place. Self-awareness at its finest.

Most times, it seems like he's warring with himself. He's fighting to be happy but then he has moments of sadness that he cannot describe. He's learning to accept it for what it is, learn from it, and roll with the punches.

After they cooked dinner and ate, the girls decided that they wanted to stay the night. Of course, Moe takes the couch and the girls get the bed. Remedy made a joke about changing his sheets since he had a girlfriend, and that evoked an emotion out of Theory.

"Speaking of Bronnie..." She paused, dropping her head down and mentally preparing herself for whats he was about to say to her brother. "She blocked me but can you kindly tell her that I'm sorry? I was kinda outta line with the things I said to her," She admits.

Moe frowned in confusion. "What type of words did y'all exchange?"

"Fighting words," She kept it short. For Theory's statement, and for Bronnie's response, it was most definitely fighting words. Shit could've gone left real quick.

"Do I really wanna know?" He was curious to know what was said but he had a feeling that he's not gonna like it.

"Just tell her I apologize whenever you get a chance." Theory states, getting comfortable in his bed.

After her revelation, they all said goodnight.

————

He and Bronnie finally met up in between the second and final week of his break and Moe felt relieved. They had a very long conversation about their emotional needs and their emotional disconnections. They were in need of a break, and they were both glad that they were able to have a break without the other person feeling bad about it.

No gaslighting, no manipulation, no guilty feelings.

After their talk, they've been in their own little world. In that talk, he apologized to her because it was needed. That day at the hospital, she didn't deserve his response. It wasn't needed nor was it called for. She chewed his ass out for it, but she understood his feelings. He wasn't really mad at her; he was more so mad at Chevella. He was most definitely triggered by her presence.

After that, they were right back in sync. Going back to the gym, even though they still went without each other. Getting back into yoga, their daily talks, and just overall being a couple. He missed the fuck outta her and so did she.

Currently, it was Wednesday, and they were doing some yoga to end their night. Bronnie's lower back has been hurting as of lately so she decided to stretch her back out. Of course, her boyfriend was more than capable of releasing the tension, but she didn't want to be walking funny the next day.

She was in the puppy pose and Moe's eyes tracked her.

"You know you can go deeper than that," He smirked, causing Bronnie to blush.

"Shut up," She giggled, hiding her face from him. She deepened her arch though and it did feel good.

They did some deep breaths and then released the pose and then did another. They were now in the yogi squat and did more deep breaths. Eventually when they were done with their yoga, they rested and whipped up some food. Moe cooked, and he made vegan parmesan pasta.

They blessed the food and ate. They caught up on their days and what went down in the beginning of the week. So far, everything was kosher. Amidst talking, Bronnie began to smirk.

"Wait pause. Do you know what this Friday's date is?" She continued to smirk.

"It's a day that I can never forget. I could never forget our anniversary. Come Friday, we'll be 2 months." He returned the smile.

Sometimes, neither of them could believe that they've broken up for 2 months. If they wouldn't have broken up, they would've been together for 4 months. All things happen for a reason though, right?

"We're truly a piece of work," She took a sip of her ice water.

"Nah forreal though. Lowkey, this is the healthiest relationship I've ever been in," He admits.

Of course they were a couple who had their problems, but the end result was always good. Better than expected.

"I can agree. Not to bring his musty ass up but if I was still with his ass, that 'self-care break' shit wouldn't have never happened. We'd be broke the fuck up," She says, shaking her head.

"I can agree with that also. But I'm glad we did and were able to come back together and pick up where we left off. Coming back better and stronger," He kissed the side of her face since they were sitting on the couch next to one another.

Moe really meant that shit. Prioritizing self-care was a must, and he really didn't tap into that shit until he started going to therapy. Self-care was helpful as fuck. He also learned that self-care has many forms and he loved that for himself.

He also brought up bits and pieces of his therapy session to Bronnie about how to prioritize her and how to take care of her like how she takes care of him. Humbly, he asked Bronnie how he would like to show up for her. Crazy enough, she couldn't give him an answer because she prioritized herself so much.

When dealing with her last relationship, she was kinda forced to put herself first. She couldn't tell you what she needed from a significant other because she wasn't afforded the luxury. She was never met with options, and that forced her to create her own.

But she did answer the question though. She required quality time, and he was more than willing to give that to her. He'd do anything for the girl he loves, because he knows that Bronnie would bend over backwards to make sure that his needs were met.

They can rely on each other, but they have other outlets to help them along the way. Having this type of talk naturally made them closer. Again, they were in their own world.

After dinner, Moe asked if he could stay the night and she said yes. She missed him, and she missed him sleeping beside her. He immediately made himself comfortable and he let out a deep sigh. He was immediately relaxed, and Bronnie couldn't help but laugh.

He started to smell the air that surrounded them; he smelt the pillows, swished around in the bed, and looked around the room like he hasn't seen it a thousand times. Only thing he had to do was go to sleep. But before he does...

"Bluey's baby shower is this weekend. You going?" He asked out of curiosity. He knew that they were going through a rough patch right now but whatever her answer is, that's what he'll roll with.

"Our anniversary is this weekend. I'm busy ," She shrugged, making an excuse. She wasn't ready to deal with Bluey right now. She was just going to drop off her gift at the spot, but also, she knew how fucked up that'll be.

"At least show your face for a lil bit. You'on even gotta stay. I'm only pushing this because y'all been friends for a very long time, and it's gonna hurt you if you're not there to celebrate such a big moment with her. I know you B. You sittin' here frontin' now but you gonna end up feeling guilty later," He said knowingly.

"I ain't going," She shrugged again, before giving him a kiss goodnight.

THE NEXT DAY:

"I know y'all had a little falling out or whatever, but I would still have the decency to show up to my best friend's baby shower," Bluey's cousin, Paris, said.

Bluey did share what went down with her closest cousin and a few friends. She only told him what happened because she wanted to see if she was truly in the wrong. Bronnie said something that really stuck out to her and it truly hurt her feelings. Bronnie said that she was a bad person and asked if her friends and closest cousin agree. Of course they said no.

Paris believed that Bronnie was projecting. Grey believed that Bronnie was a hater; specifically hating on Bluey's and Sparrow's relationship. Katori was a neutral party but her loyalty lies with Bluey.

Bluey did feel some type of way because her and Bronnie has been best friends for so long. They've also had a falling out quite a few times but it was never as bad as this. Both of them knew that this was bad, and honestly they don't know if they'll fully recover.

Lowkey, Bluey has been silently sad. Her baby shower has started and the gift table was piling up, but her best friend wasn't here. No one had did anything to her to sour her mood but she was still looking forward to seeing Bronnie. Bluey wanted to call, but her pride stopped that from happening.

"Too late, sis is here and she lookin' all plain," Grey says. "She didn't read the invitation? The invitation says black tie attire." She nodded towards her.

Not only did Bronnie showed up late, but her boyfriend showed up late as well. She rolled her eyes at him and so did her friends. There was a vendetta that she couldn't shake when it came to Moe. Her and Bronnie ain't on the best of terms right now, but it was still fuck him.

It didn't matter though because she came with one of the biggest gifts that Bluey and Sparrow was ever going to receive. Behind her was Moe who helped carried his half of the gifts.

Bronnie stared at the event center in awe as it was decorated beautifully. Adoringly, Moe watched her reaction and in seeing that, he gets a thought. He ends up keeping the thought to himself because he knew that the miscarriage is still a sensitive topic. He rather not touch on it.

They were at the gift table signing the card that they just picked up from CVS a few minutes ago. Once they did that, they decided to make their rounds, only promising to engage for 10 minutes tops. They had reservations in an hour and Moe didn't want to be late for them.

