"Distractions will do you in the truest sense"
~DRAKE
Aaliyah was going on five months and her mother couldn't do anything but support her daughter. She was indeed upset that Bahari wasn't going to be in the child's life but she knew she would.
"Dave is talking about getting you car," Andrea said sharing a slice of cake with Aaliyah.
"I wanna Lincoln," Aaliyah smiled. "A black one at that."
"We'll see," she shrugged. "What you think you having?"
"I hope a girl," she smiled rubbing her small bump. "Her name is going to Amber Marie Richardson."
"Got it all planned out, huh?" Andrea chuckled shaking her head. "I wish the father was in-."
"Ma, I don't wanna hear about him whatsoever," she said sternly. "He got him a new girl, he ain't worried about me."
Aaliyah still followed him on social media and saw that he was currently seeing an Asian girl. She was hurt but she felt like it was her fault. She ignored Bahari and he went on to the next.
"I'm just saying," she sighed. "You lying to this mane, talm bout you moved to Texas and you getting an abortion, is only going to make the situation worse."
"This isn't his child," she shrugged. "This is my baby and I'm going to raise her."
•••
Bahari had just finished taking a shower when someone called him. He wrapped his towel around him tightly and put the phone up to his ear. "Hello?"
"You lying ass nigga!" Leon yelled. "You fucked Aaliyah!"
"W-what you talking about?" Bahari asked nervously, Leon through him all the way off.
"Aaliyah about five months pregnant nigga and you ain't thought about coming to see her and she damn near live across the street from you!"
Bahari hung up in Leon's face and sat on his bed to process everything. "What in the actual fuck."
•••
After Leon sent him Aaliyah's address, he was speeding to her house with mixed emotions. He was kind of happy but fury took over-she lied to him.
He rang her doorbell three times and paced her porch until she opened it. She stood there shock as ever as she opened her stone door.
"Open the door," Bahari growled, only for her to shake her head. "Aaliyah open this fucking door before I do it for you!"
"Whatever you gotta say, I can hear you through the door," she said softly. "What is it?"
"You one lying ass motherfucker, you know that," he scolded. "I can't fucking believe you!"
She held an unbothered expression as she rubbed her protruding belly. "Okay, stop yelling at me."
He started to bang on the door, causing her to get scared. "Open this fucking door!"
"Why?!" She snapped. "What could you possibly want in here? Obviously not me and my child. You don't have to be in my baby's life because it's mommy got it's back!"
He rubbed his temples and sighed. "Open the door, Aaliyah. Please."
She hesitated but did so and stood back. He stepped in and towered over her with a blank expression.
She looked up at him with glossy eyes then gently grabbed his hands, placing them on her stomach. "I couldn't kill something so special. I don't want you thinking I just wanna trap you because that's not the case. I could care less if you don't want anything to do with our child, but it's apart of me too."
He took in what she said and looked off. He really did understand where she was coming from. "Why you lie to me about moving?"
"I was mad and stupid, okay?" She cried. "You didn't love me when I loved you. The feelings I had wasn't mutual and I'm sorry. I just didn't wanna be in contact with you."
He sighed deeply moved his hands away from her stomach. "What we having?"
She looked up and smiled. "I hope it's a girl."
"Nine times out of ten it's gonna be a boy," he shrugged. "...Sorry."
She poked her lip out and folded her arms. "Na uhn. I wanna girl, and I'm gonna have one, periodt!"
He shot her a warm smile all because he missed her and her attitude. He kissed her lips without warning, and she pushed back.
"You gotta whole girl, Bahari," she frowned. "I'm happy that we putting our differences to the side but you still in a relationship."
"She just a friend," he coaxed while grabbing her waist.
"I don't like her," she shrugged. "I could be all the friend you need."
He sighed. "Ight, but my friends keep it one hunnid. I need you by my side twenty four seven if you carrying my child. I'm not with this M.I.A shit you been pulling."
"Okay," she smiled wrapping her arms around his neck. "I wanna be with you twenty four seven anyway."
•••
"GET THE HELL OUT MY FACE! I CAN'T STAND YOU. STAY-THE-FUCK-AWAY-FROM-MEEEEE!" Aaliyah shrieked as she stormed out of the mall.
Bahari took his time leaving the mall, since he had the keys to her black Lincoln MKZ. He paid for her five cinnamon rolls she ordered and went outside. "You so fucking extra. Making a whole damn scene, for what?"
"Give me my keys," she said angrily. "Now!"
