"Eh." Lay groaned as she flushed the toilet and began to brush her teeth and rinse with mouthwash. She tried to eat some fruit but her stomach automatically said hell no. She washed her hands and cleaned off her face before reapplying with light makeup.

"You coo?" Golden asked as Lay walked passed her.

"Yeah. The baby just doesn't like pineapple." Lay spoke, she loved pineapple so the way she couldn't eat it upset her.

"Aight, don't start that crying shit." Marlee mugged her sister, she saw that she was beginning to tear up.

"I just want to eat my pineapple in peace. I don't know why she hates it." Tears fell from her eyes as she sniffled. Marlee rolled her eyes at her, this was the fourth time this week her ass started crying over some bullshit.

"Golden .. it's your time Ms. doula." Marlee patted Goldens shoulder and walked away.

"Lay Lay, it's okay once you give birth I will buy you all the pineapples you want okay?" Golden wrapped her arms around Lay. Chalynn slowly nodded her head and snuggled into Goldens embrace. Even after she had settled down from crying she found herself being content in G's arms.

Golden looked down at Lay whose body had relaxed in hers. Neither of them said anything, they both just stood there, Lay took in Goldens signature scent.

"Wow. I told y'all to stay away from each other now I gotta kick some ass." Marlee huffed tying up her hair.

The two quickly split apart and Lay looked down at her feet embarrassed. She hadn't been held like that in so long she had just got caught up in the moment.

Realizing how red Goldens cheeks were and how they both hadn't said anything, Marlee stopped playing around.

"Anyways .. Heavens coming over for a little bit and then we're going to the movies." Marlee said in an 'awkward' tone.

"Okay," Lay replied walking away from the situation.

"Cool." Golden walked into her room and shut the door. Leaving Marlee to wonder what the hell just happened.

*

Golden and Lay went to her very first child birthing class, she was nervous, to say the least, but having her spoke person there who was going to coach her through it was a plus.

"Alright expectant mommies I'm Court, we're going to go around the room and tell one fact about ourselves and who you brought with you." Lay rolled her eyes at her on accident but the girl had caught it.

"Let's start with you!" She made a knowing face at Lay, her smirk irritated Chalynn but she calmed herself down.

"My name is Chalynn, I'm 16 weeks right now. I'm currently obsessed with pineapples but my child doesn't allow me to eat them. I brought my doula Golden with me." Lay forced a smile on her face as Court looked passed her and toward Golden.

Golden looked back at Courtney and Lay smiled at the both of them. When Courtney had finally moved on from them Lay smirked at Golden.

"Why don't you just ask for her number?" Lay asked curiously. Of course, what she thought about this morning was just her being Lays doula, nothing more.

"Eh, I got my eye on somebody else right now," Golden stated looking ahead at the different things in the room.

"The girl who left that hickey on ya neck?" Lay pointed at the visible mark that was left on Goldens neck.

"She might." Golden nodded her head side to side.

"Mm, she must be good if you keep going back." Lays comment came off a little bit rude, like a jealous girlfriend almost.

"And why do you care?" Golden shot back, Lay realized that she had offended Golden, and instead of apologizing she just became quiet.

"Alright, we're going to start with some stretches mommies, on the floor with a butterfly stretch, and then partners slowly push down lightly on mommy's knees." Everybody got into position, Golden sat directly behind Lay and with her legs placed on either side.

Golden slid her hands softly on Lay's thighs making her way to Lay's knees. Golden was so close that Lay could hear her soft breathing in her ear. They weren't talking because of Chalynn's attitude which came about for no reason. It was lowkey awkward.

Lay looked around to see all the other partners and couples smiling and laughing and having a great time. She looked and saw one couple who looked so in love you could see it radiating off of them. The woman looked a little bit further than her. Lay felt herself getting upset and before she knew it she was walking out of the classroom crying.

Nobody thought anything of it except for Golden who could feel her vibe was off. She walked out of the class with Courtney following her with her eyes. G closed the door and walked into the bathroom where Lay was softly crying.

"Okay Lay, what's up with you?" Golden asked walking towards her but Lay took a step back.

