MUSIC PLAYED IN THE BACKGROUND helping Braelyn liven up her morning as she cooked. It was in the ending month of May and the weather was starting to pick up. It was only ten o' clock but she wanted to cook early for once to have the rest of the day to herself. She worked hard and hardly had time to put her feet up, she deserved it.

It was Saturday so Brielle was allowed to sleep in however late she wanted. Usually Braelyn or Takashi would have to drop her off at Laura's or Braelyn's parents in the wee hours of the morning then head to work, but it was weekend and neither had anywhere to go, they were both home to watch their baby girl.

Takashi settled his hands on Braelyn's waist, kissing the back of her neck where a few skinny long strands of hair from her bun hung. His birthday was next week and he'd been so nervous about asking Braelyn if he and Toryn could do their birthday together. Usually Takashi would have did what he wanted not caring what Braelyn's opinion would have been; but he taught himself that it wasn't right to act like that.

"Good mornin'."

"Good morning, honey. How'd you sleep?"

"Perfect, I was dreaming about you." He said nipping at her earlobe, "when we first met."

"At your grandmother's house." Braelyn chuckled, they both had an instant crush back then. Now years later their crush turned into a life commitment.

"Yeah..." Takashi said. There was a long pause as Takashi watched her sprinkle garlic powder into the pot and use the metal spoon to stir. "My birthday is coming up."

Braelyn smiled, "I know I didn't forget."

"Nah, nah, nothing like that," He gave her a weak smile then shrugged. "I was just hoping Toryn could come over and we could merge our birthday together."

There was silence.

"We always do our birthdays together. It's our thing. We celebrate every birthday as one."

"You've celebrated seven without her, but okay." Braelyn mumbled.

Takashi sighed, "Come on Brae, don't be like that ma. It's—"

Braelyn put the soft palm of her hand on his right cheek and turned her head to peck his lips. "It's okay, I don't mind."

Takashi's face lit up. It's been four months since he's seen Toryn. He was excited. "Forreal?"

"Mmhm."

Takashi turns her around to face him and picks her chin up, kissing her lips repeatedly. He was smiling from ear to ear but Braelyn was not. Her arms were folded as she studied him. "I hope you know to respect me when the time comes for this party. Other people will be here and I've already dealt with the inappropriate behavior between you two in front of others before. I do not need to be subjected to whispers and stares inside my own house again. No need to touch this girl, no need to call her baby, absolutely no need lift her up or disappear with her for thirty minutes to almost an hour on end... and the fact that I'm telling you this stuff is sad because you should know this."

"I do know Braelyn."

"No you don't, because I wouldn't have to be telling it to you. Whatever you wouldn't want me to do with another man, you shouldn't do with Toryn. And if you have to ask yourself if what your doing is acceptable; then you probably shouldn't be doing it." She said.

Takashi was taken aback by her little attitude, he didn't like it on Braelyn. But it wasn't an attitude, it was stress attacking her. She's just had it with his antics and behavior. For the past few months he's been calm. They've had no arguments, he wasn't disrespectful at all and everything was going good. Their marriage was on the up again. He had turned back into the wonderful husband she had when they first got married.

But Braelyn was no dummy.

He was only so chill because his heart was still healing right now. He didn't have it in him to be anything other then mellow right now. But when he finally was able to regroup and pull himself together—would he suddenly turn back into that stranger again, was the real question.

A week flew by and it was finally June 4th, 2018. Takashi Maxwell and Toryn Knight's birthday. They were both twenty six and had added another year onto their friendship, creating twenty one whole years of them knowing each other.

The place was lively with decorations hung up, an array of colorful balloons kissing the ceiling and two Happy Birthday banners strewn across the opening of the living room wall and one at the front door. The place was semi packed with Braelyn's folks and Takashi's folks. Braelyn still wasn't speaking to her girls, so she didn't invite them. She still had some women her age in her family so she was fine. Plus she loved talking to her parents anyway. Older people always had more to say other then talking about nonsensical things like social media.