They split up: Moe chalking it up with the boys, grinning at Sparrow and Mayson. Bronnie took the girls, making her way to Bluey and her slew of cousins and friends. Not surprisingly, they greeted her with stank ass faces.

"You look cute," Bluey greeted, making her statement lackluster as possible.

"So do you. And I love the theme: brown, gray, and green. It really has an earthy feel to it," She compliments, still looking around the room. And apparently, she was on theme because she wore a long sleeved brown bodycon sweater dress that stopped a quarter inch below the knee.

Because of the decorations, it looks like Bluey is getting what she wants. They're having a boy.

Bluey did think that she looked pretty. It's giving subtle glam but she knows that it's not for the baby shower. She assumes that it has something to do with her boyfriend because he was casually dressed up too, with some black tapered slacks and a designer crewneck sweatshirt. His gold chain and fresh cut didn't go unnoticed either.

"I ain't the type of person to be up in people's business and start shit but—" Paris began but Bronnie cut her eyes at her.

"Then don't. Whatever me and Topaz got going on, it's between me and Topaz. Not you, you, or you," She spoke clearly, pointing at Grey, Paris, and Katori.

Bronnie didn't give a fuck about what Bluey told them. She was always gonna have people on her side regardless. Whatever she says, she knows that they eat that shit up. Bluey knew how to gather the troops.

Paris didn't like her response, so she says, "I really don't care about your excuse. All I care about is why the hell you showed up late—"

"Last time I checked, Topaz doesn't need a mouthpiece," Bronnie was tired of her shit and she just got here. She didn't appreciate Paris yapping her mouth at her like that either.

"Stop cutting me off!" Paris raised her voice a bit.

"Stop feeding me bullshit!" Bronnie threw up her hands in annoyance. Even still, Bluey rolled her eyes in irritation. "Once again, Topaz has a mouth!" This time Bronnie raised her voice, looking directly at Bluey who now wears a blank expression.

"Don't provoke her, she's pregnant! What the fuck is wrong with you?" Grey piped up, stepping into Bronnie's personal bubble.

"Girl shut up, nobody provoked her ass. Her ass is not even responding! Back up 'fore yo' lil ass gets touched!" Bronnie barked back, taking a few steps back for her own protection.

A full blown back and forth ensues, and now Topaz was crying. All of a sudden, something clicked in her brain so she was attempting to talk to Bronnie to calm her down, but Bronnie was already at her max.

Carefully, her boyfriend removed her from the event center. Unlike the other girls, Katori actually went outside to see if Bronnie was okay. Bronnie didn't say two words to the girl.

"Please excuse Paris. Shane just passed away and she's been hella snappy lately," Katori said, and Bronnie's hardened face softened.

Shane was Paris's brother, Bluey's cousin, and he's been on life support for 7 months. He dove into a very shallow pool and ended up hitting his head under water. He had a very serious TBI, became paralyzed on his left side, and kept having mini strokes on the brain. His last stroke sent him into a coma.

The doctors told the family that if he wakes up, he will not be the same. The Shane that they once knew and loved, will not be the same Shane that might come to the surface if he wakes from his coma.

Shane never woke up; the bad outweighed the good. It was a family decision. They decided to pull the plug. Even though Paris was there and Bluey was too emotional to attend, it still hurt to witness and remember.

Paris wasn't okay.

Bronnie wordlessly nodded her head and boarded inside of Moe's rental. Moe sent Sparrow a message and Sparrow understood immediately. He also boarded the vehicle and pulled off.

For most of the drive, Bronnie was silent on the way to their next destination. Her mood was officially blown. She knew she shouldn't have come. Shane aside, Paris' words had a lil weight to it. She was defending Topaz so hard like it was her own personal beef.

"Don't let that shit get to you B," He tried to encourage, but her mind was already in left field.

"Am I the drama?" She asks, moreso to herself.

"No, you're not. You defended yourself and stood your ground and they weren't expecting that," He gently caressed her thigh.

Bronnie grows quiet and it lets him know that she was about to shut down. He didn't want her to shut down, especially since it was their anniversary day. Officially, they've been together for two months, but been in each other's space for 4 months.

"Friendships are draining. All I wanted to do was show my face and drop her gift off. Instead, girls talking out the side of their necks over bullshit," She rolled her eyes.

"Don't work about that mama. All that shit is over with, it's time to worry about us. It's our anniversary, it's our moment, and I love you. Me and Jimmy-John," He says, hoping that it would make her smile and eventually it did.

"Don't bring Jimmy-John into this," She giggled, holding his hand on her thigh. She almost forgotten how good his touch felt. Bronnie continued to giggle as he gave off various references of his dick.

"You know what it is girl," He smirked at her as they continue to drive.

Several minutes later, they pull up at one of the places that Bronnie always wanted to go since it opened up. Her face lit up and all of that and he was happy that he caught her reaction.

"Sai what are we doing here?" She asked quietly, almost like she was afraid to speak out loud. For starters, she was trying to contain her excitement.

"You'll see, come on," He chuckled, getting out of the car and helping her get out.

———

"Good evening and welcome to Concrete Roses! My name is Virtue and this is my husband Exodus. How may I help you?" Virtue greets and both Moe and Bronnie were just blown away. They were blown away for two different reasons though.

Bronnie was blown away because she's never fully been inside of Concrete Roses before. She been to the sister company of CR which was Potted Petals, and she loved it. The city has been buzzing about Concrete Roses because it aides in helping the community and she likes that. It takes a strong person to help a dying community.

Moe was blown away because Virtue was fine. Her husband was a nice looking guy too, but he was expecting an older couple. Not a shea butter baby, brown sugar and cinnamon couple. He knew that their kids were beautiful. Hell, they were a beautiful couple.

"We're here for the 'build-a-bouquet' workshop," Moe said and Virtue smiled brightly before waddling to the register. They didn't know this but she was carrying her 3rd baby.

With a few clicks, she was able to see that he had reserved a 2 hour time slot for them. She gets even more excited because she knew that he wanted to make this time memorable. Plus, on the registration card, it says that it was their anniversary.

The 'build-a-bouquet' workshop was originally set for children and adolescents but recently her husband Exodus extended towards adults. Virtue thought it was a good idea because of the intimacy that the couples create while they build their bouquet.

"Alright you're all set. If you could follow me," Both Moe and Bronnie smile at Virtue's giddiness. While walking through the shop, Bronnie was amazed by her energy.

Virtue done told them at least 3 stories, made at least 5 jokes, and passed gas at least once. They loved her energy and her husband was joaning on her the entire time. The couple kept them laughing the entire time. Bronnie's favorite story that Virtue told was how she fell in love with her husband.

"So you were in denial the whole time?" She asked her.

"Girl yes. I was kinda getting out of something and I wanted to make sure that the feelings that I felt for him were real and not just a figment of my imagination. Once I accepted it though, it was just as easy as breathing. Loving him was just that easy," Virtue says, smiling lovingly at her husband. They've been married 4 years now.

"Baby number 12!" Their son shouts out from across the shop.

"Hush up Kamal!" Virtue shouts with a laugh. "As you can see, we're a family business," She finally put them at the place where they needed to be and got them prepped.

Bronnie giddily took off her jacket as did Moe and they put on their aprons. Once they were in their protective gear, Virtue had them step into a room where all of the flowers were. It smelled like watered soil and mulch. Nonetheless, everything in sight was beautiful.

The room was beautifully decorated, sensually lit, and the space was clean. Not to mention, the music was spectacular. It was the perfect setting for a couple.

