by A'zayler
Fallon’s eyes got glossy. She sat quietly for a second until a few sniffles began to escape her. Summer got up and made her way to the table and sat next to her. The weight gain from the baby she was carrying was proportioned nicely, only adding to her appeal. She rubbed Fallon’s back while whispering something to her. Rain and Love looked on in utter confusion. Since when did Summer know secrets about Fallon that she hadn’t told Rain about?
“Tacara, what’s up? Clearly my sister can’t say nothing.” His impatience was beginning to seep through, and Rain was sure everybody in the room had caught on to it.
Rain and Love looked across the table at her, waiting for a response. Although she looked like she was scared to talk too, she was a little bolder than Fallon.
“Jazz is our son, Dakota.”
“Hold the fuck up. What?” He leaned his head closer in attempt to make sure he was hearing her right.
“He’s our son.” Tacara looked at him and waited to see if he was about to say something, but he didn’t. “I had him when I was away at USC. I gave him to your sister to raise because I wasn’t ready to be a mother. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how.”
The fire behind Dakota’s light eyes had them turning a darker shade of brown. Rain too was shocked by the news but she needed to tend to Love at the moment. She would address her feelings later. For now, she needed to see why he hadn’t said anything else yet.
“Don’t be mad with Fallon. I begged her not to tell you. I knew if you knew you would want him and I would somehow be made to be a part of his life and I didn’t want that.”
That remark made him raise his head. If looks could kill she would have been dead on the spot. “You didn’t want to be a part of his life? What kind of fucked up shit is that to say about your fucking son?”
Tacara held her hand up and shook her head. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to do this with you then. I’m not ready. I told you thousands of times that I had no desire to be a mom. As bad as it sounds, I had no desire to be a murderer either. So I couldn’t make myself abort him.”
“How y’all keep something like this away from me all of this time?”
“Even though we weren’t talking, Dakota, I still wanted a part of my family with me. Having Jazz around every day gave me you, mommy, and daddy all in one. He’s so much like us all. I would have told you sooner, but I didn’t want you to take him. He has grown so attached to me that it was as if I had birthed him myself. My life was miserable, and he was the only happiness I had. I didn’t want him to leave too.”
“Summer, you knew about this too?” Rain asked her.
“Alex and I found out about two months ago. I told Fallon she needed to tell y’all, and if she didn’t then I would. When she told me she was going to do it soon I kept my mouth shut.”
Love’s fist connected with the table hard as he slammed it down. He stood from his chair and was about to leave the room, but Rain stopped him.
“Don’t leave, Kota. Let’s just hear what needs to be done.”
He leaned his forehead against the door for a long while before turning around and returning to his seat.
“I brought you here today, Dakota, because I want to give you the right I took away so many years ago. I want you to take Jazz and be his father if that’s what you want. You don’t have to wait until something happens to me. It was selfish of us both to do something like this without telling you.”
“It’ll be even more selfish if you snatch him from the only home he knows and toss him over to me. He’ll hate that shit.” Love fumed.
“No he won’t. He loves you.” Fallon justified.
“He loves me as his fucking uncle.” He sighed. “Not like his daddy… man I can’t believe this shit,” he said again, more to himself than anything.
The room remained quiet as they all waited for him to relay his thoughts. “Keep him with her. I’ll take him if anything happens. What do I need to sign?”
The lawyer passed him the papers for him and Rain to sign. When they were through, he stood up and grabbed Rain’s hand. She followed him to the door, but was halted when he turned around.
“Tacara, you are the scum of the fucking earth. How could you do some shit like this to me?” He looked over at Fallon. “And you, I don’t even know what to say about you. I would say thank you, but then I would have to follow it up with some hateful shit. We’re family and you leave me out to dry over and over.” He shook his head and left the room with his wife.
Rain didn’t say anything on their way home because she didn’t really know what to say. When they got home, he moved around the room getting ready for his shower. Rain waited until he was in to join him in the bathroom. She stripped naked and got into the shower with him. He was standing against the wall, but opened his arms for her to walk into.
