𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 ❷ ⓿ ❷ ❷
"WHAT THE FUCK. . SHE AIGHT?" The words woke Anicia instantly, her eyelids raising as she felt the other side of the bed dip in and out. Holding the cover on her chest, she turned around slightly to the peanut butter toned man sitting at the edge of the bed in only boxers and bracing the phone to his ear with his shoulder.
He reached forward, taking a hold of his jeans and put them on quickly. "I'm on the way now, Mama. Chill. And don't be trippin' wit nobody." he hung up the phone as he turned around.
"Everything okay?" Anicia wondered as the blue-eyed man got dressed quickly.
"Na'," Shane shook his head. "Amaury had a seizure and had to be rushed to the hospital. Ha' baby daddy up there trippin' 'cause ain't nobody tellin' him nothin'. I gotta go."
Hearing the news fully woke Anicia as she rose up. "Oh my God! Do you want me to come?"
"Na' you got houses to look at. I kno' you ready to get out dis hotel so do that. I'll keep you updated. I'm pretty sho' they gon' give ha' a c-section so you can come when she have 'em. Tension gon' be too thick up there wit my otha' brothas and ha' baby daddy, too. No reason to be in the middle of that."
"Kay," She responded softly. "Then you drive safe."
"You care," he smiled leaning down on the bed with his fists towards her and kissed her.
"Eh, I care about him." She pointed down, referring to his manhood that made Shane chuckle.
"Yea' aight." he kissed her once more before standing up straight. "I'ma keep you updated."
"Alright. Drive safe."
She overheard the door close after Shane left out. Grabbing her phone, she checked her emails and responded to Grande's team on confirming tracks for her album before she got out of bed and cleaned the slight mess around the bedroom. She prepared for a shower to meet with her realtor when her foot stepped on something. She peered downward and it was a empty Magnum condom box that she tossed in the trashcan before showering.
Afterwards, a white ribbed cropped tank top and two-tone denim high-rise boyfriend jeans was clothed on her slender body, with IPO Champion slides. Her hair done in a sleek high-bun and Salvatore Ferragamo Gancini stud earrings. She left her hotel room and drove her Audi to the first house on the list for realtor to show her.
It got on the last house in Hollywood Hills and the brunette realtor showed her around the modern style house. When the realtor finished, leading back to the empty living room and asked, "So, out of all the houses, what do you think honey?"
"Uhm. . . I like it, but it's too many rooms. It's only me." Anicia responded, "Although the one on Hollyridge Drive, I love. It's three bedrooms. I'll have my own, one guest room, and last one for my daughter."
The realtor's eyebrows raised shockingly. "Oh. . . a daughter?"
"Yeah, she's nineteen."
The realtor wondered more on her having a nineteen year old and never seen her around, but she minded her business. "Alright, the house on Hollyridge Drive it is. We can go to my office and do the paperwork there or I can email it all to you."
"Email is fine as long as it happens today."
"Of course." the realtor assured, as they left the house. A Rolls-Royce Phantom parked in front of the house that was familiar to Anicia's eyes. The chauffeur opened the back door and climbing out was the tall and built man wearing a thousand-dollar button-up shirt tucked and Maison Margiela Tabi slip-on loafers. She recognized the face and rolled her eyes.
"How are you, Mindy?" he smiled handsomely to the realtor.
"Just fine, Mr. Porter. And you?"
"Oh wonderful—especially since I'm laying my eyes on my gorgeous daughter." Adonis replied, walking up the driveway to them as he smiled at Anicia. "Thank you, by the way."
Mindy gave him a nod and reassured that she would email the paperwork for the house before she settled in her Porsche and left.
"What are you doing here?" Anicia asked her father instantly.
"To talk," he slid his hands into the pockets of his pants. "You've been ignoring me and Arlene for the past week. I heard you moved out so I contacted Molly and luckily she was showing you houses today. It's a shame I have to do that."
"No, what's a shame is it even took this long for my father to even think about contacting me after this long. Not even one invite for fourth of July. It's sad. But I'm used to it so I don't even know why I'm surprised." Anicia scoffed, footing to her Audi. "And Molly will be fired since she giving out information."
Adonis followed her. "That's not necessary, Anicia. We're your family. You can't ignore us forever."
"Did you forget I went twenty years with barely having to see or talk to either one of y'all?" She beeped the doors unlock of her Audi, "I'm going to be straight. I'm done being disrespected by your wife, your daughter's, and whomever else. And I'm definitely done with my own father not protecting me and withholding information from me."
"What information did I withhold from you, Anicia?"
"Well, we can talk about the fact you knew about my daughter this entire time. You had her around and you just. . . didn't tell me. I know I gave her up but God, Dad."
"How surprised do you think I was when I was the one to find a pregnancy test in my daughters trash when she left to Maryland." Adonis stated, "Then for me to call you and ask you, you lied and told me it was your goddamn friends."
"Because it was none of your business." She answered.
"I'm your Father that paid for your education and had the right to know about my daughter carrying a baby. Why in the hell would you give up when we could've raised her?"
Anicia laughed loudly. "Oh please! I would've rather my child been raised by dogs before I let her ever be raised in a Porter household. The way I was treated by your wife, if it was to ever had been done to the child I gave birth to and I found out about it, you would've been wifeless." She meant every word, "So I saved myself being in prison for murdering my mother! So I want to be left alone because I'm angry and I'm hurt. Give me some space and stop proving to me how much pull you got by popping up on me. Thank you."