"The whole purpose of this workshop is to express your love through the flowers. How you see them; what flower that represents them, how they make you feel, what's the emotion when you see them. The flowers provided here today have the name of the flower, the origin of the flower, and the meaning of the flower beside it." She explained.

"You could either make a bouquet for yourself or for your significant other. Either way, this is our most popular workshop, and we hope you enjoy. Also, if you need anything, just press the blue button. If we don't answer, my wife went into labor," He jokes, and Virtue smacked her teeth.

"And who's fault is that? You did this to me." Virtue says, pointing at her belly and backing away from the entrance of the room.

"It is your fault. You did that thing I like..." He whispered audibly, making Virtue blush in embarrassment and Bronnie giggle inwardly.

"Chile anyways, the space is all yours. The annuals are on the right-hand side and the perennials are on the left-hand side. Bows, ribbons, and vases are in the middle. Please call if you need anything," Virtue told the couple before waving and walking away.

From there, they got started. Moe already knew what he was going to do and he was making a bouquet that represented Bronnie. He was going to try his hardest. He wanted it to be accurate as possible and as pretty as possible.

Also the best part about this workshop was that there was a partitioner in the middle of the table so that no one would be able to see each other's bouquet. They wanted the bouquet to come straight from the heart; however the person sees fit.

After picking their flowers, they both began to build their bouquet.

"You're so beautiful, you know that?" Moe complimented, making her smile.

"Thank you Yodi," She grinned behind her forming bouquet and Moe's facial expression mirrored hers.

"Aw shit, we back in the trenches with dat shit. So I'm Yodi now?" He couldn't lie, he kinda missed that name.

She pretended to think about it. "You complaining? You could be 'asscrack' for all I care," She joked, making him laugh.

"I'll take Yodi for $200 Alex," He practically begged and Bronnie thought it was cute.

For most of their time, they were going back and forth between songs and flowers. It was so many options to choose from. It took them a little minute to get started on their bouquets because they were reading every card and assessing every flower.

They stayed at Concrete Roses for an hour and a half in the end, but now it was time to present their bouquets. Moe decided to go first. Bronnie's eyes tracked the bouquet in his hand and she gasped. It was heavily shaded but absolutely beautiful.

"Your bouquet is a little big but I promise it'll all make sense," He chuckled nervously.

"It's beautiful baby," She assured him.

"I chose pink cabbage roses because they're the ambassador of love. It also represents passion and strength, and though I don't want to admit it most times, I garner most of my strength from you. You inspire me to keep pushing. I also chose pink peonies because they represent new beginnings and compassion. And lastly I got pink tulips because they represent love, because I love you and I know that you love just as hard, if not more." He said sincerely, lowering his head shyly.

It was now Bronnie's turn.

"I chose purple sage because it symbolizes healing. I know that you are in your healing journey and it hasn't been easy for you. But I also know that this was your mother's favorite flower and that she used it holistically. I also chose lavender because it symbolizes peace and calmness; also, one of your mother's favorite's that she used holistically. Lastly, I chose calla lilies because it symbolizes new beginnings. Sai, everything in this life I want you to have and to enjoy—to enjoy it more abundantly," She began to tear up.

"I love you so much, which is why I pray so hard for you. I pray for us because I know that if I lose you, I won't be any good. When we promised each other a clean slate, I said that as a promise. I'm ten toes down," She said it with authority.

"I love you too mama," He slowly walked up to her and loosely wrapped his arm around her waist and placed a loving kiss on her lips. He was getting carried away but he had to remember where they are.

They exchanged the bouquets and they took a picture together for good measure and memories. Bronnie posted it to her Instagram story and Moe did the same. Posting Bronnie on his Instagram was a big deal because he never posted her on his Instagram. Sure, he posted her on his story but it deletes itself in 24 hours. He was putting her on his page to stay.

Moe already paid for the session so all he had to do was tell the owners thank you. As they were walking out, they were literally bumping into other people because the shop was so packed.

Halloween was next week and that was the only major holiday that they could think of that could cause this type of traction. Either way, Concrete Roses was the place to be.

"Hope y'all enjoyed it. Please come again!" Virtue tells them and they waved at her.

They walked to the car and Moe paused for a moment. The rental car wasn't a car at all, it was actually a pickup truck. It was a 2019 GMC Sierra and it was huge. It sits high, it rides smooth, and it got a lil growl to it. Moe hated the pickup truck at first but it grew on him. It was something different for sure.

He was admiring the pickup truck, and she could tell that he liked it.

"You should put a note on it," She nudged him, watching him wipe imaginary dust off of the jet black truck. Everything was black—down to the rims. The inside was black leather with red stitching.

"Made it official yesterday," He says, helping her in the truck.

"What about the BMW and the insurance and other shit like that?" She asked. She knew his BMW was totaled but it was the other fees that she was worried about. She didn't want him to open one book without closing the other first.

"Mammy took care of that for me. She seen that I was in need of a vehicle since the girls crashed mine in the accident, so we had a talk. I had collision coverage on my car but it was totaled so there was nothing that I could do about that besides pay the insurance. Mammy wanted to take care of it for me. Of course, I fought it," He recalled.

"You fought your grandmother because she was trying to help you?" She blinked.

"See, when you put it like that it sounds bad. But yes, I did argue my side, but her mind was already made up. She paid out whatever fees were left from the insurance, I let the BMW go, and went to Enterprise and told them that I wanna put a note on this truck. Negotiated my note because the truck is used, and it has a decent number of miles on it. When the price was right, the truck was mine," He shrugged. He was kinda frontin' right now, but he was grateful for his grandmother.

"That was extremely nice of her," She smiled.

"Yeah, she said that I've been taking care of everybody else and not really focusing on what's important. She said that she wanted to do me a service since I'm everybody's beck and call, including hers. Like I said, Mammy's mind was already made up," He pulled out of the parking lot.

"Let that pride go baby. Just enjoy the ride," She rubbed his thigh.

"Trust me, I'm trying," He admits.

"You'll never truly enjoy anything if your pride will always be in the way. For once, just be the grandson and not the grandson/father/provider. Enjoy this babe," She continued to rub his thigh.

"I hear you mama," He grinned, because she was actually sounding like someone's mother.

"You better," She playfully nudged him.

Moe checked the time and seen that it was early in the evening and he thought that was perfect time. When he pulled up to their next destination, Bronnie cooed at the view.

"A drive by movie theater! Stopppp," She covered her mouth in awe.

Moe got them situated and moved them to the back of the pickup truck. Bronnie was still in awe when he went in the back seat and pulled out their snacks, pillows, and blankets. He set it up real nice and cozy for them, even plugging up the portable heater. He made sure he had batteries.

He sat the thinnest blanket down so they that can lay on it, and then grabbed the thickest blanket so that they can be warm and comfortable. The October weather was surely dropping, and the temperature has certainly dropped.

They were currently watching it in the newest Avatar and Bronnie was radio silent, chewing on her chocolate covered pretzels. She was so into the movie that by the second hour in the movie, she didn't notice that Moe was asleep.

The movie was long as hell but it seemed like Moe woke up at the right time.

"Sully is so fine chile," She fawned over the character and Moe frowned.

"That nigga is white in real life. You gotcho' self a Black king right here," He pats his chest.

"Indeed I do," She smirked, leaning in for a kiss. Pulling away from the kiss, she gets a whiff of his cologne. He smelt heavenly.

He snuggled close to her, loving the warmth of her body and the softness of her skin. He went under the thick blanket and ran a hand up her thigh. Bronnie's breathing pattern hitched when his hand went further.

"I'm on my second to last day," She notified him and his face didn't change.

