Wednesday, July 10, 1996
4:30 A.M.
~Terry~
"Good morning, baby. I'm headed to the gym to get my day started." I said as I gently gave Brandy a kiss on the cheek.
"Did you get your lunch I packed for you, baby?" Brandy asked in a sleepy tone as she opened one eye.
"Yes, babe. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Have a good day. We love you."
"I love y'all, too. Be good for your mommy, baby girl. We can't wait to see you." I said as I kissed Brandy's stomach.
I gave Brandy a quick kiss before I got my things and left for the gym.
As I was locking the front door, I ran into a small-sized chubby man.
"Good morning, Mr. Hightower."
"Oh man, don't roll up on me like that. Good morning." I said as I started walking towards my car.
The man started following me.
"Sir, is there a problem? Do I know you?"
"Your brot—"
The man was cut off by my brother pulling up in front of the townhouse in a limousine.
"Good morning, my brother! Have you met Mr. Pierre?" My brother said smiling.
"Mr. Pierre? Sean, what's going on?"
"I know you got a nice BMW, but what's the best way to be a celebrity when you can have a limo driver?" Sean said smiling.
"Sir, how much did he beg you to drive me?"
"Twenty dollars and a tootsie roll pop." Mr. Pierre said in a funny accent. He seems like a nice man, but I don't think I need a driver.
"Sean, I don't need a dri—"
"Bro, you gonna deny this man a job? He has nowhere to work. He got kids to feed. Pretty please. Just look at him." Sean said as he put his arm around Pierre's neck.
"Sean says you're a football player. Me like football."
"No, Pierre, I said basketball. The one you dribble. Remember?" Sean said as he pretended to dribble a basketball.
"Pierre, do you mind waiting in the limo for a second?"
"Yes sir, Mr. Hightower." Pierre said nodding as he went into the limo.
I made sure Mr. Pierre was in the limo before I smacked Sean in the back of the head.
"What was that for, Terry?"
"You doing stupid stuff! You been trying to do and buy stupid stuff since I got signed, bro. You need to stop." I said as I rolled my eyes.
Ever since I signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, I've received a large amount of money. Of course, I've done well for myself, but there are other important things to get prepared for. A prime example is that I have a baby girl coming soon. Brandy and I are still trying to get stuff together for her. Plus, we haven't found our dream house yet. We haven't seen anything we think that would be our forever home just quite yet.
"I'm just trying to help you out. Plus, I want the ladies to see that we looking fly." Sean said as he spun around and licked his fingers over his eyebrows.
"I knew this had something to benefit you. I'm not doing it." I said as I started walking away and headed for my BMW.
"Terry, the man needs a job."
"Sean, I have other things t—"
"I'm serious, bro. His family is gonna get kicked out if they don't pay the rent. Just give him money until he can at least pay a few months rent, ok? Please. I'm serious." Sean said with a serious facial expression.
Usually, Sean is playfully, but when he's serious about something, he really means it.
"Word? Fine, I'll hire him."
"Yes, see I knew you would come through." Sean said as he tried to jump on my back.
"Get off me." I said as I playfully pushed my brother and headed to the driver side.
I knocked on the window as Pierre pulled it down.
"Yes, sir?"
"I can't be late for practice, Mr. Pierre. My new driver gotta be on time." I said as I reached through the window to give him some dap.
"You're gonna punch me?" Mr. Pierre asked blocking his face.
"Oh no, this means I'm giving you dap. That means a hand signal for we're cool." I said chuckling.
"Oh ok! Cool!" Mr. Pierre said as he tried to give me dap, but he failed.
"It's okay, man. We'll work on it."
"Ok, hop in. Let's play football!" Mr. Pierre said in an excited tone.
"We got a lot to teach him." Sean said as he opened the door for me.
"Lord, what have I gotten myself into." I said chuckling to myself as I got into the limo and headed for practice.
........
"Uh oh, somebody is tired." Shaquille O'Neal said as he smacked my back.
"I'm fine, bro. I think you the one tired." I said laughing as I grabbed my towel to wipe my face.
