"You really don't think it's a good idea?" She turned to face Kaiden, who was laid out in the spot next to her. She pushed off the sheets and slipped into the bathroom, wearing only one of his old t-shirts.
Ada looked in the mirror. The deep circles under her eyes were disappearing, her skin was going back to what it used to be, and she finally felt like she was returning to the woman she once was. She had her bad days when she missed Sai so much, but hopefully, she could get past it.
Hopefully, everyone could.
"You told me yourself dealing with all that shit with Sai took its toll on you. On us, on everybody bro. To the point where niggas not even talking no more." She thought about what he said and realizes the point he had made. The friend group they had was changed forever, and everyone kind of dipped off and did their own thing. Ada hadn't realized how much Sai really held things together for all of them. Her absence had shattered it all.
But Ada was stubborn, and she wasn't going to cancel anything because of anyone's feelings, even her own. "Look," she called from the bathroom, "Shit was better when we were all together. Now look at everybody, just miserable as fuck. Nobody supporting each other, nobody checking in. Shit has changed so much and its barely been a year."
The group of friends had been fractured so badly that they rarely ever heard from anyone else. Maybe a phone call here and there, but Ada felt like that wasn't enough. "We going to see everybody today. Hashing all this shit out right now because I can't go on like this. I miss my friends."
"So I'm not good enough for you," Kaiden crossed his arms over his bare chest. She walked back into their bedroom and smirked as she climbed on top of him. "Who said that?" She planted a kiss on his lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Alright," he pecked her lips, "We'll see how it plays out. But if shit go bad, just know I told you so."
Shawn threw his keys in the bowl and put his briefcase down. From the front door, he could hear the TV on blast in their room, if he could call it that.
With their wedding on hold, things between the two began to feel strange. He tried to be there for Neisha as much as she could, but everyone knew that Neisha was taking it the hardest, even now. She barely got out of bed, barely ate, barely did anything. Her eyes were glued to the television though he knew she couldn't possibly be paying attention. She had the same blank stare on her face.
"Baby. You ate anything yet?" Shawn walked further into her room carrying some crackers that he would soon beg her to eat. It wasn't the best or the most nutritious, but it was all he could do to get her to take something.
She made a disinterested face and looked out of the nearby window. At the sight of food, she looked disgusted. Neisha had lost at least fifteen pounds only on her lack of nutrition. It worried Shawn every day. He tried to get her help as best as he could, but nothing was working.
"Not hungry."
He turned down the volume and sat on the side of the bed where he used to sleep. "You know, the salon been calling me. They want you to come back and do hair. People still been asking for you," he brushed a piece of her wild curls out of her face, which always held a pained expression. He thought maybe her passion for her career would make her get out of bed.
But just like the other days, nothing worked. Neisha blinked at him as he planted a kiss on her forehead. "I'm going out today, to see everyone. You feel like going?" He knew what her answer was going to be but he asked her anyway.
Neisha grabbed his hand and held it in hers. Though she felt terribly useless, she still loved him. In the state she was in right now, though, she didn't know how to show it. "I'm sorry."
Tia dialed up her cousin from her desk at the shop. The little lunch date Ada had planned was supposed to be taking place in less than an hour and she still had not decided if she wanted to go or not.
Even though an invitation was extended to her, she felt wrong for even thinking about going. So many things went wrong with her friendships and she felt like she didn't completely make things right with them.
"Hey, Tee. You okay?" Eli's voice came out a little rough like he was just waking up.
"Nigga it's almost two o'clock. You outta bed yet?" He chuckled a bit.
"Well you see, I was a little preoccupied." Tia did not want a further explanation as to what he meant by that and continued on with her part of the conversation.
"Anyways. What you doing today?"
"If you askin' me about that thing, yes, I'm going. And yes, you should go too."
Outside of her office, she could hear some yelling going on that came from the front. Her shop was a no drama establishment and she hated when people came to her business to cause trouble. Whatever the issue was, Tia needed to deal with it asap. "Alright well, I'm at work. Sumn' just happened so Imma call you back. Matter fact I'll just see you at Mary Mac's. Bye."
She hung up the phone. Before the person walking up outside of the door could come in, she was already walking out. "I'm already knowing," she said.
The tattoo artist, Anthony, stepped out of her way. "Yeah Tee, you might wanna handle dat." He kept walking to his station.
"Hollup nigga, let's go watch," another artist whispered to him. They linked arms and crept up to the corner to see the situation unfold.
"You and Nami nosey ass need to get back to work," Tia yelled to the two who were following too closely behind for her not to notice.
"Damn, Tony. Your loud ass breathing got us caught."
"Yeah well, my heavy breathing ass get booked up way more than you. Don't nobody wanna get tatted by you cause your shit looks like who did it and why. Like you fucking tattooing with your eyes closed."
Nami smacked the back of his head. "Okay nigga don't let it get out that you got cataracts. Ain't nobody in Atl gon want no type of ink from a nigga who can't see."
The two bickered back and forth, making Tia laugh. She had some crazy people working in her store but as long as they did what they were supposed to, it was okay with her.