"Passenger seat, now" he nodded while getting inside the car. "Come on before we be late for this doctor's appointment."
She stomped her way to the passenger side and slammed the door. "Where my damn cinnamon rolls?!"
•••
"You got bigger since I've seen you," Doctor. Greer smirked while placing gel on her round belly. She only smiled at him since he was fine as hell. He looked like a young LL Cool J in a white lab coat.
Bahari furrowed his eyebrows at Aaliyah then at the doctor. "We got a lot to do so can we get this shit started."
Dr. Greer did just that and smiled while looking at the screen. Aaliyah looked eagerly. "Go ahead and tell me that I'm having an Amber Marie Richardson."
"Well..." he trailed off. "You're actually having a beautiful baby boy."
"Told ya," Bahari chuckled. "We're having a Braylin Marcel Whitfield."
Her jaw dropped for a little while until she started crying her eyes out. "I wanted a girlllllllll."
Bahari sucked his teeth and peered over at her. "Aaliyah cut it out."
The doctor just laughed at her and rubbed her shoulder which was too close for Bahari. "Welp, Let's start shopping for my young nigga. He'll be here sooner than we think."
•••
"He taking food off my plate-our plate," Suge said. "He can't make more money than me!"
"What are you suggesting?" Aniyah asked putting her hair in a ponytail. He recently got her out and was planning on taking her in and letting her run half of his drug empire.
"Kill that little bitch Aaliyah," he growled. "She's pregnant."
Aniyah stopped dead in her tracks and looked up at her father then at his feet. ".....let's do it."
•••
Aaliyah was asleep on the couch when Bahari came home that night. He made it towards her with a smirk plastered on his face. "Liyah?"
She stirred in her sleep and sighed softly. "What you want?"
"Damn lil Braylin making you turn into a demon," Bahari chuckled caressing her wild hair.
She only held the bottom of her stomach while looking at him with tired eyes. "You just came home?"
He nodded his head still caressing her hair. "Yo hair a little fucked up, let me fix it."
"Bahari I'm tied, na'," she stressed. "I don't need you all in my head."
He wasn't listening to her and what she had to say. He pulled her up and made her sit in between his legs. "Come on so I can get you something to eat."
She whined as he brush her hair into a ponytail. "Where we bout to eat at? I'm starving."
"Probably Stix," he said smoothing her hair down. He loved playing in her long hair, especially pulling it.
"Mmm," she smiled while scrolling through her Instagram feed. "I wish I could eat sushi, oh my goddddd."
Bahari was done with her hair so he sat her comb, brush, and gel on the table. "Put on something nice so we can go."
"Why I can't wear jeans and a shirt?" Aaliyah asked.
"Because I said so," he retorted. She huffed and went upstairs to change.
•••
"Awwwnn, y'all are so cute," a teenager cooed as she sat beside them at the hibachi grill. "How far along are you?"
"Twenty three weeks," Aaliyah said innocently before looking at Bahari who was on his phone and managing to hold her waist.
"You know what you having," she smiled rubbing her stomach, she was pregnant as well.
"A boy," she scoffed. "Do you know what you having?"
She sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. "A damn girl."
"You so lucky, I wanna girl," she pouted. "Boys are too much and then you gotta raise them a certain way so they won't be this or that."
"Girls are wayyyy too much to deal with," she drawled. "They grow up too fast."
"I guess you gotta point there," Aaliyah shrugged. "Guess I gotta be happy for what god gives me."
"Awwn you finally coming to your senses," Bahari cooed and puckered his lips out for her to kiss them. She gave him a small smile before pecking his lips.
The girl smiled at them wishing she had a boyfriend or an active baby's father.
"I want some ice cream," Aaliyah stated. "From Kroger. The gelato kind with the caramel and peanuts in it."
"Whatever you want," he sighed resting his arm around her. He let her have his rice since she was digging in his plate now she was asking for ice cream.
•••
Aaliyah rested her head on Bahari's chest as she sat on his lap and ate her ice cream. They were on his big brown couch watching a scary movie.
"I got eleven weeks until I have Braylin, I need to start shopping for his necessities because I don't want no baby shower," Aaliyah frowned.
"You know I got my young nigga," he said rubbing her stomach. The thought of him having a child never through ran his mind. If so, he would've thought he got Keshuna pregnant, instead of Aaliyah. It's crazy how things turn out.
"When I have Braylin, I want you to get me pregnant with a lil girl," she said looking at him.
"Woah, woah, woah-shit, Aaliyah," he chuckled scratching his head. "Let's worry about Braylin right now, we don't even suppose to have him."
