Wren
A FEW DAYS LATER
“What did you name him?” Aria questioned me through the phone.
“Zilla.” I know it’s an odd name, but after I saw it when I searched up names, it kinda stuck with me.
“I still can’t believe he brought you home another cat. Him of all people know damn well you don’t need another one.”
“Sounds like you’re a hater to me. Don’t get mad because my man gets me whatever I want.” I poked out my tongue as if she could see it.
“Yeah, whatever.” The line fell quiet for a moment.
I kinda felt bad for rubbing in her face my relationship.
If anyone knew how it felt to be in her shoes, it was me.
I’ve witnessed it first-hand. I’ve prayed so many times that she finds a decent man that’ll be good for her and Zion. They both deserve it.
“I’m pulling up to yo’ house,” I told her as I turned onto her street.
“Alright, I’m about to come out the door.” The phone beeped and I placed it in the cupholder.
Turning into her driveway, I sat there, waiting for her to come out the door. “Uh uh, we’re riding in my car. I don’t feel like riding around in that all day.”
“Fine by me,” was my response. That just meant that I could relax in the passenger seat.
I pulled my truck up on the side of Aria’s car and turned it off. Reaching over, I grabbed my purse from the passenger seat and got out the truck.
“Maniac ain’t gon’ pop out on our ass while we’re out is it?” she teased as I stepped to the passenger door. She’d grown accustomed to him barging in on our girl time.
“I can’t help that my man loves me, but no. I think he has some business that he has to take care of today, plus he told me that he had to go up there and see Wicked.”
“What prison is he at again?” she asked when we climbed into the car.
“I can’t remember, but I can ask Maniac if you want me to.”
“No, that’s okay. I was just asking to be nosey.”
Aria backed out the driveway and headed toward the store.
We were going into one of the baby stores out in Eastchase to look at some items. We didn’t know what we were having yet, but that didn’t stop me from looking around to see if there was anything I wanted to get.
I didn’t have to know what I was having to buy nursery furniture among other things.
Aria wanted me to have a gender reveal and baby shower.
I never thought twice about doing something like that.
Maybe because I was a loner and didn’t really have anyone to invite to it in the first place.
Now that I have all of the Saint-Merciers, Aria didn’t see the point in me not doing any of it.
I told her if she wanted me to have it so bad, then she can plan it herself.
Me telling her that gave her the green light to go crazy.
Aria pulled into the parking lot of Nest & Nurture. The store looks smaller than I thought it was gon’ be. We got out the car and headed up to the door just as some woman was exiting. She held the door open for us and I said, “Thank you.”
“Wow,” escaped Aria’s lips. She was probably thinking the exact thing I was before we entered the store. Definitely bigger than the building led on. “So where do you want to start?”
“I don’t know. We already have a crib, so I really don’t have to worry about that.”
“Oh, they have a baby registry! Let’s get yours set up.”
“Do we really have to do all that?”
I was just going to let everyone buy what they thought was necessary.
“Uh, yes. Your new family is loaded. We’re doing a registry. Hold on.” Aria zoomed over to the counter and started a conversation with the woman behind it while I skimmed through the baby strollers that were in front of me.
“I think they’ll love this,” I heard a feminine voice say from the next aisle.
“This ain’t what we came in here for,” a familiar masculine voice said. My brows scrunched. I rounded the corner to see just who the voice belonged to and froze when I saw who was standing there—Heavy. He stood there with his wife Aaliyah. They were standing there looking at some baby bouncers.
I tried to slip away before they even saw me, but I heard, “Wren?” stopping me in my tracks.
I’ve been avoiding Heavy ever since he told Maniac that we used to fuck.
All I wanted to do was shove my foot so far up his ass for that lie.
I’ll never understand why men were pillow talking as much as they were nowadays.
People had to worry more about them gossiping than women and its sad.