"I ain't trippin' off ya period and I'm damn sure ain't worried bout no sex. I just miss you that's all," He says, kissing her jawline. Bronnie fawns, melting into his warm body.

"I miss you too," She turns her head and gives him a kiss.

In the last five minutes of the movie, the credits were shown, and they were talking about the movie like they didn't just watch the ending. Moe found her chattiness to be cute because she was genuinely interested in the things that she was talking about. He knew that taking her to a drive-by movie theater would be a hit because she loved movies just that much.

"We're gonna go see it in 3D/4D as well," He drops the bomb and she gasped.

"On God?!" She says dramatically.

"Yes mama," He chuckled at her reaction.

Once they were packed up, they left the drive-by theater and made it back to their apartment complex. He parked the truck and helped her out of it and made their way upstairs. Bronnie decided to do something different and asked him if she could sleep over his place tonight. Of course he said yes.

"Okay cool, lemme run to my house and pick up a few things." She told him and he shook his head.

"I got everything you need at the house. Your soaps, your scrubs, your weighted blanket, favorite sleep shirt, and your favorite bonnet. I got what you need for the night," He lets it be known and she was impressed. She's only been over his house a handful of times.

"But you don't got no panties. I'll meet you over there," She kissed his cheek before going on her side of the building and unlocking the door.

"You have 10 minutes Geneva," He said sternly and she just chuckles because he sounded so father like.

Bronnie spent exactly 10 minutes getting all what she needed, which wasn't much. She just showered up and brushed her teeth at her own house. She grabbed extra panties and extra pads just in case and gave Nutmeg a few treats on her way out.

She made it over Moe's apartment and she was merely surprised when he wasn't in the living room. She locked the door behind her and followed the sound of the TV that was playing in his room. He was currently changing his sheets and pillowcases since his sisters slept over.

He's been changing them regularly though, something that he picked up from his girlfriend. Bronnie watched him put a new sheet on his bed as well as new pillowcases on his pillows. He set the room with a humidifier, some room spray, and gentle white noises.

Bronnie smiled to herself. He finally knew how to how to do it, and he didn't need her. He found his own way; doing something that makes him comfortable. Something besides herself that puts him at ease.

"I already know you took a shower an' shit. I can smell your soap from right here," And he was across the room. He also took note at how moisturized she looked. She looks like a glazed doughnut.

"Gotta keep it fresh for daddy," She joked, watching his put his durag on. He playfully cut his eyes at her as he offered his bed to her. She happily obliged.

"You need a heating pad?" He popped up, hand already on his drawer handle so that he can pull it out expeditiously if need be.

"Yes please," She swooned over how thoughtful he was.

"You wanna be touched?" He asked politely. He definitely wanted to put his head under her shirt but he didn't want to assume anything.

Wordlessly, Bronnie grabbed his arm and placed it over her body. She scooted back on him, just so he could feel her booty and relaxed. Along with the heating pad, white noises, and prior sleepiness, Bronnie was bout ready to close her eyes.

Moe knew it too, so he sent up a quick prayer for the both of them and kissed her cheek. Bronnie wasn't all the way sleep when he said that prayer but she was shocked as hell that he even prayed at all. Maybe the two week break really did open his eyes...

"I love you too Sai," She said sleepily.

———

It was still their anniversary weekend and officially Sunday. Moe woke Bronnie up in the sweetest way possible. He showered her in kisses, forcing her to crack open one eye. He wouldn't stop until she opened both eyes.

When Bronnie opened both eyes, she grabbed ahold of his face and kissed him for real. She couldn't do much because she hadn't brushed her teeth yet but she egging him on though.

"Hey mama..." He was getting extremely touchy feely and a little horny. Besides, its been a minute since he placed his helpful hands on her. He gets the bright idea to mess with her a little bit.

"Yes?" She moaned a little, forgetting about her toothbrush.

He pulled away a little bit. "I think I taste those nachos from last night," He jested, making her gasp and pull away. "Sike naw, I'm just playing," He laughs.

"See, no. Bye," She hopped up and grabbed her toothbrush and left out of the room. She switched out the old toothbrush that she had in there and replaced it with a new one. She began brushing her teeth immediately.

While in the bathroom, he decided to go in the bathroom and tell her about the news he just received. Bronnie hated the news.

"You have to go back to work today? It's Sunday!" She spoke, mouth full of suds.

"Yeah, but it's from my old engine. I thought I was going back on Monday, tomorrow, but I must've misread the email," He said nervously.

Bronnie raised a brow. "Number one, how late are you? Two, why are you going back to your old engine?" She spat it out and then washed her face.

"My report time was 6AM, but I told them that I got my days mixed up so I have to report at 11AM," He told her and she deadpanned him. "I'm also going back to my old engine because I'm needed back at my old engine. They're down a few paramedics so they need me. I'm full-fledged back at Engine 32."

"Sai, it's 9:45. What about breakfast and other stuff?" She pouts, messing with the chain that rested atop of his chest.

"Already out of the way. I made you some homemade oatmeal and a banana and peanut butter smoothie. I'm bout to whip me somethin' up right quick. We can spend the morning together until it's time to go. Aight?" He lifted her head with his finger.

"Mhmm," She hummed, feeling all bummed. She didn't want him to go.

"C'mere. Gimme some lips," He mumbled against hers, placing his warm juicy lips onto hers. Now that she brushed her teeth, she can really kiss him how she wants to.

The kissing was a little intense but Bronnie had to remind herself that time was ticking. She basically threw him out of the bathroom and prepared herself for the shower. Once she handled her hygiene, she quickly ran over to her house and grab what she needed to grab and came back.

They ate breakfast together, and they practically begged one another to open their gifts up together. Moe begged her to go first and so she let him. Before he went first, he put on his work shoes and his work pants. Seeing that made her attachment issues come alive. She felt herself pout and even get a little teary eyed. Was she really bout to cry?

"I got a lil sumn' sumn' for my lady an' shit," He cracked a smile and handed her the bags.

The first bag she opened up was a small Burberry bag. She excitedly opened it and looked inside, and what she pulled out was something that she's been having her eyes on for a minute.

"You bought me the Burberry Her Elixir?! Babe! Do you know how good this perfume smells?" She immediately took the top off and sprayed her wrist. When it dried, her eyes rolled to the back of her head when she inhaled.

"Strawberries and cream, I know," He chuckled at her reaction. He personally went inside the store to smell this particular fragrance. There were others that he liked, most of them she already had. When he sprayed it for himself, he immediately thought of her.

"This smells like good pussy in a bottle!" She sprayed herself two more times. Moe was laughing his ass off. Bronnie was goofy as hell. He was happy to see that she liked it though.

He was now engulfed in a hug from Bronnie and he happily hugged her back. She then opened her other bag which was an Apple bag. She giddily opened the bag and damn near fainted when she saw it.

"A fuckin' Apple Watch?! Theseus..." Her eyes began to get watery. She pulled it out of the box and eyed it—blurry vision and all. He got her the Series 8 in the color red.

It was his honor to help her put it on and set it up. Bronnie used to have a Fitbit and she loved it. Unfortunately, her Fitbit stopped working due to excessive water damage. He thought that an Apple Watch would be a nice upgrade.

They spent at least 10 minutes setting it up but once they were done, Bronnie was flicking her wrist like it was a Rolex. She hugged him so tight; she nearly squeezed the life out of him. She was eternally grateful. Her mother always told her that the first few gifts in a new relationship are always the most meaningful.

It was now her turn to hand over his gifts and he returned the giddiness she showed. The first thing he opened up was a Nike shoe box. He slowly opened them and it was his turn to gasp and all that good shit.

