HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEYONCÉ!
9/4/81 👑🐝💙🙌🏽
Armoni POV:
Trayveon held my hand as he escorted me into my house and into my baby's nursery. My jaw dropped and tears instantly filled my eyes when I walked in and saw that the entire room was completely destroyed.
My baby boy's crib, dresser, changing table and rocking chair had been dismantled and smashed into pieces. The clothes that were previously hanging in his closet, were now on the floor and smelled of bleach. Black spray paint covered my baby's walls and bedsheets.
Everything was destroyed.
I quickly walked out of the room and checked every other room in my house. Not one thing was out of place in any other room but yet my baby's room was completely destroyed. They destroyed my baby's room but didn't think to steal any of my valuables. At least a TV, some of my jewelry, clothes, shoes or something. Even in Aaliyah's room everything was still in the same condition.
Out of all the things that they could've taken or destroyed, why my baby's things? My baby wasn't even here yet and people are already messing with him. The anger and sadness I felt in my chest made my breathing unsteady and I felt like I was suffocating.
"When I find out who did this, I swear on my Mam-"
"Calm down, Imma handle it. Everything gon' get replaced and lil man's room will be good as new. Don't stress, you know I got you." Tray said pulling me into his chest. "Imma find out who the fuck did this and they asses gon' pay. I promise Juicy." He said rocking me back and forth as I cried.
I pulled away from him and walked into the den. I got on the computer and pulled up the security tapes from yesterday. It was tmes like this, that I was grateful for Emanuel's overprotectiveness and paranoia. He had security cameras set up on my front and back porch.
"Man, that bitch is delusional. Why she steady fuckin with you?" Tray asked once we saw Brandy on camera with another man. Brandy had a baseball bat in one hand and a bottle of bleach in the other.
I watched as they played with the lock on my door until they got in. They were in my house no more than ten minutes before getting in their vehicle and burning off. "Wait til I have this baby." I mumbled as I took pictures of the security monitor. I got up and went into the nursery and took pictures and video as well. The more I stood there, the angrier I got. "Imma kill that bitch." I gritted out. Tears started to flow as a hard mug formed on my face.
This was a girl that I let into my life and around my family. Welcomed her into my little circle. I treated this girl like she was my blood. Loved her like she was my sister. I was there for her when nobody else was. Took up for her and supported her through everything. I provided for her financially when nobody else would. I didn't kill her like I wanted to after finding out she stole from me. And this is the repayment I get? For fucking what? All of this, for what?
"You not doing shit to that girl. Imma handle it. Just worry about being a mother to ya son and going back to school." He told me as he kissed my forehead. "Pack some clothes and shit. You and Li gon have to come stay with me for a few days or something. That lil crazy bitch and that nigga probably won't come back but I'm not taking no chances when it comes to y'all safety. Imma handle they asses though."
"But Tray I-"
"You trust me?" He asked, looking into my eyes. Trayveon has never given me a reason to not trust him and he's always kept it real with me.
"Of course." I responded instantly, without hesitation.
"Imma handle it." He repeated.
"I don't want you to get in more trouble than you're already in. One slip up and you'll be in jail for the rest of your life Trayveon. You're already being taken away from me, don't help speed up the process." I sighed. He rolled his eyes and I smirked. "Promise me you won't do anything to put yourself at risk to be taken from me?" I said extending my pinky out to him. He stared down at me so intensely that I wanted to look away from him. He had my body tingling with just one look.
"Better be glad I love you." He mumbled as he loosely wrapped his large pinky around mine. I wrapped my arms around his torso and kissed his chest. "Go pack a bag, Imma get Li."
While I packed up some clothes for Aaliyah and I, Trayveon cleaned up the mess in the nursery. I tried so hard to fight back tears as I gathered our belongings. My mind was blown and I was honestly in disbelief.
So many questions were running through my mind. Out of all the things to destroy, why my son's room? What possessed them to even do this? How did they even know where I lived? Are Aaliyah and I safe? Would my son be safe when he arrived? I shook all of the negative thoughts and questions out of my head and focused on getting the hell out of here. I didn't feel safe.
After leaving my house, we stopped by the store to get groceries so I could cook dinner. Once we picked up what we needed from the store, we drove to Trayveon's.
"Mama, I'm hungry." Li announced from the backseat as we pulled into the gate of his building.
"I'll make you a sandwich or something until dinner is ready." I replied. Just as I was taking off my seatbelt, my phone rang. I looked down at the screen seeing that Jerome was trying to FaceTime me. I simply handed my phone to Aaliyah and her face lit up with excitement. He should've just called her phone.
"Hi Daddy!" She grinned. "You really called." She said making my heart skip a beat at the fact that she was expecting Jerome not to call or make contact once he left. This poor baby's head was all messed up.
"Hi Princess, what you doing?" He asked. She began talking a mile a minute and I tuned out their conversation because I knew it would be a while before I got my phone back.
I allowed her to talk to her Daddy while I got a start on dinner. I'd stolen Trayveon's phone and was blasting music as I cooked. Toward the end of Aaliyah's conversation with her Dad, Jerome asked to speak with me. I didn't mind because I needed to talk to him anyway to tell him about what happened.
"Why you got my baby at that nigga's house like she belong there?" Was the first thing to come out of his mouth.
"You be so worried about all the wrong shit." I sighed, shaking my head. "I'm staying with him because Brandy and ya lil friend Snake broke into my house and destroyed my baby's nursery." I informed him. Instantly his facial expression changed and I could see the fire in his eyes.
"Huh? What you mean?" He asked, raising his voice. He was pissed and I could tell. "I know muthafuckas is stupid but they ain't that damn stupid." He scoffed.
"Hold on." I put him on pause before sending him the pictures I'd taken of the room and of the security footage. I could tell when he got the pictures and looked at them because of his response.
"I'm on my way home." He said before he ended the call. I immediately called him back and I could see the anger on his face.
"Jerome do-"
"I'm trying to find a flight, I'll call you back later." He said quickly before hanging up the phone again.
I huffed as I dialed his number again. "Stop hanging up on me!" I snapped, as soon as he answered the phone.
"Well stop calling me. I'm tryna get home." He snapped back at me.
"Who the fuck you talking to?" I yelled.
