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"Have you got the pie?" Naleli asked Tarek as she got the turkey out of the oven.

"Leli, it's literally in my hand," Tarek said side eyeing her.

"Okay but I want everything to perfect. I said I could make the pie," Naleli whined before taking a sip of her wine.

"But I bought it from Walmart," Tarek mumbled placing it on the counter.

"Tarek get out," Naleli tutted mushing his face. "Go and check on the girls, I don't want them messing up their clothes,"

"What time are they meant to get here?" Tarek questioned stealing a pig in blanket off the tray.

"I told him 2, I don't know how he's gonna get them all here," Naleli commented leaning against the counter.

"I think that's them now," Tarek said when the doorbell rang.

Naleli took a deep breath and put her glass down while Tarek went to go and open the door.

"Leli!" Malia's voice rang through the house. "Where's my Leli?" She shouted.

"Hey phat girl," Naleli smiled widely opening her arms for her. Malia grinned and ran into her open arms.

"I missed you," Malia mumbled into Naleli's stomach.

"I missed you more my baby," Naleli laughed smoothing Malia's hair out.

"I hope you got food," Saint said when he came into the kitchen. "Dad don't make nothing but spaghetti,"

"That's all he knows how to make," Sinai commented from behind them. Saint took a cookie and left the kitchen.

"Y'all always have something to say about my brother in law," Naleli chuckled. "Leave him alone,"

"Right," Dave replied coming in with Aasad and Aamirah. "I ain't a chef," He complained putting the twins down.

"Hi pretty eyes," Naleli cooed holding her hands out for Aamirah. "You're walking too," She clapped when she started stumbling towards her.

"She started last week," Dave smirked, "Aasad keeps pushing her over though," Just as he said that, Aasad pushed Aamirah with a big smile on his face.

"Oh lord." Naleli muttered when Aamirah started crying. Sinai took Aamirah's hand and left the kitchen with her, to find Carter and Cori.

Aasad stumbled around while Malia walked out, on her own how she liked it.

"She didn't want to come?" Naleli sighed looking at Dave.

"Nah, I spoke to Maniya this morning and she said she'll try," Dave shrugged. "Ion expect her to come around for me but at least for our kids,"

"She'll come, don't worry," Naleli said convincing herself mostly.

"I'm over Naala's shit. I'm not saying she's a dead beat but I've been doing it on my own for a year," Dave vented to Naleli.

"She's trying Dave, I don't know what more you want from her," Naleli squinted at him.

"I would like to stop explaining to my kids why their mama never wants to see them," Dave responded picking Aasad up from the floor.

"Ma ma," Aasad clapped standing on the counter.

"That's all he ever says. He misses her but she's too busy travelling the whole world," Dave shook his head.

"Don't be turning them against her," Naleli warned.

"That ain't even possible Leli, they love their mom. I can't say one word wrong about her." Dave defended.

"Let's eat and then I'll try calling her," Naleli sighed bringing out the rest of the food.

Dave went back into the main living space where everyone was chilling. The babies were playing in the play pen and Tarek had the game on.

"Mariah be careful," Trinity said sitting beside Dave. He flung his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder.

"You okay?" Trinity asked looking up at him. Dave nodded and pecked her lips.

"She'll turn up. Naala doesn't let them down," Trinity reassured him, rubbing his leg.

After the fire, Naala recovered from her injuries and packed out of New York immediately. Maniya stayed back to be with her family but Naala wanted space.

She spent the last year flying around and getting to know herself better. She spent two months with Samar and Hassan before she decided to tour Africa.

Naala and Dave officially separated after 6 months of her being gone. They both agreed that they were forcing the marriage to work.

"She better not," Dave grumbled focusing on the game while Trinity cuddled up to him.

"That table better be set!" Naleli shouted from the kitchen.

"Shit," Tarek got up quickly and rushed to the dining room.

A few minutes later, the table was all set and the food was laid out.

"I want to wait for mommy," Malia crossed her arms at the table. She caught wind of Naala's apparent appearance and she was excited.

"Phat you have to eat, mommy might be late," Sinai tried to work with her.

"I don't care," Malia replied with a frown. Naleli put Malia's plate down and sighed.