"You got me some Off-White dunks? The green and white ones I've been eyeing," He had the biggest grin on his face.

"I peep shit, I peep shit," She smirked, watching him try it on. It was a perfect fit. Of course he didn't want to walk around too much because he didn't want to crease them.

She got him the pine green and off white with orange strings all around. She knew that he wanted these particular ones because mentally, he was already concocting an outfit in his head based on those shoes. This was a few weeks in the making because she knew that she wanted to gift better for their next anniversary.

"I'm bouta be fresh as fuck!" He hyped himself up.

"And I'ma be right there just in case one of these lil hoes try it," She sarcastically grinned, breaking character and hyping him up as well.

"All I want is you girl. You know dis'," Bronnie bites her bottom lip as the DC twang oozes out of his mouth. Whew chile.

"Okay okay! Open your next gift," She clapped, handing him another bag.

He grinned because the next bag she handed him was an Apple bag. He anxiously went inside the bag and pulled out something that he wasn't expecting. With a closed fist to his mouth, he eyed his girlfriend full of surprise.

"Are my eyes deceiving me or are these Apple Airpods Max headphones in my hand?" He asked her rhetorically, and she happily nodded.

"Yes indeedy, and noise cancelling too," She pulled out her phone and began taking pictures.

He unpackaged the headphones and hooked them up to his phone via Bluetooth. To really test the volume level, he turned on an oldie but goodie song with the most everything that he could think of. The song of choice was Pop Smoke Shake the Room.

The initial bass of the song scared the shit outta him and Bronnie caught it all on camera. She was laughing her ass off because he snatched the headphones off. It was so loud that it damn near sounded like a speaker in the room. He'd give it a 10/10.

Bronnie only presented three bags to him, so he was about to open the last one. The last one was a Jimmy Choo bag. Inside the bag was cologne, and he was grateful. Bronnie has said it before that she wants to up his cologne collection. Not trying to be that girl but he was wearing Axe body spray before he met her.

She bought him Jimmy Choo Man Intense, and it smelled heavenly. He didn't have any cologne on at the moment, so he sprayed it on himself generously since he trusted Bronnie's expensive keen sense of smell and he was impressed. It did smell good and he loved it. It was a mix between woody and spicy; not too much of one or the other. It was just right.

"Now we some good lookin', smellin' good ass motherfucka's," Bronnie laughed at her own joke, making him laugh as well.

They both gave each other a hug and topped it off with a kiss. For the rest of the morning, they just talked, chilled, and kissed a lot. When it was time to depart, Bronnie was having a tough time.

"How long's your shift going to be?" She barricaded herself into his chest.

"24 hours, maybe 36," He stated. Now that he was a paramedic, he realized that he was needed regardless. If that means putting in extra hours then so be it.

"Do you need anything? Lunch, snacks, a 10-4?" She batted her eyelashes.

"If I need something, I'll let you know," He did a deep sigh and she frowned a bit.

"Oop. What was the sigh for?" She pulled away a little but he placed her back in her original spot. He didn't want to think that him sighing was about her.

"I feel like I'm gonna have an eventful day. The city been doing numbers with the homicides and shit. These youngin's ain't in school, truancy ain't catching up wit' them, and it just seems like they're always into shit. I just got a feeling that it's going to be one of those days..." He shared.

She bit her lip before saying, "If the situation ever turns into a transport and you want to stay, just call me. I know you care, and I know that you want to make sure that they're alright, but I don't want you to go alone. Promise you'll call?"

"I gotchu,"

She shook her head immediately. "Sai I'm serious. Your father just passed away and whether you want to admit it or not—"

"I said I gotchu," His eyes searched hers. He's going to assure himself till the ends of the earth until it actually happens. That part, that particular moment he realizes that he doesn't have his emotions under control, is what she's most worried about.

"Okay, I love you. Have a safe day at work. Call me whenever," She kissed him and hugged him. She didn't let go of the hug until they were back in her apartment.

"Love you too baby," With one final kiss, he was off to work.

A few minutes later, Bronnie sought the Lord.

"Lord, don't let the evil reach his eyes. Cover them as best as you see fit," She prayed.

————

The next weekend had came by and Bronnie was excited because now it was her turn to treat him out for their anniversary, even though they officially celebrated their anniversary last week. She had the weekend planned out, and luckily he was off.

Because Bronnie told him ahead of time, he purposely worked all week just so he could have the weekend off. He was fully acclimated back at Engine 32 and it was like he never left. Mayson, Buck, and the rest of his colleagues were there, and they caught up with one another.

He didn't realize how bad he missed them. He returned back to his family.

Bronnie was doing heavy makeup tonight since she was going all out. She was treating him to dinner first, but she also has other things planned out for the following days. It's going to be a weekend full of events.

She was damn near done with her makeup before her phone rings. Bronnie looked over and seen that it was her mother. She happily jumped in her seat and answered the phone.

"Hi Mommy!" She beamed.

"Hiiii BeBe!" Her mother returned the same energy.

"How ya' dern?" She sprayed her face with setting spray.

"I'm doing good. You look happy, I'm happy to see it." Her mother smiled a genuine smile on her daughter's behalf. There was a point in time where her daughter wasn't smiling at all.

Bronnie showcased a cheeky grin, until she caught herself and stopped smiling. She was smiling way too hard. She loved Moe, and though that was her baby, she didn't want to look crazy. She can cheese as hard as she wants behind closed doors though.

"No, you. You sound mighty chipper on the phone. Girl what's the tea?" Bronnie asked, fanning her face. When she was done, she got up and went to her closet. She knew what she was wearing but she didn't know what she was wearing underneath.

"I do have some news. It's the reason I called," Suddenly her mother's voice turned serious. Within a second, her mother FaceTimed her daughter and Bronnie accepted it and seen her mother's face. Her face was just as serious as her tone of voice.

"Mommy what's going on?" Bronnie raised a brow.

"I'm engaged," Her mother blurts out, showcasing her ring in the camera.

Bronnie exalted the biggest gasp that she could muster. Her hands were over her mouth and her eyes were wide. Her mother smiled wide, showcasing all of her teeth and dimples. With tears welling in her eyes, Bronnie began to clap.

"Oh my gosh! Mommy its beautiful," She pouts, fanning her eyes so she won't ruin her masterpiece. Because they feed off of each other, Ms. Opal started tearing up too.

"Yeah girl." Moments later, they were laughing and crying.

"Was he married before? He has children? Is he a widower?" Bronnie rambled.

Yes, Bronnie saw him with her mother on the cruise, and yes, she did talk to him but her mind was elsewhere. She wasn't really focused on her mother's new man. It's not that she didn't care, part of her just didn't want to be apart of the conversation. But she did care about her mother's happiness.

She was asking those specific questions because she felt like she hadn't answered them when they were on the cruise.

"No Bronze, he's never been married before and he doesn't have any children. He wanted to have some but he wasn't ready to settle down just yet because of his career. By the time he wanted to start one, biology and outside environments took over," She explained. I mean, how else was she going to tell her daughter that her man is shooting blanks?

"Does Toby know about daddy?" She was kinda nervous to ask this because she didn't want to dig up some stuff that her mother might've potentially buried. Feelings, perhaps.

"Toby does know about Eric, but that's the thing..." She lets out a deep sigh.

"What? What's the matter?" Now Bronnie was frowning. "Does Sabe know?" Her older brother came to her mind immediately once hearing that part.

I mean, he been surfaced her mind, but she feels like this particular piece would hurt him. If not hurt him, maybe throw him off. Their dad was his one and only hero, deceased or not.

