Trust Issues

Trust Issues (Chapter 41 Part III)

ARMONI POV:

I sat on the front pew with a prayer shawl over my lap. Jerome stood behind me rubbing my shoulders while Ms. Jocelyn fanned me, my mom held my hand and my Daddy gave me sips of cold water. The paramedics were checking my vitals while asking me questions.

"What's today's date?"

"July 15, 2000."

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three."

"Concentrate and follow my pen with your eyes."

"Good job. Which president is on the penny?"

"Lincoln."

"What's your full name and birthday?"

"Armoni Lashae Jones, March 7th."

"Her vitals are fine and she's coherent but her blood pressure is high. We won't transport her but have her rest and then check her blood pressure in a few hours. If it remains the same or raises, immediately take her to the ER." The paramedic instructed us as he unwrapped the blood pressure cuff from my arm. "Make sure you stay hydrated and try to relax Ms. Jones."

"Yes sir, I will." I nodded my head.

"We'll make sure to monitor her, thank you so much." Mama assured him, standing up to shake his hand.

"Sorry for your loss, try to take it easy." He said patting me on the shoulder and giving me a warm smile.

"Thank you." I smiled softly. I sat there taking deep breaths as instructed. The paramedics packed up all of their equipment and left while we remained seated until I finally got up from my seat on the front pew.

I was a little sad that I missed going to the gravesite with the rest of my family. Maybe it was a good thing, I didn't see them lower her into the ground. I probably would've jumped in the grave with her, on top of the casket.

I sat there, trying to collect myself until I heard a familiar voice behind me. "Hey Mookie. We don't wanna crowd you, we just wanted to check on you to make sure you were okay." Andrea spoke up, coming over to hug me. To my surprise Yana, Stanley, Erica and Terrance were all standing behind her as well.

"You guys!" I whined as fresh tears fell from my eyes. Them being here meant more to me than they would ever know.

"Mike wanted to be here too but his cheap self wasn't trying to pay that fine for missing part of training camp." She laughed, making me frown. Jerome never mentioned anything about a fine, if I knew that there was a fine, I wouldn't have asked him to come.

"We love you and we're here." Tatiyana added as she wrapped her arms around me as well. I closed my eyes and held them tightly.

"What are y'all doing here?" I asked, once we pulled away from each other. I wiped my tears with a Kleenex Stanley had given me. I had no idea they were coming because they never mentioned coming so I was honestly shocked that they were all here.

"Jerome flew us out so we could be with you. We landed this morning." Erica informed me, making me smile. She came and wrapped her arms around me. "Your tribute was beautiful, I'm so proud of you and I know your Granny is too." She said, I smiled and I laid my head on her chest as she rubbed my back.

"I'm glad y'all came, it means a lot to me that y'all are here." I told them honestly. "Thanks for coming, it means so much."

"Of course, Lula Mae was our Granny too. You know we had to come." Drea smirked, making me smile. I talked with them for a while before inviting them to Granny's house so they could eat dinner with the family. The way my Mama and Aunties cooked, they had enough food to feed all of Carolina.

"Do you wanna go back to the hotel or do you wanna eat with your family?" Jerome asked me as he helped me up and wrapped his arm around my body. I wanted to talk to Jerome privately to thank him for all that he's done for me since the passing of Granny. He's been so supportive and had really gone out of his way and I was so grateful.

"She needs to rest. We'll bring your food to the hotel." Mama spoke up, without letting me answer for myself.

"Yes ma'am." I mumbled, nodding my head, close to tears. She noticed my sudden burst of emotion and pulled me into her arms for a hug. "She's gone Mama, she really left me." I cried into her chest as she held me close to her, while rocking me.

"I know baby, I'm so sorry. I know it hurts but she's at peace now." She whispered in my ear as she rubbed my back. "She loved you so much and I know you're going to miss her but think about all the good times and hold on to those special memories and all that wisdom she gave you."

"I'm sorry you couldn't go to the gravesite. I wish we could've gone." I hiccuped, pulling away from her. I was extremely sad about missing Granny's last ride through the city and the dove release. Not only that; but we'd all written notes that were supposed to be buried with her, along with a rose. Granny also had a horse drawn carriage transport her body to the cemetery and we missed everything.

"I'm not worried about that. I'm just glad that you're okay baby, you scared me." She said holding my face in her hands and kissing my forehead. I nodded my head and hugged her again, resting my head on her chest.

"You want me to come with you?" She asked me. I really wanted to be in my mom's arms because I wanted comfort but I didn't want to be selfish. She lived in a whole different state from all of her siblings and they hadn't been all together in years.

"No, I'm okay." I sniffled, holding back more tears as I wiped my face. "Go be with all your family, I know it's been a while since you've been with your sisters." I told her.

"You sure?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am." I nodded, trying to keep myself from busting into tears again.

"Okay baby, I love you. Call me when you get situated." She told me, kissing my cheek.

"Love you baby girl." My Daddy told me as he wrapped his arms around me. As soon as I was in his embrace, the floodgates opened and I broke down all over again. I don't know what it was but I literally couldn't stop crying.

"Jerome, go get her clothes to change into and meet us at Mama's house. Bring the baby too." I heard my Mama instruct Jerome.

"Yes ma'am." Jerome responded. My father walked me out of the church and helped me into the rental car he and my mom had been driving. Mama sat in the back with me and held me the whole ride to Granny's house. It felt good just laying in her arms.

Once we arrived at Granny's house; Mama ushered me upstairs to the bedroom her and my Dad were sharing. Relief filled my body as I took off my dress, heels, bra and girdle. I felt so free and it felt good to be able to take a deep breath.

"Here, put this on until Jerome comes with your clothes." She said handing me a long silk nightgown. I smiled, knowing it was Granny's. I slipped it over my body and smiled because it smelled just like her. I was definitely taking this back to Texas with me.

"Thanks Mama." I mumbled, folding all of my clothes and putting them into a neat pile in the corner of the room.

"You hungry?" She asked. I shook my head as I stripped the bed of it's dramatic decorative pillows. I just wanted to sleep.

"You need to eat baby." She sighed.

"I ate a big breakfast Mama, I'm fine. I'll eat when I get up." I assured her as I climbed into the bed and allowed the comfortable bed to swallow me.

"Okay baby." She sighed, leaning over to kiss my forehead. She left the room and I just laid there, looking up at the ceiling. I grabbed my phone; deciding to check on Aaliyah. I called her on FaceTime and she answered almost immediately.

"Hi Mama!" She grinned, making an instant smile come to my face. My kids always lifted me up when I was down. We talked for about half an hour as she filled me in on everything she'd done since I last talked to her; which was this morning.

"Aaliyah! You ready to go?" I heard Ms. Rita yell in the background.

"Yes ma'am, here I come." She called back.

"Where y'all going?" I asked out of curiosity.

"To the movies and out to eat, talk to you later Mama. Love you, bye." She said blowing a kiss into the screen and hanging up before I could even respond.

The next call I made was to Trayveon. When he finally answered, he had a goofy grin on his face. "Hi pretty girl." He smirked. There was a lot of noise in the background and I couldn't really hear him but I could definitely read his juicy lips. I could tell he was at home by his surroundings. "Hold on baby." He told me as he got up from his seat and walked into a different room, away from all of the noise. "My bad." He apologized.

"It's okay baby." I smiled.

"Big Red, Rock, Butta and TJ over here acting a fuckin fool." He informed me, making me nod my head. I was glad that he was actually interacting with his friends instead of ignoring them all the time and staying in the house like a grandpa. "How you feeling? You just getting back from the funeral?" He asked me, making me sigh as I nodded my head. "How was it?"

"It was okay." I responded simply. I couldn't really go into detail because I was in a daze for the majority of the funeral. I honestly can't tell him about it even if I wanted to because my mind was miles away. Not to mention; I was embarrassed about how I showed my ass during the viewing. I definitely wasn't planning on telling him about that.

"I can tell you been crying." He spoke up.

"I'm okay." I assured him.

"You not, but you will be." He stated. I didn't respond to him because I didn't want to get emotional again. I laid in the bed, just staring at him. He was so fine and I could really look at him all day. I couldn't wait to go back home and kiss on him all day. "Imma let you go bae, you look like you bout to fall asleep. Love you, pretty girl." He smirked, making me smile.

"Love you too, bye." I responded softly before blowing him a kiss and ending the call.

"Drink this baby, you need to stay hydrated." Mama said busting into the room without even knocking. Andrea, Erica, and Tatiyana were all right behind her. I'm glad I was wasn't naked or trying to be freaky on the phone. They just might've caught me with my titties out.

Mama had a glass of cloudy liquid, a bottle of water, and a bottle of Gatorade in her hands. "What is it?" I asked, taking the glass from her and sniffing it. It had a very strong smell but I couldn't tell what it was.

"Apple cider vinegar." She responded. I drank it as quickly as I could, not wanting to actually taste it.

"How you feeling, Mookie?" Erica asked me.

"I feel okay, just tired." I replied honestly.

"You want us to stay up here with you?" Drea asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I'm okay, I'll call if I need y'all." I smiled.

"You sure?" Erica asked.

"I'm fine y'all, I promise. I'm just gonna take a nap and then I'll be down." I assured them.

"Okay, well I'm about to go eat. Girl that food looks so good. Your family can really throw down, I see where you get if from." Tatiyana said excitedly as she left the room. I shook my head as Andrea and Erica followed after her, talking about all the food that was downstairs.

"I made you a plate and put it to the side. Just let me know when you're ready to eat and I'll bring it up to you." Mama told me.

"Thank you Mama." I smiled.

"You're welcome baby, love you." She said kissing the top of my head and then placing her hand on my cheek. "My Mookie." She smirked.

"Love you more." I replied. After she left the room and closed the door, I drank the bottle of water and made myself comfortable in bed. As I felt myself drifting to sleep, I heard the door open. I looked over my shoulder to see Jerome trying to creep in. A smile graced my face instantly when I saw my son in his arms.

"Hi baby." I cooed as I quickly got out of the bed and went over to them. I took Jr out of his arms and held him tightly to my chest. "Mama missed you so much, PaPa." I whined, kissing the top of his head. I walked back over to the bed, laying down with Jr beside me.

"You need anything?" Jerome asked me.

"No, thank you though." I mumbled, rubbing Jr's stomach as he laid there, looking up at the ceiling. "Go ahead and go eat, I got him." I told him.
***

Hours later; I woke up from my nap and my son was no longer next to me. The room was empty and dark. I panicked. I jumped up out of the bed and quickly headed downstairs.

The house was packed with so many people, it was giving me anxiety. Especially since I had no clue where my child was. "You okay baby? What's wrong?" Aunt Candy asked, touching my shoulder and looking at me with concern.

