Ember followed behind her mother, as they walked through the crowded mall. Sahara had never been so aggravated in her life. People were walking so slow and cutting in front of her. The fact that it was a hot day didn't make anything any better. Her and Ember had a hair and nail appointment at her sisters salon that was located at the mall.
It seemed as if everyone's eyes were glued to Ember. She wore an olive green dress that fit her like a glove and a pair of Chanel sandals.
"Damn girl." A guy said as he stopped walking to get a better view of Ember's body. He had a salt-n-pepper beard giving away his elderly age.
"Come on here Ember." Sahara pulled her daughter faster through the crowd. "Damn shame. All these grown ass men checking out a sixteen year old. Should've wore something appropriate and where's your bra?"
"You don't wear a bra with this dress." Ember tells her mother. At least her nipples weren't poking or anything and the dress wasn't see through. Although she was petite, the summer dress just showed too much of her curves and Sahara didn't like it.
"Swear I'm going to go through your closet and get rid of anything like that." Sahara tells her as she pulled the door open to her sisters salon.
Ember rolled her eyes. She was getting tired of being treated as if she were a child. Inside of the salon, there was only one customer so Ember knew the wait wasn't going to be long. She sat in one of the waiting chairs while her mother went to the front desk.
Her boredom started to kick in. Forgetting that she didn't have her phone anymore, Ember sighed just as her mother sat beside her.
"What's wrong with you?" She asked.
"Can I have my phone back?" Ember questioned.
Sahara shook her head, "You'd have to ask your father. He has it, not me."
"Am I going to be punished on my birthday because I want to have a party." Ember says sadly.
Sahara studied her daughter, "What kind of party?"
"A house party with kids from school." Ember said.
Sahara thought for a moment. Ember was growing up and it was going to be hard to accept that, but her and X had to. She wasn't going to be a kid forever.
"Is that what you want or did Namiko talk you into this?"
"This is what I want. Honestly it'll be the most fun I'll have since the only thing I do is go to school, work and back home." Ember tells her. It was the truth. Ember never did anything fun since her parents were strict. It was more her father than her mother.
"I'll have to talk to your father but there will not be any party throwing in my house." Sahara said.
"A beach party at the beach house." Ember suggested.
"Hm, we'll see."
"Where's aunt Draya?" Ember asked.
"Somewhere getting food at the court." Sahara shook her head.
"Oh."
A few minutes had passed before her aunt returned to the shop. Draya was so excited to see her only niece.
"Baby girl, how are you doing?" Draya asked embracing Ember. Draya and Sahara were identical twins except that Draya had a mole sitting near her eye. That was the only way people could tell the two apart.
"Good."
"I tried to call you the other day and you didn't even answer." Draya tells Ember.
Ember looked over at her mother who didn't say anything, "I'm on punishment."
"Sahara, why you got this child on punishment?"
"Her father has her on punishment. Somebody has been sneaking out lately and coming home at two and three o'clock in the morning." Sahara said.
Draya raised her brow, "Don't act like we didn't do the same thing as kids. Let her have her fun."
Sahara shook her head, "You know why we can't just let her go anywhere she wants."
Draya nodded her head in understanding. She knew how Sahara felt about getting pregnant at such a young age. She even understood that her sister and brother-n-law were into illegal businesses.
Draya got started on Sahara's hair while Ember got her nails done first. She listened to her mother and her aunt gossip. Ember's mind wandered off to Adonis. She hasn't talked to him since that night and it's been a week. She hasn't even been seeing him at school. Ember hoped that everything was okay with him.
Once the woman finished up her nails, Ember sat with her aunt and let her straighten out her hair since she didn't feel like getting any weave.
"Ember, you got a boyfriend yet?" Draya asked.
Ember smiled a little. Adonis wasn't her boyfriend or anything but she did like him.
"No." Sahara answered before Ember could say anything.
Ember sighed and rolled her eyes, "I don't have a boyfriend but I'm seeing someone."
"No, you're not." Sahara butted in.
Ember ignored her mom as she continued, "His name is Adonis."
"Ooh. Adonis? What does he look like? Is he cute?" Draya asked.
Ember blushed, and nodded her head.
"She's talking about Ricky McKnight's son. I don't want you hanging around that boy, Ember. He's bad news." Sahara continued again before Ember could open her mouth.
"Oh, that Adonis. He is a cutie and he doesn't seem too bad, Sahara. Let this child live a little."
"I'd be happier if it was with anyone else but him."
Ember sighed, "Can I go in Chanel?"
