Autumn stared up into the late afternoon sky, watching the dark gray layer of clouds-commonly known as nimbostratus clouds-move around in the atmosphere. A thunderstorm happened a few hours go but only drizzle remained now. It was supposed to start back up soon though.
She was lying on a blanket and two of the living room couch cushions to help soothe the pain in her back. They'd be throwing the whole sofa out today anyway, so it meant no difference whether she got them dirty or not.
August was sitting next to her dressed in a black coat, a beanie and a pair of sweats. He was currently building mud pies on her bare stomach since she was only dressed in a bra and boxers. Clothes recently became a give or take with her due to her belly that had been carrying triplets for almost four months now.
"Now if I beat yo' ass, I'ma be wrong, right?" Dayvon stood over her with his arms folded, blocking her view of the sky.
"Um, yes, actually." She shrugged innocently, as if she didn't know what he was upset about.
"Autumn it's fifty two degrees and raining; and you out here in just a bra. Stop playing with me man."
"It's too hot in the house, D. I wanna stay out here." She covered her eyes with her forearm at the same time that August giggled, knowing his mom was now in trouble.
"You knew you could get sick and still came out here with no clothes on. You carrying three kids Autumn. Your pregnancy already high risk. Get up ma." He put his hands underneath her arms, and she heavily sighed at the feeling of being picked up.
"Twin go wait for yo' mama in the tub. The water already ran." Dayvon gestured to the house with his head.
"Where it run to?" August dusted his hands off on his pants as he stood up, giggling again once Autumn let out a laugh at Dayvon's annoyance with them.
Autumn held under her belly while Dayvon held her hand, leading the way to the water hose. He let it run in the grass for a bit before guiding it towards her stomach, allowing it to wash the mud off of her skin so that it wouldn't get their shower dirty.
"You mad at me?" She asked, seeing the natural frown resting on his plump lips.
"No, I just want you to take yo' health more seriously. I don't wanna lose one of them over somethin' small that could've been prevented." He told her, and her playful grin disappeared at his genuine concern.
"Aw, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about it like that. I'll stay inside." She assured, standing on the tip of her toes to give him a kiss.
"Don't lie. You ah' probably be back out here in an hour. I just want you to put a coat on." He kissed her bottom lip when she pulled away, and Autumn smiled in response. They both knew how much she loved being outside, it didn't matter the weather.
Autumn's hand went back underneath her belly while Dayvon held her other one, leading the way in the house. He locked the back sliding door, and then the two of them made their way to the master bathroom.
August was sitting in the jet tub full of bubbles, playing with his toys that were specifically designed for bath time. He moved over to make room for Autumn to get inside even though there was plenty left, and after undressing, she sat down behind him.
They spent a little less than twenty minutes in the tub, and being his usual nurturing self, Dayvon bathed the both of them before helping them get out.
He put on some random pajamas for August since they weren't leaving the house today, and against his wishes, Autumn opted to put her clothes on by herself. He swore she was handicapped now that she was pregnant, when really she could move just as well as before; she just got tired a lot quicker.
"Baby?" Autumn called.
"Wassup mama? You need help?" He abandoned the box in the closet to approach her, putting a smile on her face.
"No. I'm fine." She chuckled. "I wanted to ask you if you decided on transferring precincts when we move or not?"
"Nah. I don't think I'ma go back to work for a lil' minute. 'Til the babies big enough." He told her. "What made you ask that?" He added.
"Do you think I could start my own business? Well, I mean, I know I could-but do you think it would be successful? Even with me not knowing anybody down there?" She asked with curious eyes, causing Dayvon's eyebrows to huddle together.
"You can do anything you put your mind to. Anything. And it'll thrive if you have faith and be patient." He sat on the bed ottoman in front of her, picking up on the seriousness of the conversation.
"What kind of business you wanna start?" He inquired.
"A rehab center, like the one that helped me." She paused after her vague answer, passing her journal over to him.
"I want it to be a real rehabilitation program. Something that actually helps people get on the right track and stay on it, with like, rental assistance and stuff to make sure they don't have to go back to what they're trying to escape. And it won't be solely for drug addicts. It could be for alcoholics and people going through domestic violence, too. Men and women."
"You got 'bout ten pages wrote about this. Why you just now telling me mama?" He glanced between her and the journal, reading some of her ideas.
"It was just something I wanted to see happen at first, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to be the one to execute it. I keep thinking about it though. I feel like God is actually telling me that I have to be the one to do it. I don't know. It sounds kinda stupid now that I'm saying it out loud." She rubbed her left arm, finding the ground interesting all of a sudden.
"This ain't stupid ma. What I tell you 'bout talking like that?" He tilted her head up to look at him.
"I say you should do it. It's a good idea Autumn. A real good one. And if God keeps putting it in yo' face, you really ain't got no choice but to do it. You ain't tripping. His voice can come to you through anything, even crazy shit like a chair or somethin'." He shrugged, causing her smile to return.
"I hate trying stuff and it fails though. The first thing go wrong and I'll wanna give up completely." She expressed in a low sigh.
"Tribulations come with anything mama. You a perfect example. You felt like stuff kept going wrong in yo' life, and look at you now, doing better than ever. Making mistakes along the way is inevitable. Nothing or nobody is perfect."
