"Hey Stace, I'll bring her right back after her doctors appointment." Lay told Stacey as she picked up Eliana from daycare. If they got in there early enough they could have their results by the end of the day today. Lay just had to hurry because she had class and then she had to meet with her teachers assistant.

"Is she sick?" Stacey asked Lay with her eyebrow raised. She had a very strict policy about children coming in sick especially because her son went to the same daycare.

"Oh no, nothing like that. Just her one year old check up." Lay hated not telling the whole truth. They just decided to get the DNA test at her one year old appointment.

"Okay, no problem at all. Be safe!" Stacey went back to tending the rest of the kids after Lay left.

By the time Lay got back into the car and got Eli buckled in she didn't have a whole lot of energy left. She rubbed her tummy and took a deep breath.

"I'm going to make it through." Lay promised herself quietly.

"Mommy, toons." Eli demanded throwing her silly cup on the floor of Lays car. Her once beautiful Benz was now dirtied with dry cereal, chicken nuggets, juice and toys.

"Which toon baby?" She asked looking in the rear view mirror. She didn't know what she was going to do if Eli wasn't Key's. She was already taking care of a child that wasn't hers.

"Elsie." Lay nodded her head and turned on Frozen before pulling off in the direction of the doctors office. The whole drive there she was lost in her own thought, by the time she came to realization she was already parked in front of the office.

Eli was in the back sleeping as she always was. Lay took a sip of her water and waited to see any yellow vehicle pull up into the parking lot. As always he didn't care about her time, he knew she had to be to class within the hour. Here he was, as always running late.

"Fuck it." Lay huffed, if she could do it all over again. She would've walked away from his ass when she found out he had a kid with Brittany. Lay would be in a completely different place.

"Puck it." Eli mocked Lay causing her to gasp.

"No Elianna, don't say that." She said sternly trying not to laugh as she unbuckled her from the car seat.

"Say what?" Key asked spooking the shit out of both girls.

"It doesn't matter, just come on. I got shit to do." She ceased all her laughter.

"Damn, aight. A nigga can't get a hi or nun?" Key asked walking behind her and closing the door once she grabbed everything.

She ignored him and walked into the empty doctors office.

"For Elianna Cathey?" Lay spoke to the receptionist, it seemed as though they were always in a doctors office.

"Oh yes, right this way." She allowed them to come back to an exam room as they waited for the doctor.

"Dada." Eli began to fuss as she reached for her father. Lay rolled her eyes and handed her to him.

"Attitude for what? Ain't did shit to yo ass." Key sighed annoyed as hell, Lay always had an attitude with him but it was way worst now that she was getting deeper into her pregnancy.

"Not for nothing Key. You know I have class today yet you were taking forever to get here." She crossed her arms over her breasts and stared at him. His neck was riddled with hickies here and there. She took a deep breath.

"I was five minutes late girl it doesn't matter." He waved her off.

"Whatever then you come in here with that shit all over your neck, how's that supposed to look to your daughter. It's giving tacky. Was it the girl from the ice cream shop?" She asked teary eyed, she hated that she was so emotional now especially with the baby. Lay sniffled a little bit.

"Who? Oh, Nell? Nah. I told you Aubree and I are going to try and be a thing." He raised his eyebrow, cause how did she even know about that.

"Mm." Was all she said because the doctor had knocked on the door and entered.

"Hi, I am Dr. Pharm. How we doing today?" He asked looking between the two of them, if he couldn't tell how they were doing they didn't know what to tell him. He checked Elianna out as normal.

"She's looking very healthy. Definitely a happy baby, you two are doing great. I'm going to go ahead and swab both of your mouths and get this over. Are you biological mom?" Dr. Pharm asked her, Lay shook her head.

"No, just on paper.." Lay spoke quietly. The doctor took separate swabs and swabbed Key and Eli's mouths.

"Step parents matter too." He smiled prettily at Lay, the doctor was kinda fine, he was an older black man in his early 30's. Darkskin with beautiful white teeth. Key watched the whole thing go down.

"They do for sure." Lay smiled back at him blushing.

"I'll go head and get these results in for you. If you need a pediatrician for the new baby, here's my card." Dr. Pharm handed his card to Lay and winked but before she could grab it, Key did.