Aaliyah started to cry, making Bahari sigh and cradle her. She was getting too sensitive and sometimes he found it funny. "Baby, stop crying. You doing the most right now."
She continued to cry and ended up crying herself to sleep. He kissed her forehead and continued to watch the movie until he heard noises coming from his backyard. Bahari furrowed his eyebrows and slid from under Aaliyah and put the cover over her.
He then grabbed his pistol and slowly walked out only to get hit with the butt of a gun.
-------
Bahari eyes fluttered as he found it hard to see, since blood dripped from his head. One thing, for sure, he heard Aaliyah soft cries which made his heart melt.
"I got Bahari, Aniyah," Suge said. "After I kill his punk ass, you kill his bitch. I know she miss her punk ass daddy."
Bahari was about to say something, until two bullets hit him in his chest and leg. He didn't hiss, he didn't yell, he only looked at his wound then at Aaliyah who was screaming that she loved him, which sound like she was underwater to him.
He shook his head at her, hoping she would stop her cries. He didn't want her to risk her having a miscarriage. He wanted to live through Braylin. "I....l-love....you.....Aaliy-."
"BAHARI!" Aaliyah shrieked as she struggled to get out of Suge's hold. "NOOOOO!"
"Come on put this bitch to sleep, Aniyah! I don't have all damn day!" Suge bellowed. Aniyah only looked at him as he held the gun to Aaliyah's face. She grimaced at Aaliyah as she took her gun off safety.
POW POW
Suge's grip softened and Aaliyah's fragile body hit the concrete.
Aniyah sucked her teeth. "Aaliyah get the fuck up with yo dramatic ass. Look, I gotta be back at my new crib since it's past my curfew or they gone come looking for me. I called the cops for you, so worry about helping Bahari."
Aaliyah frowned as she felt on herself for a bullet. She could've sworn she got shot, but she looked over at Suge who had two bullets to the dome. Three men who worked for Suge came and got him and they all disappeared in the darkness.
Aaliyah was shocked at everything that happened and quickly ran to the front door to let the paramedics in. "My boyfriend just got shot! I don't know if he's dead or not!"
"Alright, wait in the truck," the man instructed as they ran to the backyard. Her baby was kicking like crazy soon as she sat down. She only smiled and said a quick prayer, thanking god that there was no harm being done to her son.
•••
Irene and Safiya comforted Aaliyah as she cried the whole night, hoping Bahari fight for his life.
"I don't know what I'm going to do, if he doesn't make it," she sniffed. "Like-real talk, what am I going to do?"
"He's going to make it, Liyah," Irene promised. "He's a warrior just like his father."
"I told him he need to leave these streets alone," Safiya groaned. "Now he got shot by these jealous ass niggas. Did you recognize a face?"
"No," Aaliyah lied lowly. "I was sleep and I woke up hearing gunshots in the backyard so I called the police after I found Bahari."
"Damn," Safiya mumbled. She was hurt that her little brother had got shot and was critical condition.
"Who is the family of Bahari Whitfield?" The doctor said coming in the waiting room. They all charged over and nodded. "Whitfield went through surgery well but he would have to take cardiopulmonary physical therapy for his leg, if he wants to walk again."
"Can I see him?" Irene asked eagerly. "Me and my daughters?"
"Two at a time," he said politely.
"I'll wait," Aaliyah said sitting back down. "Y'all go 'head. Imma be here until he be release."
-------
Aaliyah waddled herself inside his cold room in the hospital. She smiled at Bahari as he wore a mug on his face, watching judge Judy. He looked over at Aaliyah with a blank expression as she shivered from the cold air.
"Come on," he said in a scratchy voice as he lifted the covers. She took off her shoes and hopped inside the bed cautiously. She didn't say anything else as well as Bahari. They only watched television and that was all that satisfied them at the time.
They knew Aniyah and Suge had something to do with what happened that night, but never wanted to speak on it.
Bahari and Aaliyah grew on each other. They knew if they were mad, they didn't want to talk. They silence was often the best communication.
•••
Aaliyah knew nothing about cooking, and Bahari begged for a homemade dinner, so she called her grandmother. She stayed on the phone with her until she went grocery shopping to when she was was preparing food.
She hit the Milly rock when all of her food came out good. She cook dressing, bake chicken, spaghetti, cornbread, and cabbage. She also made sweet tea with sliced lemons. She even made sweet potato pie.
Bahari laughed at her as he came walking in on his crutches. "Show out then."