"I just want to be left alone." Lay looked down and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay .. well .. as your doula I can't do that and as your friend, I won't." Golden leaned against the wall near the stalls.

"I promise I'm fine." Lay wiped her face with the back of her hand with her 'new beginnings ring'. She looked down at it and started crying more.

"Is it Key?" Golden watched her movements and her reaction to her saying his name. Lay nodded her head.

"What about him?" She asked surveying her client.

"It's just I gave so much to that relationship. G, when I tell you I've run myself into the ground mentally and physically to be there for him when he had his mental breakdowns. Every time he calls me, I'm there. He needs somebody to calm him down and his niggas are calling me. I'm there. I'm always fucking there. He wanted to sleep with somebody else after telling me to get an abortion. I'm still there for him. I slept with somebody he was close with to get back at him. He hates me, he never wants to be with me again. I make one mistake because of him and now my baby has to be co-parented. That's not fair." She cried grabbing a tissue and wiping her face.

"I see all these couples together in here all happy and here I am with my doula. I mean no offense but why can't my baby dad be here with me?" Lay sucked her bottom lip as she sniffled.

"Until he starts showing up for you, you don't need to show up for him. I get what you saying but maybe y'all are not meant to be together. I know that sucks to hear but Lay you keep beating yourself up over this and it's not worth it. Let him go. If you want him here instead of me ask him. You need to get it together, that baby in your stomach can feel all of this negative energy. You want a grumpy ass baby?" Golden asked waving her arms around.

Lay cracked a small smile, "How do I move on? I love him. Probably more than I love myself." She admitted to shifting her weight.

"One step at a time. One breath at a time and remember who you're doing this thing called life for. Starting with that ring you're wearing. When you're ready to move on. Take it off." Golden opened her arms for Lay and moved her hands in the come here motion.

"You're right. Okay. I will try. It's just so hard especially now. Like he kissed my stomach at the baby's appointment the other day and I just. I thought about what we could be. Then he gave me this ring but I just gotta stop giving him so much access to me." She sighed walking over to Golden.

"Why don't we get outta here? Go get some ice cream or something?" Golden rubbed her lower back to soothe her.

"I would love that." Lay sighed in relief, her body felt completely relaxed.

Key walked into the studio and took a deep breath. He told his fans they weren't going to get any music from him next year but the only way he could release his pain was through music.

"Sup' Key?" Band play stood up to greet him.

"Not shit. Wassup Nell?" Key eyed the girl that he once dated, a while ago when they were kids and up until Brittany came along. He thought Brittany was the most fly thing on the block. Arnell looked much different now, like a grown woman.

"Hey Key, how you doing?" She asked him referring to the loss of Dolph. She stood up as well to give him a nice long hug, since they were long-lost friends they had a lot to catch up on but he didn't know if he wanted to open that can of worms.

"I'm doing the best I can do Nell, I can't complain. What are you doing here?" He asked it wasn't like he didn't want her here but nobody ever joined in on his studio sessions, he liked it that way.

"Just here on business, my cousin asked me to come out. I can go if you want." She started getting ready to grab her belongings.

"It should be aight. We just listening to beats, right?" Key asked his producer, he nodded his head and began to play the beats. With each beat, lyrics automatically flowed out of his mouth. This was every day for Band play but Arnell, she hadn't heard him rap in years.

"You still got it." She laughed when the music started to die down.

"Never lost it." He smirked, he was coming back to his regular cocky self.

"Just let me know which beats you want playa, which ones you want me to change, and then whatever else you need. Aight?" Band play asked him, he nodded his head before dapping him up.

"Can I ride with you?" Arnell asked standing back up. Key looked between her and her cousin. Band play shrugged his shoulders and couldn't decide on what he wanted to do.

"Ion see why not. No funny shit."

*

"You still like blue moon ice cream?" Key asked, he had a little bit of free time before his next task of picking baby girl up and grocery shopping.

"Only from Chunky's."

When they finally arrived at the ice cream shop, the line wasn't too long, and inside was pretty much empty except for two people in the back who were laughing about some joke or some shit. Key didn't pay too much attention to them. The two had ordered and sat at the other end of the shop before digging into their ice cream.