"Preciate it." Key eyeballed the doctor before he walked out the room. Dr. Pharm looked at Lay one last time before closing the door.

"Can you take her back to Stacey's? I have to get going." Lays mood has brightened a little bit but whenever she was around her baby dad it couldn't be too cheerful.

"Mhm." Was all he said before throwing the doctors card in the trash and leaving her to sit all alone in the doctors office.

*

"Yo face is healing nice as hell." Marlee spoke to Faith, she had known this girl all of three days but she was so infatuated with her. The girl once had a black eye and busted lip, but now you wouldn't be able to tell she was in a fight.

"Mm, thank you suga." Faith flirted, she liked Marlee from when she first laid eyes on her at the touring day. She damn near fell into her arms after she defended her in a fight.

Marlee laid across her bed with Lucky Daye playing in the background softly. She had on some gray sweat pants and a tank top. Her hair was slicked back into a bun, her favorite outfit and hairstyle combo.

Faith looked around the room at the different things in here.

"You welcome." Marlee studied Faith's figure, she had on some jean shorts with a regular crop top. Her braids were half up half down.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Faith smirked at Marlee.

"You're just really pretty." Marlee cheesed at her, Faith blushed under her gaze.

"Oh really? I think you're really pretty too." Faith walked over to where Marlee was laying and laid next to her.

"Is that right?" Marlee giggled turning her focus back up to the ceiling.

"I never got to thank you for saving me the other day." Faith trailed off, before Marlee knew it Faith aggressively grabbed her face and kissed her. Marlee pulled away even though she loved the aggressiveness she was surprised.

"I'm sorry, am I doing something wrong?" Faith looked concerned, Marlee could tell she was shy when it came to things like this. Ronny ran through her mind.

"Nah, it's cool." Marlee kissed Faith back, Faith climbed on top of Marlee.

Marlee slid her hands to Faiths ass as their tongues began to interlock slowly. Marlee squeezed softly gripping handfuls of Faiths ass. Faith moaned into the kiss softly, she had never felt so comfortable with somebody so much that she would be in their bed this early.

Marlee and Faith had been hanging out ever since the fight.

Faith began to kiss down Marlee's neck, lightly sucking and nibbling on her ear. Marlee shuddered under her warm mouth.

"I wanna taste you." She whispered in Marlee's ear before placing another small kiss there. Not knowing how to talk dirty talk, Mar had to think quickly on her feet.

"Shit, taste me then." Marlee whispered back to her, Faith wasted no time feeling on both of Marlee's breasts before making her way to her sweatpants.

Faith made her way down to her pussy but before she could even put her tongue on it Marlee stopped her.

"I gotta be honest with you Faith. I think you a really pretty girl, you seem down to earth and everything but I don't think I'm ready to sleep with someone just yet. I wanna take my time with you. There's things you need to know about me, intellectually before we can go there." Marlee spoke honestly, some head sounded good in her mind but she didn't know where she stood at with Ronny.

"I understand. Ima head out. I'll see you later Marlee." Faith grabbed her belongings and fixed herself up before scurrying out of the apartment feeling rejected.

"What the fuck." Marlee mumbled crawling under her covers and falling fast asleep.

*

"Thank you for actually coming to the office hours Lay." Benji stated as Lay walked into his office.

"Thank you for making time." She said dryly, her moods had been in and out all day today she couldn't help it though. Lay sat her bag on one chair as she sat in the other.

Benji got up from his desk and closed the door so that nobody else could hear what they were talking about. FERPA was a big thing at that college.

Immediately Lay began to get triggered during the sound of the door closing and when accidentally bumped her shoulder when he walked passed. Her mind instantly went back to the place where she was bent over his desk while Don did whatever to her. Benji froze in his place when he saw how she reacted.

Chalynn started to cry and shake like she did when Key got her out of that bath water.

"Please just let me go. I won't tell anybody I promise." She whispered just enough for Benji to hear, and for him to realize what was going on.

"Chalynn, it's Benji. I'm not going to hurt you okay?" Benji walked from around his desk and went into help mode. He reached out to Lay to touch her and she instantly flenched. When she began to relax under him grabbing her hand, he pulled her into a warm embrace.

"It's okay Lay. You're safe." Benjamin hugged Lay while she sobbed as if they had known each other for years and he was just returning the favor.