"My bad." He sighed as he ran his hand down his face.
"Don't come home, handle your business up there. Think about what you're doing and who you're doing it for. Focus on securing a future for Aaliyah and our son. I don't need you to come home and do anything that'll take you away from your kids." I said calmly.
He was silent for a moment as he huffed and puffed with anger. "Damn man. You right." He sighed, shaking his head as he roughly ran his hand down his face.
"We're just gonna let karma take care of them. God will handle them because what they did was wrong as hell and they'll pay for it." I told him, trying to convince him and myself not to retaliate. Everything in me wanted to run up on Brandy and whoop her ass again. The only thing keeping me from doing it, was this little baby inside of me. I had to do better for him. I had to be a better person for him.
"Who are you and what have you done with my baby?" Jerome asked.
"First of all, I'm not your baby. Second, I can't just think about me now. I have to have my son's best interest and make decisions that are good for him." I explained.
"Aw, you growing up. I never thought I'd see the day you'd be turning down a fight." He chuckled, making me roll my eyes.
"Bye Jerome because now you're trying to play me like I'm some type of hood rat or something." I said eyeing him.
"Wellllll." He dragged out. I rolled my eyes at him and flipped him off before ending the call. He had me messed up. I washed my hands at the kitchen sink before finishing the meal that I had cooking.
While we were at the grocery store, Trayveon came up with this extravagant menu that he wanted me to cook. Some of the stuff that he wanted was random and didn't flow together as a meal but he wanted it so I was gonna get my ass in the kitchen and cook it for him. Of course his greedy ass wanted macaroni and cheese again.
I was honestly so tired of cooking macaroni and cheese. He asks me to make it for almost every meal that I cook for him. But if that was what he wanted, he was gonna get it. He wanted beef tips and rice, garlic mashed potatoes, greens, yams, baked macaroni and cheese, and cornbread.
This nigga wanted a whole Sunday feast on a weekday. But he deserved it so I had no problem making it for him. After the food was done, I made their plates. "What's wrong with you? You not hungry?" Tray asked, coming into the bedroom where I was in his bed.
"I don't feel good." I admitted.
"What's wrong? Ya stomach hurting? You still upset from earlier? It might be stress or your anxiety." He asked, sitting on the edge of the bed as he looked at me with concern.
"No, my throat hurts and my nose is tingling so I might be getting sick." I responded. My throat had that scratchy feeling it always has before I get sick.
"You need to go to the hospital?" He asked.
"No, I'm just gonna take a nap." I told him.
"You need anything?" He asked me, I shook my head in response before pulling the covers completely over my body. "Okay. Feel better Juicy. Me and Li in the living room watching tv if you need something." He told me before kissing my forehead and leaving the room.
The moment I closed my eyes, I got the urge to use the bathroom. I rolled my eyes before getting out of the bed and going to handle my business. Just as I was climbing into the bed, Tray came back in the room. "You sure you don't wanna go to the doctor?" He looked so concerned I couldn't help but to laugh.
"I'm sure." I assured him. After making myself comfortable, I was able to fall asleep. A few hours later, I woke up damn near coughing my lungs out. Which resulted in me having to use the bathroom again. Not only did I have a sore throat, but I had a stuffy nose and I couldn't stop sneezing.
"The hell wrong with you?" Trayveon asked, coming into the bathroom looking concerned. I was still sitting on the toilet because I didn't want to risk peeing on myself just in case I suddenly had to cough or sneeze.
"I'm sick." I responded.
"You need to go to the doctor." He told me.
"No, it's just a cold Tray. I'll be fine." I replied before busting out into a fit of sneezes. By the time I was finished I had peed three times. He noticed what was going on and went into the bathroom cabinet and got out a box of pads.
"I'm trying to figure out what bitch you had in here that's comfortable enough to be leaving pads and shit in ya cabinet?" I asked him, snatching the pad from him and putting it on. "It's probably that bald headed bitch you had sucking ya dick! You still talk to her, huh?"
"You." He responded simply. I squinted my eyes at him but my facial expression softened when I remembered that they were indeed mine. Early in my pregnancy, I was spotting and since I spent the majority of my time here, I stashed a box here in case of emergencies. "Dumb ass." He mumbled.
"Shut up." I replied, rolling my eyes.
"Go get in the bed." He instructed me. After handling my business and washing my hands, I got in the bed like he told me to. Less than five minutes later he returned. "Drink this." He instructed me as he sat by me on the edge of the bed and handed the mug to me. I gave him a skeptical look and sniffed the contents making him smack his lips. "It's tea, lemon, honey, and apple cider vinegar."
"Thank you." I said accepting the cup from him. I blew the tea but before I could take a sip, I sneezed causing the tea to splash on my hand. "Eww." I whined. Snot was running out of my nose. Tray went into the bathroom and got toilet tissue. He wiped my nose clean for me and I had to smile. "You're so sweet Tray."
"Yeah yeah." He mumbled continuing to wipe my nose and clean me up, making me laugh. "Use this until I get back." He instructed me, placing the roll of tissue on the table beside the bed. "I'll be back." He said.
"Where you going? You can't drive Trayveon!" I reminded him. Earlier this week, I found out that he'd gone and bought himself a cash car for him to ride around in. Although his license was suspended and he knew that he wasn't supposed to be driving. I didn't approve but Tray was grown and made his own decisions. I couldn't stop him.
"I'll be back, stay in the bed." He instructed me, making me sigh. I knew there was no talking to him and there wasn't anything I could do to stop him from going out.
"Be careful please." I said on the verge of tears. If something happened or he got pulled over, he would be sent straight to jail.
"I will cry baby. Love you." He said leaning down and attempting to kiss my lips. I turned my head, avoiding his lips and causing them to land on my cheek instead.
"I'm sick, I don't wanna spread my germs and get you sick too." I reminded him.
"You betta gimme a kiss lil girl." He demanded as he grabbed my chin and pecking my lips. "I don't give a damn about no weak ass germs." He mumbled, making me laugh.
"Alright, don't be crying when you get sick." I said shaking my head.
"Nah, you just gon have to take care of me like I'm about to take care of you." He said making me smile.
"I love you, be safe." I told him.
"Yes ma'am. Li in the living room watching TV, I'll tell her to come check on you to see if you need anything before I come back." He said.