"I ain't gone lie, he come in here like a beast every practice. You practice like you mad. What's going on with you?" Elden Campbell asked as he sat down.
"Just stress. Whenever I'm mad or upset, I instill that into my game." I said as I continued to wipe my face as I sat down.
"Stress? Not the little baby." Shaq said chuckling.
"Nigga, I ain't nobody's baby. You don't know what I got going on." I said as I laid back in the chair.
"What's going on, young blood?" Elden asked.
I sighed.
"You ain't about to cry are you?" Shaq asked.
"Nigga, shut up. Go ahead, Terry."
"My girlfriend and I are expecting our baby girl to come in September."
"Wow, really? Ain't y'all like ten?" Shaq said laughing, but Elden hit him.
"Dude, c'mon. That's great news, Terry. Congrats man."
"Thanks, Elden. I'm suppose to be happy, don't get me wrong I am, but our families aren't. Brandy hasn't talked to her family since May, and I haven't talked to my folks since I signed."
"That's really tough, T. Maybe once you have a baby shower, they will come and try to talk to both of you guys." Shaq said as he sat down.
"We're not having one." I said as I grabbed my bottle of water.
"What? Everyone has one for their first child." Elden said as he wiped his face.
"What are we gonna rent out a place and decorate for? Nobody is going to show up. Nobody has supported us. Forget me for a second. What about Brandy? She's always been through a lot. She tries to pretend like she's not upset about it, but I know she is." I said as I looked at the ground.
"Well, let us know if you need anything. You're our little brother now, so we willing to help out with anything you need." Shaq said patting my back.
"Yeah, bro. It's not easy, but I know you two will get through it. Let us know if y'all need anything, ok?" Elden said as he nudged my shoulder.
"No doubt. Thanks, y'all." I said as I got my towel and got up.
"Aye, everyone's catching lunch. You wanna go, Terry?" Travis Knight asked as he threw me the ball.
"Nah man, I'll stay after to chill in the gym then I'm heading home." I said as I dribbled the basketball.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'll catch y'all later." I said as I threw the ball into the net and walked away.
I really wasn't up to anything anymore since I started thinking about the stress that Brandy and I been dealing with.
I went into the gym and stared working out as I listened to music on my Walkman. Although the music was playing in my ears, my thoughts played louder.
This stress has been a lot on me that I started staying for longer practices by myself. If anybody is going to stress, I would rather it be me than Brandy. She's been through a lot, and I want nothing but the best for her and our daughter. I guess our parents can't seem to see that. At all.
I kept trying to brush everything off as I continued to workout for the new few hours.
......
~Brandy~
Dear Diary,
Life has been really tough. I haven't seen nor talked to my parents since my high school graduation. Maybe dad told them to leave me alone for good. I don't too much care for my dad, but mother and brother has always been my rock. As my pregnancy is winding down, I wish my folks were here. Terry has been a great support system for me. He does so much for me that I'm forever grateful for him. Sean and Ashley come almost everyday to help me out while Terry's gone away to practice. As for his parents, they still haven't talked to him since his signing. I feel guilty. I should feel guilty right? It's my fault that his parents aren't talking to him. Sometimes, I feel like a burden because Terry is starting to have this big career and I became his girlfriend with a baby. How exciting? Anyway, I think I heard someone come in. Until next time....
-4Eva Brandy
I put my journal on the kitchen island as Ashely walked in.
"Hey, Brandy! I just came from the mall. Sorry I'm late." Ashley said as she gave me a hug.
"It's okay, girl. We're fine." I said as I gave Ashley a hug back.
"How's my little niece?" Ashley asked as she rubbed my stomach.
"We had a okay day today. She's usually kicking up a storm until Terry comes. He swears she's already a daddy's girl." I said smiling.
"Wow, well I can't wait until she comes! Are your parents going to come here for the birth?" Ashley asked as she grabbed her little shopping bags and sat at the kitchen island.