Braelyn wore a long flowing maxi skirt, but it was loose. She never wore skin tight material. It was classless. She was a married woman and a mother. Her creme colored long sleeve shirt showed off her slim body and she left her hair down. She wore simple flats since she was in the comfort of her own home.

Toryn: On my way, ten mins or probably shorter.

Takashi: I hope your outfit is appropriate, I don't wanna have to be left hooking niggas.

Toryn: Bye. You know I came to find myself a man. 😛

Takashi: Don't get beat up on your birthday.

Takashi looked up and saw everyone enjoying themselves. He caught a glimpse of Brielle who was throwing a temper tantrum on the couch because she wanted it to be her birthday. It was normal for a kid her age to see cake, balloons, attractive decorations and want all the attention for herself. But Takashi paid her no mind. He pocketed his phone and narrowed his eyes when he saw Braelyn, running around like a chicken with it's head cut off, trying to please everybody.

"What do you guys want to eat?" Braelyn asked three older men in their late fifties to early sixties, sitting on the living room couch drinking beers and talking smack to each other. Braelyn didn't recognize them to be in her family so they must have been some of her father's friends or people from Takashi's side.

The men rattled off what they wanted on their plates. She could hardly remember what each person had said but she didn't even have time to move off before she felt a hand go around her waist.

"Hey uncle Charles whassup," Takashi said slapping hands with his father's brother.

"How are you doing little Florence." Charles said, intoxicated.

Takashi knew the rest were probably Charles's friends. He was the type to invite random people, even though he was the only one who got an invite.

"You gentlemen enjoying yourselves?" Takashi asked.

"Yeah just waiting on our food, this young lady was gonna bring it to us."

"Nah she not gonna do that."

"Tee." Braelyn whispered, taken aback.

"You guys have hands, get up and make your own plates. My wife is not anybody's personal servants. And make sure ya'll don't spill any beer on my carpet." He said. He had a smile on his face but his tone suggested he wasn't joking.

The men just looked at each other before Takashi escorted Braelyn away from the circle.

"Oh my gosh, Tee! You can't speak to your elders like that, that's a sin. In the bible in chapter—"

"Brae it's alright. I promise you, the gates to Hell isn't wide open with Satan waiting on me with an ear to ear smile, just for telling perfectly healthy grown men to get up and put the masculinity they were given at birth to use. Okay?" He said kissing her forehead.

Braelyn was a really sweet person and just loved to make everyone feel comfortable. She was a busy body and had to be doing something at all times. Helping people in anyway she could were one of those things. Plus, Takashi was the one that didn't like people running all throughout his house. She thought it would be better to ask to keep everyone in one place instead of having them roaming the house.

"Go get yourself something to eat and relax. Matter fact, I'll get it for you, what you want, baby?"

"I'm fine, I'm not hungry. I'll just feed Brielle."

"Cool, stop worrying about others, ma. And tell your parents I said hello." He said kissing her lips. They walked off in different directions as Takashi was stopped to converse with someone. Chatter was loud and there were about two kids in total besides Brielle. Takashi made sure of that. He didn't want any annoying ass kids destroying his house.

Takashi barely heard the faint sound of the doorbell over the noise. He looked up and saw someone standing nearby go to answer it as if they lived here. He returned to his conversation with a heated Chris as they watched his girlfriend in the face of another man, blatantly flirting only fifteen feet away.

"It's everywhere we go with this! I feel like she tries so hard to start shit sometimes. Like she just wants to see me fighting over her."

Takashi shook his head, "Just make sure ya'll don't fight in here."

Chris shook his head, "It's crazy because I love her, but this is part of the stupid shit she does."