"Have you seen my son?" I asked, trying not to cry. I'm very overprotective when it comes to my child because of what happened to me. I knew that there was only family here but that reminded me that a trusted family member is who violated me when I was a child. People are evil and the bad thing is; you never know they're sick in the head until they've done their evil deed.

Jr was only a baby; he couldn't speak up for himself or defend himself if something were to happen to him. That scared me.

"Oh, that cute little chunky baby? He's with your fiancé in the living room." She informed me as she took a sip of her drink. I relaxed, knowing my baby was safe but confused as hell because I definitely wasn't engaged.

"Fiancé?" I asked, scrunching my face up in confusion.

"Yeah. The one that's in the NBA." She said making me roll my eyes. Jerome really had me messed up.

"Auntie, he's not my fiancé. I don't even know why he said that because it's not true. We're not even together." I replied, shaking my head. I was definitely going to talk to him.

"Girl nu-uh, he was really telling us about how he proposed." She laughed, making me shake my head.

"He lied." I stated simply, flashing my left hand so she could see my bare ring finger. "This is who I'm actually with." I smirked as I showed her my lock screen. It was the picture that I took of Trayveon, Aaliyah and Jr asleep on the couch while I was getting my hair done.

"Aw, look at that!" She cooed. She couldn't really see his face well so I went to my photo album and found a better picture of him. "Oh girl! His yella ass is fiiiiiine!" She said loudly, slapping my wrist.

"He sure is." I laughed, nodding my head.

"I think I remember him! Mama talked about him all the time. Tayvon or something like that. Whatever his name is, Mama stayed talking about him." She said making me smile.

"Trayveon." I corrected her. "Yeah, they had a close relationship too." I mumbled.

"Did he come to the service? I wanna meet him." She said looking around as if he would just appear.

"No Auntie, he couldn't come because he's not able to travel at the moment. He came to the memorial service we had back home." I informed her.

"Next time I come visit I wanna meet his fine ass." She said making me laugh as I shook my head. I was sick of these old ladies trying me about my man. "Well Mookie, you must've done something to have that other boy up in here lying to us like that. Had us really thinking y'all had a wedding date set and everything. I guess good pussy does run in the family." She winked at me as she patted her crotch.

"Auntie stop it!" I laughed with wide eyes, as I smacked her hand away from her crotch. It was clear that she had too much to drink.

After parting ways with my mom's younger sister, I made my way to the living room. I was stopped yet again by my Uncle Donnie. "Girl you tore that funeral up this morning!" He told me as he pulled me into a hug. "I'm so proud of you, I know Mama is looking down at you so proud." He said making me smile.

"Thank you Uncle Donnie, you gave a great word. It was fitting for Granny. I know that it had to be hard for you to preach your mom's funeral but you did really well." I told him.

"God is gracious." He replied simply, as he smiled at me. "I know you used to sing in the choir but have you ever thought about being a worship leader or a youth minister? You have an amazing gift of singing and preaching."

"Preaching? Me? Oh nooooo, I gotta get my life right before I try to stand up before God's people and tell them anything. God will strike me down dead if I tried to get in a pulpit." I joked, but was still lowkey serious.

I loved God and I had a relationship with him but I still had a lot of things to work on within myself. I was literally just cussing, fighting, and throwing it back less than a week ago.

"God has a calling on your life Mookie. The anointing is all over you." He said making my eyes widen. "You can run from God but you can't hide from him." He smirked before he patted my back and walked away. I brushed his words off and headed to the living room.

Not bothering to speak to anyone as I walked over to Jerome. "Let me talk to you." I told him before turning and walking out of the room, without even waiting to see if he was following me, I headed back upstairs.

"I was scared when I woke up because Jr was gone." I sighed as I grabbed his hand and put it over my chest so he could feel how fast my heart was beating. "Can you wake me up, text me, write a note or something the next time you just take him."

"Why you acting like I don't know how to take care of my child? You really be pissing me off with that shit." He snapped.

"It's not about you or your ability to care for our son Jerome. It's more about my anxiety. I was raped for years by a family member. It's sad to say but I don't trust anyone outside of a few people with him. I'm just apprehensive about the safety of my child. I don't want him to be mistreated. I didn't know who had him or where he was. It just scared me, Jerome." I explained to him.

"My bad baby, I understand what you saying. I wasn't thinking about all that. I was just being a proud Daddy and I wanted to show him off. Everybody was excited and asking about him so I didn't think anything of it, I'm sorry." He apologized, making me nod my head.

"I know, that's why I'm not mad about it. I just wanted you to know where I was coming from without thinking that I was trying to be a bitch toward you." I shrugged.

"I get it." He responded.

"Thank you for being understanding." I smiled making him nod his head. "And thank you for flying everybody in. You didn't have to but I'm glad you did. That really meant a lot to me. I really do appreciate it Jerome, for real."

"Anytime baby." He smirked.

"Also, why are you telling my people that we're engaged?" I asked him, raising my eyebrow and cocking my head to the side.

"Cause we are." He mumbled, looking away from me. This man was literally delusional. So you're comfortable with knowing your fiancé is in love with somebody else and is getting dicked down by someone other than you?"

"Whatever Jerome, you need to stop lying to these people." I told him, making him roll his eyes at me.

"Kiss my ass." He mumbled under his breath, causing me to smack him upside the head. He really makes me sick but I can't live without his goofy ass.

I took our son from his arms and headed back downstairs to spend time with my family. I felt a lot better after my nap and I couldn't wait to bond with my family. I hadn't seen some of these people in years. I was so happy, all of the people that I loved were here. Well ... most of them.

I had a smile on my face as my Aunt Carmen got up from her seat at Granny's large dining room table to hug me. "Hey Mookie girl." She smiled, wrapping her arms around me.

"Hi Auntie." I smiled, kissing her cheek.

"How you feeling Mookie, you okay?" Aunt Deborah asked me from her seat. Aunt Deb was married to Uncle Charles but after she found out what he had been doing to me, she divorced him and moved away. Although she had never vocalized it; I could tell she partly blamed herself for what happened. I could tell by the way she interacted with me. I tried my best to let her know that I didn't fault her for what her husband did.

"Yes ma'am, I feel better. Thanks." I smiled as went over to hug her. She held me tightly and I kissed her cheek. She rubbed my back once we pulled away from each other.

"You did a beautiful job at the service, Mama would be so proud of her baby." She told me as she brushed some of my hair to the side and away from my face.

"Thanks Auntie, that means a lot." I smiled.

"It's good to see you Mookie, I haven't seen you in years. You're so beautiful and grown up." Aunt Carmen said making me grin. "Look at that pretty smile and those dimples." She said hyping me up, making me blush.

"My niece is fine, girl!" Aunt Candy sang as she came into the kitchen with her drink in her hand. Her and Aunt Carmen were twins and they were just alike. They were definitely their mother's daughter. They were loud, feisty and always the life of the party. "She gets it from her Auntie, ayeeeeeee." She said bumping her hip against mine.

"Naw, she gets it from her Mama." My mom interjected, making me smile. "I look like I had five kids?" She said standing up and flaunting her body, doing a twirl.

"My Sis looks good!" Aunt Carmen clapped.

"Niecey does too. She just had this baby and looking fine as ever." Aunt Candy said making me smile. If only she knew I was in the mirror crying this morning about how fat I looked.

"I know it, she looks so good after having that baby. I'm jealous! My kids are grown and I still have baby fat." Aunt Deb laughed.

"You ready to eat baby?" Mama asked me, I nodded my head and attempted to follow her so I could heat it up. "I'll get it baby, go and sit down." She instructed me. I sat down at the table with my aunties, enjoying being in their company. We talked, laughed, and told stories while I ate my food.

I spent hours downstairs talking with my aunts and cousins while Jerome slept upstairs. We needed to go back to the hotel so we could get some rest and get packed up because we were basically leaving in the middle of the night to go back home.

Mama ended up taking my temperature and blood pressure almost ten times before she finally gave me permission to leave. If my blood pressure still would've been high, she probably would've rushed me to the ER right then. Thankfully it was back to normal and we could head home.

By the time I finally said my goodbyes to my family, it was midnight. We were supposed to leave the hotel at four in the morning to get on the road so we'd be back home before it was too late. "Jerome we have to go." I said loudly, shaking his body. "Jerome! Get up!" I hissed, smacking his back. This boy sleeps hard as hell for no reason. I finally smacked him with a pillow, causing him to wake up.

"Ouch! What the hell? Fuck wrong with you?" He mumbled, sitting up in the bed with a deep frown on his face.

"You wouldn't wake up." I shrugged. "It's late, we have to get back to the hotel." I told him. He laid there for a while before finally dragging his body out of the bed. I laid Jr on the bed so I could gather our things while Jerome used the bathroom.

After we were ready to go, I took time to say goodbye to all of my family because I didn't know when I would see them again. Half an hour later we were back at our hotel room. I packed up our things as quickly as I could; I fed and changed Jr before quickly showering and getting in the bed so I could rest before we had to get on the road.

Four hours and six snoozes later, I was finally pulling myself out of the bed. It was later than I was supposed to wake up but I just couldn't get out of bed. I didn't help that Jerome was knocked out as well. I let him sleep while I got the car keys and loaded all of our bags into the car. After brushing my teeth and washing my face; I fed Jr, washed him up and put on a comfortable outfit for him.

I finally woke Jerome up half an hour later so he could wash up and we could hit the road. When he noticed that I had already taken all of our bags down to the car, he was pissed. All I could really do was sit there and look while he cussed me out. "But I was just trying to help." I mumbled as I followed him. He was walking fast as hell to the elevator and I was literally having to power walk to keep up with him.

"Next time, don't!" He huffed. I honestly didn't see the big deal but clearly it meant a lot to him. I silently followed behind him as we went to the front desk to check out. While he paid and returned the key cards, I packed up some breakfast for us so we could eat on the go. Having a big purse definitely has it's perks.

When we finally made it to the car, I got in the backseat with Jr and Jerome got in the front. We started our journey home and I was a little confused when he pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store. We had plenty of snacks and drinks, we went to the bathroom before leaving the hotel, had phone chargers and an AUX cord so I was trying to figure out what he needed from the store.

"Need anything?" He asked, I shook my head and he got out of the car and jogged into the store. While he was gone, I sent out texts to my family and friends to inform them that we were on our way home.

I happened to look up and noticed Jerome had two bouquets of flowers and a bundle of white balloons. I raised my eyebrow when he got into the car. "These are for you baby." He said turning to me as he passed the beautiful bouquet of red roses to me.