"I highly doubt it, Ash. It's a lo—"
"I promise you that my brother is a good guy. I don't see why nobody would like him." Ashley said as she sighed.
"It's okay, sweetie. Honestly. I'm pretty sure that both of our families will come together one day." I said as I gave her a reassuring hug.
"It makes me sad because Mom and Dad thinks you're a gold digger. I think you really love my brother for who he is. Even if the baby isn't his."
"Wait, how did you know that the baby wasn't Terry's? Not that it's a secret, but aren't you a little too young?"
"I'm only headed to the ninth, B, but I overheard my parents discussing it. You should've seen Mommy when we first left here. She was beyond pissed." Ashley said as she pushed her hair back.
"I feel so resp—"
"Uncle Sean in the house. Come on, Pierre!"
Ashley and I turned around to see Sean and an unfamiliar man carrying a bunch of baby gifts.
"Sean who—" I started to say, but I was interrupted by the unfamiliar guy.
"Hello, beautiful Queen Hightower. I'm Pierre. Your husband's personal driver. We brought presents for the little baby." The man said in a weird but funny accent.
"Oh, I didn't know Terry had someone driving his BMW around."
"He doesn't. We're riding in a limo." Sean said as he put the gifts down and went straight to the food in the kitchen cabinets.
"A limo? Can I get a ride, bro? Please!" Ashley said smiling.
"Sure, why not? Pierre, wanna go travel with lil sis?"
"Of course, c'mon on lil sis!"
"It's Ashley!"
"I'm sorry, lil sis it's Ashley! My apologies." Pierre said chuckling.
"No, it's—"
"It's okay, Ash. We still letting him get accustomed to us."
"Where are you from, Mr. Pierre?" I asked as I got the gifts from him and placed them on the kitchen island chairs.
"My parents are Haitian, but I just moved here with my family. Mr. Sean hired to drive your husband around."
"When did you start making boss moves?" Ashley said laughing at Sean.
"Because I'm grown, little girl. Go watch some cartoons or something."
"Fine, I'm going to my room upstairs and try on my new outfits." Ashley said as she rubbed my stomach and kissed it.
"That isn't your room. That's the baby room, girl. Stop trying to take over stuff, and I better not catch you in a short skirt, either." Sean said as he playfully pushed Ashley.
"Stop! Anyway, nice meeting you, Mr. Pierre!" Ashley said as she hit Sean and ran upstairs.
"Those two are a mess, but we aren't married yet, Mr. Pierre." I said smiling at the thought of being Terry's wife.
"Oh I see, you would make a cute husband and wife. Right, Mr. Sean?"
"Right. I'm tryna be a husband whenever she hooks me up with her sexy friend."
I giggled. Since Sean saw a picture of Mya and I, he's been trying to get with her. For some reason, Mya says she's not single, but she's not in a relationship. I don't know what my girl got going on.
I'm glad she at least still checks on me. We talk every single day for about twenty minutes or sometimes an hour.
"Leave my best friend alone. Anyway, where's Terry?"
"I think he had to go in the garage for something."
"Ok, because I need to tell him about the open house appointment for one of the homes. Make yourself at home, Mr. Pierre. Sean?"
"Yes?" Sean said as he had a handful of snacks in his hand.
"Don't make yourself at home." I said laughing a little as I shook my head.
"Nice one, sis. Nice one." Sean said laughing as he continued to eat our snacks.
I went to the side door and entered through the garage. I noticed Terry in his car with his head down.
"Babe, open up." I said as I knocked on the window door.
Terry lifted his head up as he unlocked the car door.
"What you doing out here?" I asked as I kissed his cheek.
"I'm not okay. I'm just not, baby. I'm sorry." Terry said as he wiped his eyes.
"Huh? Baby, come here. Tell me what's wrong." I said as I rubbed his face.
Terry laid into my chest.
"My thoughts aren't together, baby. I'm upset that neither of our parents have been there for us. It's like everybody depending on me. I want to respect my parents, but I'm not leaving you. On top of that, our daughter is coming soon. We haven't found a family home yet. We don't have all the necessities for her. I know we got money money now, but I want to be smart with my money, baby. I just feel like a failure."