"Then maybe talk to her and be more serious. Let her know if she don't cut that out you gonna leave her. Because she gonna keep doing it—"

Takashi felt a poke on his side and thought it was somebody's little stink child trying to ask about the cake; because they've been eyeing it since they walked through the door, but it was Toryn. A cheshire cat smile crossed his face, admiring his friend's hair that she had wild and curly against her scalp. She wore skin tight white and blue acid wash jeans, an electric blue Supreme crop top and her nails were also electric blue, long like claws. The two middle fingers silver nails covered in silver glitter. She even had a tiny crown in her curly mane to let everyone know she was the birthday girl.

Takashi pulled her in for a hug, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Hey Tee Tee, you look...amazing."

"Thank you." She said shyly. She almost didn't want to come, Braelyn had pissed her off enough times already. There was an awkward moment of silence before Toryn finally spoke up, "Um...Takashi this is Brandon. Brandon this is Takashi." She stepped to the side revealing a tall brown skin man Takashi hadn't even noticed before. He wasn't short so he didn't know how he didn't see him standing right there.

The Brandon guy was clearly a muscle freak. He took the gym seriously that was easy to tell. He had on a skin tight black t-shirt that showed off the outline of his body. Demin Levi jeans and black Timberlands were on his size ten feet. He was dressed like a plain joe but it wasn't terrible looking. He looked fine for the occasion.

"Who's this?" Takashi asked, shaking hands with Brandon but keeping his eyes on Toryn the entire time.

"This is Brandon, we're dating. And Brandon this is my best friend, Takashi."

Brandon smiled, "When she told me your name I immediately thought of that little cartoon Naruto. Do you remember that? It use to come on at night with those little ninja kids. That's a cool name man."

"Yeah I know...I use to know a Brandon. He worked at my real estate company when I first got there. Turns out he was a pedophile. You kind of look like him." Takashi said giving him a tight lipped smile.

Brandon and Toryn kind of looked at each other, even Toryn not knowing what to say.

"It was a joke. Not the pedophile part, just you looking like him."

Brandon leaned back and started laughing but Toryn didn't find the joke as funny. She gave Takashi a stern look and turned away from him. Brandon put a hand around Toryn's waist and she smiled from ear to ear. Takashi stared at his large meaty hand, resting on her hip before looking into the man's eyes, an expressionless look on his face. He wondered if they'd been intimate yet. Not that it was his business. He was just a little curious was all.

"Well you two can go enjoy yourselves. There's food on the table, drinks in the kitchen. People to mingle with." Takashi said, "and happy birthday again Toryn."

"Thank you." She said.

Takashi walked off slightly irritated inside. He told Toryn about inviting people to his house he didn't know. He found it disrespectful. He walked off to go spend time with Brielle who was being fed by Braelyn.

Brandon chuckled, looking at Toryn. "Uh...was he taking shots? I'm not too sure."

"No, he's just one of those guys that have a weird sense of humor." Toryn lied.

"Oh okay, like the type that makes jokes during inappropriate times and tries too hard to be funny."

"Exactly babe, you hungry?" Toryn asked.

"A little bit. I hope they have rice and peas and oxtail here. I've been dying for that." Brandon said as he allowed Toryn to lead him to the kitchen. He was a full American with an all American family and grew up around American food. So when he did get to eat West Indian food he took advantage of it every time.

Brielle saw her father approaching and reached out for him. Takashi picked her up and sat down next to Braelyn. Brielle cuddled up to him on the other side of his body hiding from the spoon of vegetables Braelyn was trying to feed her. She didn't want anymore.

"Who was that with Toryn?" Braelyn questioned.

Takashi shrugged.

Braelyn noticed he seemed kind of upset. He was fine ten minutes ago, now after talking to Toryn and her guest he seemed annoyed. Braelyn said nothing though as she looked at Brielle and sighed. "Bri come here, don't be difficult. If you don't eat your veggies then you can't have any cake."

The toddler sadly crawled her way across her father's lap and over to her mom. Takashi turned to his left and noticed he was sitting right next to Braelyn's mother and her father Henry who was sitting next to her. He said his hello's and of course

Carmen was more receptive, mumbling a polite hello whereas Henry ice grilled him and turned away.

