Daphne was now six months pregnant and I was even more protective of her than anything because this was one of the more critical stages of pregnancy for her. This stage was one of the critical because putting too much stress on both her and the baby could possibly harm them both so I had to make sure that she wasn't stressed out about anything at all. Because of this, I took up working from my office upstairs just so I can be there just in case something happens.

Daphne and I were at Fredrick and Arabella's. It had been almost a month now since Arabella came home with the baby for the first time. Arabella and Daphne were upstairs talking to each other in Afryea's room.

"How are you guys adjusting to having the baby around?" I asked.

"At first, it was a little hard to get used to Afryea waking up in the middle of the night and crying, but we quickly got used to it after a month," He responded.

"Really?" I questioned.

"Yeah," He nodded.

"So what about Arabella? Is she still in pain?" I asked.

"Not as much as she was when we were home for the first few days," He answered.

"Well that's good," I nodded.

"Yeah it is," He agreed.

"Well if you guys need anyone to babysit some time for you, then you can call Daphne and I," I told him.

"I don't know about that, Sam. You and Daphne have three more months before she gives birth," He said warily.

"Yeah you're right," I replied.

"I'm sorry if I sounded rude," He apologized.

"No it's fine, Fredrick," I assured him.

"You sure?" He asked.

"I'm positive," I chuckled.

"Just know that when Ajani comes, Arabella and I will be happy to babysit him just like you guys would to Afryea," He told me.

"That is if my mother or Daphne's grandmother volunteer quick, fast, and in a hurry," I joked.

"Tell me about it," He groaned.

"Your mom did the same thing?" I asked chuckling.

"Not just her, it was Arabella's aunt too," He shook his head.

"Can you blame them? They're all excited to see the new baby," I said.

"I know, but my mother and Arabella's aunt are just being extra," He replied.

"You haven't seen extra until you've met mine," I rolled my eyes.

"How extra can your mother get?" He asked.

"She bought another bassinet for the house for when Ajani is going to sleep over in the future," I explained. Fredrick started laughing this time.

"My mom did the same thing as well," He told me.

"Wow. Great minds think alike," I smiled. Soon the sound of a loud thud followed by cursing and cursing was all we heard from upstairs. Fredrick and I looked at each other before sprinting out of the kitchen then up the stairs. We made a beeline for Afryea's room. Fredrick and I walked into the room trying to catch our breath.

"What happened?" We both managed to get out.

"I was holding one of Afryea's toys and I dropped the shit on my goddamn foot. That fucking shit hurts," Daphne hissed. I looked down to see a Tickle Me Elmo toy on the floor. I sighed and picked it up. Daphne took it from me and threw it in the garbage can.

"You should've heard this fool. As soon as it hit her foot, she said 'you fucking red piece of shit' and 'I hope you hang yourself you fucking retarded ass, Muppet on crack'," Arabella laughed. Fredrick and I started laughing with Arabella.

"Go fuck yourselves," Daphne snapped.

"You're just mad because that Muppet on crack hurt your foot," Arabella chuckled.

"Well now the little crackhead Muppet is in the garbage," Daphne shot at her.

"Aye. Take that shit out the garbage," Arabella exclaimed causing Afryea to start crying from being startled. Fredrick chuckled and went to pull it out. He dusted it off then placed the toy in the closet. Arabella started to calm down Afryea by rocking her in her arms as she hummed. Afryea started to calm down.

"How can you just put your goddaughter's toy in the trash?" Arabella asked.

"Easy. I took it and threw it in there," Daphne replied.

"You have no heart," Arabella said.

"I turn that fuckin' soft into some hard," Daphne started rapping, "I grew up in the streets without no heart. I'm prayin' to my Glock and my carbon."

"You are so stupid," Arabella laughed. Daphne giggled. My phone made a 'ping' noise to alert me that I had a text message. I looked to see that Daphne's grandmother had texted me. She was asking Daphne and I to come over.

"I'd hate to cut this little session of weirdness, but Daphne and I have to go," I announced.

"Why?" Daphne and Arabella asked.

"Yeah, why?" Fredrick questioned.

"Daphne's grandmother wants us to come over for dinner at her house," I answered.

"Ooh! I hope she making fish," Daphne said.

"So you're just gonna leave me and Afryea with Fredrick?" Arabella whined as she continued to rock Afryea.

"Hey. I resent that," Fredrick spoke up.

"Oh hush," Arabella waved him off.

"Yeah I am, sadly," Daphne sighed.

"Fredrick is so 'eh'," Arabella complained.

"I'm really getting tired of being insulted," Fredrick deadpanned.

"I know, man. Sam is such a butt hole sometimes," Daphne said.

"Okay now it gets offensive," I remarked.

"I wish our men weren't such assholes sometimes," Arabella added.

"Me too," Daphne said.

"Why are they so weird?" I asked Fredrick.

"I don't know. I think it's in the water," Fredrick responded.

"Probably the air too," I said.

"Alright. Let's go because I'm hungry and Ajani is hungry," Daphne told me, "If my grandmother bought some Publix cookies, then I'm gonna devour suckers."

"I swear buying food has become such a hassle for everyone," I told her.

"Oh shut up and take me to my grandmother's," Daphne waved me off.