"Awww Jerome, you're so sweet. Thank you so much." I grinned. I was honestly shocked because I really wasn't expecting all this but I was still appreciative. I assumed that the other bouquet was for his mom but I was confused because he wouldn't be seeing her until late tomorrow night. I still had no clue what the balloons were for but I wasn't going to ask any questions.

I wasn't paying attention to where we were going and my eyes were glued to my phone. I just assumed that we were on our way back home. So when we pulled up to the cemetery Granny was buried in yesterday, I was totally caught off guard.

"Do you know where she's buried?" Jerome asked. I was still in such shock that it took me a while to direct him to where her plot was. I was grateful that she was buried right next to my Granddaddy, otherwise I wouldn't have known where she was.

When we finally reached our destination, I immediately unbuckled Jr from his seat and got out of the car. I walked the short distance

"Baby be careful, they just dug this yesterday. It's still soft. You gon fall in or something." He reminded me, causing me to step to the side.

"I forgot." I laughed lightly.

"I know you was kinda bummed out about not being able to come to the burial yesterday so I wanted to give you the opportunity to still say goodbye." He explained, making me smile.

I simply hugged him tightly because I couldn't find the words to express my gratitude. This is the Jerome Khalil Jackson that I knew and fell in love with. The thoughtful, generous, caring, considerate and kind Jerome. "Thank you so much, this means the world to me." I told him.

"You're welcome." He replied, pulling away and kissing my forehead. He jogged back to the car and produced a towel that he bought from the store as well. He spread it out for me and allowed me to sit down before taking Jr from me. "We'll be at the car, take your time." He told me, leaving me sitting there.

"Hey Granddaddy, it's been a while." I smiled as I ran my fingers across his name on the large tombstone. Willie Earl Williams. "You got your baby up there with you now so I know you up there skinning and grinning; showing all them gold teeth. Y'all are probably cutting up." I chuckled. "You better take care of my Granny old man, I love you."

I just sat there, staring at the letters Lula Mae Williams for the first few minutes, not knowing what to say. I took a deep breath and allowed my words to spill out. "I'm grateful for all the wisdom, guidance and knowledge that you've given me over the years. You instilled so many great qualities in me and I pray to make you proud some day. Watch over us please. When I'm feeling down, I'll just think of all the good memories we had. I gotta get my life right so I can see you again because I'm not trying to go to hell. Texas summers are hot enough for me. Can't wait to sing with you again. Rest well Granny, I love you Diva." I smiled, placing the large bouquet of red roses on her freshly dug grave.

"Heavenly Father, I come to you thanking you for another day of undeserving grace, mercy and another chance to get right with you. I'm grateful that you allowed me to have Granny for twenty one years. Thank you for the bond that we shared. Thank you for the impact and influence she had over my life. I'm coming to you, asking that you would give me peace in my heart. Wrap your arms of comfort, peace and understanding around my family. God I'm hurting I just need to know that I'm going to be okay. This hurts and I'm trying to be strong but I'm struggling with this. Please give me strength when I'm weak, build me up where I'm torn down and please heal me where I'm broken. I don't want to go back to that dark place of depression and suicide so please; take control of my mind. Guard my heart and my thoughts, protect me against anything evil or not for me. Forgive me for my sins. I love you, Amen." I prayed.

I sat there for a little while longer, allowing my tears to flow freely before finally getting up. Jerome approached me with the balloons in his hand. He passed them to me and I smiled as I took a deep breath and closed my eyes before releasing them. "I love you Granny." I mumbled, watching the balloons until I could no longer see them.

"You okay?" Jerome asked, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I simply nodded my head and wiped my face free of tears.

"Thank you for being so supportive Jerome. You really went out of your way and you didn't have to. I just want you to know that I really do appreciate everything. You make me mad and get on my nerves but I'm grateful to have you in my life. Thank you so much." I told him as I wrapped my arms around him.

"You're welcome baby." He replied, leaning down to kiss my forehead. I pulled away from him and smiled.

"Love you." I mumbled.

"So do you want a summer wedding or-"

"Boy shut up! Give me my baby!" I laughed, elbowing him and taking Jr out of his arms. "Give a nigga an inch and he'll take a mile." I mumbled as we walked to the car.

About four hours into the ride; my legs were starting to cramp up and Jerome needed to use the bathroom so we pulled into a gas station. "You want anything baby?" Jerome asked, parking the car.

"Jerome, we haven't been together in a year. Stop calling me that, I'm with a whole other person and you're still calling me pet names." I sighed, shaking my head. He turned to face me and looked at me blankly before scoffing.

"You'll always be a part of me, I'm part of you indefinitely. Girl don't you know you can't escape me? Ooh darling 'cause you'll always be my babyyyyyy!" He sang loudly in my face before sneaking a kiss on my cheek. "Anyway, what you want from the store?" He asked.

I just rolled my eyes at him and sighed. This man was ridiculous. "Just something sweet." I replied. While Jerome was inside of the store, I changed Jr and allowed him to latch on to my nipple so I could feed him. He made eye contact with me and his little hand found my thumb and wrapped it around, like he always does when I feed him.

It was our way of connecting with each other and bonding. "Hey PaPa, look at you fat man. You so handsome. Yeah, my baby soooo cute. Mama loves you so much." I cooed, making his eyes light up as he kicked his chunky legs.

I scrolled through my Instagram; liking and commenting on the pictures that were on my timeline.

I guess Jr wasn't feeling my attention not being on him because he unlatched from my nipple and began fussing. When I focused my attention back on him, he calmed down and went right back to eating. I locked my phone and tucked it in between my thighs. "Mama's sorry PaPa, you got all my attention." I cooed, kissing the back of his hand.

I sat there staring at him as he stared back at me. When Jerome finally came out the store, I was still feeding Jr but we went ahead and got back on the road. "What'd you get me?" I asked as I laid Jr on my chest to burp him.

Jerome passed the bag to me and my face fell when I saw what was inside of it. Instead of complaining like I wanted to, I simply thanked him. I didn't want to come off as ungrateful and rude but I was lowkey mad as hell.

As soon as I sent my message; an incoming FaceTime call from him came in. I quickly put in my headphones and accepted his call. He was clearly sitting on the toilet and I laughed, now knowing why he didn't want to FaceTime. No words were exchanged between us, I just sat there watching him as he continued laying his burdens down.

He was so fine and I could literally stare at him all day if he would let me. I smiled to myself as he propped his phone up and let me watch as he showered and brushed his teeth. When I saw the clothes he was putting on, I realized he was going to work. "What lil man doing, he sleep?" Trayveon asked.

"Yeah, he just ate." I mumbled, briefly putting the camera on Jr. Seeing the smile Trayveon had on his face from just seeing Jr, made my heart melt.

"What Stink been up to? She straight? I was gon' call and check on her but I didn't want her Granny trippin." He said making me smirk. The love he has for my kids makes me love him even more. I'm definitely sucking his dick before he gets taken into custody.

"Having the time of her life. She is so spoiled." I said lowly, rolling my eyes dramatically.

"So, she can be spoiled." He replied.

"Did you eat?" I mumbled, noticing he was fully dressed and about to leave. Jerome had rap music playing but it wasn't blasting so if I talked too loud, I knew he'd hear me.

"Yeah I ordered pizza. Imma take the rest for lunch." He replied, making me shake my head and scrunch up my face in disapproval. Tray was lazy so knowing him, he's probably been eating fast food since I've been gone to avoid having to cook.

"See, I knew I should've cooked before I left." I huffed, shaking my head.

"Girl shut the hell up. I had a taste for pizza." He laughed.

"I had a taste for pizza." I mimicked him. He mugged me momentarily before the both of us busted out laughing.

"You better shut up for ya nigga hear you and go crazy. He'll have a heart attack if he knew you was talking to me while he in the car." He laughed. "I'm not there to whoop his ass so you need to use ya inside voice."

I slowly looked up from my phone and almost peed on myself when I made eye contact with Jerome through the rear view mirror. Clearly his ass had been watching me the whole time and I had been skinning and grinning like it was nothing. I smiled innocently at him before looking back down at my phone.

"Okay Drea, well I'll talk to you later girl. Have a good day. Love you." I giggled as I winked at Trayveon before blowing him a kiss.

"Love you too goofy ass. Be safe, I'll see you when you get back." He said making me smile as he ended the call. I avoided looking back up at all cost, which resulted in me eventually falling asleep.

TWELVE HOURS LATER:

"Jerome get up, we're home." I said nudging him awake. I'd driven the last six hours of the trip and I was beyond exhausted. I honestly don't know how Jerome drove us the whole way there because I was struggling with the little six hours that I drove. "Jerome!" After a few more hits and slaps, he finally woke up.

"Leave the bags, we can get them later." I yawned as I put my purse on my shoulder and picked up Jr. He was wide awake, staring at me with his beautiful light brown eyes.

"Hi PaPa, we're home." I mumbled sleepily as I kissed the top of his head. "Thank you Lord for getting us there safely and allowing us to come home safe. Be with my family as they travel back home as well. Amen." I prayed.

After getting inside and settled down, we all got in the bed and knocked out. Four hours into my sleep session, I woke up to Jr crying. I wanted to cry right with him because I was so tired. I laid there for a moment before finally dragging myself out of the bed to pick him up from his bassinet.

"I got him, go back to sleep." Jerome told me, coming into the room. I let him have my room and Jr and I slept in Aaliyah's room because I wasn't about to share a bed with him, he was too big for Aaliyah's bed and I didn't want him messing up my couch.

"No it's okay, I don't want my boobs to get engorged." I mumbled as I lifted my shirt to allow Jr to latch on.

"Well I'll get him after you feed him then." He volunteered.

"Thank you." I replied, allowing my body to relax into the pillows. I must've fallen asleep while breastfeeding because I woke up hours later, confused as hell. My boobs were still out but I was under the covers. Jerome could've at least tucked my titties in for me instead of just leaving them hanging.

"Baby, I need you to take me to the airport." Jerome said shaking me awake. I quickly sat up, picking up my phone to check the date and time. My eyes widened when I noticed all the missed calls and text messages that I had. I'd slept into the next day.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier? Where are the kids? Is Li here?" I asked, throwing the covers off of my body and making my way to the bathroom. "Did y'all eat?"

"You were tired and you clearly needed rest. I picked Li up yesterday. We ordered pizza, if you're hungry the leftovers are in the fridge." He shrugged.

"I can't believe I slept that long." I mumbled, shaking my head. I had literally slept through the night and the day. A whole sixteen hours.

"I had to come check on you to see if you was breathing a few times." Jerome smirked.

"I'm sorry Jerome, I didn't mean to leave you stuck with the kids." I sighed as I rinsed my toothbrush off and squirted toothpaste on it.

"I don't mind baby, they're my kids too. You needed to rest, I ain't tripping." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Thank you, I really did need that rest. I'll be ready in twenty minutes." I informed him as I shooed him out of the bathroom and closed the door so I could quickly shower and get dressed.

