Chapter 5 #2
She squeezed me tighter, smelling like my Miu Miu Fleur de Lait Eau de Parfum with Coconut Milk that she’d stolen from my room last time she visited.
At least, unlike me, she’d pulled herself together.
She was dressed in a mint-green Aeropostale shirt with matching sweatpants that scrunched at the calves.
Pulling away from her embrace, I dabbed my eyes with the sleeves of my terrycloth robe.
Looking at my sister, I immediately noticed her hair was longer than I remembered, and the scent of jasmine flowers wafted around us when I ran my fingers through it.
Even with her enhanced features, my sister was so damn pretty, looking every bit like our father.
I still needed to moisturize my body and take off the mask, but Glee and I needed to really talk now that life would be new for us both.
I pressed my back further into the tufted headboard and crossed my feet at my ankles.
I let the silence linger for a moment longer because once I said the words out loud they would be real, no takebacks.
“You look like you had a baby,” I finally said. “In the face, your lips look like they’ve been injected. You look good, though.” I continued, truthfully complimenting the changes.
Her breasts were larger, but as my eyes moved to her waist, I saw that in the few days I’d been in my room, it had shrunk and was now nearly nonexistent.
There were no signs of pregnancy or a baby around her middle, but even while she sat on the bed, I could tell her hips and backside had widened.
My baby sister had given birth to a whole baby, and she was now a young woman who had proof of the fact.
I hoped she wouldn’t gain any more weight while breastfeeding.
“I’m sorry!”
“I’m so sorry!”
We both blurted out at the same time.
Glee rubbed her arm and scooted to the headboard beside me.
“Glee, I was out of pocket.”
“No, it’s fine. You were right—”
“I was wrong. You were scared, and when I should’ve been a big sister, I was a monster.
I should have been there for you. It’s just…
I saw you in the hospital, then blood, then the belly, and…
I didn’t send you to school to have some fuck boy put your life in danger by getting you pregnant.
The closest a woman is to death is childbirth.
“I was scared, Glee. I was scared I was going to lose you, and I lashed out. Then, you wouldn’t tell me who the father was, and I—I realize that doesn’t matter.
I’m sorry, Glee. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.
I’m sorry for trying to fight you. I’m sorry for going against you and my niece.
I hope you can accept my apology because God knows I am so sick about how I’ve treated you.
Glee smiled and nodded. “Of course, I forgive you—”
Before she could say more, I cut in and asked, “Where is she? I’ve been so out of pocket that I haven’t officially met her.”
Glee’s smile widened. “She’s asleep in my room. I’ll go get her after I say this.
“I 100% forgive you, Glow, and I’m sorry too.
You were helping me out, made it so that I didn’t have to work.
Then I go off to school and shut you out, not answering your calls, all because I was caught up in…
a situation. I should have answered the phone.
I should’ve told you what was going on while it was going on.
But I got caught up, sis. I… I fell for someone who I should have been running the opposite way from. ”
She blinked back tears, and my heart broke all over again.
My baby sister was going through her first heartbreak, and I was too caught up in my own head to be the sibling and friend she needed.
Meanwhile, she had to handle a newborn on her own while mending herself.
Glee was handling the stress, all while still looking put together.
I couldn’t say the same. Just an hour ago, I looked like walking death.
“If you want to talk about it, I’m here. If not, I’m still here…”
I wanted her to talk about it. I wanted his first name, last name, and social security number.
I needed to know everything about him so I could curse his motherfucking ass out, but I’d already crossed boundaries with my sister.
Even though I saw her as my baby, Glee was an adult and had lived on her own for a year.
Her glassy eyes looked away. “I thought he was everything, Glow. He was everything. Attractive, attentive, arrogant…” She chuckled while I scoffed.
Weren’t they all that way in the beginning?
“It happened fast. One minute, we were talking, and the next, he was taking my virginity.”
It was a struggle to avoid voicing my opinion or showing my emotions, but I kept my expression neutral. I opted to hide how I truly felt so she could feel comfortable venting to me. She had a mother, one we shared. Right now, she needed her sister.
“Is he… Will he be in the picture?”
She shook her head, and it broke my heart. “I stopped talking to him back in September, maybe… It was a while ago. I didn’t know I was pregnant, so he definitely doesn’t know about the baby.
“He doesn’t attend Blake. I found out he had a girlfriend and a child—that’s why I broke it off.
