by Jazmyne
“No.” Aaliyah answered shaking her head.
“All I’m saying is, you need to tell him then the two of you can go from there,” Jennifer declared.
After discovering she was pregnant, Aaliyah felt she should have been jumping for joy. Unfortunately, with everything going on around her and all the bullshit Amir was dealing with, how could she be happy? As much as she wanted her baby, in the back of her mind, she felt she wouldn’t be permitted to carry it full term. Niggas were unpredictable and would do anything to Ace and her. Aaliyah closed her eyes and prayed–asking God to watch over her baby.
“I think you should go home and get some rest,” Jennifer suggested as they pulled up to the office.
“Jennifer, I’m pregnant not sick or dying,” Aaliyah said laughing as they climbed out of the car.
“I know, I just want you to get some rest and take it easy,” Jennifer stated as she grabbed Aaliyah’s arm and walked inside the building. “Are you hungry? I can order take-out,” she said as they stepped into the elevator.
“I’m not hungry. I’m gonna look over a few more files of potential clients before I call it a day,” Aaliyah replied as they stepped off the elevator.
“If you need anything, just call me,” Jennifer told her. Aaliyah smiled and assured her she would. She thanked her before heading into her office.
No sooner than Aaliyah took a seat at her desk, her cell phone rang. She fished around her purse, “Hello?” She answered with a smile. Ace was on the other end.
“How you doing?” He inquired.
“I’m doing much better now that I’m talking to you,” she said leaning back in her chair as she rocked from side-to-side. “What are you doing?” She questioned, hearing the twins in the background.
“I’m enjoying my day with my daughters, while we wait for you to come home,” he replied.
“Well, I have a few more case files to go over. After that, I’ll be all yours.”
“In that case, I won’t hold you up. I’ll see you when you get home,” Ace informed her. “Aaliyah, I love you.”
“I love you too,” Aaliyah responded before the line went dead.
Aaliyah gathered the files she needed then headed out of the office with a smile on her face.
She loved spending time with Ace; and wasn’t going to take any of it for granted. Neither of them could foresee what would become of their situation. As a result, whatever time she could spend with him, she would.
“I see you changed your mind,” Jennifer stated as Aaliyah walked pass.
“I can work from home,” Aaliyah laughed. “He wants to spend time with me. Therefore, that’s what we’re going to do,” she said.
“I’ll see you later,” Jennifer stated as she waved goodbye.
*
When Aaliyah walked through the door, she was struck with the smell of food being cooked. Her stomach growled.
“Daddy, Aaliyah’s home,” Savanna cried out as she ran through the house.
“Savanna, what did I tell you about running in the house?” Aaliyah asked as she walked into the kitchen and sat her things on the table. “You have it smelling damn good in here. I can’t wait to dig in,” she told him as she walked to the stove to see what was in the pots.
“I get no love, I see,” Ace stated. Aaliyah laughed when she turned around to find Ace’s bottom lip poked out. Aaliyah went over then wrapped her arms around him as they shared a kiss. “That’s much better,” he said.
“Aaliyah, how was your day?” Savanna asked.
“Baby, I had the best day ever!” Aaliyah answered. “And it’s about to get better now that I’m home with you guys.”
The four of them talked, joked, and played around as Ace moved around the kitchen with ease. Aaliyah took a step back and smiled. A family and to be happy were all she ever wanted. With Ace, she had both as well as true love. Sadly, she recognized it may not last because his heart was in two places.
After the four of them ate dinner, Aaliyah, Serenity, and Savanna cleaned the kitchen while Ace sat back with his feet kicked up, enjoying a blunt.
“You guys know what time it is. It’s bedtime,” Aaliyah informed them.
“Aww man, can we please stay up a little longer?” Serenity asked while rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“Baby you’re sleepy,” Aaliyah laughed.
“No I’m not,” Serenity pouted.
“Come on, let’s go ask daddy,” Aaliyah said as she grabbed both girls’ hands and searched for Ace. The three of them found him sitting in a lounge chair in the backyard.
“Daddy, can we stay up a little while longer?” Savanna asked as she climbed onto his lap and laid her head on his chest. “I’m not sleepy,” she stated as she tried to keep her eyes open.
“Aww man, Savanna is no fun,” Serenity sulked. “I know I have to go to bed now,” she realized as she turned to walk back into the house. Ace got up holding Savanna. He kissed Aaliyah on his way inside then carried Savanna to bed.
After tucking his babies in, he kissed their foreheads and told them he loved them before turning the lights off and leaving the room. Ace searched the house for Aaliyah; he found her in her home office.
“What are you doing?”
“Working before I go to bed,” she replied.
“Nah, not tonight,” Ace said as he helped her from her seat. “Tonight, we’re just gonna chill, watch a few movies, and talk,” he told her. After that, he carried her out of the room and into her bedroom. Aaliyah didn’t mind at all. She loved spending time with him.