"So how's Brittany?" Arnell asked Key before taking a bite of her ice cream.

"Still not over that, huh?" Key chuckled looking up at her.

"You a heartbreaker nigga. I'm over it now, 'cause I'm married now with a lil boy." Key peeped the ring on her finger. He nodded his head slyly.

"I got a lil girl by Brittany and another one on the way by another woman. I know I left you for Brittany but you were just too sweet for me. I ain't deserve you at that time. I shoulda stuck with you though cause because Brittany's ass turned out to have a psycho sister." He shook his head as she laughed.

"I coulda told you that. She was in the shadows for years but always was obsessed with you. Why do you think Brittany kept you a secret from her? This other girl, what's she like?" She asked intrigued, not only did he have one baby mother but two. Damn.

"She was very sweet, like you. Maybe sweeter. I did some shit to her when I found out she was pregnant and it went left from there. Come to think of it, you're right .." He didn't feel like talking about Lay, he just wanted her to move on and find the love she deserved.

"We should have a playdate. How old is your daughter?" Arnell could tell he didn't want to speak about the mystery girl and she wasn't going to force him.

"She just turned one, that should be cool. I just gotta check with her ma. Yo mans gone be cool with that?" He raised his eyebrow at her.

"It's not his son, so he should be." Key brushed it off and kept it pushing. They finished their ice cream in comfortable silence and then he took her home.

"You gone give me yo number for that lil play date?" He asked opening his phone.

"It never changed." She proceeded to get out of the car and walked into her home with her small family.

Lay and Golden arrived at Chunky's they had the best ice cream in the world.

"You better not get an old-ass lady flavor like butter pecan," Golden stated making Lay laugh, G loved seeing her smile. With how vulnerable she was becoming with her, Lay was growing on her more and more.

"Listen, don't get that basic ass cookies and cream either." Lay giggled, she wasn't even going to get the butter pecan ice cream

"Now you know I love cookies and cream .. that was a low blow." Golden mugged her as they got to the front of the line.

"May I have Butterfinger ice cream and cheesecake topping in a cup please?" Lay asked and Golden scrunched her face up and made a sour face.

"Can I have two scoops of cookies and cream with a waffle cone?" Golden asked whipping out her card.

"Together or separate?" He asked them, "Together." Golden paid and they waited off to the side for their ice cream.

When they finally got their ice cream, they sat down in the back of the shop and Lay couldn't wait she took a big scoop of her ice cream.

"Thank you, for taking care of me today. I haven't had anybody hold me in a very long time, it felt nice to feel so .." Lay's voice trailed off, she didn't want to use the word that first came to mind because she knew Golden didn't.

"Loved?" She asked taking a lick of the cone that had cookies and cream dripping down it.

"Yeah .." Lay began to pick at her ice cream, a complete stranger made her feel more loved than Key had almost their whole time together.

"I can make you feel loved in a friend sense, I mean that's what you mean right?" Golden looked up from her ice cream at Lay.

"Yes exactly. Well anyways, thank you." She cleared her throat and smiled small. Lay accidentally knocked some napkins on the floor and bent over to pick them up. When she looked up she saw Key and a girl she had never seen before smiling and laughing in a booth on the other side of the shop.

Golden followed her gaze and slowly shook her head at the scene.

"You ready to go?" She asked Lay, she knew Key was a sore subject for her at this moment and she wasn't trying to let her have another breakdown.

"Nah. I'm good." Lay sat back in her chair and slid her ring off from under the table and put it in her purse.

"How about Friday, after your last class we just get away? I know a cabin in Tennessee that you would love."

"I don't want to take up too much of your time .." Chalynn shook her head no.

"I promise, it will be the perfect getaway you need." Golden smiled wholesomely at her and she just couldn't resist.

"Okay. I'm sure Key wouldn't mind watching Eli or Marlee."

"It's a .. friendcation?" Golden shrugged, and Lay cracked another smile.

Golden was determined to help Lay get over Key in, any way that she could. It was time.

Chalynn's phone buzzed for a second and she looked down at it.

'How are you taking care of a baby that's not even your niggas?'

A/N

Alright ... this is just a filler chapter.

Arnell