The next morning Asia went downstairs as Nicole was going up. Asia stopped her.
"What? You wanna talk to me about my pregnancy now?", Nicole asked. "I get it, I'm too young. I shouldn't be having a baby, but... mom I don't wanna give it up. I'm sorry... I'll do everything I can around here, I'll even get a job?"
Asia was quiet.
"And I'm sorry about last night... I'll apologize to Jamal too", Nicole said. "I'm sorry that I'm making a decision you don't like...you always find a way out of things for us and I guess we start living with the consequences and this is my consequence... you told me to be careful. You told me not to date and I didn't listen. I let his words get to me and I'm pregnant", she said crying. "And he has yet to reply to me"
Asia hugs Nicole to comfort her.
"Im so sorry mom", she said crying.
Asia tears her as she holds her tight.
Nicole pulls away and they see Jamal at the top of the stairs.
"Umm... I was just about to head to work", he said as she walked downstairs. "I didn't hear anything"
Nicole got out his way .
Jamal stopped midway next to them. "Well at least things seem okay again", he said.
"I'm sorry about what I said last night, Jamal", Nicole said.
Jamal shakes his head. "It's okay", he said.
Nicole looked down.
Jamal walked down the stairs all the way.
Kim comes down the stairs. "Good morning", she said with a smile.
"Good morning", Asia and Nicole said.
"Come on princess. We're running late", Jamal said.
Kim goes down the stairs.
Jamal kneels down and Kim gets on his back. And they leave.
"See...I never had that", Nicole said.
Asia nods. "...like somebody once told me, it's not good to keep things bottled up.", Asia said.
"For him to just yell at me? I don't think so", Nicole said.
"Your dad isn't all scare... he has actually been a good person to sit down and talk to lately", asia said.
Nicole sighs.
"But until then... you start school tomorrow morning", Asia said.
"Okay", Nicole said.
"So, fishy stuff has been happening so you're coming with me to work", Asia said.
"Great", Nicole said sarcastically.
—————————————————-
Two months later, and things have been good. Nicole was going to get a job but asia said she didn't have to. Things around the house have been good as well too. Nicole is really likely her new school too.
"I think I get a kick", Asia said.
Jamal touches her stomach.
"Okay she stopped", Asia said.
Jamal sucks his teeth.
Nicole comes downstairs. "A house without Kobi.. isn't this amazing", Nicole said
Asia smiles. "Nicole.. I think your father is still waiting for a call from you", Asia said.
Nicole didn't say anything .
Asia shakes her head.
"I'll call him", Nicole said.
"You said that last week", Asia said.
Nicole walked into kitchen.
"Just let her talk to him when she's ready", Jamal said.
Asia looks at Jamal. "Yea that's what I used to think but... nah", Asia said.
Jamal was quiet.
"Girls they're different", Asia said. "You'll see that when Kim gets in her teens"
Jamal nods.
Asia gets up and touches her stomach and pauses.
"What?", he asked.
"Nothing", Asia said as she continued to walk in the kitchen.
Jamal makes a face.
"You know you'll have to talk to your dad sometime. It's been two months", Asia said.
"Two months and I feel so refreshed", Nicole said. "I mean like it doesn't compare to 14 years right?"
Asia looks down.
"He'll live with it", Nicole said as she walked out the kitchen.
Asia walks back into the living and sits with Jamal. "That didn't go as planned", Asia said. "I just didn't know she kept so much balled in"
Jamal shrugs his shoulders. "She'll come around though... if not now then thanksgivings cause we gotta go down there"
"And that's like another month later", Asia said.
"Well", Jamal said.
"Josh is already pissed at me for letting her make the decision and not putting my foot down.. and even more mad how that little boy did her...and now he's going to be mad that I let her ignore him for this long", Asia said.
"I honestly don't know what to say because that's between you and him", Jamal said.
"I know. I just wanted to rant", Asia said. "But I do know something you can do though"
"What?", Jamal asked.
"You can build that book shelf that I brought, last week", Asia said with a smile.
Jamal sighs. "Oh Boy", he said.
"I'll get the tool box", Asia said as she got up.
"I'll get it", Jamal said.
"No I got", Asia said. "Keep all of your energy on that bookshelf"
Jamal chuckles. "I'll be upstairs", he said.
"I'll be back", she said as she walked outside.
Asia went to check the mailbox first and got the mail out. After she looked through the mailbox and unlocked the garage door, she walked into the garage and heard something and quickly turned around. She saw Vanessa and dropped the mail. Asia started walking away from her as she talked.
"What are you even doing here?", Asia asked. "I mean is it that hard to stay away?"
"You know, I really didn't expect this moment until a couple more months down the line when y'all come for thanksgiving", Vanessa said.
Asia makes a face.
"Oh yea I can hear everything that goes on in that house", Vanessa said.
"You are crazy", Asia said as pulls out her phone.
Vanessa pulled a gun out and shot the phone.
Asia looked at her
"Got a good aim too", Vanessa said aiming it at Asia.
"Vanessa lets just talk about this", Asia said.
"No... if you would've just left when Jamal told you to like you were supposed to, this wouldn't have to happen", Vanessa said.
Jamal comes to the door because he heard the shot.
Vanessa looks at her phone.
Asia signaled Jamal to call the police while Vanessa wasn't looking.
Jamal snuck back outta sight.
Vanessa looks back. "Let me make this quick before my baby comes... he's going to need comfort when he finds out you been murdered", Vanessa said.
"Vanessa listen to me", Asia said. "You are a beautiful girl and any guy would me lucky to have you... Jamal has moved on"
Vanessa cocks the gun back.
"Okay that was the wrong thing to say", asia said. "Look, we can talk about this like adults if you just put the gun down"
"Sweet heart I'm done talking", Vanessa said as she began to pull the trigger.
Asia quickly gets behind the car and Jamal comes in and grabs Vanessa and takes the gun.
"Jamal?", Vanessa said.
"Vanessa what the fuck is your problem?", Jamal questioned.
"You are my problem! You chose her over me??", Vanessa asked.
Asia suddenly starts to make noises.
Jamal runs to her. "Asia are you okay?", Jamal asked as he lifted up her shirt and saw blood. The bullet didn't go through her stomach but it gazed against it"
Jamal's anger suddenly turned into a something he hadn't felt in years.
"Jamal I'm okay", Asia said as she saw the look in his eyes.
Jamal put his finger in the trigger as he stood up.
"Jamal!", Asia said as she held her stomach in pain. "No!"
"You wouldn't shoot me Jamal", Vanessa said as she smirked. "That would break Kim's heart"
Jamal aims the the gun at her. "She ain't worried about you. She doesn't even ask about you"
Vanessa's smirk faded.
"Who would've known that the same person that helped me get out a dark stage of my life, would put me back in it", Jamal said.
Asia starts crying. "Jamal please", Asia said. "Don't do it. You've been doing so good", she said.
"If you shoot me, you'll go to jail and guess what? Nobody will have you and Kim will think that you're the monster you always have been and my work will be done", Vanessa said.
"Close your eyes and cover your ears, Asia", Jamal said.
"Jamal, No. don't do this", Asia cried. "Can't you see that this is what she wants?"
"I said close your eyes and ears", Jamal shouted.
Asia did just that.
Jamal pulled the trigger.
TO BE CONTINUED....