"Eat Malia," Naleli said sternly. Malia scrunched up her face but did as she was told.

Outside, Naala and Xavier were sat in the rental Naala hired, kissing passionately.

"Happy now?" Naala mumbled wiping his lips of any lip gloss.

"Nah I didn't ask for a kiss," Xavier complained with his hand on her lap. Naala crawled into his lap and kissed him again.

"We can't right now," Naala said with her arms around his neck.

"I ain't with the drama shit La, if you bought me here to be messy, I'll leave," He said with his hand resting on her ass.

"I'm not being messy, it's thanksgiving," Naala pouted.

"I could be with my baby mama avoiding all this," He responded looking out of the window.

"I didn't force you to come Xavier. You can go," Naala sighed.

"I'm here because of you," He reminded her, kissing her neck softly.

"And I'm grateful for you," Naala said tilting her neck slightly. He slid his hand into her top and started to massage her breasts.

"Just the tip," Xavier mumbled in her neck placing light kisses on her neck.

"Okay, one round," She moaned grinding on his hard dick.

"That's what I'm thankful for," Xavier smirked lifting her up slightly.

Back in the house, the dinner was uneventful until there was a knock at the door. Sinai rushed to the door and flung it open.

"Mommy!" She screamed jumping on top of Naala.

"Hey baby," Naala kissed her cheek several times. "You're so big now," Naala took her hand.

Xavier followed behind her, holding her purse and the gifts she picked up for the kids.

"Aw all my babies," Naala pouted hugging all of them. She hugged Naleli last for a while.

"Missed you," Naleli said kissing her cheek. Naala smiled and held her tightly.

"This is X," Naala introduced taking Xavier's hand and pulling him towards them.

Dave watched with a clenched jaw, this was obviously the reason she hadn't seen her children in a year.

"Xavier this is my sister," Naala gushed leaning into him.

"Y'all are a spitting image of each other," Xavier commented looking between them.

Naala laughed and turned, her eyes connecting with Dave. Her smile faltered slightly and she cleared her throat.

"This is Amir, my baby father," Naala said softly, her eyes drifting to how close him and Trinity were.

"What's up?" Xavier nodded at him. He didn't speak much and he didn't like how Dave was looking at her.

"Naala let me speak to you quickly," Dave said wiping his nose.

"Oh okay," Naala nodded. She picked Aasad up and kissed his cheek lightly walking behind Dave. He led her into the hallway and stared at her.

"What do you want to speak about?" Naala questioned with a blank face.

"What do I want to speak about?" Dave scoffed. "Naala you've been gone for a whole year,"

"I haven't missed the twins birthday so it's not a year," Naala replied quickly.

"So where did you go?" Dave said looking down at her.

"I travelled. Amir what is this? I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going but I needed to clear my head," Naala sighed. "Is that okay with you?"

"You're a shitty mother Naala," Dave shook his head. "You wouldn't even know the first thing about Malia or Sinai, or even Saint because you're too selfish,"

"I'm not selfish, I'm a better mother if I'm in a better mental state," Naala defended, ignoring his comment about her being a bad mom.

"And that nigga helps you with that?" Dave said to her.

"So that's what this is," Naala chuckled shaking her head. "You don't like that I'm not with you,"

"I could give two fucks about that because if I wanted to be with you Naala I would." Dave answered. "My main priority is our kids, you can't abandon them whenever you like,"

"Alright I'm sorry," Naala gave in. "And me and Xavier aren't together, I'm single," She added.

"Good," Dave nodded. "You'on need to be with no one else right now,"

"Are you and Trin together?" Naala muttered stroking Aasad's head that was laid on her shoulder.

"Nah, I'm single," Dave licked his lips. Naala nodded and looked away from him.

"You're not a shitty mom, I shouldn't have said that," Dave apologized. He didn't mean it, he was really just talking.

"Thanks, but I'm not going anywhere anymore. I'm here to stay," Naala spoke firmly.

~~

"Mama," Maniya called out as she entered the house with Malik close behind her.

"She's probably not here," Malik mumbled kissing her neck.

"Where would she be?" Maniya said moving his hands from around her waist.

"Mama!" She said once more, slightly louder this time. Both Naala's cars were parked outside so there was only one place she could be.