After rushing to get to the airport, the kids and I stayed until we saw his plane take off before leaving. The NBA was in the thick of training camp. I honestly had no clue when we would see him again so I was back to being a single mother for the time being.

TWO WEEKS LATER:

"Surprise!" Everyone yelled loudly as I took the blindfold from Trayveon's eyes. The look on his face was priceless. Mama really wanted to do something special for Trayveon before he went away so we planned a surprise going away party for him at my parents house.

It was so hard keeping it from him because I usually tell him everything and we talk all the time. I was proud of myself for keeping my mouth shut for so long.

Trayveon was antisocial and didn't like being around a lot of people most of the time so we kept the guest list to a minimum. Of course my family and the few people he associated with; Tamiyah, Tiana, Big Red, Rock, and TJ.

My Daddy and Emanuel had been outside grilling meat all day. Mama, Imani and I had been slaving over the stove preparing sides. Leilani decorated the entire backyard with the help of Leland, Aaliyah and Zyonn.

"Damn. Y'all really did all this for me?" He asked, with a small smile on his face as he looked around, seeing everybody gathered.

"Watch your mouth." Mama fussed, making me shake my head as I tried not to laugh. "But yes we did!" Mama told him as she came over and hugged him tightly.

Once they finally pulled away from each other, Trayveon grabbed me in a tight hug. His arms wrapped around my lower waist and mine around his neck. Due to our height difference, he slightly lifted me off the ground, surprising me. I didn't mind because after tomorrow we wouldn't be able to hold each other like this for a while. I wanted to enjoy this moment and preserve it.

"Thank you pretty girl, this shit really means a lot to me." He mumbled close to my ear as he rocked me side to side.

"Anything for you baby, I love you." I replied, squeezing him. He pulled away and I noticed the smirk on his face.

"You getting pregnant toniiiiiiiiight." He sang in my ear, making my eyes widen. He kissed my lips before allowing his hands to briefly brush against my ass. Everybody was watching us so he had to be discreet about it.

"Watch ya hands nigga."

"My bad Pops." Trayveon chuckled, putting his hands up and backing away from me. "You still getting pregnant, ya father won't be able to save you." He joked lowly.

"You got me messed up." I laughed as I hit his arm. He laughed before kissing my lips once more. I couldn't tell if he was serious or not but I definitely wasn't planning on having kids any time soon. Aaliyah and Jr were enough. "Stop being rude and go talk to your people baby. They came for you and you're up under me. I'll go make your plate while you mingle." I told him as I patted his chest and walked toward the large buffet of food.

"Mingle my ass." I heard him mumble.

I picked up two plates, knowing all this food wouldn't fit on one plate. Ribs, links, brisket, steak, pork chops, chicken, corn on the cob, greens, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs and coleslaw. For dessert we had peach cobbler, Italian cream cake and banana pudding with ice cream to go along with it.

After making his plates with all of his favorites, I placed it on the table in front of him along with a can of Big Red. Once he had everything he needed, I made sure everybody had food before making my plate and sitting next to him. I didn't have to worry about trying to hold Jr while eating because my Mama had him. I knew that she would be hogging him the rest of the night as well.

Music played loudly from a speaker while we ate and talked. Once everybody had eaten and the table was cleared; we busted out the Dominos, Spades, Uno and Phase 10.

Although I was having a good time; I couldn't wait to get home. This man was so fine and I needed him in a real way. I started my cycle a few days after we came back from Charleston and I hadn't been intimate with him in almost two weeks. I was desperate. I was attempting to keep my distance from him so I wouldn't be tempted to be overly affectionate in front of all of these people.

I was in the kitchen getting a bottle of water for myself when I felt a body press up against me. "Why you avoidin' me?" Trayveon asked.

"I'm not." I lied, turning to face him.

"Mm." He mumbled, running his hands down my back and resting them on my butt. Within seconds he spread my legs and lifted me off of the ground. "I can't wait to get yo fine ass home tonight." He mumbled as he kissed my neck, making me grin. I wrapped my arms and legs around him, kissing his lips. He walked us to the kitchen counter and sat me on top of it. My arms and legs still tightly wrapped around his body.

"You're the fine one. You look so gooooood." I whined dramatically as I leaned forward and pecked his lips multiple times. I never knew a nigga could look so damn good in a plain white t shirt and a pair of Nike cotton shorts.

"Quit boosting me." He chuckled.

"I'm not baby." I giggled, bitting down on my bottom lip to keep myself from kissing all over him again. "What made you approach me that day at the gas station?" I asked as I played with the gold chain around his neck.

"You want the truth?" He asked, making me frown.

"Duh." I scoffed.

"Honestly, you looked like you taste good and I really just wanted to eat your pussy. I didn't even wanna fuck to be honest." He admitted, making me gasp. "But when I kept seeing you around and shit, I realized that it was actually somethin' special about you." He said making me look at him with narrowed eyes.

"So you were just gonna eat me out and never talk to me again?" I asked.

"That was the plan." He shrugged, making my jaw drop as I smacked his chest.

"Hell naw, you would've had me and my kitty messed up. I would've been banging at your door every damn day the way you be making me feel. Would've had me acting crazy as hell and I wouldn't have cared." I told him honestly as he laughed.

"You so nasty." He said shaking his head.

"Says the nigga that approached me because he thought that I would taste good." I replied sarcastically, making him laugh again. "Do I?" I asked, once his laughter died down.

"Duh, why you think I can't leave yo lil ass alone." He said making me smirk. "If I didn't have so much respect for ya parents we'd be somewhere upstairs with my head between ya legs." He said rubbing my butt.

I felt a blush form on my cheeks as I leaned forward, closing the small gap between us and kissing his lips. "Nu-uh! Get your nasty ass off my counter!" I heard my Mama fuss, making me quickly pull away from him.

"Mama she kissed me! I don't know what got into her but-"

"Nigga shut up." I hissed, hitting his arm.

"Come back outside so we can take pictures. Y'all can wait a few more hours to be nasty." She said making me blush.

"Yes ma'am, we're coming." I replied, pushing Tray's body away from me and sliding down from the counter. Leilani had a photo booth set up for us to take pictures. I planned on getting them all printed and sending them to Trayveon once he was away so he would still have the memories.

After taking pictures; we all gathered around to say a few words about Trayveon. I sat on his lap; listening to everybody talk about Tray and tell stories about him. A smile was on my face because Trayveon viewed himself as an evil person but to the people that loved him, he was the opposite. Hopefully hearing them say these positive things would help change his perception of himself.

Everyone had a turn to speak and now it was my turn to say something about Trayveon. I stood up from his lap and turned to face him. He sat on the edge of his seat and held his hands out to me, making me smile. I grabbed his hands before leaning down and kissing his forehead. "Fine ass." He mumbled, making me giggle.

"Trayveon, I met you about a year ago. From the moment I met you, you were nothing but helpful and respectful. I could go on and on all night about all the things that you've done for me and my family. Being there for me during my entire pregnancy; going to all of my doctor appointments and birthing classes, making sure my baby and I had everything we needed and being there for the delivery and coaching me through the labor process." I smiled. He smirked at me and rubbed his thumb across my knuckles in a soothing manner.

"Helping me with my school work so I could finish my degree. Being there for Granny and making her happy in her last days. Accepting my kids and loving them. Always being down for me and not letting people disrespect me or do me wrong. Making me feel beautiful, loved, cherished and appreciated. Encouraging me to be the best me that I can be. Helping me to secure a future for my kids. Making sure I'm financially taken care of. Pushing me to keep going every time that I wanted to give up. For always reminding me of my worth and letting me know I'm special. Especially for loving me when I didn't even love myself." I expressed to him.

I was trying my hardest not to cry. My voice was thick with emotion and I had a huge lump in my throat but thankfully the tears hadn't made an appearance yet.

"Trayveon, I appreciate everything. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I'm grateful for you and I'm glad God placed you in my life. He knew we needed each other and I'm glad we got the chance to help each other grow. I don't know where I'd be without you Tray. You keep a smile on my face and I'm never sad or down when I'm around you. You're a beautiful person and I'm blessed to have someone like you in my life. And I don't care what you say, you are my boyfriend." I ended, making him laugh at my last statement. He stood up and tightly wrapped his arms around me in a hug.

"Speech speech speech speech." Tamiyah chanted, making me laugh as everyone else joined in.

"Gon' and say something nigga!" Man called to him, making me shake my head.

"Alright alright." He said cutting them off and rolling his eyes dramatically. "First I just wanna thank y'all for coming. Coulda been anywhere doin' anything but I'm glad y'all came to see about lil ol me." He smirked. "Mama D, I didn't expect this but I appreciate you for thinkin of me and doing all this. It means a lot. The food was good Pops, when I come back home you gon' have to teach me how to fire up the grill."

"I got you son." Daddy nodded his head, making me smile.

"Man I don't even know where to start, y'all know I'm not good with shit like this." He groaned lowly as he blew out a breath.

"Take ya time baby, just say what's on your mind." Mama told him as I rubbed his chest in a soothing manner and looked up at him with nothing but love in my eyes.

"This nigga 'bout to cry." Big Red joked.

"Leave my baby alone!" I snapped at him playfully.

"Thank you Mamas." Trayveon smirked as he threw his arm over my shoulder an discreetly flipped him off without my Mama seeing.

"Mama D, he just flip-" Before Big Red could even get all his words out, Trayveon cut him off and began talking loudly.

"Tamiyah, we've been thick as thieves since birth. Always stickin' together and lookin' out for each other cause we didn't really have a choice. For the longest, all we had was each other. I'm thankful for you and Tiana, y'all are the only blood family I have left. I love y'all so much, more than I love myself. Even locked up, I still got y'all. As long as there's breath in my body, y'all will be forever straight."

"Big Red, TJ, Rock; y'all my boys. My foster brothers. The three of us been tight since our bad ass middle school days. I ain't never been no friendly ass type of nigga but I can tolerate y'all. Shit, y'all the only friends that I got." He chuckled, making everybody laugh. "But for real, I appreciate y'all for accepting me and taking me and my sister in when shit was real rough for us. I love y'all forever. When I come back home, it's up."

"Mama D and Pops; thank y'all for taking me in and embracing me like family. I respect y'all so much simply because of how Mookie was raised. She's special and that's a testament to y'all's parenting. Y'all don't judge me or make me feel left out or nothin'. Every time I see y'all I feel like I'm at home and I appreciate it. Thank y'all for letting me get the chance to know Granny and build a relationship with her. Thank y'all for having Mookie because she's the best thing that ever happened to me. This whole family has been a blessing to me and I appreciate everything y'all have done for my lil sister, my niece and I. I love all y'all. Even you Man, with your big ugly ass."