Anicia settled in her Audi, starting the ignition and pulled off promptly while leaving her father standing there. .
Upon her return to the hotel, she grabbed her a meal from a fast food restaurant and received a update about Amaury via text by Shane. Sitting in the living room as she ate her food, the reality show played silently on the flatscreen as the phone rung in her ear.
"Yea', what up wit it?" his rich, baritone vibrated in her ear along with voices in background.
"Uhm, hey. I heard about Amaury. How's she doing?"
"Yea'. ." he exhaled as Ishanti rubbed his back, "They had to induce her not too long ago but she had anotha' seizure. Now they doin' an emergency C-section. De back there wit ha'."
"De'Aundre hanging on? Considering. ."
"Yea' now since the doctor's finally talkin' to 'em," he leaned back wrapping his arm around the back of Ishanti's chair.
"That's good." the line fell silent for a moment, ". . I wanna talk to her."
Toby was aware of her referring to Lotus. "So talk to ha'."
"I don't have her number and I know you're not gonna give it to me."
"Of course not," he chuckled lightly. "But you remember the center in Long Beach I used to take you to?"
"Uhm, yeah." She recalled.
"She up there wit my son's playin' basketball. You do whatchu want wit that information."
Anicia smiled softly. "Thank you."
The call ended and Anicia ate the rest of her food on the drive to Long Beach. She pulled in the parking lot and walked the concrete sidewalk in slow strides toward the basketball court outside where she spotted Toby's twin boy's, Lotus, and another young woman with honey skin and tattooed. She could overhear the laughter as Lotus helped the other woman up from the ground, smiling in her face before kissing her forehead.
The ball bounced off the rim and rolled towards Anicia and she stopped it with her Champion slide. The laughter ceased abruptly when Anicia approached with the basketball in her hand. Once she reached earshot she overheard Lotus ask, "What is she doing here?"
"Is that—"
"Her mother?" Anicia cut off the other young woman, shooting the basketball and it fell effortlessly into the hoop. "Yeah, that's me."
Lotus stared at her as Troy grabbed the ball and asked, "You played ball?"
Anicia looked at Troy. "All through high school. Varsity. I had Division One schools looking at me but I had to let it go. My mother felt it was too 'manly' for a woman to do."
"Couldn't run down a court pregnant anyway." Lotus remarked smartly.
It fell into an awkward silence, as the twin's looked at each other.
"I came to talk to you," Anicia mentioned. "But I know you won't willingly so let's make it fun, yeah. If I make three shots in a row, no missing. I make it, we sit down at those tables and talk. You in?"
Lotus hesitated, staring to the young woman beside her, who beckoned for her to consider it. She exhaled sharply, "Three shots. No missing, no do overs."
Anicia smiled with a nod, gesturing for Troy to toss her the ball. She caught it with her hand, walking to the three-point line. She shot the ball and successfully made it.
Tyson caught the basketball releasing from the hoop. "Luck."
"Possibly." Anicia retrieved the basketball and shot it—again, making it into the hoop.
"Uh, no, three point is too easy." Lotus spoke up, "Scoot back. Further."
Anicia get on the middle line, between each three-point lines and Lotus nodded. Troy tossed her the ball and it bounced into her hands. She bounced the ball in front of her, eying the target hoop that was a distance away. She flexed her knees slightly, keeping her shoulders back, as she straightened her knees, jumping upward. She rolled the ball off her fingertips toward the basket and her arm arched elegantly, wrist cocked downward.
They all watched the ball spin around the rim of the hoop in anticipation. It finally titled correctly and fell into the hoop, bouncing on the court. Troy grabbed it as he and his twin was impressed. "Damn, you really are good."
"Division One school's don't send scouts out for the ones who aren't." Anicia winked, smiling toward Lotus. "So, can we talk?"
"Deal is a deal."
Lotus walked over towards the rectangular thermoplastic picnic tables under the sunblocks. She sat on top of the table and faced Anicia.
"I bought a house today."
Lotus furrowed her brows instantly. "Congratulations?"
"It's three bedroom—"
"Why are you telling me this again?" Lotus wondered, "I don't care about you buying a house that's three bedrooms."
"One of those bedrooms, it's yours." Anicia revealed, "You can draw and decorate it however you want. You don't have to come but I just want you to know it's there. You know, if you just want to get off campus one day or just away, you have a room there."
Lotus nodded awkwardly. "Uhm... thank you."
"Of course." Anicia stared at Lotus for a long moment taking in her features. "I didn't really want anything major. I just. . . wanted to see you. I'll let you get back."
Lotus sat in the same spot, watching Anicia start to turn around when she said, "I'm trying. . ." her birth mother faced her, "I really am trying to accept this thought of a mother really being in my life now—at least trying to. I'ma pusher. I push people away that I do want to love but the anger I have towards you isn't allowing me to accept you. Pop helped me recognize that."
Anicia smiled inwardly at Lotus calling her birthfather 'Pop' as the nineteen year old continued to say, "I'll come around. I will. I just need some time; let me let go of the anger. Just... don't give up on me in the process."
Anicia exhaled deeply as she smiled softly. "I'll never do that again to you. I'll wait."
Lotus's expression softened, nodding lightly as Anicia walked away to her vehicle. The nineteen-year-old found herself smiling small.
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