Love & Chaos- A Chris Brown Story

23.

(Simone's POV)

2 months later.

With all the craziness that had came into my life lately, a girls day out was exactly what I needed. I woke up and got ready. My bump was becoming bigger, so it was hard for me to wear some of my clothes. I was outgrowing them. Chris and I need to go shopping, I need some new clothes. I finally found something that fits and I threw it on. My mom had insisted we take time to relax before things got even busier, and Mariah was excited to join us. We were meeting at my favorite cafe downtown, and just walking into the cafe was comforting.

As I spotted my mom sitting by the window, I felt a warmth flood over me. She was smiling as she waved at me, her eyes lit up as they always did when we had these little outings together. The way she looked at me now...like I was carrying her grandchild, like this whole thing was real...made me a little emotional.

"Hey Mom" I greeted, hugging her before sitting down.

"Simoneee, you're glowing!!!" she said, reaching over to squeeze my hand. "You look wonderful."

I gave a little laugh. "Glowing? I feel more like swollen." I joked, rolling my eyes. "Between the baby kicking up a storm and these cravings, I'm feeling like a whole mess."

She laughed. "Oh honey, that's all part of it. Trust me, it only gets more interesting from here. Are you ready for everything that's coming?"

I sighed, thinking about her question. "I think so but it's hard to know for sure. I mean I know I'll love this baby, but sometimes I get these waves of anxiety, like am I really prepared for this?" I shook my head, feeling my voice catch a little. "I just want to do everything right."

Before my mom could answer, Mariah came rushing in. "Sorry sorry! I know I'm late." she yelled, sitting in the seat next to me. "Traffic was insane." She turned to me with an huge grin. "Hey mama-to-be!"

I hugged her, glad she was here. "I'm just glad you made it." I teased. "We were starting to worry you got lost."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "I wouldn't miss this for the world! I was just thinking, our girl is about to be a mom. How crazy is that?" She looked between me and my mom, her eyes filling with excitement. "Alright now spill the tea Simone. How are you feeling about everything? For real."

I took a deep breath, running my hand over my bump. "Honestly? I feel like it's all a little unreal. I mean I'm excited but it's overwhelming too. Some days, it just hits me out of nowhere...am I really ready for this?"

My mom reached over, her hand warm and comforting on mine. "Sweetheart I had those exact thoughts when I was expecting you. It's completely normal. If you weren't feeling a little overwhelmed, I'd be surprised." She smiled reassuringly. "The fact that you're worrying about being a good mom already shows you're going to be an amazing one."

Mariah nodded. "Exactly! You're going to crush it. Plus you have all of us. We're here for anything you need girl...babysitting, midnight snack runs, whatever."

I felt a warm wave of realizing just how lucky I was. "Thanks you guys. I think it's just everything at once you know? And Chris has been amazing...like he's the one planning most of the stuff right now, not even me! It's kind of adorable. He's got all these ideas for the nursery and routines... it's like he's more excited than I am sometimes."

Mariah wiggled her eyebrows at me, grinning. "Well well well, look who found herself a keeper. Don't let that man go girl."

My mom chuckled, nodding in agreement. "I have to say Simone, Chris seems like a wonderful man. I'm glad he's changed his ways for you. You two are going to make incredible parents."