"I told the boys first about my engagement. So yes, Sabe does know," She said, making a face and Bronnie knew what that face meant immediately.

"He didn't receive the engagement well?" She asked rhetorically, already knowing the answer to her question.

"He feels as if I betrayed his father." She says and Bronnie was back to gasping.

"Sabir really said that?" Bronnie couldn't believe it, but she wasn't all the way surprised though. Sabir hasn't been okay since their father died. He threw himself into a lot of things to avoid the feelings that he doesn't want to address.

"I mean, I didn't mean to fall in love with him. It just happened Bronze, and I can't help who I fall in love with. One of the main reasons I'm marrying him is because he understood that there was a person that I loved more; a person that I still grieve, a person that I shared my life with, a person whom I would've still been married to had the police hadn't did what they did. Toby understood that! He understands me, Bronnie," Her mother tears up.

"Immediately after your father died, I felt this void: this emptiness. Something that I couldn't quite shake, a hole if you will. Seeing Toby and finally giving him a chance changed that. After taking a chance and going on a date with him, I began to feel different. My cheeks would get warm, and my heart started beating all fast, and I would get butterflies. I began to feel again. Falling in love with Toby was just so easy." Her mother explained, watching the tears fall from her eyes.

"Aw Mommy," She pouts, loving her witness her mother being all tied up in her feelings.

"He made me laugh, like all the time! I haven't laughed in a very long time. I almost forgot what it felt like," Watching her mother cry made Bronnie go back to fanning her eyes. She never heard her mother talk like this.

"Sabe will eventually come around. What did Blessyn say?"

"When I told him that I'm marrying Toby, just engaged period, he was a little on the fence. Blessyn is a mama's boy through and through, and you know he wants his mother all to himself. But he said that if I'm genuinely happy, then he could finally let me be free," Her mother laughs a little.

"He's talking like he's the parent," Bronnie joined in with the laughter.

"Girl I know right! Blessyn a trip but I love him. It's just Sabir I'm worried about. I told Toby that having this conversation with Sabir is going to be a tough one. I knew what I was talking about,"

"How tough was the conversation?"

"So tough that we haven't spoken in over 24 hours. I knew he'd be upset, but what do he want me to do? Mama gotta have a lil bit of love for herself now," She patted herself.

"Sabe will come around. Yeah, he's upset right now but there is no greater happiness and satisfaction than seeing your one and only parent happy. I mean that," Bronnie offered her a smile.

"I love you BeBe. You sure you're okay with this? We good?" Ms. Opal wanted to make sure.

"Of course we are. I made peace with daddy and his situation a long time ago. Sure, it still hurts, but daddy's in his final resting place and I dare not disturb him with ill-feeling of your happiness. I'm happy that you're happy, and I'm excited that you're excited. Most of all, I'm glad that you're experiencing love again."

"It means a lot." Her mother smiled.

Right after that, her mother informs her that she's coming home early so that they can have a sit down with all of them. They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone.

She decided to call Sabir. She didn't care if he was at work or not.

"Wassup B. You aight? You need anything?" Was the first thing he asked.

"I'ma need for you to stop giving my mother a hard time. Mommy's happy so why can't you just be happy for her?" Bronnie went straight in, no chaser. She didn't see the point in sugar coating.

He chuckled bitterly. "As a man, you just wouldn't understand."

"Well then help me understand then Sabe," Bronnie urged.

"Don't feel like it. Bye." He hung up on her and Bronnie rolled her eyes.

She placed her dress on the bed and slipped on some lingerie. The one on her body was option number one. Just as she was feeling comfortable and flaunting her body in the mirror, her phone rings again. It was Charley this time.

"Bernadine!" Charley greeted.

"Claudette!" She reciprocated the same energy. Charley switched it over to FaceTime and Bronnie propped her phone up so she can see what she was wearing.

"Whatchu' up to? Wait! Okay bawdy!" She hyped her up.

"Thank ya ma'am. Okay so look, this is option number one. I like this bodysuit but he kinda saw me in this type of set up before," Bronnie wasn't too sure about this one.

She wore something similar when she edged Moe that one time. The colors were different, but it had the same feel. She has a two-piece lingerie set that she really likes, and really wants to wear, but the bottoms were a thong. She was a little insecure about her midsection.

"It's giving sis. Titties sittin' right and the booty is giving jelly not jam. Don't make his knees buckle bitch," Charley grinned, boosting her friend's self esteem.

"I wanna try on option number 2," Bronnie took the bodysuit off and put on the two piece set. It was nude and look generally plain, but it was intricately detailed. You really couldn't peep unless you're close to her. "What do you think?"

"Ouu I like! It's giving romantic—very sensual, cocoa butter kisses, and Hennessey V.S.O.P," Charley described.

"I like that vibe," She eyed herself in the mirror and assessed her entire body in the lingerie. While looking in the mirror, she noticed her progress. Going to the gym consistently and changing her eating habits started paying off.

A few minutes later, she starts to overthink it but Charley was the one to help ease her. She reminded Bronnie that she is that girl and she is that girl period. She told her that Moe will be accepting of anything that she puts on because he's appreciative that way, so she's heard.

"Don't overthink it boo. You're gonna ruin your own vibe like that." Charley warned.

"Yeah, you're right. I think he'll really like this one though," She slapped her own ass and finally, right after, she got dressed.

The girls continued to talk and then Charley brought something up. "So me and Kirk pulled up to the Bluey's and Sparrow's function and I was looking for you. Some of the girls were still talking about when I made my rounds. How you feeling?"

"I'm okay. I really don't want to talk about it if you don't mind," Bronnie warned.

"Got it. Just wanted to make sure that you was alright. Girl drama is so annoying for no reason," She huffed, and Bronnie agreed. It was so much for no reason at all, especially when it drags out. Like what are we still mad for?

"Yeah I'm good. I been over it since I opened my mouth that day. But lemme call you later, I'm bout to head out," She informed her friend.

"Got it. Send me some pictures and make sure you have fun. Literally nothing should be on your mind but fun." Charley smiled.

"Gotchu' Char. Love you babes," Bronnie blew her a kiss.

"Love you too," She blew one back and after that, they were off the phone.

Bronnie looked over herself in the mirror and then head out of her room. She stepped into the living room where Nutmeg was comfortably laying on the couch. She popped her head up when Bronnie came out and because of that, she does a 360.

"How I look NuNu? Cute?" Bronnie asked her dog.

Nutmeg's response was a bark and Bronnie grew surprised. Nutmeg gets off the couch and jumped up on her hind legs and tried to bite the sparkly dangle off her dress.

"No girl! You don't like the be-dangle?!" She was literally break dancing to get away from Nutmeg, but she just kept barking.

"Stop girl! Sitcho' ass down!" Bronnie barely raised her voice at her dog and with the way that Nutmeg flinched and sat down immediately, Bronnie felt bad. Real bad.

She kneeled before her and hugged her dog. Nutmeg was still triggered by the sparkly dangle so she ends up standing up. She didn't try to bite it though which was good. Bronnie was able to talk her down and she was able to walk into her cage without further distractions. By the time that was done, Moe knocked on her door and she ran to answer it.

His eyes were glued on her. Literally every move she made, he was tracking her.

"You look very beautiful B," He said in the softest voice possible.

"You look quite handsome yourself," She ran a hand down his chest and assessed him. It's something about a Black king in a turtle neck. Lawd hammercy.

"You ready to get outta here?" He pointed towards the hallway.

"Yes sir," She smiled.

"Lead the way love," And with that, she walked in front of him and he watched her walk down with confidence.