"Thank you." I smiled.
"Ya welcome Juicy." He smirked. After Tray left, all I could do was pray for his safe return. Although he was gone for less than an hour, it felt like three days.
"The pharmacist helped me pick some shit out since I didn't know what you could and couldn't have since you pregnant." He said placing the plastic bags on the bed and going through them. "I figured you was hungry so I put you some soup on."
He placed a three pack box of tissues on the night stand and I smiled once I noticed it was the kind with the lotion. He'd bought me more pads, a humidifier, and even a thermometer to check my temperature. "The lady said that if you had a fever I had to take you to the ER. But she told me some stuff to do to break it first." He rambled on as he continued taking this out of the bags.
All I could do was lay there and stare at him in admiration. This nigga was so good to me and he didn't even have to be.
"Why you crying? You hurting? You wanna go to the hospital?" He asked. I shook my head no and once I was able to find my words, I explained the reason behind my tears. "Cry baby ass." He chuckled before kissing me.
After setting up the humidifier and giving me medicine, he left the room. Shortly after, he returned with a bowl of soup, a bottle of hot sauce, a sleeve of crackers, a grilled cheese sandwich, a bottle of Gatorade and a bottle of water. "Thank you Trayveon." I smiled.
"Ya welcome. Try to get some sleep after you eat." He told me. After I ate, I watched TV for a while before finally dozing to sleep. When I woke up, it was because I was wet. I had a coughing fit in my sleep and peed on myself without even knowing. I jumped up as quickly as I could and stripped the sheets down.
I was so embarrassed and I didn't want Tray to know what happened. Especially since this was his bed I peed in. This baby was taking up so much room inside of me. Not only could I barely breathe but I was peeing on myself every other hour. I was so ready to have my baby in my arms instead of causing havoc on my insides.
After quickly cleaning up the bed, I changed the sheets and put the old ones in the washer before getting in the shower and then cleaning myself up. I put on fresh clothes and got back in the bed like nothing had happened.
About two hours later, Trayveon came in the room with me. While he took a shower, I got out of the bed and slipped out of the room to check on Li. She was already in the bed inside the guest room watching YouTube. She was in her pajamas and she had her bonnet on.
"You feeling better Mama?" She asked, sitting up in the bed.
"A little." I lied, I felt the same but I didn't want her to worry.
"Daddy called me again. He wanted to talk to you too but I told him Uncle Tray was taking care of you cause you was sick. I think he got mad so you might wanna call him and check on him." She said making me sigh. This little girl is too grown for me.
"Okay, I'll text him." I responded simply. "You ready to say your prayers?" I asked. She nodded her head and turned off her YouTube video. We usually held hands while we prayed, but I didn't want to risk getting her sick.
After saying prayers with Aaliyah and my son, I left the guest room and returned to Tray's bedroom. I was thankful that he was out of the bathroom because I had to go. Once I was finished taking care of my business, I walked back into the bedroom and almost dropped to the ground when I noticed that this nigga was naked as hell.
He had water droplets dripping from his body, his semi hard dick was swanging, his little butt cheeks were so cute and tight. He just looked so yummy and delicious. He hadn't noticed I was in the room, so I continued to watch him as he dried off and put on a pair of basketball shorts. "I know you standin there. I can hear you breathing. Creepy ass lil girl." He said smacking his lips.
"Shut up. This baby is all in my lungs, I can barely breathe." I laughed loudly. He shook his head as he watched me climb into the bed. I was only wearing a large shirt and a pair of spandex shorts. Since I'd gained weight, they damn near looked like panties. My butt and thighs had swallowed them up. He sat down at the edge of the bed and I rolled my eyes when he pulled out his video game controller.
I sat back and watched him for about half an hour while he played the game.
"I wanna take you and the kids on a vacation before my court date. I wanna spend as much time with y'all as I can. Once my trial starts, I probably won't be able to leave the city." Tray told me. I was laid in the bed while he sat on the edge playing his raggedy ass video game.
"Where?" I asked.
"I was thinking Six Flags but it's getting hot and I know you probably won't wanna do all that walking so maybe we could go to a water park or a safari or something." He suggested.
"We could do all three. You just gotta carry me everywhere when we go to Six Flags." I joked.
"Oh hell naw." He chuckled, making me laugh.
"We're gonna have to go soon because baby boy is on his way. I'm due in three and a half weeks." I reminded him.
"I'll start getting it together now cause I know you're not gonna wanna be bothered with all that stuff right before you give birth."
"We can go half. Just let me know how much it is or I'll just give you my card information." I told him. He completely ignored my statement but I noticed the look on his face.
"I need to ask ya baby daddy if it's alright to take his child before I start all this planning and shit." He said making me frown.
"For what?" I huffed, rolling my eyes. "She's with me most of the time anyway."
"It's a respect thing. If it was the other way around, I wouldn't want a nigga up and taking my daughter somewhere without askin." He explained making me nod my head.
"So, what are you gonna do if he says no?" I asked raising my eyebrow.
"I mean, imma still take her bu-" He couldn't even get out his words because I interrupted him with my laughter. He shook his head at me before smirking. "Go to sleep goofy ass lil girl." He instructed me.
"Come cuddle with me. Rub on my booty and breathe on my neck." I whined. He looked over his shoulder at me before laughing.
"You a hand full, you know that?" He smirked.
"That's what you got two hands for nigga." I replied, making him chuckle. He spent a little more time on the game before finally coming to lay with me.
"Goodnight Juicy." He mumbled.
"Goodnight Trayveon, I love you." I said briefly pressing my lips to his and then rolling on to my side. He draped his arm around my body and pulled my body closer to his. I was still sick so I didn't want to be breathing all in his face and spreading even more germs.
"Love you too." He replied, kissing my neck, making me giggle at the feeling of his soft lips touching the sensitive skin.
ONE WEEK LATER:
"I'm so excited." Aaliyah grinned. Today was the day we were going to Six Flags. I was honestly worn out because yesterday we went to the zoo and on a safari in a Jeep and fed the animals. Tomorrow we were going to an aquarium. This weekend was full of activities and I was already tired as hell.
"I'm just ready to eat and for you to win me a bear so I can cuddle with it." I grinned as I elbowed Tray.