She walked out into the open space. Once she noticed who all the commotion was coming from, her blood went cold.
Brielle's eyes opened as she felt small kisses being placed down her back. Eli traced the figure of her spine with his lips until he got to her ass. "Aight, aight. I'm tapping out," she protested.
He laughed at her as she walked to the bathroom with no clothes on. "You doing that to me knowing good and well I still want a piece," he licked his lips at her.
She enjoyed all of the affection she received from him. From the moment they got together, she wanted things to be like this. But now that she had it, she still felt insecure. In the back of her mind, she knew she didn't have whatever it was that made Elijah love her the way he did.
Bree still felt like a terrible person because she never got the opportunity to tell Sai the truth. That although Sai was like a sister to her, she was dating her ex. She was dating the ex that basically threw her into the hands of an evil, murderous man.
Those feelings she held back all this time were beginning to surface. When Ada reached out to her and asked if she wanted to go out, her instincts told her to say no. That part of your life is over, it's time to move on.
Yet, a few days later she replied with a yes. That was last week, and now it was actually time for those plans to go through.
She let the shower run as she brushed her teeth, again. The steam from the water made her calmer and soothed the anxiety that was building up about what was going to happen today.
In the corner of her eye, she watched as Elijah slid into the glass shower. He recoiled from the heat of the water and began to jump around the small space.
"Get outta my shower, boy!" She finished up with her teeth and yanked the door open. She closed it quickly to stop any more water from leaking out.
"You be taking showers with water that's this hot? It's like we in hell in this bitch or something." he turned the water down to the coldest setting, getting rid of all the heat that was being produced just seconds before.
"You coming, or what?"
"She might not come. Maybe we should order," Elijah suggested. The seat next to Shawn was vacant in the anticipation that Tia would attend. Everyone dryly stared at their menus trying to decide what to order. Though Ada knew that what they ate wasn't important.
Nobody was talking but she was glad to see everyone back together again. Maybe they just needed time to warm up to each other again.
"I know y'all are probably wondering why I decided to have this lil lunch date," She started out. Everyone put their menus down. She watched as Bree took a sip of her water. "Truth is I miss you guys. And I know y'all miss my ass too so don't nobody need to sit here and cap."
Finally, she could see little bits of their personalities coming back. A few laughs and shut the hell up's were starting to make everyone feel a little more comfortable.
"I'm not even gonna lie, I do miss seeing you every day, A," Bree smiled.
Ada noticed how much Elijah looked at Bree as she talked, how he always smirked at her, and how she always blushed back. Kaiden caught her staring and interrupted the conversation that was already going on. "Hol'up, hol'up, hol'up. Y'all seeing the same shit I'm seeing?"
Shawn looked over at the two of them and made a confused face. "Yeah. And I peep that A seen it too."
"Don't put me in this. It's above me," Ada said.
Bree and Elijah stared back at everyone, wondering what they were talking about. "So y'all just wasn't gon' tell us?" Elijah laughed and put his head down. "And got the nerve to walk in together like we wouldn't notice."
"It ain't never been a good time." The whole table kissed their teeth. Nobody expected that Bree and Elijah would have gotten together. Even before everything happened, no one had a clue.
Ada didn't like the fact that they were together but it wasn't her place to say anything. Elijah was Sai's ex, and Bree know she wrong for that. But if Sai not here to see it then I can't be mad. Ada thought about how she had finally managed to get everyone, or almost everyone, back in the same room. She wasn't gonna risk shit now by getting on both of their asses for this relationship they had. Plus they seemed to be happy together.
"How is Neisha?" Bree asked. The whole table went silent. They knew how badly she took it, but not seeing her there today made everyone even more worried. "I don't know, man. She needs y'all, forreal. Cause nothing I do or say works. I know she miss Sai but we can't bring her back, not if she won't come."
Emotions filled the air as the six of them waited for any results. For hours, nothing was said. The time stretched, making everyone irritated.
"Family of Saint Oladele."
Everyone shot up and ran to the doctor. His next words would change their lives forever.
"I can only give out information to her family members. Which one of you-"
"Me, I'm her sister." Ada lept forward.
"I am deeply sorry to inform you that the baby didn't make it. We tried everything we could. Your sister is strong and she got through the operation. It will be a while before she wakes up."
And after she woke up, things definitely started to fall apart.
"No problem, cuz. We'll drop by every day if we need to," Kaiden chimed in. That was new energy, but Ada didn't mind.
The waitress came by to take everyone's orders then left to refill their drinks. Ada's mind drifted to the baby that died in the hospital that day. She wondered who the father was. All signs pointed to Dez but Sai wasn't being completely honest about who she was seeing at the time. For all she knew, it could have been Elijah's. No matter who fathered the child, a piece of Sai's soul died along with it.
Tia touched up her makeup to hide the fact that she had been crying. Luckily for her, it didn't look all that bad. Using her middle finger, she dabbed a little concealer under her eyes.
Mary Mac's parking lot wasn't all that full. A few people walked in before she and Sai decided to go in themselves.