Aaliyah lay at the foot of the bed as Ace sat at the head. He was massaging her feet; she massaged his as they watched a movie and conversed. Aaliyah loved holding long conversations with Ace. He wasn’t your average thug. His conversations went beyond the streets, drugs, bitches, etc.
“Amir, where do you see yourself in five years?” Aaliyah asked as she sat up in bed.
“Dead,” he answered truthfully.
“What? Is that really where you see yourself?” She asked, she couldn’t believe he actually said that.
“Aaliyah, that’s where I see me being in five years,” Ace confessed. “If you would have asked me that a few years ago, my answer would have been running my own business. Unfortunately, those weren’t the cards I was dealt.” He said shrugging his shoulders.
“You know, it doesn’t have to end like that?”
“I know. But to tell you the truth, I’ll be surprised and thankful to live the next two years,” Ace disclosed. “Aaliyah, no one wants to talk about it much less admit it. You’re only guaranteed one thing in life and that’s death. None of us know when, where, or how we’re going to die. I came to terms with that; it doesn’t matter when it happens, I’ll be ready,” he said confidently. “Every day we fight for love, respect, money, position in the world, only to die in the end.”
Aaliyah never thought about life that way. Regrettably, everything Ace had just stated was true. In the end, we all lose.
“What about you, where do you see yourself in five years?” Ace asked.
“Married with children; living in my dream home with my true love,” answered Aaliyah.
“What do you want out of life?”
“Love and happiness,” Aaliyah replied. “What about you?”
“I already have it; I just hope I live long enough to give her what she’s looking for.”
“You said you already have what you want out of life. What is that?”
“You and my girls,” Ace declared while looking into her eyes.
Aaliyah smiled as she lay across his chest. “Aaliyah, I don’t say this often, but believe when I do say it, I mean it–I love you!” Ace declared as he ran his hands through her hair.
“Amir, I love you too. If I didn’t think you loved me, I wouldn’t be here,” she replied as she closed her eyes.
Ace closed his eyes. However, sleep wouldn’t find him as easily. The bad dreams he’d been having and the eagerness to kill Adam and J’vion ke
pt him from sleeping like he needed to. Ace was finally ready to put everything behind him and start over fresh. He just hoped it was sooner rather than later.
Chapter 12
It had been three months since Sunshine had been rescued; and she still hadn’t adjusted to being a free woman again. She was also learning to live without Ace being in her life. He had tried on a few different occasions to reach out to her to patch things up; she refused. It wasn’t that she didn’t love him anymore. The love she had for him would always be there; she just didn’t wanna deal with being a thug’s wife any longer. She had been there and done that; she wanted something new, something different; something outside of what she was acclimated to. Sunshine sat at her mother’s island lost in her daydream. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a smile on her face.
“What are you over there smiling about?” Her mother asked breaking her thoughts. It felt so good to be around her mother and to hear her voice. They were reconnecting and catching up on lost time. Sunshine was also able to give her sister, Brenda a proper burial; she hoped she was at peace now.
“Since you must know, I’ve met a guy,” Sunshine answered.
“So you were serious when you told me you were leaving Ace alone?” Her mother asked. Sunshine nodded her head.
“Mommy, I love Ace and always will but I don’t think it’s meant for us to be together anymore. He’s moved on; and I wanna do the same,” she admitted.
“I wish you would have thought about leaving him years ago. Maybe you wouldn’t have been kidnapped and imprisoned,” her mother spat as she turned up her nose. Her mother would always blame Ace for Sunshine’s kidnapping. She didn’t care if she found out otherwise.
“Mom, don’t do that. Amir had been nothing but good to me. What happened to me wasn’t anyone’s fault and could have happened to anyone. If it wasn’t for him mommy, there’s no telling where I’d be right now,” Sunshine defended Ace. Her mother rolled her eyes. “Tell me about your new friend. What’s he like?”
“Well I met him a few weeks ago while I was in the mall shopping. He’s sweet, caring, and has a lot going for himself,” Sunshine blushed. “He’s attending school for business; he’ll be graduating with a Masters next spring.
“What’s his name and when can I meet him?”
“His name is J’vion and hopefully soon. Although he’s busy with school and work, he makes time for me,” Sunshine beamed.
“I’m proud of you. Any man is a big step up from Ace,” her mother smiled while rolling her eyes. Sunshine laughed. She knew her mother wanted nothing but the best for her and didn’t mean any harm toward Ace.
“Have you seen Serenity and Savanna?” Sunshine signaled no by shaking her head.
“What! He’s keeping you away from your own daughters?” Mary asked. Again, Sunshine quickly shook her head no.
“Ma, I’m not ready to see them. I have nothing to offer. They seem so happy. I don’t wanna mess that up,” she answered.
Sunshine’s phone rung, looking at the caller ID, she smiled. It was J’vion. “Ma, I have to take this,” she said waving the phone in the air. She climbed off the stool as she answered the phone. “Hello?” She said sweetly into the phone.
