"Y'all turn!" Jazz said to my parents.
"Ian got no problem." My mama said acting like a child. My hormones is terrible and I've just been crying this whole time.
"Cap!" Junior said.
"Bella you fucked my brother." "He's not your blood. I am Junior!" I was so sick of hearing that shit man.
"Bella you missing the point man.
You was my baby sister.
In my eyes you did no wrong. I went to the army for 3 years and next thing I know I'm hearing you dating grown men, you and King bestfriends, and then you was pregnant by him.
That shit killed me sis.
You was my whole world and it's like you just slapped me in the face."
"Junior what them people was telling you wasn't true. You knew me and king was already close but we was never messing off.
I got pregnant on accident.
Yes I wanted his baby but King said nah and that was that.
You was my protector.
The ying to my yang J. I never wanted this to happen. Then you started disrespecting me."
"I was hurt man." He said.
"I know it don't make it right sis but the only way I knew to ignore it was to shut you out completely and treat you as a stranger. I'm sorry man for real."
This the first time I seen Junior cry.
I walked over and hugged him.
"It's okay Junior I forgive you." I said. He held me. "I missed you sis." "I missed you too fat ass." He laughed.
"Says yo pregnant ass." He said laughing.
"Awwewwww." King mama said. I laughed. "Weak!" My mama told Junior.
"What's yo problem with me?"
"I hate you and I should've swallowed you simply!" She said.
I humped my shoulders.
"You can't hurt my feelings." "Yeah okay." She said rolling her eyes. "Bella where did we go wrong?" My dad asked.
"What you mean?"
"I gave you the world to prevent this."
"Me having kids? Or me fucking King?" I asked. "Both."
"Yeah okay. Well I don't regret it."
"I can't forgive you but I do wanna be in my grandkids life." He said.
"That's a negative and if I find out King let Tay around y'all he'll never see her again!" I said. "That's why I hate her ass." My mama said.
"Yeah I hate you too hoe. Next."
"King." Jazz said.
"Nah you first."
She got up. "Well my problem with y'all is the same as my auntie y'all treat Bella like ass and I'm glad Junior owned up to it.
My issue with Jennifer is you wanna be boujie so bad but you not.
You let king pay for everything like you should really get a job, a DNA test is well needed for Kavion, and last but not least you'll never be Bella." I was trying to not laugh.
"My beef with Bella is you knew I was pregnant with Danielle and who it was by.
You never cared but soon you moved you ghosted me and it was fuck me." "I thought that was under the rug." I said.
"Oh it is but the hurt still there."
"I'm sorry. That shit with king just made me shut down on everybody for real."
"I get it."
"And King you know our beef."
"You got one of my niggas killed." "Who?" I asked. "Smoke." He said.
"The one we was always with?" I asked with my eyes getting big. "Yeah." She said. "Y'all was fucking wasn't it?"
"Yeap."
"She set him up." King said.
I couldn't believe this shit. I knew smoke had died but I was homeless and couldn't afford to come out here for the funeral.
We was the 4 Amigos.
"How?" I asked.
"I didn't set him up. I was fucking with him and my baby daddy."
"Yeah Bella ex." My dad said.
I sighed.
"It so happened that Smoke pissed me the fuck off and I went to my baby daddy house. He asked me what was wrong and I told him.
I had no idea that he'll kill him."
"Damn." Was all I could say.
"You told the opps what the fuck do you mean Jazz?!" "I'm sorry Tavion damn.
I feel that guilt every day of my life.
He was the love of my life King and he's gone you think I don't feel for that shit?" "I can't forgive you just yet Jazz. This shit gone be like this for a lil minute."
"It's been a year King."
"It is what it is."
It was kind of funny to me because we in here just talking , crying, and arguing like King ass wasn't just told he was paralyzed.
It didn't bother him honestly.
"Ian got no problem with nobody. Y'all gotta obey Bella's decision.
Y'all can't come around Tay ion mind y'all getting Kavion but Tay is off limits." He said to my parents.
"Before I got shot I was thinking about getting another house out here for Tay and Bell so we all could be close. I know you be tired Bella and I want you to be able to get up and take a break whenever you need it.
I know you don't feel like constantly moving Tay here and there so we'll go to Atlanta if we got to."
"Who said?" Jennifer said.
"We gotta do this right Jen."
"Me and Tay good in Atlanta. I already told you that we can co parent and figure some out."
"You sure?"
"Yeah and we gone be out here for a minute since I'm yo caretaker."
"What about yo baby?"
