𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 ❷ ⓿ ❷ ❷
ANICIA CAUGHT THE DESIGNER SHOPPING bags that nearly fell from the leather interior of her brand new Urus Lamborghini. A logo denim Dolce and Gabbana body garbed her physique and Dolce Sorrento slip-on sneakers. She let her hair fall down her shoulders and end bra-strap length, with Diamond studs in her earlobes. She pushed the bags back into her backseat and only grabbed the necessary ones for the particular stop.
With both of her hands full, she quickly shut the door with her hip to prevent any more bags from falling out and strutted towards the lower level condo surrounded by lush, peaceful greenery. She knocked on the door best way she could with her hands full and waited patiently on the one to answer. When the door opened, and the woman on the other side stood in loose clothes and a messy ponytail.
She held an exhausted expression; breathing in relief at the sight of another human that wasn't her mother and babyfather. "Thank God! A different face. Hey."
"Hey, Amaury." Anicia hugged her briefly, as she walked into the apartment with the bags hitting the door. "Sorry. I went. . . overboard with the shopping. You should see the back of my car—new car. I went crazy."
Amaury noticed her different behavior. "Are. . . you okay?"
"Perfect. Fine." Anicia smiled widely, "Where's the little baby?"
"I just got him to sleep." Amaury sighed and Anicia took the hint of waiting another day to see the newborn.
Anicia nodded, sitting the bags down on the coffee table. "You can look through these whenever you're ready. I just wanted to come check on you. How're you?"
"I mean, look at me. ." Amaury chuckled lowly, gesturing to herself. "I'm barely doing for myself and he's a good baby when De'Aundre is here. But it's like he knows when he leaves and just starts crying. Then I start crying. I feel like I can never stop crying. I cry everywhere. I even want to cry now."
"Do you feel is the postpartum depression?"
"Possibly. It's what my mother told me." Amaury exhaled sharply, "Is this how you felt—the constant crying—after having your daughter?"
"Well," Anicia sat down on the grey suede sectional. "I didn't raise her."
"It doesn't change the fact you gave birth to her."
"I had to do counseling afterward. My physician suggested it since I would be having the feel of guilt and the baby blues while in college. I lost a lot of weight because I didn't eat and I had trouble sleeping." Anicia revealed, "I'd jump up thinking I heard her cry but in reality she wasn't there. I never allowed myself to cry because I gave her the best life not being raised in my family. You're a first-time mommy. Don't beat yourself up about it."
Amaury blew out air heavily. "Two weeks postpartum and I'm so tired. His father is gone majority of the time at work and making a living. My mother comes over to help but she even getting on my damn nerves—telling me how to do this and that. Like I'm dumb."
"She's just doing what a good mother is supposed to do," Anicia vouched. "She's wanting you to learn. Plus, you're her only daughter and don't have to deal with weird babymother's keeping the baby away. Baby DeAngelo is the one she will see everyday so of course she's gonna be a little overbearing and get on your nerves. But she means well."
Amaury finally smiled, genuinely. "Why you on her side?"
"Can't help it. I love Cara."
"She aight I guess." Amaury rolled her eyes playfully, "Can you listen for him? I really want to take a shower bad. I smell like breast milk."
"Go ahead."
"Thank you. Monitor right there; breastmilk in the fridge. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Amaury rushed to the back of the apartment.
Momentarily, the squeaking of the pipes was heard before the shower turned on. Anicia sat there, scrolling on her phone when she heard a whimper through the monitor. She stood, walking down the small hallway she found the nursery across from the other bedroom. She hesitated before footing further into the nursery and the newborn whimpered, squirming around in the blanket.
"Hi handsome," She peered down, staring at the newborn with head full of dark hair. "You don't know me but I'm gonna pick you up, okay?"
Anicia rubbed hand sanitizer in her hands before picking up his small body and cradling him near her chest. She bounced him slightly as she left the bedroom to pour him a bottle of the breastmilk and warmed it in the bottle warmer. Luckily, the machine beeped when it was done because she had no clue what she was doing.
Grabbing the bottle, Anicia walked to the couch. "Okay, I'm gonna feed you now. So, uhm, don't choke."
Anicia chuckled quietly at her telling a newborn to not choke. She maneuvered the bottle between his lips and he latched on to it, sucking in the breastmilk. His eyelids raised slightly, and she stared at him.