"So damn spoiled." He mumbled, shaking his head at me. I shrugged my shoulders before taking a bite of my pickle.
"I wanna ride all the rides." Zyonn added.
"You can't be scary. You gotta ride the big ones too." Tray told him.
"I'm not scary, I'm a man." Zyonn announced proudly.
"You ain't no man. Aunt Imani said you peed in the bed last week." Aaliyah said making me bite down on my lip to keep from laughing. It didn't work out too well for Tray because he erupted into loud laughter.
"Aaliyah that's not nice, apologize." I told her. I wasn't trying to have them going back and forth with each other on this trip, I just wanted peace and quiet.
"Sorry Zyonn." She apologized.
"Well at least I know how to talk." Zyonn spat, referring to Aaliyah's speech impediment and stuttering. When I first met Li, it used to be really bad because she was still in her mom's care and she wasn't doing anything to help her. After coming to live with Jerome and I, we got her help. With the help of her speech therapist, her speech has improved a lot and her words are a lot more clear.
"Damn, That was a low blow." Tray mumbled.
"Shut up." I mumbled to him, hitting his arm. The rest of the drive was spent listening to Li and Zyonn go back and forth roasting on each other and me trying to referee while Trayveon laughed. So much for peace and quiet. By the time we finally arrived, I was so glad to get out that damn car.
After getting checked in and everything, I was already tired. Although I had on sunglasses, this sun was still draining the hell out of me and we'd only been here for twenty minutes. Thankfully we could only be here for a max of four hours because we had to get Tray back home before eight.
Since we ate breakfast and snacked on the way up here, nobody was really hungry yet. For the first hour and a half they rode rides while I watched and took pictures. Currently we were seated on a bench so I could catch my breath while the kids decided on which ride they wanted to get on next.
"Trayveon, can I-"
"You can have whatever you want pretty girl." He mumbled before reaching in his wallet and handing me his card.
"Thank you baby." I smirked before leaning in and kissing his lips. When I attempted to pull away from him, he pecked my lips before looking me in the eye and then kissing me again. "Mm. Don't do that." I mumbled.
"I love you lil girl." He smirked.
"I know Trayveon, I love you too." I mumbled as I quickly looked away from him so that he wouldn't notice the tears forming in my eyes. Every time I think about the reality of his situation, I get emotional. Not only can I not be with a man that really loves me and that's good to me, but he's also going to prison and there's nothing we can do about it.
"Let me know when you get tired of walking and I'll go rent you a scooter." He said making me nod my head. After the kids rode their last ride, it was my time to shine. It was time to eat. We ordered a bunch of food and split it between all of us so we could each have a taste of everything. We had a pizza, nachos, a turkey leg, barbecue, a foot long chili cheese dog, and chicken wings.
"Don't forget you have to win my bear. We're not leaving until I get it." I reminded him as I wiped my mouth with a napkin.
Once we finished eating, I was too full to even attempt to move, so Tray rented a motorized scooter for me. "Which one you want baby?" He asked me. I pointed to the large stuffed animal with a grin on my face. It took him two attempts but on the third try he got it. I had a big grin on my face as the game attendant handed my big bear to me. This thing was as big as I was.
"Thank you Trayveon." I grinned as I stood up and gave him a big hug. I waited until the kids were looking the other way to kiss him.
"Ya welcome Juicy." He replied, making me smirk. He calls me that like it's my name. "You want one too, Stink?" He asked Aaliyah. She quickly nodded her head and pointed to the one she wanted. It was the same one I got, in a different color. After he won her bear, we moved to the next game.
Aaliyah and I stood back and watched as Tray and Zyonn played each other in a basketball game. Of course Trayveon won but he allowed Zyonn to have his prize, which was a large stuffed basketball.
"Ooooh, lets get shirts made." I said excitedly. Before allowing anybody to reply, I zoomed by them and to the shirt booth. When they finally caught up with me, we all picked our designs and told our shirt sizes. While we waited for our shirts to be made, we got dessert. A fried snickers bar and ice cream for me, a caramel and chocolate funnel cake for Tray, churros and ice cream for Zyonn, and a caramel apple for Aaliyah.
"Can I have another bite?"I asked Tray, eyeing his plate.
"Here, cause you not about to keep eating my shit." Tray said shoving a twenty dollar bill in my face. "Get ya own."
"I just wanted a bite." I laughed.
"You done said that about four or five times." He said smacking his lips.
"Shut up, I offered you some of mine and you had some." I replied.
"Nigga I had one bite. You damn near ate all of mine." He said making me roll my eyes.
"Now you're being dramatic." I chuckled.
"Such a beautiful family." An older white lady told us. She was holding hands with a little girl that looked to be about five or six. "You're all dressed so nicely. It's refreshing to see young people doing well. God bless you both."
"Thank you." I grinned, speaking up before anybody else. "Have fun and be safe. Enjoy yourselves." I called after them.
"You too hunny!" She replied, waving.
"Cheesy ass. Got us out here looking like we Gladys Knight and the muthafuckin Pips. You so damn happy it don't make sense." Tray laughed. "I love seeing that beautiful ass smile though so keep being cheesy, pretty girl." He mumbled before briefly kissing me.
When we pulled away from each other, I saw Aaliyah watching us with a sneaky grin on her face. I rolled my eyes because I knew that I wouldn't hear the end of it.
"So since you and my Daddy broke up and y'all are kissing, does that mean Uncle Tray is my new Daddy? Do I call him Daddy Tray now or still Uncle Tray?" Aaliyah asked.
"No Aaliyah, you know Jerome is your Dad." I sighed, already knowing this was coming.
"But Uncle Tray is your boyfriend s-"
"He's not my boyfriend, we're friends." I said interrupting her before she could even finish her statement.
"But y'all were kissing." She reminded me.
"Y'all was kissing?" Zyonn asked loudly.
"Friends kiss." I shrugged, ignoring Zyonn.
"So can I kiss my friends at school?" She asked with a sneaky grin on her face.
"Aaliyah stop playing with me before I-"
"No Stink you can't do that. When you're my age you can kiss somebody you love. Right now you're too young. Me and ya Mama not together but we love each other and we're adults. You only got one Daddy and that's Jerome." He explained simply.