"What about em?"
"Yo doctors and stuff out there." "I'll switch em over for the mean time."
"Who's the father?" He asked me.
I rubbed my belly.
"Maybe another time." I said.
"You might as well we all here." My mama said. I looked at King mama.
"My child's father is Tavion."
Jennifer broke out crying. "How?" He asked. "I think you already know how it works you got 2 already." I said.
"It can't be mines. You way too big."
"I'm 4 months this baby just grew fast."
"Really king? Another one really?" Jen said. "I was already pregnant when he returned to Cali the first time." I said.
"I knew a couple days before he left." I continued.
"God damn mane you ass need to pull out!" Junior told him.
King sighed.
"Bella why you constantly hiding this shit?" "You had left again King. Then I planned to tell you on stink birthday but this happened."
He drug his hand down his face.
"Man Bella I can't do another child right now."
"You barely did some for stink. Yeen gotta be in my baby life I won't be mad." I said.
"Ian mean it like that."
I started crying.
"Nah you did mean it like that King. She got the ring and the baby you did want.
You gave Jennifer everything I was suppose to have. I finally became okay with that and you gone tell me you can't do another baby.
You want a DNA test? On boffum? Cause I'll give you one man.
You the only man I've slept with.
I'm not gone hold you hostage King do you but when they get older and they resent you please don't blame nobody but yourself."
"You know imma be in my kids life Bella but this not adding up."
"It's simple King boy fucks girl and ejaculate.
Unfortunately you just can't pull out." Junior told him. "God damn man." King said.
I wiped my tears.
"I can't even feel my legs and now I got 3 kids fuck!" He said.
"I'm finna go." I told his mama.
I grabbed my purse.
"Bella don't go!" He said. Tay was sleep with him. "You mind bringing Stink home?" I asked his mama. "No problem baby."
I grabbed my keys and walked out.
I didn't need this shit right now.
I went to the elevator. "Wait Bella!" It was my brother. He caught the door.
He got in with me.
"You here to be on his side again ?" "I was never on his side Bell. I did what I thought made sense."
"It didn't. I needed you and you just did me so wrong." He grabbed me as I cried.
"I'm so sorry Bell. So fucking sorry."
"Why he don't love me like he love that white hoe? He let me down again brother.
He constantly making me believe we doing some and going somewhere when we not." I said crying.
"Look sis. I know it hurt so bad but that's his lost. You gotta be the best mother you can be for that baby and Tay."
"Thanks J."
He walked me to my car.
"I love you sis be safe." "I love you too brother."
I pulled off and just drove listening to music. I expected him to be happy but I guess not.
I needed some room to breath.
I drove to King's old house.
It was still vacant. He owned it and said he'll never sell it. I got out and went to the backyard.
When I left me and king buried a capsule.
We said we would wait 10 years to open it but I think it's now or never.
I looked around and found only some cardboard. I went to my car and found a spoon. Thank you Tay for always leaving stuff in my car. I went back to it.
I searched the ground for the stick we stuck there. It's been almost 4 years man.
I spotted it and removed it.
I started digging.
It began to sprinkle. "Come on noww." I said. I dug quicker and the rain was getting heavier. I finally hit some.
I used my hands to dig the rest of the way.
I got to the box. I pulled it out.
It was raining bad so I got up and went back to the car. Once I got in I stared at the box.
We never knew what each other buried.
I sighed and sat it on the seat.
I drove back to Jazz house.
___________
I woke up to see it was like 2am.
I cried myself to sleep after I took a shower. I seen my baby girl laying next to me. I kissed her forehead. "Mommy loves you."
I got up and slid my slides on.
I grabbed the box and went to the living room. "Hey." I looked up to see Jazz.
"Hey." "You okay?"
"Yeah. King has said worse to me."
I sat on the couch. "Is that the capsule?" "Yeap." "Oh my god. You know I forgot about it." "I dug it up today."
"But it hasn't been 10 years."
"4 is enough."
"We was suppose to open it as the 4 amigos." She said. I sighed. "Yeah but that's because we thought everybody would still be here. We all put something in this box for each other."
"We have to at least FaceTime King."
"Ion know sis."
"Please. He deserves to see what smoke left him." I sighed. "Sure."
She started calling him and he answered.
"What Jazmine?"
"Bella dug the capsule up." "Our capsule?" "Yeap." "Why?"
"She right here."
She propped the phone up so it was on both of us and he could see the box.
"After I left the hospital I decided to go get it."
"Why though? We got 6 years left."
