45. Baby
BABY
I sat pacing the floor. It had been an hour since Love left and I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I hoped he didn’t get himself in trouble or, worse, get arrested again.
My phone vibrated. I thought it was Love calling me with an update. My heart doubled in speed seeing the probation office calling me. Clearing my throat, I picked up.
“Hello?” I was so nervous.
“Baby Wilcox, this is Mr. Simmonds. How are you?”
Swallowing deeply, my palms were sweating. “I’m fine. You?”
“Good. Unfortunately, the parole officer that was assigned to your case has put in a transfer to work at another facility.”
Lauren? She left the office.
“I’m so sorry for this inconvenience. Can you come in next Wednesday morning around 9am for your next appointment?” That’s a few days away, plenty of time to get my mind right.
“Yes, I can. Thank you for the update.”
“Have a good day, Ms. Wilcox.” He hung up, and I felt relieved.
Lauren transferred? I didn’t think she would do all that, scary bitch couldn’t handle a little blackmail. Seeing how well it worked, I was glad I came up with that idea. Good riddance to her ugly ass.
When the door juggled, I rushed to open it up.
“Damn it!” I cursed, seeing Auntie on the other side instead of him.
“Well, hello to you too,” she said, offended.
I let out a breath, flopping down on the couch. “Sorry, Auntie. I was expecting Love.”
“Love? Why?” She sat down next to me, a frown on her face. I was not sure if I should tell her. She already didn’t like him.
“He ran an errand for me,” I lied, checking my phone for any notifications. The only ones I saw were from Tiffani and Jayda in our group chat.
“Bullshit. What’s going on, Baby?” Biting my lip, I glanced at her nervously.
“Okay, okay.” I held my hands up. “He went to find T.K.”
“Why?” She put her stuff down on the table.
I shrugged at her question. “Beat him up, I don’t know.”
I hoped not, would’ve really loved to see it though. Somebody needed to tear his ass up.
“Huh?” She was confused. Her ass done missed everything, trying to get her freak on.
“Go grab the wine,” I told her, putting my phone down on the table. This was gonna take a while because I still had to tell her about Leah popping up here.
“Baby.” She looked down at her watch. “It’s only eleven a.m.’
“Go get the wine,” I repeated, giving her a look.
“Oh, hell!” She hopped up, moving around the couch. I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Okay, I got it. Tell Auntie all the tea.”
I gave her a look.
“Don’t repeat that ever again,” I mumbled out, as she waved me off. Taking the glass she handed to me, I sat back to get more comfortable, relaying everything that had happened since she’d been gone. Forty-five minutes later and Auntie was on her second glass of wine, working on her third.
“So, you told her she can’t stay here?” she asked me, taking a sip. I nodded, averting my eyes.
“Should I have?” She shrugged her shoulders, pouring another drink. I only had one cup, even though I was off today. I was not tryna be drunk before one in the afternoon.
“I probably would have let her stay.” She put her hand to her chest. “But that’s the Auntie in me, Baby.”
I got it.
“I know why you didn’t. It’s okay to still be mad at her.” Her eyes roamed my face. “You were crying, weren’t you?”
Touching my cheek, I could feel how puffy they were. I was not sure what made me break down like that.
“I don’t know why, though. Wasn’t even that serious,” I downplayed it.
She was opening her mouth to speak when there was a knock on the door. Jumping up, I ran to open it, thinking it was Love. Jayda and Leah stood on the other side. Reluctantly, I moved back to let them in.
“Hey Auntie babies.” She stood from the couch, going to hug both of them.
“Hi,” Leah spoke, avoiding contact with me.
“Hey, Auntie Mi.” Jayda noticed the opened wine bottle on the table. “We not interrupting the party, are we?”
I’m not understanding what she was tryna pull by bringing her here. She didn’t like her weeks ago, now they’re besties?
“No, just chatting. Have a seat? Y’all want a drink?” She pointed towards the bottle. “Well, you Jayda, not you Leah witcho’ pregnant ass.” I think Auntie feeling the wine already.
“I’ll take one.” Jayda went to get a glass from the kitchen while Leah stood by the door like a statue. I really wanted to tell her to sit her ass down, but that would’ve required us to speak.