"Okay Daddy Tray." She smiled innocently.
"Janae I'm not playing with you. Stay out of grown people's business and watch your mouth." I said sternly as I gave her a look.
"Okay, I'm sorry." She giggled.
"You play too much. Always being childish." Zyonn said smacking his lips.
"Shut up pissy!" Aaliyah snapped at him.
"You shut up, mush-mouth!" Zyonn yelled.
"Bro I'm bout to scream. These lil niggas is wildin." Tray mumbled as he tried his hardest not to bust out laughing.
"Nu-uh! Stop it now before I take y'all in the bathroom and whoop both y'all ass. Apologize to each other now." I fussed. They mumbled apologies to each other and I shook my head at them. "I don't want anymore trouble out of either of you. You hear me?"
"Yes ma'am." Zyonn mumbled in response.
"I can't hear you, speak up." I said slightly raising my voice.
"Yes ma'am." Zyonn spoke up. I looked at Aaliyah and waited for her response but she huffed and puffed as she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
"You got a problem? Cause if you do I'll drag ya ass to the bathroom and whoop it up outta you." I said looking her in the eye. She didn't respond so I bucked my eyes, waiting for her response. "Do you have a problem?" I asked, slowly repeating myself.
She still didn't say anything so I chuckled to myself as I unzipped my backpack and pulled out the leather belt I had in there. I brought it with Zyonn in mind but I didn't mind using it on whoever. Once she saw what was in my hand, she got right quick.
"No ma'am." She mumbled before busting into tears.
"Fix ya face and quit crying before I give you something to cry about. Clean ya face." I said handing her a tissue. She took it from me and wiped her face free of tears and then blew her nose. "Done lost ya damn mind." I mumbled to myself.
"Yeah, you definitely ready for motherhood." Tray mumbled. "Come here Stink." He said extending his hand to her. She got up from her seat and walked over to him. "Stop crying Li, you alright." He said, wrapping his arm loosely around her shoulders. She rested her head on his chest as he continued talking to her. Once he was finished, she nodded her head and he then kissed her forehead. It was honestly such a beautiful sight to see.
"I'm sorry Zyonn and Mama. I won't talk about you anymore Zy and I'll stop acting up Mama. It won't happen again." She apologized.
"It's okay Li, I don't like being hard on you but I also don't like you acting out." I explained.
"I know." She sniffled.
"I love you." I told her.
"I love you too Mama." She said coming up to me and surprising me with a hug. I kissed her cheek and tightly wrapped my arms around her. I still wanted to feel my love even though I had to discipline her. This was still my baby and she always would be.
The rest of our trip went well. There was no more going back and forth between Aaliyah and Zyonn and no more behavioral issues. We all made it back to Tray's house a few minutes before his curfew. Once we got settled in, the kids were so worn out, after their bath they immediately knocked out.
After checking up on them, I decided to get myself ready for bed. Instead of showering, I decided to burn some candles while I took a hot and relaxing bubble bath. I'd done a lot of walking around and I didn't want to be sore in the morning.
The door was unlocked so Tray busted in and I didn't even bother covering myself. "Get in with me." I smirked as I watched him brush his teeth. He turned to look at me but didn't say anything because his toothbrush was still hanging out of his mouth.
He finished brushing his teeth and rinsed his mouth with mouth wash before responding. "I'm not getting in that fufu ass shit." He said scrunching up his face, making me laugh.
A small pout formed on my face and my eyes drooped as I looked up at him sadly, batting my eyelashes. "Please, Baby?" I asked.
"You a spoiled ass brat and a big ass baby." He huffed as he began taking off his clothes. A sly grin formed on my face at the sight of his naked body. He got in the water and I laughed at his facial expression. "This water hot as hell man, hell naw." He complained as he began to step out of the tub.
"Shut up, it's not that hot." I giggled. "Stay." I whined, looking up at him with a pout. The look that was on his face let me know, he wasn't pleased but he sat down anyway. He lifted my foot and placed it on his chest. I smiled once he began massaging my foot.
I laid back and relaxed my body as I enjoyed the feeling of his hands working my flesh. His hands made their way up my calf muscle and thigh. Once he got closer to my lady parts, I widened my legs before raising my eyebrows at him and wiggling them.
"You wild man." He chuckled as he shook his head at me. "I'm not fucking you lil girl. Maybe when ya six weeks is up after you have lil man maybe." He said, putting emphasis on maybe.
"Shut up fool." I laughed, playfully kicking his chest. We sat in the water a little while longer, just talking and relaxing. The way that he was rubbing on me and massaging me, had my eyes drifting closed.
"Nope, wake up cause I can't get yo pregnant ass outta this tub." He said shaking me awake making me smack my lips. I huffed before standing up with his help. I turned the shower on and washed my body off before getting out and wrapping myself in a towel. I brushed my teeth and did my facial routine before rubbing lotion and oil into my skin and stomach. After finally getting out of the bathroom, I dressed in a shirt and a pair of panties.
"Damn. You always stretching my shit out." He complained.
"So." I smirked as I got in the bed with him and damn near laid on top of him. I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on top of his. He blew out an annoyed breath and I laughed because I knew he was irritated.
"Thank you for today Trayveon." I smiled as I leaned over to kiss him. "Once I learn how to suck dick it's over for you." I mumbled in his ear as I kissed his neck.
"You so childish, take yo goofy ass to sleep." He laughed. I gave him another kiss before rolling on to my side. I rubbed my stomach in a circular motion as I said my prayers.
The next morning, I woke up early and got in the kitchen to cook breakfast. I knew the kids would probably be waking up before Trayveon since they went to bed earlier. I was gonna let him sleep in while the kids ate. To my surprise, halfway through cooking breakfast Trayveon walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning Juicy." He mumbled, coming up behind me and kissing my neck. I slightly turned my head and met his lips for a kiss. "You got it smelling good in here." He told me as he smacked my butt before sitting down on one of the stools at the island.
"Morning. Thank you." I replied. I was making fried chicken wings and waffles, garlic roasted breakfast potatoes with onions and peppers, cheese eggs, and bacon.
"You need some help?" He asked.
"No I'm almost done." I told him. After about ten more minutes, the food was ready. I made myself and Trayveon a plate before putting the rest in the oven for Aaliyah and Zyonn when they woke up.
