Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Why you looking so sad?” Vesha questioned her friend later that day.
“Why aren’t you looking sad enough? Didn’t your baby daddy just get locked up?”
Vesha’s lip curled. “Fuck that low life ass nigga. He got arrested because he swerved with dope in his car. You know why he swerved? Because he was fighting the chick that he swore to me he wasn’t dealing with.
I’m so happy he’s locked up. I hope he never gets out.
I’m about to move out of this apartment and get my own place.
He won’t know where I live, and I pray I can be rid of him. ”
“You think it will be that easy?” Averi asked her friend skeptically.
Vesha had been going back and forth with Rodrigo for the past seven years.
They had a four- and six-year-old, and Vesha claimed she’d been tired of his shit.
Averi didn’t judge her for not wanting to parent alone but the longer the relationship went on the better being a single parent looked to her.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to try. One thing I can commend the bastard for is that he took care of home.
He has no idea how much money I make doing lashes.
I have $39,000 stashed. I can get me and my kids somewhere nice to stay and be straight.
I can even switch suites, so he won’t know where I’m doing lashes at.
The love has been gone, and I don’t care what he does or who he does it with.
I just want him to leave me alone. My dad is keeping the kids tonight.
Come help me pack some stuff and tell me why you look like you lost your best friend. You want some wine?”
“Bitch, I didn’t come over here to do free labor,” Averi joked.
“I know. That’s why I’m going to pay you in wine.”
“I can’t drink.”
Vesha eyed her friend’s solemn expression. “Friend you better be pregnant ‘cus I know that nigga don’t have you on antibiotics.”
“I’d probably hate him less if he did have me on antibiotics. The man knew I was ovulating. He said he’d pull out. He did not.”
Vesha’s eyes ballooned out of her head. “Blak?!”
“Yes about to be married black ass Blak.”
“Ohhhh sista. I’d beat his ass.”
“Tell me about it,” Averi sighed. She only liked telling her business to people that had sense.
She didn’t need anyone trying to convince her to keep the baby just because Blak had money.
The older she got, Averi was starting to see that money truly wasn’t everything.
“I’m so pissed at him. And on top of that, I took a plan B pill, and it didn’t work.
It made me sick as shit. Made my stomach cramp bad.
But I’m still pregnant,” Averi grumbled.
“I can look at my schedule and tell you what days I can take you to the chop shop.”
The fact that Vesha was dead serious made Averi’s face scrunch. “Like why would you call it that?”
Her friend’s shoulders hiked. “I’m just saying.
You know I love my kids more than anything in this world, but having kids is not easy.
I can’t understand the chicks that have a house full of kids and not a man in sight.
It can absolutely be done alone, but why would you choose that?
Not wanting everything to fall on my shoulders is why I stayed with dumb dumb for as long as I did.
If you really don’t want the baby, don’t give up your carefree life to become a baby mama to a nigga that’s about to get married.
I’d crash the wedding and tell his wife what he did. That was selfish as hell.”
“I have to tell you something else, and I swear you better not tell a soul.”
“Oh this is about to be good. Who am I going to tell? You’re really the only person that I talk to.”
“Supposedly, the marriage isn’t real. Like it’s some arranged marriage type shit.
Naomi’s father is a kingpin and in some way, that’s going to be beneficial for Blak.
I told him regardless of whether or not the marriage is real, I’m not being a side chick.
That’s why he got me pregnant. He dead ass tried to trap me. Now, he’s telling me he loves me.”
“Oh sista,” Vesha’s eyes widened. “I mean, he’s wrong for getting you pregnant without your consent, and that’s a hill I’ll die on.
But if the marriage isn’t real, I wouldn’t stop dealing with him,” Vesha shrugged unapologetically.
“But I can see why you wouldn’t want to, and I’ll support you in whatever you do. ”
“And it’s the fact that I don’t know what to do that’s pissing me off.