"Yes, ma'am," I nodded.

"Let us walk you out," Arabella said.

"Okay," Daphne nodded. We all walked downstairs. Daphne grabbed her phone, her charger, and her wallet before we all walked outside the front door.

"Bye, Afryea," Daphne smiled at the beautiful baby girl. She kissed her forehead.

"Don't I get a goodbye and kiss?" Arabella asked.

"No," Daphne scoffed.

"If I didn't have Afryea in my arms, I'd bend over and-"

"We'll see you guys when you visit again so Daphne can raid our fridge," Fredrick covered Arabella's mouth.

"See ya," Daphne said in a sing-song voice.

When we arrived at Daphne's grandparents house, Chastity walked out of the house towards the car and helped Daphne out. I grabbed Daphne's phone and charger from the car. I knew she'd flip if she didn't know where her phone was. I locked up the car and followed after them into the house.

"Grandma!" Daphne yelled.

"NEGRO, QUIT YELLING IN MY DAMN HOUSE!" Her grandmother yelled as I closed the front door behind us.

"WHY YOU YELLING THEN?!" Daphne yelled back.

"WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SAY?" Her grandmother walked into the living room.

"How you gon' yell at me for yelling?" Daphne questioned.

"Easy 'cause it's my damn house," Her grandmother answered.

"You ain't gotta curse," Daphne said.

"I can and I will curse because this is who's house?" Her grandmother asked.

"Run's House," Chastity and Daphne exclaimed laughing.

"Shut the hell up," Her grandmother said. Daphne and Chastity laughed harder.

"Keep on laughing. I'll hide them damn cookies," Her grandmother said.

"NOOOOO!" Daphne wailed. She hobbled as fast as she could to the kitchen. Her grandmother, Chastity, and I laughed hard.

"Sam, how you been?" She asked walking towards me.

"I'm doing well, ma'am," I smiled.

"Why the fuck y'all yelling in this goddamn house like you lot your damn minds?" Daphne's grandfather yelled as he came from the basement.

"Sorry, sir," I said.

"Sam, how you doin'?" He smiled at me.

"I'm doing good, sir," I replied.

"That's nice to hear. Is Daphne in the kitchen eating up all that damn food?" He questioned.

"Yes, sir," I responded chuckling.

"Daphne, your black ass better stay away from my oatmeal cookies," Her grandfather yelled as he walked towards the kitchen.

"Ion want yo nasty oatmeal cookies, man," Daphne replied.

"That's what ya ass said last time before you were just inhaling them down," He said.

"I thought they would taste good, but they still tasted like something I'd feed to my dog," She argued.

"Why did ya go through two damn boxes then?" He asked.

"Like I said, I thought they would taste good," She answered.

"Just stay out my damn oatmeal cookies," He said, "And stay out the damn Oreos. Those are for the kids."

"You better not eat my kids damn Oreos," Chastity ran into the kitchen.

"Watch yo mouth," Daphne's grandfather said.

"Oh lord. Let me go into this kitchen before they start cutting each other over some damn food," Daphne's grandmother said.

"I need to see this," I chuckled. I walked into the kitchen with her.

"Yo kids will live. They don't need no Oreos," Daphne said as she tried reaching for the box of Oreos in Chastity's hands.

"Are y'all in here seriously arguing over some damn cookies?" Daphne's grandmother asked.

"Grandma, this negro over here about to devour the food I brought over for my kids," Chastity answered.

"Your kids don't need no Oreos. Nigga, damn," Daphne insisted.

"Why is that whenever I come over, y'all all arguing over some food?" Marcela said as she walked into the kitchen.

"It's just getting sad after a while," Regina added.

"She over here tryna eat the food I got for Nasir and Faith," Chastity informed them.

"Nasir don't need them cookies and Faith sure as hell don't need 'em either," Daphne made a grab for the cookies, but Chastity held them high above her head.

"Y'all stupid," Regina shook her head.

"Hey, grandpa," Marcela walked over and hugged their grandfather.

"Hey, Marcie," He hugged her back.

"Chastity, Daphne. Y'all need to stop fighting over these damn cookies," Their grandmother snatched them from Chastity's hand.

"Now I'll hide these for the kids. Daphne, if you eat then you gotta buy another box," Their grandmother explained.

"Yes, ma'am," Daphne grumbled. She glared at her sister and turned to the pantry to grab the box of Publix cookies. She took out the sealed plastic box and closed the pantry door. I decided to take a seat at the table right across from their grandfather. Marcla sat down beside him and started talking with him.

"So the whole family is here?" Chad asked as he and his two year old daughter Charlene walked into the house.

"Why you here?" Daphne asked.

"Don't make me call SeaWorld and tell them you escaped," He shot at her.

"That's rich coming from the nigga who threw up on the girl he was asking out," Daphne narrowed her eyes at him.

"You are so annoying," Chad kissed his teeth.

"Aye. Where yo hairline at, Lebron?" Daphne questioned.

"Stop," Their grandmother said in a warning tone.

"Hey, Chad. X plus Y equals receding to the back of yo head," Daphne quipped. I had to cough to cover up the laugh that was trying to get out.

"Oohh," Chastity, Regina, and Marcela said in unison.

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