Rags to Riches: My Thug Angel

by Andrea Sad'e

  "Uhm," Rayna said, looking at me.

  "Ahleya, A-H-L-E-Y-A. Her birthday is October 15th, so she's almost a month old," I told them.

  "Aww. Okay, well, see you tomorrow, Rayna," Gena said to Rayna and walked out. Rayna gave Ahleya a bath and I followed the directions on the formula can and fixed her a bottle and put it in the bottle warmer.

  I looked at her as she sucked her bottle and you could tell she hadn't eaten lately. it saddened me. I looked into her little hazel eyes and I fell in love with her. If her dad couldn't do it, I'd take her as my own. She deserved all the world had to offer her and I was not gone allow anyone to take that from her, not even her strung out parents.

  I took a shower and then came in the room and picked up Ahleya, gave her a kiss on her sweet smelling forehead and laid her in her bassinet right by our bed. I knew I was going to have a weak spot for her.

  We were all she had.

  Chapter 12

  Ace

  I looked at the clock and it was three o'clock in the morning. I could hear Ahleya shifting around in her bassinet. I got up and looked over at her and she was looking up at me with her big hazel eyes. She was the only person other than Rayna that could wake me up out of my sleep and make me smile.

  "Come here, mama," I said to her before picking her up. "Now why are you up?" I asked her.

  I checked her diaper how Rayna showed me and she was wet so I grabbed a diaper and some wipes and changed her diaper the way I was shown. She started trying to bite her hands, so I put a paci in her mouth and she started sucking it super hard so I figured that she was hungry. I went downstairs with her on my shoulder and grabbed a bottle out of the fridge. Before I went to bed I’d made some bottles for today.

  I picked a bottle up and placed it in the bottle warmer. Ahleya was starting to get a little antsier now so I was hoping the warmer hurried up before she got too mad. Three minutes later, the timer went off and the bottle was finally done. I shook it up and tested it on my hand. It wasn't too hot so I put it in her mouth. She closed her eyes instantly and I started to chuckle.

  "It must be some steak in there, huh?" I said aloud, laughing at her dramatics.

  She was definitely a Rowland from the way she acted about her food. I could tell she hadn't been eating like she was supposed to, but I would make sure that never happened to her again. After she was done, I burped her and sat her in her bouncer until I was ready to go back upstairs.

  I grabbed her old diaper bag and dumped everything out. She had a piece of paper from the hospital that read Ahleya Briyana Rowland with her footprints on it, along with her date and time of birth.

  I rubbed my hands down my face. I wasn't gonna allow her to go back to her parents no matter what. They obviously were not in any condition to take care of her. her own mother was putting her in harm’s way. I knew this was only going to make everything even deeper between my brother and I because once he realized I had baby girl, his pride was gonna be shot and he was going to start making moves quickly.

  I picked Ahleya up and took her back upstairs. I placed her in her bassinet, put her blanket on her and got back in the bed. I was ready for what was to come. I'd go to war for anybody I loved.

  Gena

  "Oh, babe, she's kicking again," I said as Slick rolled over and put his hand on my stomach. When he felt Kenyah kicking he smiled.

  "Hey, daddy's girl," he said in his deep morning voice. I rolled over quickly. "What's wrong?" he asked me.

  "Yo breath stank, nigga," I said and busted out laughing.

  "Go to hell, Gena," he said, chuckling while getting up and stumbling to the bathroom. I had already brushed my teeth when I first woke up cause if not, I would have had bad morning sickness. I guess Kenyah liked to smell freshness first thing in the morning.

  *Buzzz Buzzz*

  I had been trying to ignore Slick’s phone but it had been going off more than usual lately and I couldn't take it anymore so I grabbed his phone and it was said "Ashley." I clicked the message and it was a picture of a girl with her titties showing and tongue out saying”

  Last night was great. Your secrets safe with me

  I swear it felt like my body was on fire. I heard the water stop so I knew he was done doing what he was doing. As soon as he opened the door, I threw the phone and it hit him dead in the forehead.

  "What the fuck?" he said, not even paying attention to where the phone hit him in the head.