She was tired of hearing her mother lecture her.
"Mhm. Be back here in an hour."
Ember happily slid out of her aunts chair as soon as she finished straightening her hair. Leaving the salon, Ember almost bumped into a girl that was just a few years older than her. Ember's eyes met with hers for a split second. The girl looked Ember up and down before she rolled her eyes, pulling a little boy along with her.
"Come on here boy. I don't know why you didn't stay with yo daddy." She said with a slight attitude. Ember looked back again. The girl looked so familiar but she just couldn't put her finger on it.
Ember walked the short distance to the Chanel store. She was greeted by a couple of employees including the guard that stood near the store. Ember could feel his eyes on her backside while she shopped. It made her uncomfortable so she eventually left the store and found her way to Nordstrom.
The image of the girl crossed her mind again as she sat near the shoes trying them on. She remembered her now. Adonis's baby mama. Ember immediately started to wonder if Adonis was there with them.
She picked up a few pairs of shoes that she wanted, before going over to the register to pay for them.
"Ain't that's your girl right there?"
Ember could hear Malik's voice from where she had been standing. She only glanced behind her once and saw that Adonis, Malik and Travis were watching her. She grabbed her bags and started towards the exit, but Adonis blocked her path.
"What did I do to be getting ignored?" Adonis started.
"What?" Ember asked.
"You been ignoring me, so what's up? I at least want an explanation then I'll leave you alone if you don't want to be bothered." Adonis said. Ember already looked annoyed. He didn't know if he should've approached her or not. Adonis took his chances anyway.
Ember felt embarrassment wash over her. She didn't know how to tell him that she'd gotten her phone taken and that she was on punishment. Instead she asked, "Why haven't you been at school?"
"My grandma passed away. We went out of town for a few days and I just been comforting my pops. You would've knew that if you answered your phone." Adonis reminded.
Ember looked down at her fingers, "I'm sorry for your loss. It's just that when I got home late that night, my parents weren't having that. So, I'm on punishment for the rest of my life, basically."
"He took your phone though." Adonis said more of a statement than a question.
"Yep. I don't even have a tv or a computer. We could've sent emails." Ember said jokingly.
Adonis chuckled, "You funny."
"I know."
"Who you here with?" Adonis asked curiously.
"My mom."
"Oh." Adonis instantly sucked his teeth once he saw Sasha approaching with his son close behind her, "Which one your room?"
"Huh?"
"What window at your house?"
"The right one at the top behind the house."
"Alright, don't go to sleep tonight. I want to see you." Adonis tells her.
"Okay."
"Adonis! Come get your damn son." Sasha blurted. Seeing him talking to someone else triggered her jealousy, especially because the girl was pretty.
Ember smiled at Adonis a little once she heard him mumble something under his breath, "I got to get back to my mom."
"Aight, see you tonight." Adonis watched Ember walk away. The dress that she wore fit her well. Everything about Ember was perfect to him, her smile, her personality and her body.
"I don't even know why you in here flirting with these lil hoes like you not here with and our son." Sasha continued.
"Sasha, lower your fucking tone when you talking to me." Adonis says calmly. When they were out in public together, Sasha was always showing her ass and she was ugly for that.
Sasha only rolled her eyes, "My appointment set for tomorrow so you got to keep your son."
"You say that like I don't always have my son anyway." Adonis pointed out.
"Because you don't." Sasha mumbled.
Adonis looked at her, "What you say?"
"Because you don't! You heard me the first time." Sasha raised her voice causing people to look in their direction including Malik and Trevor.
"You really gonna do this in the mall? I'll embarrass the fuck outta you Sasha, don't do that. Fuck is your problem?" Adonis glanced down at his son who was jumping over the cracks on the floor.
Sasha knew that Adonis wasn't playing with her so her only response was, "Whatever. Who is that girl anyway?"
Adonis smirked, "You jealous or something?"
"Please, these lil girls don't got nothing on me and you know that." Sasha says getting offended. "You still didn't answer my question either. Who is she?"
"Don't worry about it. Your appointment tomorrow right?"
Sasha nodded her head, "You can't take Jr tonight. We got a family get together."
"Aight. Come on Jr." Adonis said as he lifted his son off his feet and into his arms.
"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Sasha asked.
"Shorty I heard you. Do what you got to do. Just let me know when you about to leave." Adonis tells her.
"Alright."
Once Sasha left, Adonis made his way back over to his cousin and best friend.
"What's up lil man?" Malik greeted Jr who shyly smiled and laid on Adonis's shoulder. He was so shy at times, and he didn't talk much unless he saw something that he liked or was playing with his toys.