"You can go bae, I'm probably gonna go to sleep once I find her," Maniya said turning to Malik.

"Alright," Malik replied wrapping his arms around her. "I love you aight," He said kissing her lips.

"Love you too," Maniya smiled kissing him again. "Let me find my mom," She patted his shoulder when he deepened the kiss.

Maniya saw Malik out of the door before she turned back to find her mom.

The pantry door swung open and Naala came out, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Maniya raised a brow at her.

"Sorting out my pantry," Naala breathed out. "I didn't know you were coming home today," She said leaning against the pantry door.

"Yeah, Malik was dropping me home," Maniya replied looking at Naala weirdly.

"Aw, that's cute," Naala nodded looking back at the pantry.

"You okay ma?" Maniya said to her. A loud thud came from the pantry making Naala suck her teeth.

The door opened and Dave walked out, fixing his pants. "You gotta fix that shelf in there," He said tapping Naala's waist.

"You two need to grow up, seriously," Maniya shook her head at them. "You're having sex again?"

"No he was helping me with the shelf," Naala said leaning back on Dave.

"Why do you need to take your bra off to fix the shelf," Maniya said looking between them. "And why does daddy have to take off his belt?" She pointed to Dave's belt that was undone.

"Okay you caught us," Naala laughed helping Dave with his belt.

"So you're not with Xavier anymore?" Maniya raised a brow.

"Shut up," Naala replied waving her off. "Amir go upstairs and wait for me," She said looking back at him.

"Aight," Dave said kissing her cheek. "Don't get to arguing," He warned Maniya.

Naala waited for him to go up the stairs before she turned her attention back to Maniya.

"I know I'm young and I'm barely a mother to you but I am still your mom Maniya." Naala said crossing her arms. "I bought you into this world so can you have some respect for me?" She pointed at her.

"How can I respect you when you behave like a whore?" Maniya replied back.

"If I want to have sex with Amir then I will. If I want to have sex with Xavier then trust me I will but I won't have you calling me a whore because of that," Naala shouted.

"Mama have some respect for yourself!" Maniya snapped at her. "You're embarrassing, it's embarrassing that everyone knows that you fuck anything,"

"I'm embarrassing?" Naala questioned with a hurt look.

"I tell people you're my sister," Maniya said truthfully. "All my friends think you're my sister because I can't say that you're actually my mom,"

Naala drew her head back and stood up straight. Those words from Maniya hurt more than anything anyone had ever said to her.

"Niya don't say that," Naala spoke quietly,

"They all use you for sex because you're too stupid to see it," Maniya continued.

"Okay but who is all? I'm only seeing Xavier at the moment," Naala squinted at her.

"If you're going to sleep with every man you know, can you not get me and my boyfriend involved," Maniya said storming out of the kitchen.

Naala watched her leave and leaned against the counter, reaching for a glass.

She opened the bottle of wine on the counter and poured herself a glass, before going to her room.

Dave was laid on her bed, with both his hands in his pants, asleep.

She closed the door behind her and got into the bed, clutching her glass.

"Let's sleep," Dave mumbled hugging her waist. Naala sucked in a breath and looked over at him.

"Do you use me for sex Amir?" Naala whispered with her glass to her lips.

"No I don't, you know I'm not like that," Dave disagreed with her, opening his eyes.

She took a big gulp of her wine and put it to the side. "Tell the truth, if you couldn't have sex with me, would you leave?"

"Never, the sex is good but your company is better," Dave replied. "I enjoy your presence ma, everything about you makes me excited, not just the sex," He rubbed her leg softly.

"I enjoy your presence too," Naala smiled puckering her lips. Dave kissed her twice, deepening the last kiss.

"We aren't back together," Naala reminded him,

"I know. There is no getting back together this time," Dave nodded. "We're better apart, I know that now,"

"And I'm still having sex with other people," Naala informed him. Which was a lie, she called it quits with Xavier quite abruptly.

The dynamics of their relationship was different now and it was good to set ground rules.

"That's cool, me too," Dave shrugged. Naala frowned and turned to him.

"Who else are you fucking?" Naala asked him,

"Why do I gotta tell you that?" Dave chuckled as she straddled him.

