Chapter 10

It had been a few months since I've been back in Atlanta and I have been keeping a very low profile. Rico has been asking me to go out and explore the city but I wasn't really up for it. He took it as me being exhausted from the move and opening up my new boutique so he never really pressured me about it. I had been avoiding Julian and I must say I've been doing pretty good. My mom asked me earlier to head over to her house because she wanted to see Janae, I was hesitant at first but Julian was in training camp (Thank you Tabloids) so I was in the clear. My mom was already waiting for us outside on the porch when I pulled up. Pulling into our neighborhood brought back so many old memories for me, I couldn't take it.

"Grandmaaaaaa" Janae shouted before running and jumping into her arms.

My mom proceeded to spinning her around and placing kisses all over her face.

The scene made all my insides glow. I loved how much my mom loved Janae.

"Can I get some of that love too?" I said Jokingly

"Oh Mija come here" My mother said before giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"How's my son in law?" she questioned. I blushed before saying "Rico is good, working hard"

My mom loved Rico and she definitely thought I was over Julian. Once she saw how much Rico loved Janae she stopped pressing me about telling him about her. Even though she felt that I was robbing him of his right to be a dad. Julian was an idiot as far as I was concerned he didn't come looking for either one of us, it's whatever though.

"Heaven, before you walk in Mrs. Epps is inside the house"

I tried to speak but it was like my voice got caught in my throat.

"Ma...."

"It's okay heaven she doesn't know"

"Who's Mrs. Epps Abuela?"

"Oh Janae she's our neighbor sweetheart you remember you met her before"

"Oh I member" she said

I reluctantly walked inside after my mom and Janae and stood face to face with Julian's Mom.

"Heaven you look stunning" She said. "Why thank you Mrs. Epps you do as well"

She forced a smile and reclaimed her seat on the coach. I knew she knew something the tension in the room was way too thick to contain.

Janae started fussing and I got up to console her but my mother quickly shot that down. Whenever she's around she wants to do everything for Janae. I'm usually all for it but not today, I needed to get out of this room. I was somewhat in a way indirectly dealing with everything I had been running from and I wasn't ready to do so. I tried to meet eyes with my mom so maybe she could see the pleading in my eyes but it was no good she had already made it up the stairs with Janae in her arms and there I was sitting on opposite ends of the coach with my daughters undisclosed grandmother.

"So Heaven..."

"Yes Ma'am" I responded

"How's your boyfriend doing, Your mother speaks so highly of him"

"He's um well, He's a good guy"

"That's great you were always such a good girl, I always wanted that for Julian"

"Oh really? I'm sure he'll meet the right person soon"

This conversation was getting very awkward very fast.

"I hope so, you Know as parents we only want the best for our children" she said but this time she looked me directly in eyes.

"Yes I can understand that, How has Julian been lately anyways" I said, trying to change the direction of this conversation.

"He's been great. Maybe you guys can meet up and hang out, catch up.. you know?" she suggested

"Uhh... Julian and I haven't spoken since High school, I don't think that'll be such a good idea. We don't have anything to discuss anyways"

"Yes you do" she said

"What's that?"

"His daughther."

I couldn't respond to what she had said to me. I looked up at her and she looked at me with sympathetic eyes. She left the end of the coach she was sitting on and came and sat directly next to me then placed her arm on my shoulder.

"Heaven, I'm sure you left for the right reasons and I know Julian may not have done things the way he was suppose to or the way that was the most ideal but please, don't keep him away from his child any longer. He deserves to know her and I'm not going to be the one to tell him, It has to be you."

"How long have you known?"

"For a six years now, when Janae came to visit your mother for the first time I couldn't get over much she looked like Julian. I remember him telling me you moved away for school and that you we're pregnant at the time but that was it. I put two and two together"

I simply nodded my head. There was nothing I could say.

"Just think about what I said okay?"

"I will". I replied

Just as I said that Janae and my mother came running down the stairs. "I beat you grandma, I beat you" Janae sang

"Yes you did, when did you get so fast" My mother said back to her

"Now you owe me icecream"

I chuckled. Janae always got her way one way or another. She would play the same game with Rico whenever she wanted something, he would let her win so it didn't seem like she had him wrapped around her finger but she did.

"Mom would you mind keeping Janae, for a day or two I have some things to handle for the Boutique.

"Of course I'll keep my little nugget"

"Alright great, Janae come give me a kiss"

She ran over and left little kisses all over me

"I love you Mama" she said

"I love you too baby"

I waved goodbye to Mrs. Epps and my mother and rushed home. After all that stress and tension I needed a stress reliever. I needed my man.

I sped all the way home to try and get the house ready before Rico got off for the evening. I jumped in the tub to take a nice soak to loosen me. As I lathered the soap all over my body I got excited for what was to come. I shaved, lotioned up in his favorite fragrance and then got dressed in all white lace lingerie. I put on a hoodie so that when the time came Rico would be surprised at what was underneath. I let my hair out of the ponytail it had been in all day and let my hair spill over my shoulders and down the middle of my back. I cut off all the lights in our house and pulled all out curtains shut. No one was going to get a free show. When I heard keys go into the lock my heart started beating a million miles a minute. Even though we had been together so long each time felt like the first time and he deserved all of this for always loving me and being so patient with me.

"Baby, are you home?" I heard Rico shout from the doorway.

"Yes babe I'm here"

I heard his footsteps headed in the direction of where I was located.

"Are you hungry? Let's go get something to eat"

"No I'm not."

"So what's for dinner?" He said before bumping into me..

I looked up at him while unzipping my hoodie before saying "Me"

Before the words could leave my lips I saw his eyes blaze with heat. He quickly scooped me up and slid his tongue into my mouth. He was so rough and that drove me insane

He plopped me down on the bed but before he could take things further I stopped him.

"Baby what's wrong"

"Nothing... I Just."

"You what?"

"I love you Rico... I Love you so much"

He looked down into my eyes and the same fire I saw in his eyes a couple minutes ago was no replaced with genuine sincere love. It was the first time I had ever told him I loved him and I knew I meant it.

He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my lips then started to trail then down my neck and chest. He reached over to get a contraceptive out of the night stand but I grabbed his hand.

"We don't need those anymore baby"

He smiled then got to work for the rest of the night.

*Janae in MM*