  I got up, grabbed a bag and put some clothes in it, and put on a sweat suit from PINK. I slid my house Hushpuppy shoes on and walked into the bathroom and grabbed my toothbrush.

  "What the fuck is going on?" he asked, grabbing me by my arm.

  "Where the FUCK was yo black ass at last night?"

  His face went blank. "What are you talking about, Gena?"

  "Get the fuck outta my face, dummy," I said, walking past him.

  He followed me down the stairs. "Gena, why are you leaving?"

  "Ask Ashley, bitch," was the last thing I said before I walked out the door.

  He ran after me to the car and I sped off on him. I didn't know what to think right now. Like, how could he do some shit like this to me? I couldn't believe I even trusted his ass!!

  Five minutes later, I was pulling up to Rayna and Ace's house. I put in the code and said hello to security. I got out of my car, walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Ace came to the door with Ahleya on his shoulder.

  "Wassup, Gena? You good?" he asked.

  "Not at all, where's Rayna?"

  “She's in the kitchen making Ahleya a bottle." He moved to the side and I walked into their house.

  As soon as Rayna saw my face, she scrunched hers up. "What the fuck happed, and who do I need to fuck up about it?"

  I felt my face getting hot. I wouldn't dare allow myself to let Slick see me cry at the house but right now, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I started crying. "S-Slick cheated on me, the girl sent him a half-naked picture saying ‘Last night was great’ or some shit like that. I can't deal with this, Rayna. I'm four months pregnant, I can't handle this stress." She just hugged me and allowed me to cry on her shoulder. I looked up at Ace and he looked upset. "I'm sorry to bring all of this to ya'll house this morning."

  "It's okay, Gena,” they both said at the same time.

  "Here, Rayna. Hold Ahleya," Ace said before he grabbed his keys and walked out the door.

  Ace

  This nigga was trippin. How he gone cheat on shorty while she's carrying his seed? This was supposed to be a stress free nine months for her and none of us need Kenyah entering this world prematurely because her daddy couldn't hold them down. He's better than this.

  I got to Slick's house, put in the code to his gate, walked past his security and walked through the front door without even knocking.

  He was sitting on the sofa smoking a blunt

  "What the fuck you doing, nigga? Yo pregnant girlfriend at my house damn near having a panic attack and you sitting here smoking a damn blunt. Something is wrong with this picture," I said in an aggravated tone.

  Slick took a long pull off his blunt and simply said, "I fucked up man"

  "No shit," I mumbled. "The fact isn't that you fucked up. The fact is that you fucked up and you ain't doing shit to make it better. Do you want her to raise Kenyah without you?"

  "You know I don't want that at all, I love Gena, but what am I supposed to say? I'm not the lying type and I got caught red fuckin handed,"

  "Well, are you even sorry bout the shit?" I asked

  "Yea, I regret it all," he replied.

  "Well, tell the truth then. Tell her that. I'll be at the house. I gotta get back to Ahleya while Rayna's trying to keep Gena from murdering yo ass." I dapped him up and walked out of the door.

  I really hoped he did the right thing cause we’d always said when we found the right one we wouldn't fuck up. He was currently fucking up.

  I walked in the front door and I saw Ahleya sleep in her bouncer in a whole new outfit
and the girls were sitting in the couch on Gena's iPad.

  "That’s her. That's the Ashley bitch," I heard Gena say.

  "Shhhh, ya'll don't be cursing round Ahleya," I said in a whisper.

  They both looked at me with a "shut the fuck up" look and I threw my hands up in surrender.

  "I'm just trying to raise a healthy individual here," I said, laughing, which caused them both to laugh/

  "So you actually plan on keeping her?" Gena asked me/

  "Well, yea. I wouldn't allow her to suffer and be put into harm’s way like that anymore. She’s my blood. I talked to one of the niggas I'm cool with down at the courthouse and he's working with a lawyer right now to get the paperwork in order for me to adopt her. It’s usually a long, drawn out process but having money cuts all that middle man shit out. So yea, I'm not only gonna keep her, I'm gonna adopt her."