"Amir are you seriously fucking other women?" Naala asked with a sad look.

"Nah I ain't like that anymore. I'm only fucking with you." Dave responded truthfully.

"Okay phew," Naala breathed out. "I was lying too, I'm only sleeping with you,"

"I know you're not stupid," Dave said squeezing her waist. "You wanna do that now?" He said adjusting her so she was right on his dick.

"No," Naala moaned softly when started playing with her. "Maniya will call me embarrassing again," Naala couldn't get over what Maniya said to her.

Dave pulled his hands out of her panties and raised a brow.

"Embarrassing?" He repeated pulling her down so she was laying on his chest.

"Apparently I'm embarrassing and she tells people I'm her sister. I get it, I had her young and she wouldn't want people to know that but the things she said to me," Naala paused and shook her head.

"I gave up everything for that girl, my sanity, my innocence," Naala listed.

"Are you getting upset?" Dave said rubbing her back.

"No I'm not upset," Naala answered. "I'm more ashamed of myself, I must be the worst mother for my own daughter to be embarrassed of me,"

"You're not a bad mother but you're not the best." Dave replied. Naala was about to say something before he added to it. "No one is the best, you've been through a shitload of trauma. You had your first baby at 10 Naala, that ain't right,"

Naala listened to what he was saying closely, not saying a word.

"That shit isn't right and it explains why you're the way you are. I'll hold my hands up and said I added to your trauma but you are a damaged woman," Dave spoke quietly.

"Great Amir, break me down some more," Naala muttered.

"I'm not breaking you down," Dave said rubbing her ass.

"It feels like it," Naala responded,

"Maniya was wrong for what she said to you but in some ways you needed to hear that," Dave told her, still rubbing her back.

"I don't know who I am without you," Naala whispered, trying not to cry. "I don't know who I am without being a mom, without being your wife,"

"Then maybe that's the problem. You were away for 10 months, what were you doing?" He questioned her.

"Getting drunk and fucking," Naala admitted. "I never got to be young. I never got that wild stage because both you and Justice took that from me,"

"I didn't do it on purpose," Dave replied quickly.

"You didn't but I was still trapped. Before Sinai, Justice had me trapped in my own head. I lived in fear and sadness because my baby was just out there," Naala explained.

"I lived everyday thinking something was happening to my baby, like what happened to me," Naala spoke getting emotional.

"Don't cry," Dave mumbled when her shoulders started to shake.

"My whole life I've been in pain," Naala cried softly. "I just want it to all stop,"

"I know," Dave cleared his throat, hearing her cry did something to him, always.

"Please make it stop Amir," Naala sobbed in his arms. Dave sighed and held her as she cried. He wished he could make her feel better, to take away all her pain but he couldn't.

Maniya was walking past to go to get a glass of water. She assumed she would hear them having sex but instead she heard her mom crying.

She started to feel bad because she knew she was the one that had made her upset but Naala needed to hear it.

~~

Naala took a deep breath and knocked on the door, stepping back to wait for him to open the door. She silenced her phone for the tenth time that day.

"Mrs Parker?" Beverly said opening the door with a smile.

"Beverley," Naala smiled stepping into the house. "I didn't know you still worked for him,"

"She'll never leave," Justice's voice boomed through the house. Beverley looked back at him fearfully, giving Naala a full view of the hickies that decorated her neck.

"Princess," Justice gushed opening his arms to her. "I knew you would come back,"

Naala looked up at him, the sick feeling she normally had around him intensifying.

"I have to talk to you about something," Naala said clearing her throat.

"Let's go to our room," He put one arm around her shoulder. Naala followed him, holding her purse tightly.

"How can I help you?" Justice asked sitting down and looking at her.

"You're sleeping with Beverley?" Naala asked him.

"Well I needed something to do whilst you were gone," Justice shrugged. "Again how can I help you?"

"I wanted to be the last thing you saw," Naala said quietly.

"Last thing I saw before what?" Justice chuckled at her. "Naala, if you've come here to kill me then do it. You don't have the guts for it anyway."

Naala pulled the gun she had out of her purse. "I could kill your right now but that won't change anything,"

"Oh it won't?" Justice laughed. "Why are you acting like you didn't like what I did to you?"