"I never fed a baby before, you know?" She talked to the newborn, "It's unbelievable I know because I have two nieces. But I was barely around when they were babies. And the babygirl that I had I never got to feed her. She was grateful to be fed by Dads that loves her very much."
She wiped the milk dripping down his chin. "I know what you're thinking—Why didn't I raise her?—well, I was young and scarred. I didn't want to pass my issues to her. And once you finally meet your cousin, she's a great young woman. She's gorgeous and smart and loves to draw. She's amazing. I just hope she loves me like I love her even after everything. What do you think?"
The newborn smiled as he opened his eyes fully. Corners of her mouth raised upward as she chuckled. "Yeah, I'm hoping to little guy."
She heard the front door open which averted her eyes to De stepping inside. His brows furrowed as his eyes locked on Anicia and his newborn in her arms. "Whatchu doin' ova' hea'?"
"Oh, just came to see Amaury and the baby. I. . brought gifts."
De eyed the several bags covering the coffee table. "A lot of gifts."
"Yeah," Anicia chuckled nervously. "I go overboard when I have something crazy on my mind."
"Somethin' crazy hm?" De sanitized his hands, "Bout what?"
"Eh. . . nothing I can't handle." She replied, handing the newborn carefully to his father.
"Mmhm, you pregnant or som'?" he eyed her, sitting on the sectional as he continued to feed his baby.
Anicia bursted out into a fit laughter. "Wow. Where did that come from?"
De shrugged slyly. "Just a question. . That you ain't answer."
Anicia stood from the small sectional. "I'll give you guys some privacy."
"Mmhm," he watched her walk towards the door and before she could leave out he said, "If you are and you choose not to tell my brotha dis go around; you can keep dat energy away from my son and wife."
Anicia could only force a smile and nod. "You have a handsome son. Congratulations."
She drove the lengthy distance from Gardena to her new home in Hollywood Hills. She neared her house and noticed the familiar Tesla parked in front of her home that's perched high, just beneath the Hollywood Sign. She rolled her eyes, parking in front of the garage door. She got out and ignored the car door shutting and opened the backdoor to designer bags falling out.
"Damn it." She cursed quietly, crouching down to pick up the designer shopping bags.
"Mm, excessive spending, you brought a new car. ." the camel suede Steve Madden boots with tall chunky heels stepped into her peripheral vision as she gathered the bags. "That only means one thing."
Groaning lowly, she stood to her height. "Why are you here Arlene?"
"I'm your sister. Of course I'm going to pop up on you." Arlene eyed the Spanish architectural style home. "This is really nice. Want help?"
"You're already here so..." Grabbing as many shopping bags as she could, Anicia approached her new home and unlocked the door. It took she and Arlene two trips with as many bags as Anicia had before her backseat and trunk was empty.
"You never spend your money like this." Arlene mentioned, "You're big on saving money. Last time you did. . . you were eighteen and had a lot on your mind. Then you left abruptly."
"I'm perfectly fine." Anicia spoke, eying through the bags, "Most of these are my daughter's—Lotus. I don't want her to think I'm trying to buy her because I'm not but I went to the mall and found myself shopping for shoes, clothes, and purses for her."
Arlene could see how nervous her sister was. "She's going to love it."
"She is, right?" Anicia chuckled nervously.
"She will." Arlene reassured as her big sister nodded. "Listen, I know I can be a lot like Mom, very overbearing. But you're my sister and I've missed you. And I came off the wrong way with my judgmental comments. If you want a relationship with Toby; I suppose you. I came off hard because it was me that witnessed the tears you cried over him and I get he could've changed. So I'm backing off and letting my big sister do what makes her happy. I'm sorry for not doing it before."
Anicia finally stopped avoiding eye contact with her sister by rummaging through the shopping bags and released a deep breath. She stared at Arlene across from her, who stood there with her arms crossed under her breasts...
"You support it, hm?" Arlene nodded at the question and Anicia chuckled quietly with a slight a shake of head. "Even. . ."
Arlene raised brow. "Even?"
"Even if I just found out today that I'm pregnant by Toby. . Again." She confessed which makes Arlene uncross her arms and dropped them on both of her sides.