It was the same with his brother, who Blayke had been dealing with.
The brother didn’t have a baby, but he was a man whore.
We blocked their numbers, and that was it. Last I heard, he moved.” Glee shrugged.
“So y’all were on a two-man?”
Glee slapped her forehead. “Could you not? Please!” She giggled.
She’d been crying since she came home from the hospital, so it was refreshing to see her laugh.
Then, her smile faltered. “I really am sorry, sister. But I can’t take you being mad at me anymore. Besides Blayke, you’re my bestest friend in the whole wide world.” Her lips trembled, and I knew she was feeling the hurt of my behavior.
“I’m really sorry, too, and I regret that he was such a jerk to take something so precious from you, knowing he had a family. Men can be the worst, but you’ll be just fine. You both will be.”
She began twiddling her fingers. “I don’t know what I’m doing, but the internet has been helping.
When she’s sleeping, I’m on YouTube and TikTok.
I’ve got the hang of breastfeeding, but she prefers a bottle, so I’ve been pumping like crazy.
Don’t kill me, but your freezer is stacked with breast milk. ”
I shrugged. “Not like I use it much.”
Glee eyed me, but I met her gaze until she wavered. “Mama’s been helping me via FaceTime,” she said before averting her eyes. “She told me she called you.”
“Yeah… She did,” I whispered.
“And will you be okay?” Glee asked.
“Glee, you’re the one that just had a baby.”
“You know what I mean, Glow. I… You have been in here three days without… eating. Besides the crackers and waters I’ve been leaving on your nightstand while you’re sleeping, I haven’t seen you leave the room to eat. It’s happening again, isn’t it?”
“I’m fine, Glee.”
“You look thin, Glow,” she whispered.
I held back a grin and picked at the terrycloth robe. “What do you want to do, Glee? Tell me the truth. And not what I want to hear. Not what mama says. This is your life. Your daughter.”
“I see what you’re doing, but okay, Glow.” She pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed. “Mama wants me to come home.”
I knew that. It was the reason why I’d been tossing and turning.
I’d been overwhelmed with all of the chaotic things going on in my life, and my mama calling and texting for Glee to come to Sparkling City would relieve some of the chaos.
However, I’d been feeling sick to my stomach about my sister leaving since Cathy Glory suggested it.
I hadn’t even held my niece yet, and the thought of my sister taking her from this house frightened me for some reason.
“But… I’d like to finish my summer out here, like we planned, if you don’t mind.”
My eyes lit up at her statement. “And what about school?”
“I planned on driving down there to talk to my advisor before they go on their short summer break. I was going to see if she could transfer my scholarship. I love Cove City, but the memories are too painful. Plus, I think it will be best if I can be near family right now. I’m not asking you all to raise her or anything, but I just feel more comfortable—”
“Yes! I get it. You thinking about JBU or Sparkling City University?”
“JBU was my second choice outside of Blake. I’ll have to get a job and get my own place or use my leftover scholarship money to put Baby Leader in day—”
“Keep the money, Glee. I work for myself. I make my own schedule. She can stay here with me while you go to school. It will give me something to do besides eating all day.”
“You don’t eat all day, Glow. You eat on camera for your job. Stop being dramatic.” Glee rolled her eyes before smiling. “And how will Baby Leader fit into you and your rich friends’ lifestyles?”
“Girl, boo! They have children, and they have rich men who pay for nannies. The nannies watch the children while we ladies have our time.”
“Rich men. Fine men. Like your husband.”
I gasped.
“What? I’m not stupid. I heard him at the hospital. I was in pain; I wasn’t suffering from hearing loss. I wasn’t blind either. Everybody got a ten in your clique! Whew!”
“Girl, worrying about tens is what got you being a teen mom!”
Glee tossed her head back, laughing a little too hard.
“I’m not married, Glee,” I said, not meeting her eyes.
“Glow, no more lies. We are not lying to each other anymore. I get that you have to have your secrets about your assassin friends, but between us, no more lies. I told you about Baby Leader’s dad…
And your marriage isn’t my business to share, so if you’re scared about Mommy finding out, I haven’t told her. ”
I sighed. “Tunan and I aren’t together, but we are married. But it’s only on paper. It was something he had to do. So, I agreed.”
“But y’all were just in here working on Baby Leader a cousin?”
