Joshua

"Momma?"

Hearing her say I can come in after I knocked, I entered. Sitting on her bed with a familiar box on her lap, I sat next to her.

"I remember this day." I smiled.

Taking the picture of us the day Caitlyn was born from her, I stared at it.

"Yeah? What you remembered?"

"How calm you were after you busted my ass while in labor." I laughed.

"I don't know who told your ass it was a good idea to go slipping through my amniotic fluid on the floor."

"How was I suppose to know it was that?"

"Just ridiculous." She shook her head and laughed. "What else do you remember?"

"Grandma coming over and us sitting in the waiting room in the hospital till she went in to be with you."

"Mhmm."

"And to this day, I still get angry that he missed Caity being born." I shook my head.

"Same. But I guess we know why now." She shrugged.

Taking the photo from me, she placed it back into the box. Since finding out our father for the lack of a better word, had a bastard child, my mother has been so docile. I knew she was hurt even though they were divorced and I understood why.

"Why it took you so long to leave him?" I finally asked.

"Because I was being selfish." She looked at me. "I was scared to be alone."

"But you had us."

"I know but that's a different kind of loneliness. I loved y'all father with everything in me and felt like if I had given up, I would have been a failure."

"So what was the last draw?"

"You. The way your behaviour had switched. I knew him being in that house longer would have been worse and I love you and your sister more than anything else."

"And that's why you're not selfish. Yeah it took you a while to let go but you did."

"Thank you babe. Now what's in your mind?"

"I want to do something special for Leila. I really messed up this time and even though she accepted my apology, I feel bad."

"What does she like?"

"Clothes and books." I chuckled.

"Well then."

"But she love books more. She's always reading."

"Well, introduce her to some new material. There is an antique bookstore not to far from here, where I take Caitlyn to. They have a reading corner and everything."

"Aight." I nodded. "I'll check them out."

"By the way, where is Caitlyn?"

"Watching television."

"Okay."

"Are you going to do it?"

"Do what?"

"You know momma. You're in the medical field. I know you feel some type of way knowing that boy is sick."

"I don't know."

"If you don't know then that mean you don't want to. Momma we don't owe that man a damn thing. He already not paying child support as he should be as well as alimony."

"You know I made that decision so don't even bring it up."

"Nah. You should have taken his ass for everything he had."

"Which I did." She looked at me and smiled. "You and your sister were and all that I wanted from him. Money isn't anything. As long as I had sole custody of y'all, I was good."

"I know. I know."

"Good. Now, go do your laundry. Every time you open your room I smell your socks."

"Now you know that's a lie." I pointed.

"Not according to my nose." She laughed.

Getting up, we both made our way out, her heading downstairs while I went and got my laundry basket. As I picked it up, my phone rang. Seeing it was Leila, I smiled.

"Talk to me babe."

"Be ready for six." She smiled.

"Oh word? You taking me out on a date?"

"Yes." She then laughed.

"How to dress?"

"Casual."

"Well alright then. I will be ready."

"Nice. You busy now though?"

"Was about to go do some laundry."

"Oh okay, well message me or something, when your done."

"Gotcha."

"Later babe."

"Later ma."

Smiling, I slipped my phone in my pocket then picked up my basket. As I passed my mom, she stopped me.

"Why you smiling like that?"

"Because, my girl is taking me out on a date later."

"Well then. Have fun."

"I'm sure we will." I smirked.

"Aye! Not that kind of fun."

"I know momma, jeez."

"I serious Josh! I know despite what I told you, you was engaging in it back in Virginia and I never liked that Carmen girl to begin with."

Sighing, as she continued going on, I went ahead and loaded the washer, completely over her ranting.

*********

"Wassup y'all. Been a minute since a nigga hopped on here."

Looking into my phone camera, I read the comments from people who had joined my ig live.

"Wassup Marco. Don't think I forgot what you owe me. I might have to let Rico swing by and get it." I chuckled.

: Man you gonna get yo shit!

Laughing at his response, Rico hopped on and said he was in fact gonna go collect my money.

"Thanks bro." I nodded.

: Nigga what your ugly ass hopped on here for?

Sucking my teeth at Rico, I shook my head. Back in Virginia we used to go live for no reason so today I decided to do it for old time sake. Walking round my room, I boasted how my girl was taking me out.

: Damn Josh!

"Damn what Shantae?"

: You moved out there three months now and you done got a girl?

Laughing, I noticed Leila had joined my live.

: Awe shit. I see my friend in law hopped on.

: Really Rico? Who?

Shaking my head at everyone trying to see who it was, I just smirked. Though I've posted Leila, I've never tagged her for this reason.

"Yes Shantae, I got a girl now and yeah she in here but she ain't gonna say anything and neither I am aside from wassup babe." I smirked.

: She said to tell you wassup.

Laughing at Rico's comment, I went back to getting my clothes together while talking to them. In the middle of the live, Rico sent a request to join. Accepting it, we were wilding out as usual. While having fun I noticed Carmen had join the live.

"Anyway bro, I'm out." I said instantly.

Realizing what was up, he nodded. Once the live ended, I got up and got my wallet and made my way downstairs. Sitting on the couch, my mother looked at me.

"That's what you're wearing?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with it." I looked down at myself.

"Isn't that a bit plain?"

"My girl told me dress casual." I shrugged as I grabbed the stuffed monkey. "Caity Cat!"

"Yes?" She looked at me.

"Your big bro looking good?"

"Uh huh." She nodded.

"See momma. I look good." I smiled.

"Well alright then."