"You know you don't always have to cook. I can cook sometimes or we can go out. I know ya feet and back be hurting." He said making me smile at his thoughtfulness.
"I like cooking for you." I responded simply.
"Well the least I can do is clean up so don't worry about the dishes and shit." He replied.
"Thank you." I smiled as I poured us both a glass of apple juice. "Do you wanna say grace or should I say it?" I asked him once we were both seated with food in front of us. He looked hesitant so I was sure he would say no.
"I don't mind but I don't know what to say." He admitted.
"Just say what you feel. There's no wrong or right way to pray. You're just talking to God." I assured him. I closed my eyes and bowed my head, waiting for him to pray.
"Dear God, thank you for this food. Amen." He said. It seemed like as soon as I closed my eyes, I opened them back up. It was like I was blinking.
"See, that wasn't so bad." I told him. Although it was a quick prayer, I was just glad he was interested in praying at all.
"Yes it was, that prayer was trash. I know God probably shaking his head right now." He said huffing, making me smile.
"The more you get comfortable with talking to God, the easier it'll be to pray. Just try to do it more often and it'll start to flow naturally. God knows what you're trying to say, my Granny used to always say, God knows how to make sense out of a confused prayer." I explained.
"My baby stay dropping that wisdom. That's why I like being around you and ya people. It makes me wanna be better." He said making me smile.
"I thought I was your baby?" I mumbled with a pout. He always calls my Granny baby but I'm starting to get jealous. He was mine first.
"You are." He replied, playfully rolling his eyes, making me giggle. "What are we doing after church?" He asked. I hadn't mentioned going to church to him so I was actually surprised that he even brought it up.
"Mama is cooking at her house so we're going over there." I informed him.
"I get to see all three of my babies today." He said referring to my Mama and Granny. I was still a little jealous but his statement made me smile. I love the relationship that he has with all of my family. It's genuine.
After eating breakfast, I watched Trayveon as he washed the dishes and cleaned up while we listened to church music. As I was wiping down the counter, he startled me by picking me up and then sitting me down on the island. He gripped my thighs and spread them before stepped in between them. "What Trayveon?" I asked, noticing his intense stare. "Why you always gotta be nasty when I got my gospel music on?" I asked him, making him chuckle.
"Im not being nasty, I just wanted to look at ya fine ass." He mumbled lowly. "I told ya lil ass I would clean up so why you up doing shit?" He asked me. I simply shrugged my shoulders in response. My whole body was hot and I was tingly all over. I had to lower my eyes to avoid eye contact with him because he was having such an affect on me.
"You make me so nervous when you do stuff like this. You just so fine." I admitted with a sly smirk on my face. The fluttering sensation I always felt in my chest, my body temperature heating up, the butterflies in my stomach, my heartbeat increasing, and the big smile that I always try so hard to fight tell it all.
I love this boy so much.
"I know what you mean. Ya smile and them dimples get me every single time." He smirked making me smile as I giggled. He came closer to me and placed his hands on the counter, connecting our foreheads. I didn't hesitate to wrap my arms around his neck and place a kiss to his lips. "I love the fuck outta you girl."
"I love you too." I mumbled against his lips.
"But I love you more." He replied, smacking my butt. "Go get ready for church. You know you like to take forever to get ready." He said helping me down from the island.
Before getting in the shower, I woke up Zyonn and Aaliyah so they could have breakfast. About an hour and a half later, we were finally walking out of the door and headed to church.
After church, we came back to Trayveon's to change clothes before going to my Mama's to have dinner. I knew that the kids would want to play with their cousins when we got there and I didn't want them getting their church clothes dirty. Once we changed into different clothes, Tray and Zyonn ran into the store and picked up the drinks my Mama asked us to bring. "It's about time." Mama sassed as she opened the door for us and let us in.
"Hi NaeNae!" Li said wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her head on her chest. Zyonn did the same and I smiled as they held onto her tightly.
"Hi my babies." She said hugging them and then kissing them both on the forehead. "Gon out to the backyard with the rest of the kids." She said ushering them in the house.
"Where's Trayveon? He didn't wanna come? I thought he was coming. Mama was looking forward to seeing him. That boy knows he-" She frowned.
"Hi Mama, it's nice to see you too." I spoke up, interrupting her rant. "Tray's in the car on the phone with his cousin." I explained.
"I'm sorry baby, hi Mookie." She smirked as she pulled me into a hug. "You look so pretty and you're glowing. Oh look at my baby." She cooed as she pulled me into another hug. She rested her hand on my stomach as she led me into the house.
"Thank you Mama." I chuckled as I followed after her. I honestly didn't think I was pretty, I felt like a fat cow, but the people around me made me feel pretty. My hair and makeup was still done from church and I threw on a simple dress and sneakers so I could be comfortable.
Everybody was already here, so I figured that we were the last people to arrive. My Granny wasn't in the living room with everyone else so I figured she was upstairs in her room or in the bathroom. "You need help Mama?" I asked.
"I got it Mookie, sit down and rest your feet." She told me. I did as she told me and enjoyed the company of my family while Mama put the finishing touches on dinner.
I wanted to go up and speak to my Granny but Mama informed me that she was asleep, so I decided to wait until she was awake so I wouldn't disturb her rest. We ate our Sunday meal which consisted of; neck bones, fried chicken, ham, cabbage, candied yams, baked macaroni and cheese, green beans, black eyed peas and cornbread. I was too full to eat any dessert but I made sure to stash some to take back home.
"Hey Granny." I smiled as I walked into her room where she was in the bed. The TV was off, the lights were off with the exception of her lamp, and her gospel music was playing. The only reason I knew she was awake was because she was patting her hand to the beat of the song. It was Fix It Jesus by The Canton Spirituals. I remember when I was younger, I'd catch Granny in the kitchen dancing to this song while preparing dinner or cleaning up.
"Hi Mookie baby." She smiled, trying to sit up. I quickly walked over to her and hugged her before getting in the bed next to her. "Look at my strong man." Granny grinned once Tray stepped into the room.
"Hey Suga." He grinned.
"You hungry Granny, you want me to fix you a small plate of something?" I asked her.