"Damn, he getting big fast." Trevor said.
"He gonna be grown before you know it and we gone be old as shit." Malik said.
"Nah, I ain't ready for him to grow up just yet." Adonis admitted. As much as he loved that Jr was just being a kid, he hated to even think about him growing up. Raising a son in today's society was tough. The way that black men were being treated now was horrible and he was afraid. Afraid for his sons life and upset that Jr had to grow up in such a cruel world.
"I feel you." Malik says.
"Why we here anyway?" Trevor asked.
"I'm picking up a gift." Adonis tells them. They were supposed to be at the court playing basketball but Adonis wanted to make a quick stop at the mall. He knew that Sasha was there with his son as well.
"For who?" Malik asked.
"I bet it's for Ember." Trevor added.
Adonis kisses his teeth, "Don't y'all got some business or something?"
"So it is for bae. What's the special occasion?" Malik teased.
"Her birthday." Adonis tells them. He didn't know what to get for her, but he did have something in mind.
"Y'all just met and you already in love." Trevor said as he shook his head.
Adonis smacked his lips, "Y'all gonna help me or not?"
"We got you." Malik added.
It took Adonis some time to make a decision. Once he finally made one, Sasha was rushing him to bring Jr out to her. As usual, Sasha had an attitude. Adonis stood back and watched as she buckled Jr in his seat. She slammed the door shut, but before she could get inside, Adonis gently grabbed her arm but she snatched away.
"Don't touch me, Adonis." She says.
"What the fuck is your problem now, Sasha?" Adonis questioned.
"You want to know what my problem is, Adonis?"
"That's the reason I asked." Adonis tells her.
"You're my problem."
"What the fuck did I do?"
Sasha looked down at her toes for a second, tears rolling down her face, "You out here seeing other hoes while I'm out here struggling to feed our son. Struggling to keep the roof over our heads."
Adonis looked at her confused, "What you even talking about? I thought your new nigga was helping you with all that and my son ain't gone ever starve or be homeless as long as I'm alive. So what you really mad about? Me seeing other people?"
Sasha didn't say anything and she wouldn't make eye contact with him. She didn't realize that seeing him with someone else would make her feel that way. She wondered if he felt the same way when he saw her with another man.
Adonis was her first real relationship. She fell in love with him. She never really had the chance to explore her options but ever since she started, she regretted it.
"This was your idea, Sasha. You wanted to see other people."
"And that was a mistake." Sasha finally looked up at him, searching his eyes for any love that she could find. It was there but not in the way that she thought. "I miss us, Adonis."
At the moment, Adonis couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't know what to say to her.
"I got to go, Sasha. Just call me if my son need something." Adonis tells her as he stepped away from her. He could hear her calling his name but he kept going as if he hadn't heard her.
***
Ember sat at her vanity brushing her hair. It had taken her a little while to learn about the caring of her natural hair. She remembered the time where her hair was breaking, badly so she cut it. Cut it to the point where she was almost bald. When her mother came home that day and saw that Ember cut her hair, she almost had a heart attack. Sahara wouldn't let her daughter hear the end of it. Now that it was back and healthy, Ember made sure to keep it that way.
The length of her hair didn't quite reach the middle of her back but it was almost there.
"Ember, I'm going to bed." Justin stood in Ember's doorway with his PJ's on.
"Do you want me to read you a story?" Ember asked. She placed the brush down and stood to her feet.
Justin nodded his head. He had been downstairs watching cartoons on the TV. Their parents were already in their rooms asleep since they had a flight out of town tomorrow. That meant Ember was home babysitting Justin for a day.
Ember followed Justin to his room. While he climbed in bed, Ember searched his shelf of the many books that he had. They were all dedicated to children with autism. She chose the story, "Since we're friends".
Ember got in the bed beside Justin who had tucked himself in already.
"It's finally summer vacation!" Ember started. She always read books to Justin with expression, and showed him the pictures after each page.
As a child with Autism he struggled with verbal instruction or decoding written words. Justin listened and watched as Ember read to him. He felt his eyelids getting heavy. Before Ember could finish the book, he was already asleep. She kissed his forehead and returned the book to his shelf, leaving the lamp light beside his bed on before exiting his room.
She made her way back to her room to wait for Adonis. It seemed as hours had passed and he was still a no show. Not being able to force her eyes to stay open any longer, Ember climbed in her bed, making herself comfortable. This was exactly what she meant when she told Adonis not to waste her time.
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