Those words encouraged her and she started dancing harder, and even started twerking. He grabbed a stack of cash he had laying around and started making it rain. "Ayyeee!"
"While you playing I'm bout to boonk gang yo money," she laughed while picking up the single blue faces.
"Do you," he shrugged sitting his crutches on the wall and sitting at the island. "Smell good in here."
"I know," she cheesed while bringing his plate to him. "Thanks to my grandma."
He pecked her lips and pulled her down on the leg that wasn't hurt. "Yo momma ain't stressing about you being over here so much? You ain't been home in a good two months."
"No," she frowned. "She don't want me at home by myself anyway. Is there a problem?"
"No Aaliyah," he sighed in irritation. "I was just asking."
"I was just asking," she sassed. "Let me find out you don't like me over here."
He chuckled and continued to scuffle down his food. "I need to hurry up and heal before my young nigga get here."
"Five more weeks," she sang while poking him. "Then we can start on making me an Amber Marie Richardson."
"So you said you made sweet potato pie," he said skipping the subject. "Go fix me some."
•••
"Why did you kill your father?" Aaliyah asked lowly, looking around nervously as they played Uno.
"Draw four....draw six...skip yo black ass....uno out!" Aniyah shouted as she puffed on a blunt filled with Blue Dream and PCP. "Damn, you suck at this game."
"Aniyah," she called out sternly. "Stop ignoring me."
"I killed that fat ass piece of shit because he was rude and grimy," Aniyah shrugged. "Telling me what to do like he ain't leave my ass when I was a child. He neglected me and expect for to have his back? Nah, that ain't happening. Besides, this is my apology for strangling you."
"Uh, gee I accept your fucking apology," Aaliyah said sarcastically. "I almost died and so did my child."
"But did you? Did yo child die?" She smirked. "So you should thank me, Nelly. I could have killed you, but did I?"
Aaliyah was fed up with her sisters deranged ways. She quickly grabbed her purse and stormed out Suge's mansion.
Aniyah shrugged and looked at the picture of lil Leon. She wished she could see him but she was too ashamed. She had turned into something unhealthy for people to bare. She turned into her father.
•••
Aaliyah walked in with a frown plastered on her face as she carried a box of Krispy Kreme donuts.
"You're doing good, Mr. Whitfield," his physical therapist smiled as he struggled to lift his feet on the bowflex in his gym room. Sweat dripped from his ripped torso and his nurse looked like she was in heaven the way she gawked over his abs and biceps.
"Hola," Aaliyah said shooting them both a fake smile.
The nurse acted as if Aaliyah didn't say anything and so did Bahari, making her leave and come back in. She needed to give that shit a second try, because they were slowly getting her fucked up. "Hey, the fuck!"
"One more time, and you're good for today," the nurse said and Bahari sighed while nodding.
Aaliyah felt a wave of jealousy as the nurse continued to wipe the sweat off of him and rub his chest. "FUCK YOU, BAHARI!"
She quickly left out. Bahari heard her loud and clear now. She forgot that her voice was light and soft, so he couldn't really hear her over the music being played and his nurse talking in his ear. He quickly grabbed his crutches and followed her inside his room.
"What I do now?" Bahari frowned with lifted eyebrows in confusion, watching her put all of her clothes in her suitcase.
"Ignoring me!" She exclaimed as she pushed his chest but it affected him none-didn't even move him. "Go back in there with your nurse, let her ass care for you!"
"Chill out," he said grabbing her with one arm. "I didn't hear you, the fuck you mean?"
"I'll come back next Tuesday, Mr. Whitfield," the nurse smirked while peeking her head in the bedroom door. "Have a nice evening."
"Ight," he nodded with his arm still around Aaliyah. "Thank you Nurse Tucker."
"Pleasures all mine," she said with a wink. "You should practice on walking me out."
"You should practice on walking with a foot up yo ass," Aaliyah growled lowly but Bahari slapped her thigh and shot her stern look.
"Some other time," he nodded. She smiled and switched out but sadly Bahari wasn't looking at her silicon ass.
"Why you can't get a nigga nurse?" She asked with a full blown attitude.
"Mane, shut up," he frowned sizing her up. "I'm not attracted to her plastic ass anyway. Now come help me get in the shower."
She poked her lip out and went inside the bathroom with him. She helped him get undressed and sat him in the chair that was placed in the shower.
"I should do yo ass like Helen did Charles in Diary of a Mad Black Woman," she mumbled as she cut the hot water on.