"Love you too bro, box head ass nigga." Man replied, making me shake my head.

"Aw, bitch that was so sweet." I heard Imani whisper to Tasha who was wiping her eyes with a tissue. The pregnancy hormones were clearly getting to her because she's not a crier at all.

"Mookie, my baby." He smirked as he looked down at me while rubbing my back. I smiled up at him, trying to keep myself from turning the color of a tomato. "A lot of the shit I gotta say to you, can't be said in front of everybody else. Just know that I love you, I'm in love with you girl. You being a part of my life has made me a better person. I appreciate you baby and I'm grateful for you. I thank God for you every day because in a way you saved my life. I love you." He said making my smile widen. When he leaned down and kissed my forehead and then my lips, I could've melted.

***

"Trayveon." I finally spoke up. I'd been staring at him the whole drive home. He didn't seem to mind because he would glance at me and smirk every so often.

"Yea baby?" He mumbled, looking over at me. Our hands rested in my lap with our fingers intertwined as he drove. He used the button on my steering wheel to turn down Ginuwine's Love You More.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that I'm sucking your dick tonight whether you like it or not." I told him matter of factly. He slowly turned his head to look at me, the look on his face was priceless. I could tell he thought that I was joking but I wasn't.

I loved this man and I felt that he was more than deserving. I wanted to not only show how much I loved him but also my gratitude and appreciation for everything he's done for me. Yesterday morning I woke up to an empty house and my car was gone.

Hours later Trayveon returned; he'd gotten all new tires on my car, gotten my oil changed and a tune up. Not only did he do that but he paid off the rest of my car so I no longer had a car note. He also put a five thousand dollar credit on all of my bills. The only thing I had to worry about paying for was my car insurance, groceries and household things. I cried on and off all day like a baby just thanking him and telling him how much he meant to me.

I'd been practicing and preparing myself for this day with popsicles and cucumbers. With guidance from Andrea, instruction from Tasha and inspiration from Teanna Trump, I think I had it down. I was still a little nervous because Trayveon did not have an average sized penis.

He stared at me a little longer before putting his eyes back on the road. Without another word, he continued to drive us home. For the first time, I had him speechless.

My Mama begged me to leave Jr with her and Zyonn was spending the night as well so of course Aaliyah wanted to stay too. At first I told her no but the more I thought about it, I finally gave in and allowed them to stay.

The moment he pulled into a parking spot, my seatbelt was off and I was out of the car and headed up to his apartment. I'd already taken a shower before we left for the barbecue but that fact that we'd been outside all night and Tray's mouth would be all over me, I decided it wouldn't hurt to shower again.

I'd prepared for this moment all week. I had a fresh wax. My underarms, legs, and kitty were all smooth and free of hair. My toes had fresh pedicure with white polish on them. My nails were long and white like Trayveon likes them. I honestly couldn't wait to see what they looked like wrapped around his dick. While taking my morning shower; I exfoliated my body, leaving my skin soft and smooth. I pumped all day to prevent my breasts from leaking milk or being painfully engorged. While brushing my teeth this morning; I tested my gag reflexes with my toothbrush, needless to say, I was prepared.

"Baby, where you at?" I heard Trayveon yell loudly. I'm surprised that his ghetto ass hasn't gotten put out of these bougie ass apartments yet. I didn't bother responding because he wouldn't have heard me anyway. I decided to just let him find me. A few moments later the bathroom door opened and he busted in.

"You always in the tub. Gon' turn into a fuckin' prune." He joked as he leaned his head in and puckered his lips. I kissed his lips a few times before pulling away.

"You need to get in here and wash them balls before I put my mouth on 'em." I told him, making him mug me.

"Stop playing with me. My shit stay fresh." He replied with a blank look on his face. I giggled as he stripped out of his clothes and got in the shower with me. After we washed up together, it was like a race to the bedroom.

"Lay back baby." I told him, pushing his chest to get him to lay flat on his back. I got on top of him, in a straddling position. He placed his hands on my waist as I leaned forward to kiss him. I felt his hands roam my body as I took my time kissing him slowly and passionately.

I positioned myself to where I was hovering right above his dick, but making sure I kept my body from touching it. After finally pulling away from his lips, I kissed my way to his ear. "I love you Trayveon." I whispered in his ear before sucking his earlobe into my mouth. "I can't wait to feel you inside me."

"Stop playin' with me, you bein' a tease." He mumbled, attempting to kiss me. I turned my head, placing my face in the crook of his neck so I could have all the access I needed.

I kissed, licked and sucked on his neck until it was marked up and he was squirming under me. His dick was rock hard beneath me and pre cum was oozing from the head of his thick dick. I eventually kissed my way down to his chest and abdomen.

I held eye contact with him the entire time and by the time I reached his dick, I was dripping wet and he hadn't even touched me yet. This was about to be a long night.

My eyes dropped down to his manhood, I paused for a moment just admiring it. It was a pretty caramel color, free of any discoloration or blemishes. Nine and a half inches of thick dick that was covered in veins. As pretty as it was, I was intimidated and scared as hell. The size of this man's penis resembled a big ass remote control.

"You shaved cause you knew you were gettin' your dick sucked, huh?" I joked, making him laugh as I smirked at him.

"You childish man, goofy ass." He chuckled as he shook his head. "You know you don't have to do this, right?" He asked.

I didn't bother responding, I simply grabbed his manhood in both hands, slowly rubbing my hands up and down it. I made eye contact with him while lowering my mouth on his tip. I felt his body tense and then relax as I lightly sucked on the tip.

I'd never done this before and as nervous as I was, I really wanted to have this experience with Trayveon. I loved this man and he made me feel secure and comfortable enough to do it with him. He deserved it.

Removing the tip of his dick from my mouth, I placed wet, open mouthed kisses along the length of his shaft. I kissed my way down to his balls, taking one of them into my mouth and sucking lightly. "Fuuuuuck." He mumbled. I wanted to maintain eye contact with him the whole time, but he had other plans because his eyes were tightly shut.

I kissed my way back up his shaft, placing my mouth back on the sensitive tip of his dick. He hissed under his breath as I began sucking on the tip and using my tongue to simultaneously swirl around the thick head. I was taking my time for multiple reasons. I wanted to get used to having this big ass dick in my mouth and to make myself comfortable. Plus I also wanted to build up the anticipation for his orgasm.

Easing more of him into my mouth, I began to bob my head, creating a rhythm. Being careful of my teeth, I continued to lower my head on him, testing my limits. He wasn't even halfway in my mouth and I was already trying my best not to gag. I simply folded my thumb into the palm of my left hand and hoped for the best as I went to work. From the sounds of his low moans and groans, I wasn't doing terrible.

After making sure his dick was sloppy wet and covered in spit, I eased him out of my mouth and used both of my hands to jack him off for a moment to give my mouth and jaws a small break. After a few short moments, I lowered my head and took him in my mouth again.

I eased his dick into my mouth until I felt him knocking at the back of my throat. Both of my hands were wrapped around the remainder. I began moving both of my hands up and down in a circular motion while I continued bobbing my head up and down. The way that he was reacting to me was turning me on and I could feel how aroused I was. Trayveon didn't call me Juicy for nothing.

"Shiiiiiiit." Trayveon hissed loudly as I sped up my actions. The sound of his toes cracking let me know I was doing pretty well. I continued for what felt like forever, but in reality it was only a few minutes. When I felt his hand come in contact with the back of my head, I knew he was coming close.

I felt his fingers tangle in my hair and I sped up my movements, causing him to tighten his grip on my hair. I'm glad I had an appointment with Mama J soon because this nigga was about to rip my tracks out.

He began guiding my movements, forcing me to pick up the pace. Suddenly I felt his body tense and he attempted to push me away, but I made the random decision to allow him to cum in my mouth. Clearly this nigga brought out the nasty freak hoe in me. The sounds of his sexy moans and groans, gave me all the determination I needed to keep going.

He filled my mouth with his cum and I quickly swallowed before continuing to suck on his head. It wasn't until he forcefully pushed me away that his dick popped out of my mouth. He stared at me with wide eyes as I sat on my legs. The way that he was looking at me made me nervous.

"Juicy, what the fuck was that?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, I think I'll get better the more I do it b-" I mumbled.

"Better? Shit you almost killed me! My heart beatin' fast as fuck and my legs numb!" He said loudly, making me smirk.

"I did good?" I asked, grinning.

"Good? Shit you deserve a fuckin' medal." He scoffed as he looked at me suspiciously. "I thought you never did that before? Where you learn all that shit from?" He asked, squinting his eyes as he looked at me.

"I just practiced and got a few tips from Drea and Tasha." I shrugged.

"Practiced? On who? Juicy, on God you got me fucked up." He said loudly.

"Not on people. Food and stuff." I mumbled.

"Oh." He replied.

"Why are you just sitting there? Come on." I whined, attempting to pull his body into me but he didn't budge.

"I told you my legs was numb! I was dead ass serious." He said raising my voice, making me giggle. "My body is weak as shit. Come sit on my face while I get my strength back." He smirked.

"Oh noooooo." I said shaking my head quickly as I backed away from him. He grabbed my arm and tried to pull me close to him but I held my ground. "I'm too big Trayveon. Imma break your neck and then I'll be the one going to jail for manslaughter." I sighed, making him smack his lips.

"Girl you so fuckin' dramatic! Come on!" He fussed at me, as he yanked me up. I hesitantly allowed him to position my body into a squat right above his face, being careful to rest my weight on my feet. He placed his hands under my thighs, helping support my weight. I was thankful for the support because the moment his tongue came in contact with my clit, my knees instantly went weak.

"Damn." I mumbled, leaning forward to allow myself to rest against the headboard. I could tell this wouldn't last long. I was so turned on that he barely touched me and I was already about to orgasm.

My hands were gripping on the headboard so tightly that my knuckles were turning color. I threw my head back and my mouth parted as soft high pitched moans left my lips. My eyes rolled to the back of my head while I began to involuntarily grind my hips against his tongue. He smacked my butt before he continuing to caress my clit with his tongue.

His hands rubbed and smacked on my thighs as his mouth brought me to multiple orgasms. He probably would've continued if I hadn't jerked away from him and stood up. I felt like my body couldn't handle anymore.

"You gon' get on top?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

"No, I'm too heavy. Imma break you." I replied shaking my head quickly. Trayveon had put on a few pounds since I met him, but my baby was still scrawny and I didn't want to hurt him. He couldn't handle all this ass.

"Aye. If I die, I die." He shrugged, making me smack his chest as he laughed. "Saddle up muthafucka." He joked as he grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him.