I tossed my pillow at Glee. I couldn’t believe my once-virgin sister was trying to talk about sex with me.
“That won’t happen again. Tunan is just…”
“Fine… Paid… Thugged out.”
“Yeah, and no, and yeah. I-I don’t know… I was stressed, and he relieved it. That’s it.”
“Well, I’m here for it. He has to be decent, at least. He dealt with Baby Leader that night.”
My head snapped, surprise evident on my face.
“Yeap. I fell asleep after all that arguing, and you passed out after all that stress relieving.”
I lifted the pillow at her again, but she blocked it.
“I saw him on the baby cam Pearla got me. He fed her, burped her, and went back to sleep with her on his chest. He left maybe two hours later, after I woke him up because I had to change her. He was so good with her.” Glee sing-sang with a huge grin on her face as if she was saying something I’d wanted her to say.
“He got the magic touch, too, because she was knocked out. She didn’t wake up at all.
All I had to do was change her diaper and feed her.
Three hours later, I had to feed her again, and she stayed asleep then too.
She slept through the whole night that night, and it hasn’t happened since. We need to call him back over here.”
Tunan, the baby whisperer?
His being good with children was fitting, though.
Not only did he come from a big family, but he had nieces and nephews that he adored.
Clearing my throat, I shook him from my thoughts.
Tunan was not my man, no matter how legal our arrangement was.
Glee would have to find her own tips and tricks because I was not calling that man and asking him to come over here.
“Anyways, you need to eat.” She grabbed the bag. “I got our favorite. Italian!”
As she pulled the containers from a plastic grocery bag, the food smell filled the air, but my mouth didn’t water.
My body knew it needed the food, but I could easily go a few more days on crackers and water.
I knew I had to get myself together, though, so not eating and gluing myself to the bed wouldn’t work any longer.
Grabbing a fork, I wrapped noodles around it as Glee did the same.
We stuffed our faces, and my taste buds burst with each contact of the garlicky, creamy noodles.
“Good, right? And you’ll still be beautiful after eating all of this up.”
“So, when do you have to go to school to talk to financial aid?” I asked, ignoring her comment.
“I know I’m still healing, but the sooner the better. I asked Mama if she could come watch her on Thursday so I can leave on Friday, and she said she would.”
I nearly choked on the fettuccine. I loved my mama, but that was only three days away. I wouldn’t be able to pull myself together by then. My mama would see right through me. I knew I couldn’t deny her grandchild, but I needed some time before she showed up in Jagoda Bay.
“Oh, I can keep her for you,” I said quickly.
“No, Glow.”
“Glee. Tell Mama she can come the weekend after next. I need some one-on-one time with my niece, anyway. I gotta make up for neglecting her arrival home. Just show me what you’ve learned while I was hibernating and being in my feelings.
Also, you should get you a hotel. Don’t make that drive in one day. Your body needs rest.”
“How about this… If you eat three times a day and keep it down from now till Thursday night, I’ll tell Mommy no.”
Glee held her pinky out. We hooked fingers, and I stuffed my mouth again. Small cries had us detaching, and I tried to get up, but Glee’s arm pushed me back on the bed.
“Nope. Finish up.”
Glee stood and ran out as I forked pasta into my mouth. The pasta was heavy, but after days without food, I needed this— well, my digestive system needed it.
Picking up my phone while chewing, I checked my call log, finally in a better mood. Tunan hadn’t called once. He hadn’t texted either.
“Leader, meet your TeeTee.”
Pushing my plate aside, I held my arms out. Glee raised her brow at the food being pushed away.
“I’ll eat and hold her. Gimme!” Tears sprang to my eyes immediately when I looked into her small face. “Oh my God!”
She was the tiniest, most beautiful baby on the planet.
She was so pink, and her features were so vivid for someone so new.
She looked like Glee’s twin, but I could also see the father’s DNA swirling in her features.
Whoever he was, he was handsome, for sure, because she was a doll.
I knew in that moment that this was my baby just as much as it was my sister’s.
“I get so mad at myself, but then I see her, and I don’t regret a thing. I don’t regret him. I don’t regret her. She’s so perfect to me.” My sister smiled, and the room got brighter.
“I love her name, too, Glee. She’s perfect.”
“She is… Now, finish your food. I have milkshakes in the freezer.”
I shook my head, knowing our stomachs were about to be fucked up.