Infrunami

55

KEHLANI

Being independently rich gave you a lot of time, I've had jobs but never a consistent one and I never had to work the way Adora has which is something I know I take for granted even though I try not to.

Now being a mother, this was a consistent job. And it was more than holding a cute baby every once in a while and taking cute aesthetic pictures.

Having a baby was draining at times especially when Amir wasn't here. Even though Amir disagrees, he is such a daddy's boy.

I didn't feel really connected to my child the way a mother should which made me feel like a bad one, the only times I felt connected to him was when I was feeding him.

They were my favorite moments.

I was giving him something no one else could and I felt good about it. But when those moments were done, it hurt. And Amir not being home made it worse.

He was just always crying whenever Amir wasn't in sight and I felt useless. And then Rosco, my sweet dog would start barking to make things worse.

I felt like I had two babies in this house.

"Baby, please..." I sigh as I rub his back. This was our second lap around the house and probably the most i've ever seen of this big ass house.

I've tried everything but he wouldn't give in. Me and Amir both didn't want Ajani to be in contact with everyone else until he turned at least a month but I had to break the rules, just this once.

I packed his baby bag with everything he needed whilst switching to tend to him even though he wouldn't stop crying.

In ten minutes we was in the car and I felt so bad, his roads were filling the car and I physically couldn't do anything about it.

Amir facetimed me and I was so close to breaking down. I didn't want him to see me so stressed but I sucked it up and answered.

"Where you guys going?" He asks me and I raise a eyebrow. I then realise he has surveillance around the house.

"To my mom's house- and before you say anything I know but he keeps crying Amir, I don't know what else I can do. I just need help." I explain, basically fighting over the sound of Ajani's loud cries.

"Okay I understand. I love you, both of you. Be safe mama." He says without argument and I simultaneously thank him.

I wasn't bothered to hear shit from him.

"I love you too." I reply before ending the call. I take a deep breath before turning to Ajani who cried himself to sleep which I didn't even notice.

What kind of mother doesn't notice stuff like this?

RODNEY

"You keep feeding me, i'm gonna get fat." I chuckle before stuffing down more of this alfredo pasta down.

Aunt T could cook better than my mama, that wasn't even debatable. I turned to Ava who had the same expression and pasta sauce all over her mouth.

"It's good huh?" I ask her and she nods with a mouth full of food causing me to laugh.

I hear knocking and I stand to get the door but Aunt T is already at it. She opens it and I hear a familiar voice from the door.

Aunt T walks in and Kehlani follows behind her with a baby carrier in her hand. I stare at the sleeping baby before looking up to her.

"Oh shit, what's up Kehlani?" I stand up from my seat and quickly pull her into a hug. I didn't even know she had a whole baby now.

"Ro ro, damn you've grown." She replies making us all chuckle. I was a short ass kid and my growth spurt only hit when I was like 17.

"I always hated that dumbass nickname." I scoff playfully before I look down. "I ain't even know you had a baby now." I reply and I see her pull the carrier towards her, just a motherly instinct I guess.

"Yeah, his name is Ajani." She says, smiling and the name sounds familiar to me but I don't know where from.

"That's my baby girl right there." I point at Ava who was sipping on her lil water bottle, paying us no mind.

"All my grandbabies together." Aunt T says causing us to laugh.

"And this the only one you're going to get, I can't handle him mama." She sighs, sitting down.

I recognise her stress and decide it's just better if I let the ladies talk. I walk into the kitchen to take me and Ava's plate, her following me of course.

"Daddy who is she?" She asks me, tugging at my joggers.

"That's your errrr- that's yo'  cousin." I reply. I didn't know what to say since me and Kehlani was cousins ourselves.

I finish washing up and me and Ava finds us a seat on the couch. Ajani was up and was in Aunt T's arms. He reminded me of Ava when she was a newborn.

"I haven't seen her since she was like 6 months." Kehlani chuckles and so do I. I nudge Ava lightly since she was being all shy.

"Go ahead and say hi then." I tell her and she gives Kehlani a small wave and she returns one and I notice a ring on her finger.

"Don't tell me my cousin's engaged now." I say with widened eyes and she starts to laugh. Aunt T has the same reaction and jerks her head back.

"And nobody wanted to tell me for why?" She replies, grabbing Kehlani's hand now. "Oh that's beautiful, he sure has good taste."

"It is and yes I am engaged, thank you." She chuckles, pulling her hand back. Before I aunt T can say something else, Kehlani opens her mouth.

"How old is she now?" She asks.

She saved herself because Lord knows, Aunt T can go on for decades. I love her but that lady can talk for ages.

"She's turning 6 in two weeks, her mama wants to throw her a party since it's in the summer and i'd be more than happy if you guys could come." I reply.

"I don't know, he won't even be a month by then." She says referring to Ajani.

"I'm always here if you need me and isn't Amir's mother?" Aunt T says and I scrunch my face up.

Amir.

"I'll have to ask him." She replies.

"That's the photographer dude right? I wanted to book him for Ava's birthday but he don't do shoots for kids." I lie.

"I mean, I could try and ask him to make a exception for you but he's always so booked he probably won't have enough time." She replies.

"That's all good, don't even worry about it." I reply and she nods.

3 hours later

"Ace ain't dead." I tell Q who started laughing as soon as I finished my sentence.

"Nigga I shot him, how you gonna tell me he ain't dead?" He responds, his pride hurting now.

"Because Kehlani just had a fucking child and they fuck with each other, you don't follow the shade room?" I ask him and he scoffs.

I didn't want everyone to know me and Kehlani were cousins, regardless I still had love for her and I didn't want to put her or her child in danger.

"That sassy ass shit, what grown ass man follows the shade room?" He asks and I suck my teeth. "Either way, her giving birth don't stop Ace being dead."

"I'm telling you he's alive, if the father of her child just died you don't think more would've happened? She's out on vacation and shit when her nigga just died." I retort and he nods slowly.

"So he really might not be dead?" Q asks me, connecting the dots now.

"Now we gotta get it back in blood nigga." I reply and he nods, dapping me up.