When I turned around, Aaliyah was already approaching me. “I thought that was you. Hey.” Gripping me by the wrist, she pulled me in for a hug. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” I simply replied when I pulled away from her.
Aaliyah was beautiful. She was a bit thicker than me and a bit taller.
Her skin tone was the color of pinecones.
Her kinky hair stopped at her shoulders in its natural state.
I can definitely see what Heavy saw in her in the first place.
“How are y’all?” My eyes cut in Heavy’s direction.
The way Aaliyah took to me when we first met let me know that he didn’t tell her that we used to date, but he broke his neck to let Maniac know.
Why try to fuck up what we had going on?
His eyes shot to one of the bouncers on the shelf. He couldn’t even look me in the fucking eyes. Things with Heavy didn’t make it far. We went on one date and that was it. I never got to see him naked or anything. There’s really no reason for things to be awkward between us.
“We’re good. We were actually in here trying to find you something for the baby.” She giggled as she looked back at Heavy. “He’s so indecisive though.”
“I understand that. Well, I’ll let y’all get back to it,” I told her as I headed away from the aisle to find Aria.
“I got us a couple of scanners. They said whatever you want on your registry to just scan it and it’ll add it to the list. This should be fun,” Aria said when she approached me. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I just bumped into Heavy and his wife.”
“Where is he so I can slap the shit out of him for the shit he pulled.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary, Aria.”
She propped her hand on her right hip and mugged me. “It’s very much necessary, Wren. He wanted to fuck up shit between you and Maniac. That’s the only reason why he told him that bullshit. Nigga jealous.”
“Can we just scan the stuff so we can get outta here? You know you have to pick Zion up.”
She hit the power button on her phone and replied, “Damn sure do. C’mon.”
We’d spent a couple hours in the store scanning different things to put on the registry.
Most of it was stuff that I don’t even think I needed in the first place.
Once we were done, we stopped by Chick fil A and grabbed something to eat.
It was almost time to pick up Zion from daycare.
As we sat there in the parking lot, munching on our food, daycare crossed my mind.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted my child in daycare or if I wanted to hire someone for help.
There were so many things that I had to figure out before my child got here.
I finished my food and placed all my trash into the bag. Aria sipped on her Sprite as she grinned down at her phone. “What are you smiling at?” I asked her and took a drink from my water. Chick fil A has some of the best water there is.
“Nothing,” she lied.
“That’s a lie. I haven’t seen you smile like that in a while. You met someone.”
Aria hit the power button on her phone and dropped it into her lap. “Okay, I’ve been talking to someone.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
“I planned on it. I just didn’t want to get too excited about it and it turns out to be nothing. We’re still in the early stages right now.”
“I’m happy for you. You and Zion deserve it.”
“I haven’t told him about Zion yet.” Her eyes lowered and she fiddled with her fingers.
“Why not?”
“A lot of men hear that I have a child and get to thinking that I’m looking for him a father when that’s not the case.”
“But y’all are a package deal. If they can’t accept Zion, then they don’t need to be around you. You shouldn’t have to hide yo’ child from anyone. They’ll be lucky to be in y’all lives and Zion does need a father. If they can’t step into that roll, they can move around.” I meant it too.
“I know. I’m just scared for anyone to be around him. I’m scared because people are crazy as hell and I don’t want to end up in jail away from my son just because I tried to find a man. It’s complicated.”
“I understand that. Take things slow. You don’t have to bring him around Zion ’til you’re completely comfortable with them meeting.”
I got out the car and tossed our trash. When I got back in, Aria pulled out her parking space and headed to the daycare.
I sat there in the car while she went inside to grab Zion. My phone vibrated as I sat there. Looking down, I saw it was a message from Maniac.
Hubby: 1 attachment.
My mouth watered as I stared at the picture of his dick that he’d just sent me. This man didn’t care whatsoever. Whenever I’d cross his mind, he’d take a picture of his dick wherever he was and send it to me to let me know that he was thinking of me.