“What’s up with you baby; when are you coming back?” J’vion asked.
“I’ll be back in a few days. I’m not ready to leave my mom yet,” Sunshine replied. “I already told you I had a lot of catching up to do with her.”
“I know; I just miss you that’s all,” J’vion lied. When he was ready to make a move, he needed her close.
“What have you been doing since I’ve been gone?” Sunshine asked as she lay across the couch, playing in her hair.
“I’ve been working and going to school. Other than that, thinking of you,” J’vion gamed her. Sunshine smiled.
J’vion felt bad for playing on Sunshine’s emotions. Nah, no he didn’t. He never gave a fuck about who he had to use for his personal gain and he wasn’t about to start caring now. She couldn’t be that naïve. She was married to one of the most feared and respected men who ever ran Hampton Roads. “I’m really sorry about your sister,” he said lying clean through his teeth. J’vion wasn’t one bit concerned or had a care in the world that Brenda was dead. “How did she die?” He questioned, faking concerned.
“I really don’t wanna talk about it. I’m not ready to,” Sunshine stated. “I still haven’t wrapped my mind around it completely.
“Okay, just know whenever you’re ready to talk or need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here,” J’vion faked concern. He wanted to bust out laughing but held his composure. “This bitch can’t be this stupid,” he thought. “Lord this is going to be too easy.
J’vion was very attracted to Sunshine but he had other plans for her. He had tried that love thing out before and it didn’t work. To have the upper hand on his enemy, he needed her. When he laid eyes on her for the first time in the mall, he damn near broke his neck trying to get a better look at her. The way the lower half of her body filled out the jeans she had on was unbelievable! That and her mean walk would have any nigga looking twice. When he walked up on her to introduce himself, it took him a minute to recognize who she was. He thought she was gonna curve his shit to the left. However, she smiled revealing one of the sexiest smiles he had ever seen. If J’vion had a heart, she would have stolen it right there in the middle of the mall. Just that fast, J’vion chuckled, forgetting he was on the phone with her.
“What are you over there chuckling about?” Sunshine asked.
“I was just thinking about how I met you in the mall. I thought you were gonna shut a nigga down,” he laughed.
“Initially, I was but there was something about your eyes that persuaded me to give you a chance,” Sunshine confided as she joined his laughter.
“Thank God for these sexy eyes of mine,” J’vion joked. “Lil ma, I’ma holla at you later. I got a few things to handle,” he said into the phone.
“Okay, talk to you later. Bye,” Sunshine said before disconnecting the call.
*
J’vion couldn’t believe how gullible Sunshine was. She believed anything that came out of his mouth. It was difficult for him to comprehend how she so easily trusted any man after what she had experienced. He thanked God for making his job that much easier. Sunshine hadn’t opened up about her ex-boyfriend or her kidnapping; she always talked around it. Whenever he asked her to go into a little more detail so that he could understand, she would tell him it was a part of her life she wasn’t ready to open up about just yet. The wounds were still fresh and open and she needed them to heal. That was cool with him; he really didn’t give a fuck what she encountered or how much pain she had been in. Sunshine was simply a pawn on J’vion’s chessboard. He couldn’t even consider her a queen because the queen did whatever she had to do to protect the king. From the looks of things, Sunshine didn’t give a fuck what happened to her ex-king.
Chapter 13
Sunshine walked up onto Keema’s porch; she was a nervous wreck. She hadn’t seen or talked to any of her girls in three long years, almost four. She didn’t know if they were gonna be happy about seeing her or act brand new. Either way, she had to see her children even if it was the last time. Sunshine didn’t know what Ace had been telling people but she was about to find out. She knocked on the door and took a step back as she checked her reflection through the screen door. The music was bumping; she knew Keema was having some type of get together. She had been back in town for a few weeks now and was more than ready to show her face to the world once again. For the last few weeks, she and J’vion had been getting to know one another on various levels; she was feeling him hard. She wouldn’t say she was in love just yet but she could see things going far between them.
Boy opened the door, “Sunshine?” He asked surprised to see her.
“Yes, it’s me. I stopped by to see Keema.”
“Come in!” He said as he held the door open for her. “Go on in, she’s in
the kitchen,” He instructed.
As if on queue, the music stopped. The house fell dead silent. All eyes were on Sunshine as she walked into the house.
Sunshine made it to the kitchen to find, Keema, Neisha, Tamera, Ellis and a few others sitting around the table having a few drinks and chatting away.
“Oh shit, Sunshine!?” Keema said as she jumped from her seat and hugged Sunshine. Once again, all eyes were on Sunshine. She could tell from the looks on everyone’s faces they had a lot of questions for her.
“Look, I can see that everyone is chilling. So, I’ll come back another time and explain everything,” Sunshine said looking around the room.
“Girl, you are more than welcome to stay. Come in, enjoy yourself, and play catch up,” Neisha said as she hugged Sunshine next.