LAYING ON HER BED, Anicia thumb hovered over the call button to Toby's contact as the shower ran in the bathroom connected to the undecorated master suite. She only wore a graphic oversized and her hair wrapped. She pressed the button and held the phone to her left ear, her heart thumping the longer the phone rung.
Across the city in Woodland Hills, the paint-covered dungaree covered his tall and muscular body as he stepped backward at the unfinished mural on the free space as his phone rung on the side table. Dried paint was on the hand he picked up his phone and seen Anicia calling as he stood on the sheet covering the hardwood floor.
"What up beautiful?" he placed the phone on speaker so he could continue the added mural.
"Hey," Anicia smiled. "I just wanted to call; hear your voice."
Toby smirked. "You been doin' that a lot."
"Yeah. . . I know." She paused for a moment, "I miss you, Obee."
"I miss you, too." he acknowledged. "I just want you to focus on Lolo right now."
"No, no, of course. She gave me her number. That's a step."
"It is. Have you called?"
"Once; just to see how she was doing. She was out with a friend so the conversation didn't last long." She informed, "I excessively shopped for her too. Overdone it. I'm stupid for doing that. She's gonna think I'm trying to buy her."
Toby chuckled lightly. "You learnin'."
"Such a bad job." Anicia rolled her eyes at her actions, "But I'm trying. You're right. I got her a canopy bed frame the other day for her bed—you know, just in case she wanted to finally stay the night. I wanted to be prepared."
"Women love canopy bed frames; nice touch." he approved.
The doorbell rung around the new residence. "I gotta go. Arlene is here and we're having a pizza and movie night."
"Aight, I'm letchu go," he responded. "And if drawin's start poppin' up around yo' crib; ian' say nothin'."
Anicia raised upright as she realized what he said. "Wait, what?"
Toby snickered. "Nothin', lata'." the three beeps filled her ear.
Grabbing her wallet from the nightstand, she tossed her phone on the bed and footed out her bedroom. The doorbell rung once more as she approached. "Coming, coming," she opened the door as she stared into her wallet. "How much?"
"For?" the recognizable voice averted Anicia's eyes to lay on Lotus and the bags on her shoulders.
"Oh, hey." She was taken aback, but happy to see her. "I'm sorry. I thought you were the pizza. Come in."
Lotus stepped in with her duffles. "Just thought I'd bring some of my stuff into my room. That's. . . okay right?"
Anicia smiled. "More than okay, honey. Down the hall to the left."
"Is that the pizza?" Arlene asked, footing down the hall in one of Anicia's oversized T-shirts and her hair in a bun. She looked at Lotus and paused at the resemblance to their mother. "You. . must be her daughter?"
Lotus stared between the sisters. "How'd you figure?"
"Just. . a guess." Arlene smiled at her niece, "Wow you're beautiful. It's very nice to meet you honey. I'm Arlene, your mother's sister—middle child. I'm glad you're here. We're having a pizza and movie night to celebrate. . ." She paused when Anicia shook her head. She wanted to tell Lotus, and Toby together in her own way.
"Toooo celebrate what?" Lotus wondered.
"To celebrate... us fixing our sisterhood." Arlene replied, "Join us. Go put on some pjs."
Lotus nodded as she footed down the hallway to find her new bedroom. Arlene looked at her big sister and lowly said, "She's beautiful. But tell me why you don't want her to know about the baby? Don't start out withholding information again."
"Because I want to tell her and Toby together, my way." Anicia spoke lowly as well, "I told you earlier that I'm not hiding this from him. It's just I way I wanna do it, okay?"
Arlene softened her expression, "okay, your way."
"And do not tell our parents." Anicia told her sternly as she handed her wallet as her phone rung down the hall, "The pizza should be here soon." She left her sister in the foyer, and grabbing phone from her bed.
She witnessed Shane's contact flashing across her screen. She thought for a second before turning off her ringer and Lotus appeared at the doorway wearing her choice of clothing she rather sleep in. "There won't be no black and white films right?"
Anicia looked at Anicia and laughed. "How old do you think I am?"
"Eh, fifty?" Lotus jokingly guessed. The mother and daughter genuinely snickered with one another.
Anicia tossed her phone on the bed. "Just for that, I'm gonna personally find a black and white movie." She joked before joining her sister and the nineteen year old in the unfinished media room with just pillows on the carpet floor and large flatscreen resting on the ground against the wall.
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