————

"Ouu! Send me this one!" She points at his phone screen, looking at the picture he took of her.

Moe marveled at the picture. Of course, he took the picture, but he was proud of the picture he captured. She looked stunning. At first, Bronnie thought that the dress was too much, but she wouldn't be her if she dressed all the way up. Her man wasn't complaining.

They were already seated and they already put their orders in. They begin to aimlessly talk to one another, and in between was laughter. Real genuine laughter.

He forgotten how goofy Bronnie was. He was literally crying laughing. She was making him laugh over the stupidest thing, but he wouldn't trade it for the world. Also amidst laughter, Bronnie couldn't take his eyes off him.

He was so handsome. She loved his forehead wrinkles the most though. On one occasion, he shared that he used to be insecure about his forehead wrinkles, and since sharing that with her, she managed to kiss his forehead whenever she gets a chance. Like right now...

"Come on, man. You got all that shiny shit on my forehead," He wiped it off and Bronnie smacked her lips.

"Boy hush, you know you love my forehead kisses," She leaned over and kissed his head, taking advantage of the fact that they were sitting next to one another in the booth.

"Random ass question. You believe in marriage or want to be married some day?" He posed, making Bronnie raise her eyebrows.

"I do believe in marriage; I just don't want our love to suffer." She said, and he frowns.

"Elaborate please," He took a sip of her Apple Martini, and it's safe to say that it was strong as a motherfucker. He wasn't a punk though.

"Before my father passed, I vividly remember my mother and father arguing. They'd never argue in front of us of course, but they'd constantly go back and forth and we'd hear them. Their arguments would get so bad. So bad that I knew that they were putting on a fake smile, tryna save face for us—the kids."

"All relationships aren't perfect Munch. Couples go through shit; married couples go through some shit. It happens. It doesn't mean that their love suffered," He makes a point.

"They faked it. I don't want to ever have to fake it. I don't want to ever have to fake it for my future kids, I don't want to fake it for my future husband, and I damn sure don't want to fake it for my family. Is that so hard to ask? Is that too much to ask for?" Bronnie's eyes held a certain look in her eye. The type of look that Moe recognized.

"I can promise you that," He said proudly and Bronnie tucked in her lips.

After a few moments, she says, "Don't make promises that you can't keep. My heart's been broken too many times over broken promises. I don't think I can handle another," She blinked slowly, feeling herself becoming emotional.

"I went to therapy the other day and she said something: when things 'fall' they break. Even if it's on accident," He recalled.

"I'm not following," She drew a little blank.

"Remember what you told me? The night we got together, and you said, 'what if I fall?' I knew your 'fall' could've been general or interpersonal, but I asked you to trust me. I want you trust that I'd catch you if or when you fall..."

"I do trust you," She pouted hearing that last part.

"Geneva I'm crazy about you girl, and I don't care how many times I tell you or how many times I mention it. I'm in love with you but therapy made me realize that I don't want to 'fall in love' with you. I'm tired of falling. I want to rise in love with you." The eye contact was prominent.

"I want to rise in love with you too," She looped her arm with his and lifted her chin to kiss him. "And I love you too," The kissing was sweet and passionate.

Though Moe felt good about admitting what he just said, he couldn't help but recognize the tachycardia in his chest. She always had him bent out of shape like this though, but she never knew it. With the way that she was kissing him back in the restaurant, he knew that the feeling was mutual. It feels good when the feeling is mutual.

They broke the kiss when they heard their waiter clear their throat. Bronnie smiled at the man embarrassingly, while Moe just gives him a head nod.

"Blackened angus steak with garden salad for the lady. Fettuccini with asparagus and smoked salmon for the gentleman," He laid their plates down on the table and they said thank you.

They ate together and while they did, they took pictures. Constantly. The couple that were watching them across the table thought that they were a cute couple. It was an older couple that was observing them and Bronnie and Moe reminded them of their younger days as a couple.

For the remainder of the dinner, they talked about their future goals as a couple. Talking about their goals made one another smile ever the more. Part of her wished that Bronnie met him sooner. He was just so...

"Gimme kiss," He requested. Bronnie softly closed her eyes and he watched her kiss him. "You so fuckin' pretty bruh," He mumbled against her lips.

With confidence, she says, "I look better naked,"

"So that's the type of time we on huh?" He smirked amusingly.

"I'm on whatever time daddy operates on," The confidence was just pouring out of her and he loved it.

He leaned his head down and kissed her ear. "Don't worry, I got somethin' for you,"

Her face drops. "See now I'm scared,"

"You should be. Eat up mamas, I don't wanna fuck up your life on an empty stomach," He sarcastically pats her thigh.

———

It was early in the morning and it was safe to say that Bronnie was well rested. Waking up to her boyfriend was so refreshing. Well almost...

He slapped her ass hard, jolting her awake. "I wasn't even sleep for real!" She rolled her eyes at him.

"But you was on your way," He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Come on, let's a get a morning run in," He suggested and Bronnie looked over and seen than his ass was already dressed.

"I ran last night," She spoke the double entendre, smirking into the pillow. "It's rest day,"

"You most definitely did. You was running like you was in a motherfuckin' marathon," He joked and she rose up and smacked her lips.

"Now you jazzin' it. I'an do allat," She laid back down and pulled the covers and pillow over her head.

He looked at her for a minute before coming to a realization. "I was too rough last night? Tell me what hurts," He gently removed the blanket and pillow from her face.

"Inner thigh and lower back," She shared. "And I'm fine babe. It hurts so good," She tried to assure but he wasn't having it. He was already feeling a little bad.

"You sure? We can have an impromptu rest day if you wanna," He offered.

Bronnie immediately shook her head. "No, it's okay. I don't want to make excuses for myself. We've been keeping up with our schedule and has been on time. We haven't skipped any days so we're not about to start."

"You sure?" He reiterated.

"Massage my lower back and I'll be ready in ten minutes," She said.

Eventually, it took her 20 minutes to get ready because instead of massaging her lower back, he kept smacking her ass. What also took a long while was that Bronnie had to shower up completely. Most times after they have sex, she felt the need to shower. With the way that she was his prisoner last night, a hoe bath at the sink just won't do.

She begged him to take Nutmeg with her and he allowed it. The last time they took Nutmeg on their run, she kept stopping at every restaurant because she smelled food. Other than that, she was by Bronnie's side.

Bronnie and Nutmeg was ready to go but Mosaic was not. His stomach was experiencing a few rumbles and his ass was on the toilet.

"Sai! Flush as you go. Shit, wipe, flush!" She exclaimed. Too many times her brothers had came over to release their demons in her bathroom and they clogged her toilet up. She can't go through that again.

"Bronze, please leave me alone," He said softly and Bronnie opened the door and seen that he was booty-butt naked. She burst into flames seeing his clothes neatly folded on the floor.

"I never knew you shit naked!" Bronnie doesn't know why she was amused by this but it most definitely had her cracking up.

Moe wasn't even paying her no mind as he focused more on releasing his demons. With the way it smelled in the bathroom, Bronnie had to put her jacket over her nose.

"Boy you smell like baby shit," She faked gagged.

"Bro why are you bothering me? I can't shit in peace? In private?" He feigned in attitude and she rolled her eyes.

"In private? Privacy flew out the window since you opened my medicine cabinet sir. Hell, since I let you invade my guts brotha'." She also feigned a fake attitude, rolling her neck and all of that.

They tried to hold a serious face trying to appear serious but they both cracked. They laugh simultaneously and Moe eventually handles all of his business. Before he was done, he asked for the wipes and she gave it to him.