While waiting, I interacted with my sister. The way she laughed when I tickled her was everything. 

"I spoke to Ricardo today by the way."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm. Everything is set for Christmas."

"Nice."

"He told me Rico had a new girlfriend."

"Aria, yeah." I nodded. "She's a female version of him."

"Well then." My mother laughed.

"What about for Thanksgiving?" I asked.

"What about it?" She asked uninterested.

"Momma?"

"Boy why you so testy." She laughed.

"Because you playing games."

"Just relax. You'll be spending the day with your girl."

"Thank you. Now was that so hard to say?"

As she was about to answer, the doorbell rang.

"Go get the door." She told me as she laughed.

Standing up, I fixed my pants then went to it. Opening the door, I smiled at the sight of Leila.

"Hey babe?"

"Hi hi." We leaned in and kissed.

"What you got there?"

"These are for you."

Smiling at me, I couldn't help but chuckle as she presented me with a small bouquet of flowers and chocolate.

"Thank you baby." I kissed her again as I took them. "This is a first." I smelled the arrangement.

"You like them?"

"Yeah and my favorite chocolate too." I smirked. "Momma!" I yelled.

"What boy?" She came into our view.

"Good evening Ms. Clark."  She smiled.

"Good evening honey."

"My girl got me flowers and chocolate." I boasted.

"Well then." She giggled.

"Take a picture." I told Leila.

Laughing, I posed with my gifts as she took them. Once I was finished, I gave my momma the flowers to put in some water for me then we left.

"Want me to drive?" I asked her.

"I got it." She smiled. "You relax."

"Aight."

Getting the door for her, I let her get in before I got in then we left.

"So what we about to get into?"

"Something that's one on one, relaxing and you will love."

"Hmm. I'm liking this."

Glancing at me, she laughed as she saw me with my phone in my hand. Keeping her eyes on the road, she refused to look over at me.

"So you're not gonna look at me?"

"I'm driving babe." She giggled.

"There, for all y'all who wanna know who my girl is, even though I been posted her. Right babe?" I turned the camera to her.

"Yes babe." She looked at me as we stopped at the lights.

"My girl came and picked me up, brought her nigga some flowers AND his favorite chocolate. Y'all hoes ain't bout that life." I laughed.

"Really babe?" She laughed in the background just as it cut off.

Posting it to my instastories, I watched at where we were pulling up.

"Where we at?"

"I rented this space for the evening?" She said as we got out.

"Leila, this a whole apartment?"

"I know but it's an Airbnb and it's not expensive."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I spoke to the owner and explained what I needed it for and for how long and they gave me a price."

Walking into the complex, I was confused but had an open mind. Pressing the elevator button, we got on once it opened. Hugging her from behind, I Snapchat us while I kissed on her neck and she blushed. When we stopped on the third floor and got off, I followed her up to the door.

Unlocking it, she allowed me to go in. The place seemed nice and clean. Taking the corner to the living room, I stopped when I saw the set up.

"You did this?"I turned and asked.

"Yes." She nodded with pride.

Not even sayin anything further, I cupped her face and kissed her.

"Thank you. This is dope."

"You're welcome. I know it's not the paint you're used too but."

"But it's just right." I finished her sentence.

Seeing her blush was one of my favorite things about her. She just had this innocence about her and it would always show.

Taking a picture, I posted it captioning it "date night."

"So what are we painting?" I asked as we sat.

"Anything."

"Aight." I nodded.

Picking up a remote, she turned on some music and we just got into it.

"So we're on for Thanksgiving huh?" I glanced up at her.

"Yes. My dad told me yesterday."

"Cool. So y'all eat on time or?"

"On time. I don't understand what it is with you Americans and eating late on Thanksgiving."

"Because of the amount of shit to cook." I laughed.

"That's why you prep from the night before. For my dad's sake, we do the turkey, stuffing, all that especially when my grandma was alive and she would spend it with us. Even then, we ate on time."

"That's because your culture knows how to handle that."

"True." She nodded and pointed her paint brush at me.

"What about your momma's mom? You don't talk much about her."

"My mother's side of the family, you can say, sort of disowned us."

"Huh?"

"She married an American."

"Oh."

"Yeah and given the fact that she was pregnant before marrying my dad, that was basically a no no."

"So you haven't been back there since y'all moved?"

"Nope. And I want to go so badly."

"I'll take you, one day."

"Promise?" She looked at me.

"Nah. I don't make promises, I'm being legit. If I said I'll take you, best believe, we're going to reach."

"Oh wow. Okay."

"Exactly. So what made you think of this?"

"Well, to be honest. I had spoken to my dad about how I was feeling with regards to what happened with you."

"And what he said?"

"He told me to just be your peace basically." She snickered.

"Which you have been. But why you told him?"

"Because it's been bothering me emotionally. Like I've never been exposed to that kind of situation. I know people deal with it but to be this close just freaked me out."

"I understand."

"I grew up learning, seeing and knowing that the man of the house, the father is the protector."

"And bread winner."

"Not even that. My parents raised me to understand that roles can be shared."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. So I don't stress over who is to provide what and such but I know that the man is the protector and from the moment he turns on his family, that's the end of the link. Because I know who you are, it hurt me to hear y'all fought."

"I'm sorry babe."

"You don't have to be. I just want you to understand that I'm here. Even if it's just for a hug, I'm here."

"Believe me, after this evening, and all of this, I know you're here for me and I appreciate that more."

"Thank you."

Changing the conversation, I couldn't help but smile at her as she spoke. Leila had definitely showed me that she was with me and for me.