"Baby, you are far from a failure. It's very stressful right now, but I'm sure we will find our forever home. As for our parents, they will just have to get used to us. You haven't done me wrong and I haven't done you wrong, so I don't know what the problem could be. We both have genuine love for each other. If they can't see that after our daughter is born, then I don't know what to tell them. I just don't want negativity around our baby. I want her to live in a loving home. You know what I'm saying?" I said as I kissed and rubbed his cheek.
"I agree, baby. I just want to make you happy. I don't want to dis—"
I closed Terry's mouth with my hands.
"Baby, don't say nothing else. Just know that I'm proud of you and I love you, ok? Nothing more, nothing less." I said as I rubbed his eyes.
"Thank you, baby. I'm sorry for being rude, but how was your day?" Terry ask as he rubbed my stomach.
"It was productive. I made a list of all the things we need for baby girl's room, and I scheduled an open house appointment for next week."
"Good. Where's the neighborhood?"
"It's not far from The Forum. It's a gated community, and it looks beautiful. I scheduled it for next Friday."
"That's fine with me. How has the baby been treating you?"
"She's been fine. I think she's been missing her daddy's voice." I said smiling.
"Hey, pumpkin. Daddy missed you today." Terry said as he kissed my stomach.
A felt a couple of kicks.
"Feel it, baby. She heard you." I said as I got his hand to feel her kick.
"You love hearing your daddy's voice, baby? You like hearing it?" Terry said as he talked in a baby voice.
"I think she really does." I said giggling.
"We can't wait to hold and spoil you, baby. You just be good for Mommy, ok?"
"Babe, if you want to eat good tonight, I need to start cooking."
"What you cooking?"
"Chicken Parmesan." I said rubbing my hands together as I got out the BMW.
"Hm, my favorite right next to you, baby." Terry said smirking as he winked at me.
"Baby, don't be so nasty." I said giggling.
I waited for Terry to lock the door as we headed back into our townhouse.
"And that's why, my friend, I don't hit it from the back." Sean said eating on a PB&J sandwich.
"Boy, shut up. Ashley can probably hear you." Terry said as he smacked Sean on the back of the head.
"How many times I gotta tell you to stop? I told you I got sensitive skin." Sean said rubbing his head.
"Boys, stop. Pierre, do you want to stay for dinner? We're having Chicken Parmesan."
"No, Mrs. Hightower. I have to get back to home. My wife is cooking vegetable stew."
"Yo, do you think I—"
"Sean, no. Let me walk you to the door, Pierre."
"Ok, goodnight everyone."
I smiled as I waved bye to Pierre as Terry walked him to the front door.
"You good, sis?"
"Yeah, I'm just ready for everything to be okay. That's all."
"It will. Now, lets get to cooking this dinner. I'm hungry."
"Awwww, you're gonna help me?"
"No, I just make the orders around here."
All of a sudden, Terry sneaked behind Sean and smacked his head.
"Bro, stop before I beat yo a**. I told you I got eczema."
Terry laughed as he kissed my cheek.
"I'm gonna go take a shower. I'll be back, baby."
"Ok, my baby." I said as I gave him a quick peck as I started cooking.
It took about an hour before Terry, Sean, Ashley and I sat around the dinner table to eat and talk.
Not only as a unit.
As a family.
.......
Hey guys! I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter! Tell me what you thought about it! What do you guys think about Sean hiring Mr. Pierre? What do you guys think about Terry venting to his teammates? Do you think Terry is overreacting? What do you guys think about the convo Brandy had with Terry? Do you think Terry should be more open w/ Brandy about the way he feels? Do you guys think Brandy & Terry will be relieved from this stress soon? What would you do if you were in their shoes? Thanks for reading! Stay tuned! Love y'all!❤️ P.S. I just got done watching season 4 of 13 Reasons Why yesterday & I've been sad ever since. If you've watched it, you would know why.😭💀
-Hannah💕