His poop was a bit deadly so he actually had to take another shower. While he did, Bronnie took her medicine, ate something quick, and also fed Nutmeg. She did a little bit of yoga until her phone rang. It was Bluey and she hit ignore. She didn't have nothing to say to her.

"Princess?" Moe called out.

"Yes?" Bronnie lifts her head.

"Come on, I'm ready!" He yells from the bedroom.

"Boy I been ready. I was just waitin' on you old man," She joked.

"Don't get beat up," He appeared in the living room and grabbed what he needed to grab.

They finally leave her apartment and as soon as they reach the last step, Moe realized he forgotten something.

"Shit, I forgot my weighted vest. I'll be right back," He pats her ass and runs back up the stairs to get the vest. Moe was really into building up his chest, shoulders, and back and the weighted vest aided in that.

He never wore it in the gym though because he thinks that some of these niggas look stupid with it on. Especially on the treadmill. The weighted vest had been around for a while, since his academy days. Before he actively gotten into the gym, he used to join in on Firefighter workouts that were being held in the gym, and some of them used to train in their gear or weighted vest to mimicked the weight of the water hose or any other heavy equipment that they have to carry in case of fire or emergency.

Bronnie thought that he looked good in the vest. Hell, she thought that he looked good in anything. Bronnie looked down at Nutmeg.

"Yo' stepdaddy is so fine chile," She pats her head.

Bronnie took in the surroundings around her before she noticed that her shoe was untied. As she was tying her shoe, she noticed a set of feet standing before her. She knew that it wasn't her boyfriend because his feet were much bigger than the ones that she see. Also judging by the shoes this person wore, she could tell that it was a woman.

She immediately stood up and took a step back. Upon seeing the face, Bronnie rolled her eyes at the girl.

"How can I help you?" Bronnie says in a tone.

Before her was Tomas' current girlfriend and baby mama. Bronnie knew exactly who she was, so she wasn't egregiously surprised or taken aback. She is thrown off that she stopped and stepped up to her though.

"He's so mean to me. He was never like this before, not when we got together or when I was pregnant. Since the whole southwest car incident, he's changed. He's verbally abusive and sometimes physically abuse. Was he like this with you?" She asked Bronnie.

"Just leave him." That was all that Bronnie could say.

She scoffed, assessing Bronnie from head to toe. Bronnie gives her a stank face and that's when something chipped off in the young girl's brain.

"He's obsessed with you, you know. He still has pictures of you in his phone. Naked pictures, pictures of you and him together, even some of you and your current boyfriend, Moe. He also knows that your brother is the one to do the damage. You literally can't hide from him," She says with an witchy laugh. It disturbed Bronnie.

"So you're saying all of this because of what? Leverage? Lemme tell you something..." Bronnie was getting angrier and angrier by the second and internally, she was warring with herself.

"Tomas suffers from Bipolar Disorder and that is type 1. A month before we broke up, he decided to see a therapist and called himself 'attempting to get help'. Within the first four sessions, he was diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. You think he's obsessed with me? No, that's what he wants you to think. He loves the idea of you going crazy over him, obsessing over him, and attempting to fight his battles. You're a puppet and he loves pulling your strings. You don't think I see right through you? Fake ass show you just put on? There's not even a hint of fear or sympathy in your eyes." Bronnie pointed out.

"You're right," The girl shrugs, and immediately Bronnie gets a chill up her spine. "I just wanted to talk to you face to face to see what the hype was really about. You gotta nice lil shape; of what I can see, your teeth are nice and your skin is—" Bronnie nudged her hard in her face.

"Bitch get the fuck outta my face for real. Fuck is you doing, tryna assess me and shit!" Bronnie bucked up on her and Nutmeg began to bark.

"That wasn't very nice!" She regained her footing and immediately they began to fight.

They were first on the sidewalk and Nutmeg started clawing at the girl. She stayed on her because something shiny was catching her eye. She couldn't take her eyes off of it. Bronnie was zoned out, crying and landing punches. If Tomas really had eyes on her then she needs to get the fuck outta dodge.

She didn't hear the blaring horns nor the screeching tires that growled against the pavement. Whatever caught Nutmeg's eye had dropped and now she ran to her owner. Nutmeg wouldn't stop barking. Bronnie got the best of the girl and she fell on the ground. Unfortunately, her head landed on the ground, right beside the shiny item, and she immediately grabbed it.

In defense of her owner, Nutmeg trampled over the girl and began to bark and stomp on her so that she could stay down. Off of pure adrenaline, she held the shiny item in her hand and jabbed it into Nutmeg's body. Nutmeg howled but continued to claw at her.

That didn't stop her from stabbing Nutmeg a few times. Bronnie didn't know it yet, but she gotten hit by a car due to her being in the middle of the street and not being aware of ongoing traffic. As a result, she was sprawled out in the street.

When the girl didn't feel Nutmeg's nails claw at her anymore, that's when she pushed Nutmeg off and made a run for it. She didn't get very far, especially since she landed back on the ground and broke out into a grand mal seizure.

Moe had tunnel vision as people who witnessed the scene and jumped out of their cars to help. One person who was closer to the 'Jane Doe' had ran out to help her and timed her seizure. Normally grand mal seizures in the tonic phase lasts at least 10 to 20 seconds. She has been seizing for four minutes, going on five.

He ran to Nutmeg first and immediately called the emergency veterinarian services. The weapon of choice was still punctured in her body and Moe grew teary eyed. He craned his ear down to check her breathing and it was very shallow, fast, and hard. He didn't want to take the pocketknife out of her body because he didn't want her to bleed out. But by the looks of it...

He gently laid Nutmeg's head down as he watched her tongue become relaxed and her eyes slowly close. With the quickness, he took off Nutmeg's bedazzled name collar and held it in his hand and ran over to his girlfriend and called the nearest EMS engine.

"Hey! This is Mosaic Morris, and I'm a fellow firefighter at Engine 32. I'm right here on 200 Florida Ave Northeast, DC. I'm on the corner! Please hurry!" He shouted into the phone.

Bronnie now has her eyes open and she painfully moaned aloud. Her vision was cloudy, she couldn't feel her face, and everything hurts.

"I'm right here baby! I'm right here," He says, caressing her face.

"Nutmeg. Where's Nutmeg?" Is what Bronnie asked him before her vision becomes cloudy.

In this life, we are much like caterpillars.

The caterpillar symbolizes your willingness to let go of the past. Caterpillars cannot grow in its current form. They must bravely shed their former body to enter and prosper in their new one; the butterfly. But see, caterpillars can turn into moths too. It's all in how you perceive them to be.

We all want to be a butterfly, but it's always going to be that one motherfucker who's going to fuck up your transformation. In homage to the life cycle, some caterpillars die off before they could become a butterfly or a moth.

In human instances, people want you to stay a caterpillar because they know that your transformation is going to be better that you'd ever imagine.

Hey y'all! It's been a long while since I updated, but we're back and we're better.

Quick lil storytime: I regret not taking a break from school since graduating undergrad. Me going back to school right after undergrad was the plan, but now that I'm in my grad program, it's ghetto as hell. I thought I could do it right away but then I came to the realization that I've never given myself a break. Because why am I about to cry? Plus my laptop went kaput and I had to buy a new one..

But lemme just say that if you aren't giving your body enough rest, your body will do it for you. This month was really about adjusting and the 'adjustments' is having me stressed. But we're going to prevail in Jesus' name lol

Thoughts on this chapter?

I tried to get this out as fast as I could so I skimmed over it. Please excuse all errors!

I see y'all commenting and voting and adding this book to y'all libraries and reading lists. I just want to say thank you, for real. Thank y'all for rocking with me.