I rolled my eyes playfully as I swung my leg over his body. I planted my feet and placed my hand on his chest to steady myself before using my other hand to position his dick at my entrance. Soft moans left my lips as I slowly slid down on him. "Shiiiiiiit." I groaned as I sat down with him completely inside of me.

I sat there for a moment, giving myself time to adjust to him being fully inside of me. Once I got comfortable, I began to slowly bounce up and down. The way Trayveon was staring up at me was definitely turning me on. "Ride that shit girl. Damn. Fuck!" He hissed as I sped up my movements. I groaned at the feeling of him repeatedly smacking my ass.

Biting down on my bottom lip I used one hand to cup my left boob and the other to stimulate my clitoris. I continued building my speed until I was riding him as fast as I could. I may have had a gut because of this baby but my lower body was still in shape. I had years of running track to thank for that.

"Fuck girl!" Trayveon groaned.

"Oooooh fuck." I moaned loudly. I was caught off guard by him leaning up and wrapping his arm tightly around my waist.

I screamed in surprise as he began pounding into me relentlessly. I was so loud that he felt it was necessary to cover my mouth with his hand. My muffled screams and moans along with the sound of our skin meeting each other with each thrust as well as the sounds of him entering my wetness filled the room.

This nigga was really pounding into my shit and his arms were tightly wrapped around my body to prevent me from running from him. No doubt I would be sore as hell in the morning. I felt my whole body tense up as pressure built up in the lower portion of my stomach. An indication that I was about to have an orgasm.

"Babyyyyyy, I-I-I'm about to-"

"Not yet Juicy." He said leaning up to kiss me before pulling out. I could've smacked the shit out of him in that moment. He switched our positions and before I knew it; he was behind me, pressing into my back to perfect my arch. "That's it." I heard him mumble before I felt him rubbing his tip against my opening. "You so fuckin' wet." He groaned.

"Stop playing and put it in!" I snapped. I had an attitude because I was literally moments away from having an orgasm and he snatched it away from me. Now he had the nerve to try and tease somebody.

"I wouldn't talk shit in this position if I was you Mamas." He chuckled before slamming into me without warning any type of warning. The impact was so powerful that I damn near flew off the bed. "Where you goin?" He asked. I was definitely squaring up with him after this. I repositioned myself, making sure that my arch was up to par.

"Shit nigga, damn." I huffed, trying to catch my breath. The wind had been knocked out of me. Before he began stroking me, he began grinding his hips. He was teasing me yet again and I wasn't having it. I began rocking my hips against him, creating my own rhythm.

He remained still, allowing me to do my thing for a minute. "Throw that shit Juicy, okay girl! I see you!" He yelled smacking my ass, making me smirk as I tried not to laugh. This man was so goofy and I loved it. His encouragement and the sound of my ass clapping against him made me speed up. I bit down on my bottom lip and swung my hair to the side so I could see him. He was bitting his bottom lip with his arms cross over his chest as he watched my ass bounce against him.

I was caught off guard when he smacked my ass with both hands before grabbing my hips and pounding into me. "Ooh fuck Trayveon!" He was literally beating my insides and killing me from the back. This man had me feeling like I was about to die. I placed my hand on his lower abdomen, hoping he would ease up a little. Wrong. The nigga grabbed my hand and pinned it to my back.

"Take that shit." He hissed. I honestly didn't know how much longer I would last. Take me now Lord. I attempted to move away from him but he swiftly caught me by my throat before I could go anywhere. He hooked his left arm around my neck and jerked me up into him.

We were now both on our knees and my back was pressed up against his chest. He was still pounding into me mercilessly and to really be honest, I was in disbelief that this skinny ass nigga could actually handle my big ass like this. "Stop running from me." He mumbled in my ear before he began placing sloppy kisses on my neck.

My legs were trembling and my whole body was shaking. It was hard for me to support my weight on my weak legs. I tried my hardest to maintain my perfect arch but it was slipping away with each stroke. I only lasted for a few more thrusts before I collapsed on the bed.

I sighed in relief, thinking that he would give me a break. Not. The nigga followed my every move. I was laying flat on my stomach with a slight arch and he was laying directly on top of me, his dick nestled deeply in my wet walls. He wasn't moving yet so I could feel all nine inches of him.

He sat up and began trailing kisses from my neck and down my back. My whole body got chills and I began trembling as he began to slowly stroke me. A series of moans, groans, and cuss words left my lips with each of his powerful thrusts.

This man had stamina like no other. I couldn't understand how he maintained his perfect thrusts without getting sloppy or tired. Each one was accurate and precise. This nigga was clearly on a mission.

Again, my orgasm was gradually building. My breathing increased and my mouth fell open as he slammed into me. Just as the affects of my orgasm began, he pulled out and flipped me on my back. At this point he knew what he was doing and I was pissed.

"Stop teasing me!" I yelled, smacking his bare chest. He simply smirked before burying his face between my thighs. The moment that his skilled tongue came in contact with my clitoris I finally got my orgasm. It was so strong and powerful that my whole body was writhing.

I attempted to push his head away from me but he grabbed my wrists in one of his hands and pinned them against my stomach. But he didn't stop there; he slipped two fingers inside of me, curving them in an upward motion.

Instantly, clear liquid began to gush from in between my legs. Despite the fact that I had a waterfall coming from between my legs, he never removed his mouth. My body was so drained and weak, all I could do was lay there and stare up at the mirror on the ceiling.

He finally came up and placed a kiss against my lips. My body was finished but I knew he hadn't cum yet so I had to endure yet another beating. I would definitely need an ice pack in the morning for my kitty.

I allowed him to peck my lips before parting them and allowing his tongue to slip into my mouth. I was so into the kiss, I honestly hadn't noticed him pushing his way into me. "Damn, you wet as hell." My lips parted and I gasped at the feeling he was giving me. "Fuuuuuck." He moaned lowly as he quickly pulled out and looked down at me. I looked in between us to see that his dick was coated in my juices. He entered me slowly, causing me to gasp.

I tightly gripped his arms as he slowly thrusted into me, adding more of him with each thrust.
"Feel good?" He asked, sliding his dick inside of me and rotating his hips. He was giving me slow and long strokes, making sure to slam into me each time.

I nodded my head, fighting the urge to scream as loud as I could. I was trying to keep it down because I knew he had neighbors and I didn't want to be disrespectful. "Shiiiiiiit boy, damn." I moaned, wrapping my arms around him and holding him close to me.

"Fuuuuck." Trayveon moaned in my ear as I  tightened and clenched my vaginal muscles around the him. He was stroking me slow and steady and I could feel all of him. He sloppily kissed and sucked on my neck and I felt like I was about to just explode due to the intense amount of pleasure that I was feeling.

My lips parted as I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I laid there with my mouth open, staring into his eyes. The feeling of him slowly moving inside of me was indescribable. I gasped as I felt his pelvis press against mine, before grinding his hips against me. "Oh shit. Babyyyyy." I moaned loudly, feeling how deep he really was. It hurt so good.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of our bodies being connected as one. "Yeah baby?" He asked, kissing my neck.

"I- I-I-I." I stammered. I couldn't formulate my words because of how good I was feeling so I finally just shut up.

"I know baby." He chuckled before placing a kiss on my lips. "Look at me." He mumbled lowly. His deep voice caused chills to form on my skin. Everything about him turned me on. His fine ass had me wrapped around his finger and there was nothing I could do about it. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up at him.

The moment we locked eyes, tears filled my eyes. I loved him so much and I knew that he felt the same way about me. "I love you pretty girl, more than anything." He said, speaking my thoughts. "You're my everything."

"I-I love you too." I moaned before sniffling as I kissed his lips and he tucked his face in the crook of my neck. Tears continued to fall as he made love to my body. "Fuuuck." I whined, enjoying the pleasurable feeling of our bodies being meshed together as one. "Faster baby. Don't stop baby, please don't stop." I moaned into his ear.

"Shit feel good?" He asked, slamming into me, causing my eyes to roll to the back of my head as my mouth dropped open.

I winced once he hit my spot. With each one of his deep and powerful strokes, he rotated his hips against mine before pulling out and doing it all over again. "This my shit?" He asked, slamming into me with so much force that my body jerked away from him. I was unable to verbally respond so I simply nodded my head. "Huh?" He asked pulling out.

"It's yours baby, I'm yours." I whined, missing the feeling of him inside of me. I pressed my hands against his lower back, trying to get him to move inside of me. "Trayveon, come on!" I snapped, causing him to chuckle.

To my surprise; he pushed my legs back until my toes were touching the headboard and my knees were by my face. "I'm too fat for this. I can't breathe." I whined.

"Girl shut up." He scoffed, smacking his lips. He wrapped his arms around my legs to keep them in that position and slid into me causing my breath to het caught in my throat. "You so fuckin' wet." He mumbled as my eyes rolled to the back of my head.

This was a different type of penetration. He was so deep that it felt like he was poking at my lungs. He remained still, giving me a brief moment to adjust before he picked up where he left off. Slow stroking me as deeply and intensely as he could. My arms were wrapped around his body, nails marking up his back.

"Don't stop." I pleaded with him as I clenched my muscles around him, making him groan as he rested his forehead against mine. "Please don't stop baby." I whined, loving the feeling of his slow strokes. If I wasn't already in love with this man, these strokes he was giving me would make me fall head over heels.

"Fuck." He moaned at the feeling of my inner muscles contracting around him. The sound of his moans were like heaven to my ears and it almost made me orgasm again. He gathered himself and spoke up again. "Ease up Juicy." He warned, smacking my thigh.

"I-Im I'm about to cum." I moaned loudly as I felt pressure in my lower stomach and my legs begin to shake violently. "Fuuuuuck."

"Look at me." He demanded, rolling his hips against mine. The moment my eyes opened and met with his, my orgasm hit and I felt him slightly speed up his stroke.

"Fuck girl! Oh shit. Damn." He groaned as my vaginal muscles tightened and contracted around him, causing him to reach his orgasm as well. He continued stroking me at a slow and steady pace, until we rode out the wave of our orgasm together.

He released my legs and allowed his body to lay down and rest on mine as I wrapped my legs tightly around him. He was still inside of me but I didn't mind. We laid there trying to catch our breath, staring at each other. I tried to fight the big smile forming on my face but I couldn't. "What?" He asked, smirking.

"I love you Trayveon." I mumbled, cupping his face in both of my hands and kissing his lips.

"I love you too baby, more than anything."

***

Trayveon and I were cuddled up in bed, after rounds and rounds of sex. Eight rounds to be exact. I was exhausted and my body was sore and tired. Too tired to put on any clothes, we both laid there naked. Trayveon was laying on his back and I was curled up against his side. My leg thrown over his body and my hand resting on his chest. All the lights were off, as well as the TV. We were laying in darkness and silence, enjoying being wrapped up in each other's arms.