"You are. 'Cause how you know exactly what to say every time?" Her eyes dazed slightly with admiration, staring at him while he stared right back at her.
"Shit come straight from my soul when it got somethin' to do with you. I don't even gotta think about what to say." He leaned forward to kiss her forehead, making her eyes close momentarily.
"Dayvon," A cheeky smile crept across her face as he continued to gently kiss over her skin. He made her so nervous. It was almost as if she hadn't known him for her entire life.
"Just seeing you wanna do shit like this makes me so proud. I been waiting to have my Autumn back for a long time ma. I be looking at you and be unable to believe you here with me." He told her, pushing a stray piece of her hair up into her bonnet.
"Stop it. Why are you always trying to make me cry?" She covered his face with her hands as soon as that lump settled in her throat. She couldn't even look at him without getting emotional.
"Dayvonnn," She childishly whined when he laid his head down on her shoulder, knowing that she was about to start crying. Her hormones made it hard not to.
"Baby why are you crying? We can't do this everyday, y'know, the whole routine where you profess your love for me and then we both cry. Like it has to stop, eventually." She smiled again, tilting his head back to look into his eyes that were actively turning red.
"I don't understand this shit man. I can't never explain the way you make me feel. Anything you do or say makes me wanna cry. This shit goofy as hell." He used the end of his shirt to wipe the corner of his eye while Autumn's smile spread further.
"I can't believe you not tired of me yet. You been obsessed with me for 23 years." She chuckled, wiping his cheeks dry with her thumbs.
"I won't ever get tired of you. You a part of me." He told her; the same line he used every time the love he had for her was brought up.
That was the only way to explain why he felt the way he felt about her. She was like a vital organ to him; his brain, his kidneys, his lungs, his liver, and his heart. Without her, there was no way he could survive. With her, he was able to mentally and physically function every day.
It was like they were destined to be together, no matter how old they got, no matter where they were or what they were doing, no matter who was or wasn't in their lives; it would always be them.
There wasn't anything either of them could do or anything that could happen that would taint the love they had for one another.
"You a part of me. Literally." Autumn guided his hands to be on her stomach, meeting his gaze again.
"They got the best mama in the world. Flaws and all. They gon' know love because of you." He told her, and when she blinked, the tears that she was attempting to hold back finally fell.
He thought so highly of her, and for the life of her, she couldn't understand why. She couldn't imagine what she would do or how she would feel if he did what she had the last couple of years. And still, he loved her regardless of her actions.
Although he had, she still had yet to forgive herself for what she'd done. She didn't even realize how much she was making it up to him, just by being there for him and August everyday. He'd dreamed of this since the moment she left.
"I'll do it right this time. I'll be a good mom, for real. I promise." She assured him, mostly trying to assure herself as well.
"I know it mama. Believe in yourself the same way I do.. We gon' do this shit together this time. God got us." He rubbed her back as she remained straddled in his lap, and Autumn leaned her head forward to give him a kiss.
"Good job baby. I'm proud of you." Her smile returned when he kept the kiss brief; something she'd been trying to teach him since forever. He was always getting carried away.
"Stop talking to me like that 'for I do something to you." His tongue slid mindlessly over his plump lips, focusing his gaze on her mouth.
"You were literally crying two minutes ago." She suspiciously rose an eyebrow at him, making his laughter fill the room just a second later.
"That don't mean nothing. I ah' start crying while I'm in the pus-,"
"Daddy I all done." August ran into the room with a napkin in his hand, wiping the chicken nugget crumbs from around his mouth.
"Yeah daddy. He's all done." Autumn laughed at the expression on Dayvon's face while raising up from his lap, and he playfully rolled his eyes at the both of them.
"I help you finish packing now?" He asked, putting the napkin in the small trash bin on the side of the dresser.
"Nah. It's yo' nap time. Look at you. Yo' ass tired right now." He chuckled, watching his son rub at his low eyes.
August wrapped his arms around Dayvon's neck after being picked up, and the two of them joined Autumn near the top of the bed. While August crawled to cuddle up against Autumn's front, Dayvon laid behind her, wrapping his arm around both of them.
It took no time for Dayvon to doze off since he'd been packing most of the house up all day. He refused to let Autumn to lift a finger and did it all by himself with no complaints. The exhaustion caught up to him though.
His hand moved to rest in the warm pocket created in the crease of Autumn's belly and her thigh, rubbing her skin for a short moment before he fell asleep completely.
"You okay mommy?" August picked his head up from the game he was playing on her phone after feeling her eyes on him.
"Mhm. You okay baby?" She returned the question, moving his dreads out of his face to see him better.
"Yeah but I think it's time to go to sleep now 'cause my eyes burning." He tucked her phone underneath the pillow while a smile spread across her face.
She rubbed his chubby cheeks with her thumbs once he moved closer to her, laying his face against her chest. She then went to gently rub his scalp, knowing that was the quickest way to put him to sleep.
Autumn never realized how 'rich' she truly was until she got to just admire what was hers. There wasn't enough money in the world that could replace the two people she loved the most. She was really God's favorite.
This finna be a short story cause I'm so bored. I hate writing books with little to no drama. Nothing to make a bitch sit straight up in the bed or make a bitch heart drop or nothing. Hmph on BD 👎