She took her place in front of him so she could see his face while they talked. “What you thinking?”
“I fucking hate Tacara’s ass, and my sister. I just don’t even know what to say about her.”
“I honestly don’t think you should be too mad with her. I mean this is messed up, don’t get me wrong, but at least she held you down. She could have easily said no and your son would be out somewhere in the world being raised by strangers. At least now he was with his family, getting all of the love he deserves, and now he has the chance to know you.”
“So you really don’t think they were wrong?”
“I’m not saying that because they were. What I am saying is don’t let this destroy what you and her and trying to rebuild. You can continue to look at the negative or you can look at the positive. With her no longer being with Drake, you’ll be the only father he knows. Maybe you and her can even tell him.”
“No. Hell no. I am not going to confuse that boy. Maybe one day when he’s older, but not right now. We might as well leave well enough alone.”
“So are you gon stay mad with Fallon?”
He shook his head.
“Nah, thanks to you I’ma let her ass off the hook this time.”
Rain smiled up at him and kissed his lips. “Good.”
*****
The next day Rain, Summer, and Alex were all seated in Summer’s living room. They had just gotten home from shopping and seeing a movie, and now they were eating and relaxing. The three of them had been having so much going on in their lives that they hadn’t really had time to spend with each other. With so much going on in each of their personal lives they didn’t have the room or the time for the others.
“Alex, I like that shirt, honey.” Rain was lying on the love seat.
“Thank you. I got it out of DTLR.”
Summer stretched out on the sofa and rubbed her stomach. “So you’re really sticking to this boy thing now? No more men?”
Ever since the day of Damien’s funeral Alex had stuck to his promise. He had been dressing like a man, going to church, and had even begun trying to date girls. Albeit it was very hard for him, he was trying. He kept his hair cut low, and he even tried to lie off on too much of his girly talking.
“I’m trying, bitch. I’m trying.” He lay back on the floor.
“Well, you’re doing good, best friend.” Rain smiled at him.
“Church is really helping. It keeps me focused on the bigger picture. Sometimes I want to stray back to my old ways so bad, but every time I do, I just think about what I learned at church and the promise I made Damien.” He sighed. “I miss him so much.”
Summer patted his leg. “I know you do. It’s going to take a lot longer than two months to get over that.”
“So how does Troy feel about it all?”
“He’s not a big fan of us not being together, but he understands what I’m trying to do. Other than y’all two he’s the only friend I have. I mean that understands me.”
“Boy, you got so much going on it’s hard as hell for us to keep up.” Summer burst out laughing.
Alex threw the pillow at her. “Don’t try to play me, b
itch.”
“Nope. You cannot call me bitch dressed like a nigga.” Summer shook her head. “It feels too disrespectful. I might have to get my man on you.”
The three friends fell out laughing. “Girl, please. Don’t get Jacorey ass beat. You know I like to fight. I’m telling you, you ain’t gon want him no more after I beat his ass.”
“The way he fucks, trust me, I’ll still want him.”
Alex slammed his head into the pillow next to him. “Don’t remind me, girl, please. I told you I’m trying. I can’t picture a nigga fucking right now.”
Summer and Rain laughed as he covered his face with the pillow. “Rain, how did Fallon and Love’s talk go?”
“It actually went pretty good. After he had calmed down for a few days, they were able to talk like adults.”
“Well, that’s good. Love needs her.”
Rain could agree on that because he definitely did. “That’s the same thing I told him.”
“Man, I’m so glad I ain’t y’all two. Y’all have so much going on in y’all lil lives it don’t make no sense.”
Alex sat up against the sofa. “Girl, who you telling?”
“Ain’t it.” Rain agreed.
“It’s cool though. Lesser bitches would have folded, but not mine. I’m proud of y’all.” Summer looked at them both.
“We almost did,” Rain said.
“I know I did,” Alex added. “If it wasn’t for y’all two, my granny, and God, I don’t think I would have made it this far. For the first time in a long time I feel complete.”
“Aww, best friend,” Rain leaped off of the sofa and onto the floor with him, followed by Summer.