"I don't have much of an appetite, Mookie." She responded.
"You gotta eat something baby." Tray spoke up, making me nod my head.
"Go get me some yams and cornbread. Just a little." She said making Tray smirk as he got up and quickly left the room.
"How you been, Mookie? That little baby been wearing you out?" She chuckled.
"Yes Granny! He's so active, especially during the night and I'm always using the bathroom on myself. I feel so big and sloppy. I'm always out of breath and huffing and puffing when I'm trying to do the simplest things. I can't wait to get him here." I ranted, making her laugh as she shook her head at me.
"It won't be too much longer Mookie. He'll be here in no time." She told me.
"I know, I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I'm about to have a whole child. I'll be responsible for raising somebody." I sighed, still in disbelief.
"Nothing to be nervous about. You have your head on straight, so I know you'll raise that baby right. You're gonna be a great mother Mookie, I can see it already." She said making a big smile grace my face.
"Thank you Granny." I smiled.
"Mama D told me to bring this just in case you don't finish your food." Tray said as he walked into the room with a bowl in one hand and a bottle of Ensure in the other.
"She always tryna boss somebody around. Somebody needs to remind her that I'm the parent." She mumbled playfully as she slowly sat up in the bed. I propped her pillows up to make sure that she was comfortable.
"Granny, don't do my Mama." I joked.
"Lil girl; I'll do you, ya Mama, and whoever else got a problem." She replied, making us laugh. She was still feisty.
Tray placed a tray on her lap before setting her food up for her. "Don't force yourself baby, we don't need you getting sick." He told her as he tucked a napkin in the front of her gown.
"Yes sir." She replied, making us both laugh. We watched as she slowly ate a couple small bites of food and took a few sips of Ensure before pushing the tray away. I wanted her to eat more but I knew it was a struggle to eat the little she did. Trayveon removed the tray and took the remaining food downstairs to the kitchen.
In no time he returned, running his big mouth again. I could've sworn this was my Granny. I was lowkey jealous but nonetheless, I loved their relationship. "So, how's my baby doing today? I know yesterday you said you slept all day." He said coming in the room and sitting down in her recliner. He propped his feet up and made himself comfortable.
"I'm okay, son. Listened to my tapes and said a little prayer earlier." She responded simply as she slowly nodded her head. "I'm okay."
"Are you sure Granny?" I asked.
"I'm tired baby." She admitted, making me nod my head in understanding. "I'm trying to hold on until you have that precious baby but I feel myself drifting everyday. I'm not trying to make you sad but I want you to be prepared, I won't be here much longer." Her words left me speechless. I simply laid down and rested my head on her shoulder. She grabbed my hand and held it before I felt her kiss the top of my head. I closed my eyes and just enjoyed this moment. "Sing to me." I heard her ask.
I took a moment to get my emotions in check before I began singing one of her favorite gospel quartet songs. I'm In Your Care by The Canton Spirituals. I sang to her until she fell asleep and continued to lay there with her, just enjoying her presence. I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could because I knew that one day soon, these days would come to an end.
TWO WEEKS LATER:
I stood at the door to the apartment, banging on the door and waiting for Jerome to let me in. Aaliyah and I had been standing here for a good five minutes and I was about to pee on myself. Nobody's car was here but Jerome's so I couldn't rely on anybody else to open the door. At this moment I was regretting giving him back my key.
Just as I was about to say forget it and just walk next door, to ask to use their bathroom, I heard the locks turn. "Heeeeey Big Momma." Jerome smirked as he finally opened the door for us.
He was grinning but I had a mug on my face. This nigga was acting everything was sweet like he didn't have us waiting outside for over five minutes. He dropped down to his knees and held my stomach as he kissed all over it.
"My Mama has to use the bathroom, move Daddy." Aaliyah announced. I huffed before pushing him out of the way and then damn near running to the bathroom.
"Mookie wait! Don't go i-" He called after me. To my surprise, Shelby was in the bathroom trying to put her clothes back on.
"Hey girl." I smiled, not even giving a damn that Jerome was having sex with my friend and track mate. At this point I was over him and I didn't give a damn what he had going on. My focus was raising my son. But to my misfortune he was the father and I was forced to deal with him for at least eighteen more years. Lord be with me.
"H-Hey Mookie. It's not what it looks like, girl I wa-"
"Shelby, I honestly don't care. You can have him. Just stay outta my face with that fake ass shit." I said cutting her off without giving her a chance to even explain herself. She left the room without a word and I was finally able to use the bathroom.
Less than a month ago she was at my baby shower rubbing on my stomach and telling me how cute my son was gonna be. Laughing in my face like shit was sweet. The whole time she's been getting dicked down by my baby daddy behind my back.
After using the bathroom, I came out and Jerome had a pitiful look on his face. I could tell that he was going to try and feed me some bullshit but I wasn't trying to hear it. "Baby, I can expla-"
"Please don't. We're both single and you can fuck whoever you want. It's not my concern anymore, I'm done with you." I reminded him. I also wasn't tying to cause a scene in front of Aaliyah. She's very observant for her age and I didn't want her to know too much about our situation. For her age, she already knows too much and has seen far too much and I didn't want to add to that.
"You're done with me for real?" He asked me. I simply sighed, not wanting to have this same old conversation with him.
"Have you eaten?" I asked.
"Nah." He mumbled.
"I can cook something." I volunteered. The one and only reason I was willing to cook for this raggedy ass nigga was because Aaliyah and I hadn't eaten yet and he just happened to be here. Had my baby and I already eaten, he would've just had to starve.
"Nah, we can order pizza. I don't want you on your feet, you're supposed to be on bed rest." He said shaking his head.
"I'm also supposed to be watching my sodium intake. My blood pressure was high my last visit." I informed him. He wasn't at my doctors appointment because he was at a meeting in California. "I can cook something real quick if you go to the store." He agreed so I sent him to the store with a list. He called at least six times trying to make sure he was getting the correct things, I finally just called him on FaceTime to help him.
Once he got back; I quickly cooked salmon fillets with a lemon and honey glaze, steamed broccoli, corn on the cob and rice. "Daddy, why was that white lady here? Who was she?" Li asked. Normally I would've spoken up but not this time. Jerome was about to dig himself outta his own hole that he created.