Me: Meet me at the house.
The door opened behind me, and I jumped. Looking back, I saw Aria placing Zion into his booster seat.
“Hey, tee-tee baby,” I said with a huge grin.
“Hey, tee-tee,” he spoke back.
“You had a good day today?” I asked him as Aria shut the door and rounded the car to her side.
“Yup. I had chicken nuggets.”
“You did?”
“Uh huh.” He kicked his feet in his seat and stared out the window as Aria pulled away from the daycare.
Having conversations with Zion was always interesting and funny at the same time.
Once upon a time, he was just a baby and now he can hold an entire conversation with me.
I’m not sure if I’m ready for my baby to grow that fast. I wish it can stay a baby forever.
When we made it back to Aria’s house, I got out and helped Zion from his seat. He hugged me around the legs. “Can I go to tee-tee house?” he asked as he stared up at me.
That was gon’ throw a wrench in my plans with Maniac. I planned on going to the house and letting him blow my back out, but if my baby wanted to go home with me, I wasn’t gon’ stop him.
“You have to ask tee-tee,” Aria replied as she rounded the car.
“If you want to go,” I told him.
“Yes!”
“I’ll grab his seat and put it in the truck. Get him some clothes and stuff.”
“Okay.”
I used to have a lot of stuff at my trailer that belonged to Zion.
When Maniac got rid of it, he didn’t even bother to get any of it out of there.
At the house, I turned one of the guest bedrooms that weren’t too far from our room into a room for Zion whenever he’d come over.
I wanted him to be comfortable whenever he was there with us.
The bedroom next to it was the nursery. I couldn’t wait ’til it was fully put together.
Aria came back out the door with Zion’s monster truck bookbag and handed it over to me. I placed it on the floor of the passenger seat. She picked Zion up and put him in his seat and then strapped him in while I went around and got in on the driver’s side.
“Be good for tee-tee,” she said and pecked him on the temple.
“Maybe now you’ll have some time to spend with that new man of yours,” I teased. She waved me off and shut the door. I started the truck and pulled off.
As I headed down the street, I texted Maniac.
Me: Change of plans.
When I got to the house, Maniac was already there. He hadn’t texted me back. Hopefully, he got the message and wasn’t in there naked or anything. The last thing I want to do is traumatize Zion.
“Let’s go see what uncle in there doing,” I told Zion as I removed him from his seat and grabbed his bag.
We went up to the front door. I unlocked it and we entered. Maniac had Silk’s “Freak Me” playing soon as I opened the door. I knew then this man was running around here somewhere with no clothes on.
“Close your eyes,” I instructed Zion.
“Maniac!” I shouted his name, knowing he probably wasn’t gon’ hear me over the music.
“Wait right here,” I ordered Zion as I took the stairs up to the second floor.
I strutted down the hallway to our bedroom where the music was coming from.
Pushing the door in, I found Maniac lying in the center of our bed with a rose in between his teeth.
The man was naked as the day he was born.
On a tray next to him was a bottle of chocolate syrup, some strawberries and a bouquet of red roses.
His dick was rock hard. I know he’s about to be disappointed.
Going over to the dresser, I turned off the music. “What are you doing?” He leaped from the bed.
“Zion came back with me. Had you checked your phone, you would’ve known that.”
“You’re bullshitting me, right?”
“Do it look like it? He’s downstairs right now. Put on some clothes before he comes up here.”
Maniac slung the rose across the room. We were about to have a child of our own. He might as well get used to stuff like this. We will no longer be able to have sex whenever we want. We won’t be able to do a lot of stuff around the baby. This just practice for him.
Stepping to him, I cupped his face, forcing him to stare me into the eyes.
“I promise that I’ll make it up to you.” My lips collided with his.
He gripped me by the ass, pulling me deeper into his frame.
“Later… okay?” I peeled away from him and headed toward the door.
Turning, I said, “Put some clothes on and meet us downstairs.”