I had nothing to say to her, but my auntie did it for me.
“Girl, come sit down.” Her legs moved in slow motion as she came to take a seat across from us.
Jayda walked back into the room. Helping herself, she poured a glass before sitting next to me. I stared a hole in the side of her face, but she ignored me the entire time. The silence in the room was awkward as hell.
“So, who wanna speak first?” Auntie looked around at all of us. Not tryna be involved in this conversation, I grabbed my phone to text Love.
Hey, you okay? You told me to stay here, but I’m worried. Please call me. I miss you.
Jayda’s nosey ass was all on my phone. Her eyebrows creased in confusion.
“Don’t worry about it. Sell out,” I whispered for only her to hear, being petty. She rolled her eyes, taking a sip.
“I just came to say I’m leaving.”
My antennas raised at Leah’s statement. Where the hell she was going?
“I’m moving with Auntie Mari in Texas. I got a ticket for tomorrow.
She already made room for me and stuff.” She cut her eyes at me before looking down at her hands.
Auntie had two daughters around Leah’s age, so I thought it was a good idea for her to get a fresh start. I’mma mind my business, though.
Auntie shook her head. “You’ll like it there, but what brought this on?”
My phone buzzed. Looking down, I smiled at Love’s response.
I’m good, beautiful. Came to take mama home, she just got discharged. I’ll see you soon.
“I think it’s for the best that I leave and raise my baby somewhere else.” That’s the smartest thing she said since I been home.
“What T.K. got to say about it? “Auntie asked, taking a sip.
“It don’t matter.” Leah moved hair out of her face. “All these years I thought he loved me. He only loved the money I brought him.”
Duh!
“I won’t even tell you how disappointed I am about you out here taking people’s hard-earned money.
” Auntie took a sip, as I sat confused because she just told her.
Leah’s chin started quivering, but Auntie wasn’t having any of it.
“Oh girl, don’t start. You weren’t doing all that crying fucking your sister’s man and sending her to jail for nothing. Why you crying now?”
She was speaking facts but damn! Somebody needed to confiscate her drinks.
“I know and I’m sorry, Baby.” I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “Tranae talked me into it. I shouldn’t have listened to her.” Jayda tapped me with her elbow.
“What?” I asked.
“Baby, your sister is leaving tomorrow.” Jayda met my gaze.
I just didn’t buy it. Yes, Tranae talked her into it, but that was only a small part of the picture. She was lying to my face about him way before I went to jail.
“Good luck in Texas.” That’s all I had to give her. Why couldn’t these muthafuckas understand the wound was still fresh? They didn’t spend years locked behind a cell. That was all me. Jayda huffed out a breath, as Leah and Auntie went off elsewhere.
“Really Baby?” Jayda exclaimed as soon as they were out of earshot.
“What? Y’all were enemies, now you singing kumbaya with the bitch?”
“No, I just understand where she coming from, that’s all.”
Tilting my head back, I gave her a sour face. I didn’t get her change of heart all of a sudden. “What you mean by that?”
“Nothing.” She tried to stand. My hand caught her arm in a death grip.
“Nah, tell me.” I couldn’t believe she was tryna walk away after dropping a bomb like that.
“I was pregnant, and had an abortion.”
I sat in my seat, shocked at her confession. I zoomed in on her stomach, then looked back at her. “When?”
“Years ago.”
Years ago? How many because I was out four years ago and definitely did not see the signs of her being pregnant. The only person she was with years ago was...
“Messiah?”
When she remained silent, I got the answer I needed. “Girl!”
She sat with her elbows on her knees, her head sat in her hands. “We never told anybody, thought it was for the best. He ran the streets all the time, he wasn’t ready for a baby, and neither was I,” she claimed, but I was speechless. “That’s why I broke up with him.”
“Oh, my gosh, Jay!” Touching her shoulder, I pulled her up.
“Don’t bring it up, okay? It’s behind me now. I just remembered how it felt when I was pregnant with nobody to turn too, that’s it,” she rushed out.
I could see her point. Now, I felt bad though because that’s something personal between her and him. I had to open my big mouth.
“I get it. I’m sorry I judged you.” I reached out to hug her, and she wasted no time throwing her arms around my waist.