"Know what's crazy." He mumbled, rubbing my butt.

"What baby?" I asked, continuing to trace the detailed tattoos and hickies that I left on his neck with my acrylic nails.

"I'm not even fucked up about this time imma do, it's the fact that I gotta leave you behind that's messing with me." He replied, making me pout as I looked up at him.

"I plan on being there every step of the way baby. I know it won't be the same because we won't be in each other's presence every day like we usually are but I'm gonna try and make it as easy and normal as I can. We're doing this time together baby." I told him.

"I just don't want you losin' yaself tryna make sure I'm straight. Your focus needs to be on you and the kids." He sighed.

"Boy please." I scoffed.

"I'm serious Juicy." He responded.

"I am too." I replied, sitting up and looking at him. "I got us. The kids will be taken care of and so will you."

"And what about you?" He asked, bugging his eyes at me and cocking his head to the side.

"Long as I got you, I'll be taken care of." I shrugged.

"How the fuck imma do that from a cell?" He asked, slightly raising his voice.

"Here you go." I huffed, rolling my eyes.

"I'm saying, I shoulda just left you alone. You deserve better than this man. I don't got shit to offer you but some fuckin' money and wack ass promises of what imma do when I get out of prison." He snapped.

"Stop yelling at me." I snapped back at him, feeling my eyes water and a lump build in my throat.

"I apologize. I'm not tryna argue witchu. I just don't want you to forget about your needs and shit tryna make me comfortable." He sighed as he looked away from me. "I just feel guilty for puttin' you in this fucked up ass position. You don't deserve it and I'm sorry."

"Hey, look at me." I demanded softly. His eyes remain glued to the mirror hanging above his bed and I sighed before grabbing his face and forcing him to look at me. When we made eye contact, my heart could've shattered because of the tears in his eyes.

I've known this man for over a year and I've never seen him cry at all or even come close to showing this much emotion. It scared me a little but I was grateful to know that he trusted me enough to allow me see him in such an emotional state.

"I love you. You didn't put me in a position to do anything baby. I'm here because I want to be. I'm here because you mean a lot to me. I'm here because I love you. I'm here because there's no other place I'd rather be. You being in prison won't take my love away from you. I love you and there's nothing you can do about it. I don't mind supporting you through this. It's not what about you can and can't offer me because you've already given me the world. Of course I'm not thrilled about not being able to get consistent dick and be up under you all the time but that's a sacrifice that I'm willing to make because I love you." I expressed to him, meaning every single word.

"But I-"

"Shut the fuck up and let me love you nigga." I snapped, making him chuckle and shake his head at me. "I love you." I told him, smiling brightly at him. "You love me?"

"I love you more. Gimme kiss." He replied as I leaned into him and puckered my lips. I closed my eyes as he pecked my lips. Every time that he attempted to pull away, I kissed him again. I cupped his face with my hand and allowed my tongue to enter his mouth. We kissed each other slowly and sensually until I finally broke away from his lips.

"Goodnight baby." I whispered against his lips before gently kissing his thick lips again. "Go to sleep." I told him as I relaxed into his arms and made myself comfortable in my spot.

"Hell naw, ain't no way you kissed me like that and expect me to go to sleep." He scoffed as he sat up, bringing me with him. "You better sit on it or something." He said gesturing to his semi hard dick.

"Babeeeeee noooooo, I can't take anymore." I whined dramatically, closing my legs. I had no clue how I was going to function tomorrow. I was in need of a wheelchair. "It hurts. Imma have to probably put a bag of ice on it in the morning. It's gonna be sore like last time."

"Ya mouth hurt?" He asked, making me smirk. Without a word, I slid down his body and took him in my mouth again with ease.

***

"I'm sorry baby, I'm so fuckin' sorry." Trayveon mumbled in my ear as he held me tightly while rocking me side to side. My body shook as hard sobs racked my whole entire body. "You gon' be straight Juicy, I promise. Your whole life is ahead of you and you got a lot of shit to live for. You gon' get that masters degree and that doctorate degree, you gon' open up that private practice so you can help all the crazy muthafuckas in the world like me. Keep bein' a good mom to Stink and fat man, keep bein' the strong, caring person you are. The world needs you; you a beautiful person inside and out and you got a lot to offer. Don't let nobody tell you different, Mookie. I love you more than anything in this world. You hear me?"

I simply nodded my head and squeezed his body tighter, unable to verbally respond. I took a deep breath, trying to get myself together so I could at least tell him that I loved him before he had to go. I felt him kiss my forehead as he rubbed his hands up and down my back in a soothing manner. It seemed like the more that I tried to stop crying, the harder and faster my tears came.

"Stop cryin' baby, you breakin' my heart with this shit." He sighed as he held me tightly. I was losing my best friend and the man that I loved to the system for seven years. I lost my Granny only three weeks prior and I was still grieving from that. It seemed like I was taking loss after loss. No matter how much I tried to prepare myself for this day, it still hurt. "I need to see that pretty smile before I go. You gon' smile for me?" He asked me.

I got myself together, knowing that he needed my support. He was the one going to prison, not me. I wiped my face, lifted my head and kissed his lips. Others were in the room with us so I couldn't kiss him how I wanted to. My Mama would've definitely cussed me out or hit me upside the head for being inappropriate in front of everybody. Once my breathing was somewhat under control, I was able to finally speak my feelings to him.

"I love you so much Trayveon, you mean so much to me. Thank you for being the person that my kids and I desperately needed. You're not going through this alone. Imma be here every step of the way to support you through all this and to remind you that you're loved. I'm never letting you go and no one will ever come between the bond we have. Imma be the first one here at every visit, I'll be at the post office sending pictures and letters every day, commissary gon be lit every week, and I'm dropping everything to answer the phone every time you call baby." I told him honestly, looking him in the eyes to let him know that I meant every word.

"I know pretty girl, I love you and I appreciate you." He replied, smiling at me. I kissed him again before removing my arms from around him and stepping away. Allowing him to say goodbye to the rest of his friends and family.

Tamiyah, Tiana, Big Red, and Rock came to extend their support as well. I know Trayveon was grateful for them being here too. He was being strong but I knew this was tearing him up on the inside.

"He'll be okay baby and so will you." Mama reassured me as she wrapped her arm around me to comfort me. I rested my head on her shoulder, watching him hug and kiss his family one by one. After pulling away from his hug with Rock, he made eye contact with me and gestured for me to come to him. I wasted no time at all, making my way over to him.

My body was honestly so sore and in pain due to my sexual escapades with Trayveon last night. I literally felt like I'd been hit and run over by a train. My morning was spent with a bag of frozen peas in my panties. I was trying to play it off but I wasn't doing too well. Not to mention the hickies that covered every inch of my neck and chest.

"Just in case." He mumbled before leaning down and kissing my stomach. The gesture was sweet and it made my heart melt but at the same time I was embarrassed. Now all of these people knew that I had been busting it open for him and I was possibly pregnant by him. I was embarrassed as hell. I knew that I would be getting an earful from Mama. "Love you Juicy." He said kissing my forehead and then my lips. "You gon' always be my pretty girl." He said, making me grin. "There's that smile." He smirked.

"I love you more baby." I whispered, pecking his lips once again. I stood there in that same position as I watched him get cuffed and led out of the room.

I honestly didn't want to turn around and face everybody after what happened, especially my Mama. I was embarrassed as hell. I held my head down from the time he was escorted out of the room until the guard led us outside.

"Bye y'all, stay out of trouble." Mama told us.

"Yes ma'am, thank you for coming." Tamiyah smiled as she hugged her.

"Of course baby. I'm cooking Sunday dinner after church so y'all come by and get a plate." She invited them.

"We'll be there, thank you." Tamiyah replied.

"Ooooh. For real? Thanks Mama D!" Rock asked, his eyes lighting up.

"You're welcome baby." She chuckled.

"Fat ass." Big Red mumbled.

"I'll see you later baby, we need to talk when I get off." Mama told me, giving me a look as she kissed my cheek and walked to her car. She was working at the hospital tonight and her shift started in half an hour so she had to go straight there. Otherwise she would've let me have it in this parking lot.

"Yes ma'am, love you." I called to her.

"Love you too lil girl." She yelled back. I could tell by her response I would get an earful from her and I was not ready.

"So you let that skinny ass nigga impregnate you? I thought we had something special? Ya kids gon come out yella and scrawny just like him." Rock joked, making me roll my eyes.

"Not too much on my brother Rock!" Tamiyah snapped, mugging him playfully.

"Exactly! Shut the hell up Roderick, don't be talking about my baby!" I replied, pushing him away from me as he laughed.

"I'm just playing Mookie." He laughed, making me cut my eyes at him. "Tray our boy so you know we gon' make sure you and the lil ones taken care of, so if you need somethin' don't be afraid to reach out. We all family now." He said making me smile.

"Thanks Rock." I smiled, allowing him to place his arm around me. I briefly hugged him back before pulling away and adjusting my purse on my shoulder. "I'm not sure if I'm pregnant though, it's too early to tell. Ya friend doesn't know what a condom is or how to pull out." I sighed. "What?" I asked, noticing Rock and Big Red looking at each other strangely before they busted out laughing.

"He did that shit on purpose, I don't blame him though. I'd lock yo fine ass down too." Rock laughed, making me smack his arm.

"Hate to break it to you, but he definitely did that shit on purpose." Big Red laughed. "That nigga don't fuck nothin' without a glove." He added, making me frown.

"Quit airing my brother shit out. Telling all his damn business." Tamiyah fussed, shaking her head as she adjusted Tiana on her hip.

"Shut up forehead." Rock replied, flipping her off. I stood there silently, thinking up ways to cuss Trayveon out. This nigga tried to trap me.

JEROME POV:

"Hey son, what you doing? Oh for real? That's what's up. I just ate and I'm bout to go work out for a lil bit. Coach be real strict about us staying in shape. Yeah I know. I miss you too son. Ya Mama boring? You want a lil brother? Cool. Me and ya Mama can get started right away since her lil boyfriend in jail now." I said to my son as he stared at me while sucking on his pacifier. I was about to say something else to him until I noticed that I was looking at my home screen instead of my son.

We were having a great conversation until his rude ass Mama hung up. I immediately called her back on FaceTime and she answered with a mug on her face. "My son and I were having a conversation." I stated, rolling my eyes at her. "Put him back on the phone. He said he missed me."

"Jerome stop playing with me, I'm really not in the mood." She sighed, rolling her eyes at me. When she said that I noticed she looked tired and sad. Like she had been crying.