"Yeah, who was she? We would like to know." I added, before taking a bite of my corn.
"S-she was helping me with my homework." He stuttered.
"School is over with, Daddy." Li said smacking her lips. Dumb ass niggas will say anything to get out of trouble. "Is that your girlfriend?"
"Hell naw." He responded quickly.
"Well then who is she, and how come she was naked in here?" She asked, making me sigh.
"Eat your food Li, you need to take your bath and get to bed because you have a long day tomorrow." I said saving Jerome from having to come up with another lie.
"Yes ma'am." She responded before quickly eating the rest of her dinner. After she cleaned her plate, she went upstairs and took a bath while Jerome and I remained downstairs in the kitchen eating. During the remainder of our dinner, Jerome tried to make small talk but I wasn't interested. I kept my mouth full of food to avoid having a conversation with him.
Dinner was good, thank you." Jerome told me as I finished washing the dishes that were in the sink. He sat at the table and watched me like the creep he is.
"You're welcome." I replied. I had a bit of an attitude. Here I was due to give birth in less than a week and I was cooking and washing dishes for a nigga that was grown and able bodied. The least this bitch could've done was offer to wash the dishes. I should've just left them in the sink but I knew they wouldn't get washed and I couldn't just leave them.
Situations like this make me appreciate Trayveon even more.
"You spending the night?" He asked.
"I wasn't planning on it." I admitted. Although it was late and I was tired as hell, I honestly didn't want to sleep here. This place held bad memories for me, plus I didn't want to sleep under the same roof as Jerome. His sneaky ass was too much for me.
"It's late and ya nigga is at work. I don't want you driving this late. You can have my bed and I'll sleep down here." He offered. I was silent as I thought about his suggestion, he was right.
"Alright." I sighed, finally agreeing.
Tomorrow morning; Aaliyah, Jerome, Mama J, and Justycee were all flying out to California to attend the NBA draft. Michael, Andrea, the twins and Mike's mom were also attending as well because Michael declared eligible for the draft too. I've had my differences with Jerome and Michael but I can't lie and say that I'm not extremely proud of them. I wanted to be there to show my support but I was too far along in my pregnancy to get on a plane. So I would be watching from home on the TV.
After showering and brushing my teeth, I got dressed in some clothes Jerome let me use. It sounds weird but I felt odd not being in Tray's clothing. I was missing him and being in his space but I sucked it up. "Are these sheets clean?" I asked. His room was messy and it was making my skin crawl. As tired as I was, I couldn't sleep in this messy ass room so I began cleaning up.
"Yes they're clean." He replied, smacking his lips. I shook my head, knowing that we had two different definitions of clean.
After filling up two trash bags full of trash and sorting his laundry in the dirty clothes baskets, I was finally able to get in the bed. If his room was this dirty, I couldn't trust that the sheets were clean so I laid on top of the covers and used a blanket to cover my body.
I laid in the bed, staring at the ceiling waiting on Trayveon to call like he normally does on his lunch break. After waiting for a few more moments, my phone finally vibrated. I was a little disappointed when I noticed it was just a text message instead of a call but nonetheless I was happy to hear from him.
He read my message but he didn't respond. The smile on my face was huge as I put my phone on the charger and turned to my side to get comfortable. Like clockwork, as soon as I rested my hand on my stomach, my son shifted his body closer to my hand. I said my prayers out loud while rubbing my stomach until I drifted into a peaceful sleep.
I woke up in the middle of the night because I felt hands touching all over my body. Since I was laying on my side, I looked over my shoulder and saw Jerome laying beside me. He was rubbing my thigh with one hand and trying to spread my legs with the other.
"Get the fuck off me!" I snapped, pushing him away from me. I got up from the bed as quick as I could. "What would make your stupid ass think that I would wanna do anything with you after I found out you were fucking my friend?" I yelled, mugging him.
"I-I-"
"Shut the fuck up, I don't even wanna hear it." I mumbled. I wanted to go home so bad but I didn't want to leave without telling Aaliyah goodbye. Plus I was supposed to be driving them to the airport. It would be a few days before I saw her again and honestly it wasn't a guarantee that they would make it to California safely.
"I'm sorry Mookie, I didn't mean to make you mad. I just wanted to make you feel good. I-"
"Make me feel good?" I scoffed. "You know what would make me feel good? Huh? If you would leave me the fuck alone! That would make me feel good. I try to be nice to you but I swear you bring out the evil bitch that's in me. Every time I start getting closer to God, here comes yo bitch ass testing me again." I huffed loudly as I paced back and forth.
"I'm sorry baby, I apologize and I was wrong. I'll leave you alone." He sighed as he left the room without another word. I rolled my eyes as I got back into the bed and tried to force myself to go back to sleep.
The next morning, Andrea and I woke up early and made breakfast for everyone. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns, grits and sausage. Once it was laid out, we called everyone down and we ate as a family. After we ate, I did Li's hair and made sure her bag had everything she needed.
Once we loaded up and I drove everybody to the airport, I waited with them until it was time for us to depart. I'd already said my goodbyes to everyone else. "I love you baby, have a good time and enjoy yourself. Listen to your Daddy and GG, behave, don't get too far away from them, stay close to them, listen, and don't talk to strangers." I told Li as I held her tightly.
"Yes ma'am, I love you too." She nodded.
"Make sure you call me as soon as you can." I reminded her as I adjusted her clothes and then pulling her in for another hug.
"I will Mama." She assured me. "Don't cry, I'll only be gone for a few days." She said wiping my tears and kissing my cheek.
"I know, I'm just gonna miss you while you're gone." I smiled before hugging her again.
"I'll miss you too Mama, but I'll FaceTime you and we can still say our prayers at night and have our girl time." She told me.
"Promise?" I asked, holding out my pinky.
"Promise." She nodded, wrapping her pinky around mind and hugging me again.
"No love for me?" Jerome asked.
Instead of being the petty, rude and stubborn person I wanted to be, I decided to be the supportive and kind person I was trying to be. "No matter what happens, your son and I are proud of you and we'll support you no matter what. Good luck and God bless you." I told Jerome as I gave him a brief hug.
"I'll take that. Thank you Noonie, Love you." He smirked as he leaned in and kissed my cheek.