  "Don’t you mean, we?" Rayna said.

  "I didn't think you would want to be on the paperwork until after we get married one day.”

  "Yea, but if I'm going to be here with her every day, she's gonna think I'm her mom. Even though we'll always tell her the truth about her real parents, she'll still have that bond with me, so if we ever broke up, I would still want rights to Ahleya."

  I sat and thought about it for a second. "Well, that's a good point. Let me call the lawyer and have you added on to the paperwork as well," I said, getting up.

  "Sounds great," Rayna said before turning back to the iPad.

  Rayna

  "So that's Miss Ashley, huh?" I said, looking at the picture Gena was showing me of the woman Slick had gotten caught cheating with. She was a short, skinny, light skinned girl who looked like she was a little rough around the edges. She was cute but not nearly as cute as Gena.

  I couldn't let her get by with doing my pregnant friend like this, fucking up her home and shit. I saw that she was a nail tech. I direct messaged her.

  Rayna: Hey, do you do house calls?

  5 minutes later....

  Ashley: Yes but house calls are not cheap

  Rayna: I'm not either, how much for nails and feet for two people?

  Ashley: $150.00

  Rayna: Chump change, are you available today?

  Ashley: Time?

  I looked at the clock and it was 2:00 PM

  Rayna: about 3:00 I live in Buckhead

  Ashley: I see why it was chump change for you. Yes I can make it by three, just send me your address.

  I sent her my address and sat back and relaxed.

  "Ace, come here please," I called over the intercom.

  He came walking in the living room. "Wassup"

  "At 3:00 I'm gonna need for you to take Ahleya upstairs or to your office, or even the theater and put her in her bassinet and put her monitor on the television. I don't want her to be down here while the lady is doing our nails and stuff and she won't hear noise in our room or your office."

  "Alright, cool," he said, going back to the theater room he had come from.

  Now we wait...

  Slick

  I got in the car and sat in it for a minute before I dialed her number. She answered on the first ring.

  "Wassup, daddy?" she said in that seductive voice that usually made my dick hard but tonight, I just wasn't feeling it.

  "Why did you send that shit to my phone, Ashley?"

  "Ooooh, sorry, daddy. Did I get you in trouble?" she said, chuckling.

  "Ashley, I'm really trying not to call you out yo fuckin name but you pushing it. I'm dead ass serious. I'm done with you and whatever it was that you and I were doing. Don't call or text my shit no more."

  "But Slick, I th-" was all she got out before I hung up in her face.

  I started the engine to my black 2015 Tahoe truck and drove out of the gates in the direction of Ace's house. On the way there, I stopped at the store and bought a shit load of roses, then I went and picked up her favorite ice cream. I was gonna do more but I needed to get my ass there to her immediately. I had already wasted enough time as it was. I drove back to our neighborhood and turned onto Ace's street. I put in the security code to his gate and rolled up to the house.

  I walked in the door, and my stomach was bubbling like a motherfucker, but I had to do what I had to do to get my baby back and I was ready to work. I opened the door and walked into the living room and I saw Gena sitting there talking to Rayna who was holding Ahleya. Once the girls heard me walk into the room, they turned their heads towards me and I could see how puffy Gena's eyes were from crying. I felt like shit, like the biggest pile of shit.

  Rayna got up and left the room and the two of us alone. She kept quiet so I started to speak,

  "Gena, I know you're beyond pissed at me but I fucked up one time and I promise, I am so sorry and it will never happen again." She looked at me unmoved by the words I was speaking.

  "You remember that night we went on our first date and you told me all that sweet shit?" I nodded my head. "I actually believed that shit and that's why my heart is hurting so bad right now, when I walked out that door today, I was prepared to raise Kenyah on my own because after my last relationship, I promised myself that I wouldn't put up with a nigga's shit ever again and I meant that shit. then I met you, the nigga that makes me weak from his touch. The nigga that takes my breath away from a simple kiss, the man I knew loved me to the moon and back and vice versa and then I find out that the nigga done stepped out on me. What the fuck am I supposed to do with that, Kendrick? HUH? The shit ain't okay and I will not act as if you put my life in danger, I don't know what that hoe got and here you come bringing that same dick you put in her to me. I'm disgusted and I really don't even want to look at your fuckin’ face. I'm not ready to try to work things out with you and I don't know when I will be or if I ever will be."