There was silence in the room before she realized what was happening. She tried to snatch out of his grip but ended up finding herself like she had with Golden,resting in his arms. He handed her a few tissues while he held her so she could clean herself up.

Goldens hugs were more delicate than his, with Benji, it felt like the weight of the world could be lifted off of her shoulders while in his embrace.

"I'm sorry Benji." She finally mumbled and sat back down but Benji didn't want the embrace to end.

"Don't apologize, I'm just being somebody I needed when it happened to me." He spoke honestly, Lay didn't want to press the issue but it did surprise her.

"It's happened to me a few times but, I've never became so triggered by it before like I just did. I don't know what that was about." She shook her head as she tried to collect herself but the tears just kept coming. She began to wonder if they were just about her being triggered or had it been everything else as well.

"It seems like you may have a little PTSD. Here, this is the campus counselors card. If you don't like them, then they can guide you to a better one that fits better for you." He handed her a card for the campus counselor and smiled at her.

"Thank you so much for your kindness. I know I haven't been the nicest to you, I just have alot going on." She sighed trying to smile but her face was so blotchy she couldn't even do so.

"I understand. How about we cut this study session short and go grab lunch?" He asked hopeful, Lay eyed him, he was very handsome and a gentleman but she barely knew him. She lifted her hoodie and his eyes began to grow wide until he saw her pregnancy bump.

"I'm pregnant, I take care of a man's baby who might not even be his. My baby dad is bi polar, I have serious trauma. I take care of my little sister as well and make sure she's okay. I'm hella busy, I want to start my fashion career. If all of that is okay for you then sure I'll go to lunch but if not I completely understand." She rattled off all the things that were wrong with her and what was going on in her life.

"I'm here to help you. Not add extra stress. Just one lunch date, after that if you don't like what you hear or see we'll keep this strictly professional." Lay bit her bottom lip, it seemed a little complicated right now for her.

"Fine."

*

"What's up son?" His mama asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Not shit .. wassup wit you?" She kissed his forehead and stirred her greens.

"I think you need to lay low. Something just .. I don't know Key, something in my spirit." She shook her head getting right to the point.

"Ain't nobody gone touch me." He stated scoffing, as if he couldn't believe what his mother was telling him.

"Okay, Markeyvius. You think somebody playing with yo ass. All that cocky shit. You need to stop it. How's my grand babies doing?" She asked changing the subject she knew her son was hardheaded.

"Pretty good. We DNA tested Eli today, Lay been getting weird ass messages but just to be safe. The baby must be good cause he making Lay ass grumpy." Key chuckled grabbing a piece of cornbread from the pan.

"I thought you been tested her? They might be from that weirdo Bria! I had a dream bout her the other day. It's probably you that's making her grumpy." Keisha laughed whole heartedly, she knew her son was a handful.

"We did but it was home test. It could've been fake. It could be, I have somebody looking into. She not worried about me, had Eli doctor all up in her face and that's exactly why we can't be together." He shook his head.

"If y'all not together why do y'all keep fuckin?" His mom asked pointing at his neck.

"This not from Lay. Me and Aubree working on shit." He stated, his mom looked at him with a face of approval.

"I like Aubree.." She trailed off and he already knew what she was going to say.

"But you love Lay. Yeah ma I know." He rolled his eyes as he sat down at the island. "What you call me over here for?" He asked getting irritated and Keisha turned around so quickly.

"Tuh. You can talk to them lil girls like that but, you not gone talk to me any kinda way. Then you showing yo ass to these lil girls, looking like I didn't raise you correctly." She gave him a look to say she wasn't playing with his ass.

"You didn't raise me." He mumbled but she heard him and that hurt her feelings.

"I called you over here to tell you, I found a man. I wanted you to meet him to get your opinion but you can go on home. I don't wanna see you right now." Keisha spoke quietly, she had dealt with enough of her sons bullshit to last her a lifetime but she didn't expect a low blow like that from him.

"Aight." Key walked out of his mothers house, he of course didn't mean to offend his mother. That wasn't his intentions at all however he needed to work on apologizing when he's hurt somebody's feelings.

Ding

Key looked down at his phone to see that the test results had finally popped up for him. He got into his car looking at his surroundings before looking at the test results.

Probability of paternity, 0%.