"Smoke is gone and you damn near died King. I know how the streets work. The second they know you alive they coming again.
So we may not have those 6 years."
He just stared.
"Open it." I nodded and removed the tape. "Mommy?" I looked back to see Tay rubbing her eyes.
"Come here stink." She climbed on my lap.
I rocked her as I finished opening the box. "Y'all ready?" I asked.
I gave Jazz the items with her name on it.
"This is from you cousin." She said smiling big. She opened the box and looked at the camera about to cry.
"What is it?"
"When we was kids we made ornaments with our hand prints on em with cousins4Life on it. You kept it?" She asked him.
"When y'all house burned down. I found it in a pile of ash." She wiped her face.
She looked at the gift from smoke.
She smiled.
"It's his ring." She slid it on her finger. I looked. "That's the ring his daddy gave him before he died." She nodded and showed him in the camera.
"That was his favorite ring I wondered what happened to it."
"He left it to me." "You don't deserve it." He said. "King stop." I told him. "I'm just being real." I shook my head.
She looked at mines and seen I left her my old phone. "Yo phone?" I nodded.
"Why?"
"1004 is the passcode." She opened it. "Go to messages." She clicked it and seen I was texting that number.
She looked at the messages.
"All the times I wanted to reach out to you I just texted that number instead so you can see I never went a day without thinking bout you and Dani."
She hugged me.
I grabbed Smokes items.
I looked. "We should take em and put it on his grave." I said. "He was cremated after the funeral." King said.
"Oh okay." I said.
I looked it was some thongs I looked at Jazz. "What? I wanted him to remember the good times." I just shook my head.
King gave him they flags tied together.
It was a note in between.
"Don't open that." King said. I did anyways. "I most definitely smashed her." I read.
"Smashed who?"
"It was an inside joke between us."
"And the joke was?"
"None." "Yeah okay." I gave Smoke one of my favorite bears. When everybody would spend the night at kings place he always slept on it.
"King here's your stuff."
"What is it?"
"I left you a stack of hundreds." Jazz said. "Why?" "To pay you back for taking me in."
"I appreciate it but it was none but love cus."
"Smoke gave you his watch and Durag and it's a note on here too." He laughed. "What it say?" "I know you and Bella fucking." He laughed.
"That was the joke. He would always ask me that shit." "Akekeke shit." I told him.
I showed him my gift.
"What is it?"
"My King and Bella necklace. That's why you seen I wasn't wearing it anymore. I left it to you." "Why?"
"Because I figured 10 years. I would never see you again and in case we all went separate ways and couldn't come back to the box at least you'll have it and remember me." He smiled.
"Appreciate it."
"Last but not least meeee." I said.
I looked and Jazz left me a pregnancy test. "Yo pregnancy test?"
"Flip it over."
"Godmama maybe?"
"How you gone put this in there?" I asked laughing. "Remember when I showed you the test? You never read the back of the stick and that's what it said." I smiled.
Smoke left me a cute little bear and it had a custom letter on it.
"Sorry for sleeping on the other one."
"Last but not least. Tavion."
I looked at it and it was a box. I looked and opened it. It was a beautiful ass ring.
I grabbed the paper folded in.
"Incase you're opening this without me and for some reason I'm dead and gone I just want you to know I'll always love you.
You was always more than a best friend to me.
Although our relationship was cut short it was the best I've ever been in.
If I'm here opening this with you look beside you and if not read the words on the back." I read out wiping my tears.
"Do I um read the back?" He nodded.
I flipped it over.
"WILL YOU MARRY ME?" I read it and broke down. "I was yo first choice?" I asked him.
"Always have been." I nodded.
"Read the little letters." I did. "P.S in case I'm not here anymore I did make you a promise. I told you I wanted you to have my babies when the time was right.
Go to the sperm bank and look under Kingston Jordan. I love you Bells."
I wiped my face.
"You left yo sperm?" "I made you a promise and I wanted to keep it."
"Looks like we didn't need it." I said rubbing stink hair. I smiled looking at the ring. "Thank you." "No problem." He said.
I closed the ring box and put the stuff back up.
"Um when are you getting released?" "Tomorrow morning." "I'll be there to see yo schedule so I'll know the times to come take care of you." He nodded.
"Goodnight y'all." I tried to get up.
"Jazz help me."
She grabbed Tay and pulled me by my hand. "Thanks sis." "No problem.
I went to my room and just laid my baby down again. I couldn't believe he left that for me. I just laid down and stared at the ceiling.