"What's wrong with you? Who I gotta go beat up?" I asked frowning as I got serious. Mookie and I aren't together but I'll still drop anybody over her. A nigga or bitch would be signing their death wish for fucking with her. She was definitely somebody that I didn't play about. All she had to do was say the word and I was coming behind her strong.

"Nobody." She mumbled.

"Well what's wrong?" I asked.

"I had a moment earlier at work. Missing my Granny and Trayveon. I'm good now though." She sighed.

"You don't sound like it? Wanna talk about it? I'm in for the night." I offered. I wasn't good with giving advice but I didn't mind listening. I still considered her a friend and I wanted her to know she could talk to me if she needed to.

"I'm fine." She replied. "Go ahead and work out so you can go to sleep. I know you have an early practice."

"I'm not gon' force you. Just know that I'm here if you wanna talk." I told her, making her smile. She was so beautiful to me. Her hair was in a bun on top of her head and her face was free of makeup but she was glowing. Her smile and dimples still gave me butterflies. I'm so fucked up about this girl.

I still loved her and still very much wanted to be in a relationship with her but I was trying a different approach. Instead of trying to force us back together and giving her false hope and empty promises, I simply just took a step back. I decided to let my improved behavior and changed actions do the talking for me. If Mookie and I were meant to be, we'd find our way back to each other. If not, I'd just have to pray that I wouldn't have a mental breakdown.

"Thank you Jerome, I appreciate it." She told me as Jr started to fuss in the background. She briefly put the phone down to pick him. I was looking at the ceiling fan for a moment before she finally picked the phone back up.

"So what y'all got planned for tomorrow?" I asked her. Usually I call every morning so I can talk to my babies before they go to school and every night before they go to bed.

"Aaliyah has school tomorrow and Jeremy is going to pick her up after that. She's staying with them for the weekend. I'm only working half the day because Jr and I are going to visit Trayveon. I asked my mom to keep him while I'm at work so Justycee could have the day off." She told me, making me nod my head.

After seeing how well Justycee was with Jr and kids in general, Mookie asked her to keep him instead of putting him in a day care. It all worked out perfectly because Justycee was taking online classes so she was able to be home during the day. I paid her four hundred a week and she was loving it. I was supporting my sister in what she wanted to do career wise, my son was safe and well taken care of and Mookie had peace of mind.

"Mm. How is your boyfriend?" I asked.

"He's good. He finally got transferred so he'll be able to get more privileges and stuff. The only thing is, he's almost two hours away. He wants to apply for a job to help his time go by faster and to keep him focused, so we'll see how that goes." She informed me.

"Sounds good, tell him to keep his head up and stay outta trouble. I'm not tryna pull you outta anymore caskets." I joked, making her flip me off as she tried not to laugh.

"What about you?" She asked.

"Same ol raggedy shit." I replied, making her laugh. Being without my family was so boring, I had Mike and Andrea out here but they had a family of their own. That still didn't stop me from going over their house every night to get a free home cooked meal.

"Make some friends. You're lonely by choice. You have a great personality and people love you. Stop sitting in the house being sad and go enjoy your life." She said making me roll my eyes. "Go hang out with your teammates or go to a club or something every now and then. Go have some fun and stop being an old ass grandpa."

"Fuck that. I'm sick of that shit. I just wanna be a Daddy and play basketball." I mumbled. She smirked in response before clearing her throat.

"So what's up with you? You've been a good boy for the most part, lately." She spoke up, making me smirk

"Just growing up I guess. I'm too old for a lotta shit. I got bigger things to worry about." I shrugged, making her smile.

"Well I see the improvement and I'm proud of you." She told me. For her to acknowledge my growth and improvement, made me feel really good about myself. Especially when I was actually trying.

"Preciate it." I smiled as I ran my hand over the top of my head. There was a moment of silence between us as I stared at her while she played with our son.

"You so handsome PaPa! Yes you are! Look at my babyyyyyy!" She cooed to him, making me smile. I watched as he kicked his big chunky legs while she tickled his belly, wishing I was there with them. Hearing him trying to talk back to her, warmed my heart. I loved playing basketball and the money was nice but this shit was for the birds. I wanted my family.

"Why you looking sad?" Mookie asked. I was in such a daze that I didn't even realize she'd picked up the phone and was looking at me.

"Nothing, just missing y'all." I mumbled.

"I'm sorry Jerome." She sighed. With her and Aaliyah being back in school for the semester and Mookie working full time, it wasn't like she could just pick up and visit any time. With us being in the preseason, I barely had time to wipe my ass so traveling to Texas to visit was out of the question for the moment. It was just frustrating being away from my family and it was starting to take a toll on me.

"It's cool. Hopefully it won't be like this forever though." I shrugged, hinting at them moving here with me.

"We'll see." She sighed.

"It's cool, I know you don't wanna leave your lil boyfriend behind." I sighed dramatically.

"It's not that. I'll catch a flight twice a week to see him if I have to." She shrugged. "It's the fact that my job is here, my school is here, I'll have to get all of my licenses and credentials transferred there, once I start my clinical hours it'll be hard as hell to transfer them to a whole different state, my family is here. Aaliyah is in school here and she loves it. You and I aren't even together. It's so many things Jerome. I'm not trying to be selfish because I know that you want us there with you, but I have to think about what's best for me and the kids too." She sighed.

"I know baby, I understand." I replied.

"I'm so overwhelmed and stressed out. I don't know what the fuck to do with my life and I feel so stuck." I heard her mumble as her eyes rolled to the ceiling. It wasn't long before tears were rapidly rolling down her cheeks.

"I didn't meant to upset you baby. I'm sorry. We'll make it work like we have been for the last three months. Don't cry Mookie." I sighed.

"It's not that." She sniffled as she lowered her head and placed her hand over her face. "I've been just crying on and off all day for like two weeks. It's seems like that's all I do now."

"Well, what is it? Why you crying so much?" I asked, raising my eyebrow in concern. I was aware of my baby's bipolar disorder but I was hoping she wasn't dealing with postpartum as well. Aireka had that shit bad as hell after she had Aaliyah, I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

"Please don't judge me when I tell you this." She pleaded as she looked at me with more tears running down her face. "Don't be mad at me, I didn't mean for it to happen. I-I was just being stupid a-"

"I'm not baby, man calm down and just tell me what's wrong." I frowned.

"I'm pregnant." She blurted out. I sat there for a moment, staring at her. I was stuck. I didn't know what to do or say. My body was numb but I could definitely feel the pain in my chest.  "Jerome, say something." She mumbled.

"Uh, damn. H-have you told him yet?" I asked her, not knowing what else to say to her. I was shocked as hell. I was expecting her to tell me anything but that. "How far are you? Have you been to the doctor yet?" I asked, not allowing her to answer the first question.

That nigga been in jail for almost three months so she had to be at least three months along in her pregnancy. This is crazy as hell. Damn.

"Yeah, I've been to the doctor twice and I'm almost fourteen weeks. I haven't told him yet." She sniffled as she used the back of her hand to wipe her face. "This wasn't supposed to happen like this. I feel so stupid. Jr isn't even six months yet and I'm pregnant again by a nigga in prison. I feel like such a hoe. I'm only twenty one and I'm bout to have two kids and two baby daddies." She cried as she dropped the phone. It was at a weird angle but I could still see her. She was sobbing into her hands. I could hear Jr start to whine before he started crying as well.

I felt so bad because I couldn't do anything but sit there and look at them as they cried. Mookie eventually got herself together enough to pick Jr up and comfort him. "Have you told anybody else?" I asked her.

"Andrea and Trayveon's sister, Tamiyah know. I'm sure it won't be long before Mama starts to dream about fish." She sighed deeply. "I'm so disappointed in myself. How could I let this happen? I'm so fucking dumb. My hoe ass."

"Mookie calm down, you not dumb and you not a hoe. You didn't get yourself pregnant so you can't just place all the blame on yourself. I know you didn't do this shit on purpose and just speaking from experience; you got some good ass pussy. The nigga probably couldn't pull out even if he wanted to." I shrugged, telling the truth. She narrowed her eyes at me and I smirked. "You got niggas trappin you and shit. What kinda voodoo you put on us?" I joked, lowkey serious.

"Shut up Khalil." She laughed through her tears before wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"As much as I don't like the fact that you were with that nigga, I know that he was good to you and the kids. Although we bumped heads and shit, I appreciate his role in your life and my kids life. I know you loved him and I know how much it hurts to love somebody that you can't be with. I love you and I'm here for you if you wanna talk or whatever. I suggest you tell him about the baby and move forward. Stay in school and if you need to, quit your job so you can make sure you're stress free. You know I got you financially and I'm sure that nigga got some funds put up for you as well. No need to dwell on shit you can't change. There's a baby in your stomach depending on you. Do what's best for you and the kids." I told her honestly.

"His name is Trayveon, Jerome." She said shaking her head with a smirk on her face.

"That's all you heard outta that big ol speech I just made?" I scoffed.

"No Khalil." She giggled, rolling her eyes at me playfully before growing serious. "I really do appreciate what you just said. It honestly means a lot coming from you. I know you're not happy about the situation but the fact that you're still willing to support me and be nice about the situation instead of reacting badly, just shows me how much you love me and how much you really have grown. I appreciate that Jerome. Thank you so much." She smiled as she wiped her face with her shirt. "I wanted to tell you sooner because I didn't want you to find out through anybody else. I was scared of your reaction. We've been doing so good with our communication and coparenting the kids and I didn't want us to regress."

"Not gon lie, I'm hurt." I sighed, being honest with her. "But shit happens, we're still family and imma be there for you regardless." I told her honestly.

Her slipping up and getting pregnant didn't compare to half of the shit that I've done and she still didn't know about. At least she had the decency to wait until we weren't together to fuck another nigga. That's why I can't even be mad at her. That doesn't make it hurt any less. The news she just told me really had me questioning a lot of shit. I was about to be a whole step daddy in these streets.

"I apologize, it wasn't my intention to hurt you or to make you feel bad. I was being careless and now I have to face the consequence for it. I don't want you to think I did this on purpose or out of spite. This should've never happened but it did. I have to put on my big girl panties and take care of my responsibilities. Another child is depending on me now, so I have to go harder than before." She shrugged.

"Well if you're looking for a step daddy, I know somebody that's willing to-" I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Shut up Jerome." She laughed, making me smirk. I was just glad to put a smile on her face even though I was crying hard as fuck on the inside.

"Goodnight baby, I'll talk to you and the kids in the morning. Tell Li imma get her for falling asleep before my call." I spoke up.

"Will do." She smirked. "Tell Daddy bye." She cooed, holding up Jr's arm and waving it so I could see. He began talking gibberish as slob fell from his mouth.

"Bye fat man." I waved back with a smile on my face. "Love y'all, night." I said, ending the call before she could even respond.