Takashi had to hold his smile in. What the wonders of telling a man you were dicking down his daughter with no condom could do. The reality was Takashi did regret his comment only a little, because Henry was who helped get him his start in real estate. He was the man who got him his job and who he had to go through in order to even pursue Braelyn. And if he hadn't had Henry's approval, he would have never been with the real estate company he was with now, he wouldn't have been able to date his daughter and he also wouldn't have been able to make Brielle. But what was done was done and he said what he said. He knew it was not good to burn bridges but it was all apart of life lessons. He had a sharp-witted tongue and he couldn't help that.

Takashi was starting to get hungry so he got up to go in search of something to munch on. When he got into the kitchen, he only got a select few things. He wasn't too fond of eating any and everything from people he wasn't familiar with. Family or not.

He kept it simple by cutting a square piece of macaroni pie and taking two barbecue chicken legs. He put the food in the microwave and pulled his phone out to occupy his time. He smelled the high scent of perfume before he looked up into Toryn's face. She also had a plate of food in her hands.

"Hey stranger, is it okay if I stand here or will there be some problems?" She giggled.

"You straight." He said. It was silent for a moment before Takashi broke the ice. "Uh...I like your tiara."

Toryn instinctively touched it and smiled. "Thank you." Toryn couldn't hold it in though, she had to ask. "Umm...Taka what was the earlier? You were being kind of rude to my guest."

He rose an eyebrow. "Oh I was? I thought I was just making conversation."

Toryn nodded and turned so her back was against the counter like his.

Takashi looked over at her. "So you like Brendon?"

"Brandon, and yeah he's pretty cool."

Takashi nodded his head.

"What?" Toryn said feeling that he was a little annoyed about something.

"Nothing."

"You sound irritated."

"No I don't."

"Okay Takashi." She said, they haven't spoken much in the past three months, the awkwardness was there she couldn't lie.

"Why is he here?" Takashi asked.

Toryn rolled her eyes, she knew it. It had to be something with him. "Because he can be here. It's my birthday and we're dating."

"Okay but you couldn't ask first? It is my house after all. I would have had the respect to ask first."

"If it was a female I brought you wouldn't have cared. It's just because it's someone I'm dating, now you have an issue."

"Toryn what issue? I don't care who you date, I just said it would have been polite to ask. Why would I care who you date?" He then turned around and stopped the microwave, but the food was still semi warm so he added another minute.

"You do care."

"I really don't, but okay."

Toryn was super annoyed, "Why do you do this Takashi? You always have to find something negative to say or do. It's our birthday why do you have to be so negative? I'm allowed to be grown and have a companion, you can't control me. Stop trying to dictate my life."

He chuckled, "Toryn, I was standing here and you walked up to me. So how am I starting? I'm waiting on my food. You're just looking for a reason to bring this dude up in conversation. I don't care who you date, I don't care who you're with. Do what you want. When shit falls down don't come running to me."

And there it was. He did care. She narrowed her eyes, folding her arms across her lower stomach. "When shit falls down? What's that suppose to mean?"

Takashi suddenly looked at her. "You like that nigga?"

"Yes I do."

"You fuckin' him?"

Toryn's face flared red and she looked around noticing a few faces looking back. They were starting to gain an audience. She lowered her voice. "That is none of your business."

Takashi shrugged, straight faced. "It's not, I'm just trying to prove my point. This shit is a cycle with you. This is the same shit you did with Samir. You ran behind that nigga and looked what happened. Seven years of your life got taken away. Now instead of getting yourself together, look at you. Once again hopping into something. And when it goes bad who's gonna have to rescue you? Me."

Toryn was heated, "First of all, I do have a job. If you would've asked instead of assume, you would know that. So I'm not depending on anybody. I work at the gym five days a weeks for eight hours. I don't use Brandon to support me. So even if things do fall down," she said putting up air quotes, "I wouldn't need you to rescue me. So you can take that idea out your head, you're not my savior."