I could have let him go. I like him a lot, but I wasn’t going to cry, beg, or be heartbroken about him marrying another woman.
But getting me pregnant and all of a sudden wanting to confess his love for me is some sick shit.
Real marriage or not, I don’t want to be home at night with his child, in bed alone, while he’s on the other side of town sleeping with a chick that has his last name.
That’s not the life I want for myself. If I keep dealing with him my feelings will grow.
How the hell do you watch a man you love walk out the door to go be with another woman?
That shit is like dying a thousand deaths. ”
“It really is. That’s not exactly my situation but for the past year or so, every time Rodrigo leaves the house, I wonder if he’s going to cheat and that is indeed a shitty way to live.
The pain is bad enough but then the anger and resentment begin to fester until you hate the nigga.
Don’t do it to yourself friend. If you know you can’t handle it, then don’t put yourself in that situation. ”
Averi gave a curt nod. She was very early in the pregnancy and didn’t feel like she had a connection with the embryo.
It should be easy to get an abortion, but she was having doubts.
Maybe some women could get abortions like it was nothing, but the embryo growing inside of her body was a part of her.
Could she really lay on a table and get it sucked out without a care in the world?
But then she thought about life as a single mother with a married baby daddy, and she eyed her friend with tears in her eyes.
“Look at your schedule and tell me what days are good for you.”
Brazil walked into the conference room that his lawyer was going to be using and observed the gorgeous woman already seated at the table with her lawyer.
Brazil had seen some beautiful women, but this one took the cake.
Her hair was piled on top of her head into a ponytail, and her natural afro was huge.
Her plump lips were lined with a dark color, while a baby pink shade painted her lips.
Her face was littered with freckles, and her light brown skin looked as if it was glowing.
When she noticed Brazil staring, she gave him an awkward smile. The lawyer stood.
“Hello, Mr. Thornton. I’m Ms. Vincent, and this is my client, Giavanna.”
Brazil gave a nod as he shook her hand. His lawyer entered the room, and they all sat. Ms. Vincent was the first to speak.
“My client was baby-sitting when Ms. Johnson passed away. The baby was only four days old at the time. Ms. Johnson was going out to get diapers because Unique was born weighing four pounds, and the diapers she had at home were all too big. Kera’s mother lives in Chicago, and her only brother is incarcerated.
Giavanna is the only family member at the time that was able or willing to keep Unique until we found you. ”
“Um,” Giavanna spoke up. “I can’t tell you what to do with your child, obviously, and she’s still very young, but I’ve had her since she came home from the hospital really.
I’m not rich, but I can afford to take care of her.
If you want to take full custody of her, there’s nothing I can do about it.
But if we can work something out where I can still have her at least sometimes, I’d like that.
You wouldn’t have to give me child support or anything. I don’t want anything from you.”
Her words caused Brazil’s tense body to relax with relief.
He had a support system, and he had still been sweating bullets trying to figure out how to fit a newborn into his world.
“Honestly, that would work because I’m in the thick of the season.
My mom and siblings will all help me, but I don’t want to just put a newborn on my mother and leave to travel multiple times a month for games.
We can definitely work something out, so you can still be in her life, and I can get her when I’m home. ”
The genuine smile that lifted Giavanna’s cheeks made him aware that she really cared for the child. He didn’t know about her living conditions or anything of the sort, but he prayed she was a good fit for helping him with Unique until the season was over.
“Very well,” Brazil’s lawyer spoke. “We can have legal documents drawn up. No child support will be expected from the father.” He looked over at Brazil. “What’s a feasible schedule for you?”
“I have games on Saturdays. When I travel for games, I usually leave on Friday and return Saturday night. Rarely do I have two games a week, but I do have practice. I’d say, I can get her on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.” He wasn’t sure if that was enough, but he hoped it was.
“Does that work for you and your schedule?” the lawyer asked Giavanna.
“Yes, it does. I actually work from home, and I can work at my own pace, so it doesn’t bother me having Unique there while I work.”