Ashanti Renèe Robinson, NY📍

It was getting late and Jay still wasn't back from helping Jo'nae. I know we not talking right now but I'm still worried about him.

"Hey baby!" Aaliyah said walking down the stairs.

"Hey momma."

I've grown to Aaliyah so much I've just started calling her all types of nicknames.

"What's wrong? You look stressed."

"I am. I don't know where Jay is he hasn't texted me and he turned off his location."

"Ashanti, baby, you're pregnant you can't stress over him. He's a grown ass man he will be just fine wherever he is."

She rubbed my arms and looked past me at the food I just finished cooking in the stove. Steak and mashed potatoes with collard greens.

"Oh you cooked. It smells great." She made herself a plate and a drink.

Aaliyah is such a strong person. She's been through so much shit but still managed to keep a smile and be so positive and she stayed to herself.

"Imma be upstairs in the theater room! Aqua man is coming on and he is so sexy!!!!" She said leaving the kitchen.

I laughed as she made her way up the stairs.

I went to the living room to fix the blankets on the couch when Jay walked in the house.

I turned to him and folded my arms across my chest.

"Where were you?!" I asked.

"I'm sorry Jo'nae went and kil-"

"You're location was off, you never texted or nothing!" I said getting louder.

"Bae. I'm sorry I was helping Jo'nae."

I shook my head at him and pushed past him back to the kitchen.

"Damn why are you always so mad at me lately? What did I do to you?"

I ignored him as I made our plates.

"Ashanti!" He yelled.

"What! What do you want! I don't want to fuckin talk to you! If someone has their back turned from you that obviously means they don't want to talk." I turned back.

I heard him breathe heavy. I turned away from the counter to pour juice in our cups.

We didn't talk it was silent.

I forced myself to eat a little more before I gave up. I was walking my plate to the kitchen Jay stopped me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him.

"You need to eat ma." He said putting my plate back down on the table.

"I'm good." I said picking it back up.

I walked my plate into the kitchen and covered in in tinfoil before I put it in the fridge. I began to walk past Jay to go upstairs but he grabbed me again. He put his fork down and pulled me onto his lap.

"Talk to me." He said after he finished chewing.

"There's nothing to say."

"Yea there is. If you think I'm still mad at you about your mom than your right."

I smacked my teeth and looked away. He moved my face back to meet his.

"That's only cause your better than that. You're aware of the shit she does you jus ignore it because you think she's going to change. She won't mama."

"You have no hope!" I said getting up.

"When will you realize bro." He got up and wash his plate.

"You don't believe in me or something?"

"No, I do believe in you ma. It's jus that I know the type of person your mom is and she ain't it."

"I don't care about your opinion Jay."

"Coo. You don't got to." He said drying his hands off and making his way towards me.

"When you start boo hoo crying over some fuck shit she does to you don't come to me about it." He moved past me and flicked my head beforeand went upstairs.

I'm losing my fucking mind.

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Jay'Shawn Lawson, NJ📍

I walked up the stairs and into the theater room where my mom was. I closed the door and a approached her.

"Momma." I said sitting down next to her.

"Wassup baby."

"You think Ashanti still love me?"

She snapped her neck to look at me.

"What?"

"Do you think Ashanti still loves me?"

She paused her movie and turned to me.

"Why you askin?"

"Cause I think she's losing feelings for me. It's like we just been not good lately."

"Jay Jay. Ashanti loves you and always will."

I looked down and rubbed my hands. She lifted my face to hers.

"She's just having mood swings. That and she cares about you. She's giving birth to your daughter in less than a month. Right now is the time her body is changing. And it's going to cause mood swings"

I nodded my head.

"Remember when I was pregnant wit Aqua?"

Aqua. Aqua was supposed to be my little sister. My mom was at high risk and lost the baby during labor. It was prolly one of the worst things we had to go through. I was waiting on my sister. I wanted to protect her, spoil her, and pick on her for everything. I was waiting on that bond. Ever since I got the news I was having a daughter I thought it was a god given chance.

"Yes, I remember Aqua."

My mom teared up. "I was just like Ashanti. The way she's acting right now. Which is why your father would always put his hands on me. He thought I was doing it on purpose."

"I know ma. It's not your fault."

We sat there in silence.

"I love you Jay Jay."

"I love you too momma." I stood up and hugged her.

"Look at my son. Such a grown up." She said wiping her tears. "Now take mommy's plate in the kitchen and get out. You interrupted my date w fine ass Aquaman."

I smacked my teeth and grabbed her plate before leaving.

I walked past our room and Ashanti was in the mirror looking at her baby bump.

I went downstairs put the dish in the sink and walked back up.

"Ashanti." I said to her and she turned to me.

"What? You gon yell at me?"

I shook my head and approached her.

"You still mad at me?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"I don't know."

"How don't you know. That big ass head of yours and you can't think of an answer?"

"Aight bro." She said tryna get loose of my grip around her waist.

"I'm jus playin ma." I looked at her and she looked at me. Butterflies. Caught a nigga slippin.

"You watchin mad face now." She said mushin my face out the way and walking to the other side of the bed.

"I can't look at you?" I said licking my lips.

She looked at me blankly. "Come get in the bed!"

I got under the sheets with her and we laid there in the dark talking like little ass kids.

"How was your day today?" She asked.

"It was aight. Did some paperwork. Talked to workers. Clients. Chilled wit Demarcus. Oh yea Jo'nae killed Candy."

"WHAT?!" She yelled jumping up.

"Yea. Or what ya call? LaUrA" I said mocking their girly voices.

"Jo'nae killed her?"

"Yep."

"Ouuuu that bitch is bad...ouuu BAD BITCH!" She said doing the period hand thingy.

"You crazy." She looked at me and laid on my chest.

"How'd she do it?"

"She really set us up low key. Cuz she said she jus wanted to fight her but she actually killed the girl. She pushed her down the stairs and shoot her up."

"Ouuu YESSSS bout damn time I was getting tired!!!"

I shook my head while she laughed.

"Imma talk to her tomorrow cuz, whew I'm tired. She said yawing."

❤️

I stroked her hair and listened to her fall asleep. Crazy ass girlfriend and a crazy ass bestfriend. Pray for me.