  Those words hurt, and what made it worse was I saw not one emotion other than anger while she spoke. She wasn't letting me see her emotions at all and I knew getting back on her good side would be that much harder.

  "I deserve that, Gena, but I promise you I will do whatever it takes to get back on your good side and earn your trust again. I'm sorry."

  She looked at me and nodded her head.

  "I'm going to go chop it up with Ace, see you soon," I said, kissing her forehead.

  "Wait," she said and I turned around. She got up and walked up to me. I thought I was gonna get a kiss but she just grabbed the ice cream out of my arms. I chuckled slightly and walked out of the room. I went into the office and saw Ace sitting on his sofa feeding Ahleya a bottle. "You gone have to teach me how to do this daddy thing."

  He looked up at me and chuckled. "It’s really not that bad, especially when you love them," he said giving Ahleya a kiss on her forehead.

  This nigga was so soft for her, I would swear he’d made her himself.

  Rayna

  It was 3:06 and I heard the doorbell ring. Gena looked at me and smirked and I got up and answered the door. Ashley walked in with two foot baths and her bag of supplies.

  "Hello, ladies," she spoke.

  "Heyyyy," we both said in unison.

  "Ya'll are cute," she said, smiling.

  "Wish we could say the same," Gena mumbled and I busted out laughing. Ashley didn't notice. She just started soaking our feet.

  "Who wants to get the foot massage first?" she asked.

  "Oh you can give Gena a foot massage first, sweetie."

  So she started on Gena's foot massage, starting light conversation. When she was done, she massaged my feet and then painted Gena's toes and nails the color red that she’d chosen. we told her we didn't want fake nails so she just painted her real nails.

  While Gena was drying, she asked me what color I wanted.

  "Oh, just paint me clear," I said.

  "Are you sure? I have some really nice new colors," she asked me.

  "Oh yea, I'm sure. I have business to handle and it might get too messy if I get a color painted on."

  "Oh, okay. Well then, clear it is,"
she laughed. She finished and started cleaning up her supplies.

  As soon as she got done, Slick came out the back and froze when he saw Ashley,

  "Hey, Slick, you daughter and I's next prenatal visit is coming up," Gena said, just to let Ashley know on the sly where the fuck she was.

  Ashley looked up and froze.

  "Yea, bitch. You heard right," I said, walking up to Ashley and pushing her to the ground.

  Chapter 13

  Rayna

  "Put yo set up, bitch, cause I'm finna fuck you up!!! Home wrecking hoe," I said, waiting for Ashley to get up.

  "Ya'll please calm down," Slick said.

  "Shut up, nigga," Gena said, eyeing him.

  "Fuck it, man. But when Ace come out here, ya'll gone wish ya'll ain't bring this shit here," he said, sitting down at the table.

  I turned back in the direction of Ashley and she was getting up trying to gather herself. I was tired of playing with this hoe so I mushed her in the head. She pushed me back and from there, I was on go. I grabbed her hair and slung her to the floor. I hopped on top of her and punched her in her face. She reached up and grabbed me by my hair. I punched her in her face again despite her having a hold on my hair.

  "I'm finna work you, bitch," I said before punching her so hard in her side that she had no choice but to let go of my hair.

  Ace

  *Crash*

  "What the fuck was that?" I said to myself. I put Ahleya in her bouncer and walked out of my office.

  I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I went in my storage closet and grabbed my gun. I walked up to Slick and he gave me that look which let me know who it was that my girl was fucking up in my living room. I watched for a few seconds and I was impressed. Rayna was fighting like a nigga, but that's beside the point. I cocked my gun and everybody froze.

  "Why," was all I managed to get out of my mouth. I was angry because I didn't like people at my house for one, and then they in here fuckin’ shit up. Rayna punched Ashley in the face one more time before getting up.