The three of them hugged for what seemed like forever.
“The hell y’all doing in here hugging? Looking like the damn Golden Girls or some shit.” Jacorey walked through the door with Love right behind him.
“Nigga shut up. Alex is a boy now.”
Jacorey and Love laughed at Summer. “Oh, we forgot.”
Jokes and laughter spread throughout the five of them for the next couple of hours. It had been a stressful few months, but they were all finally happy and where they needed to be.
Epilogue
“It’s a girl!” Everyone in the room yelled as Summer opened her box.
Family and friends were all packed into the small conference room at the hotel for Rain and Summer’s gender reveal. They were now both five months with due dates only a week a part. That had been the biggest surprise of the year. Since finding out, they had been doing everything together. Taking pictures, going to motherhood classes, the whole nine.
Anything involving the babies, they did together. Much like the gender reveal they had been planning for months. Alex was the only person who knew the sex of both babies and he had been tight lipped about it since finding out. Summer and Rain had done everything in their power to get him to tell them, but he wouldn’t.
Summer and Jacorey’s face lit up as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. The both of them had been hoping for a girl.
“Come on, Rain, you’re next.” Fallon pushed her the box that was labeled with her name.
Love stood next to Rain as she opened the box and blue balloons floated out. Again, the room screamed.
“Now we have the perfect match. A boy and a girl.” Alex screamed.
Everyone in attendance joined in. The room was packed with love and happiness for both girls and their babies. After finding out the sex of both babies, the party resumed. Alex, Summer, Rain, and Fallon were all leaning over the counter in the small kitchen eating.
“Fallon, all your bad kids over there tearing up the presents.” Alex pointed at Damien Jr, Jazz, and Damia.
She laughed and drank some of her lemonade. “They’ll be all right.”
“No, bitch, they won’t. Go get them little rascals before the tear up my baby stuff.” Summer had all of them laughing.
“I know you’ll be glad when they mama get out,” Alex told her.
“In five years they probably won’t even be getting on my nerves like that no more.”
“Damn, five years?” Alex hadn’t known how much time Iesha had been given.
Fallon nodded.
“Well, that’s what she gets.” Summer rolled her eyes before looking at Rain, who was looking past her. “What you looking at looking all crazy?”
“Jacorey’s silly ass.”
“What he doing because I know it’s something crazy?” Summer turned around while she was still talking and got the surprise of her life.
Jacorey was on his knee in front of her holding a ring. “You damn right it’s something crazy.” Summer covered her mouth as the room went quiet. “You tired of all them nosey ass kids teasing you about being pregnant without having no man?”
Tears were in Summer’s eyes as she nodded her head yes.
“Well, tell me you’ll marry me then I’ll come up there and whoop all their lil asses.”
“Oh my God yes! I guess I’ll marry your punk ass.” She wiped her tears and pulled him from the floor.
Applause erupted as the two hugged. As soon as it was over, music started playing and everybody went back to partying. Rain was still eating, so she sat back looking at everyone. Summer and Jacorey were in the middle of the floor dabbing, while Fallon and Roderick were right next to them. They looked so happy together. Fallon had met Roderick at one of her counseling meetings. He too had AIDS, but just looking at the two, one would never be able to tell.
Alex was moving around the room serving the guests while Troy helped him clean up. Even though there was no longer anything sexual going on with the two of them, they still remained very close friends. Rain couldn’t be happier for her friends. They had been through some bad times, but they fought hard and came out on top.
“What you over here thinking about?”
“How blessed I am. Everybody looks so content and it makes me happy.”
Love wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the side of her face. “Loving you makes me happy.”
Rain blushed as she felt her son kicking. “You feel that?”
“Yep. He knows his daddy near.”
“I thought for sure it was going to be a girl, but it looks like you can only make boys.” Jazz ran past them just as the words left Rain’s mouth.
They had all agreed to leave things like they were, but Love was still very active in his life, even if he was only Uncle Kota.
“We’ll just try for a girl until we get one.”
“Oh, now that’s a lie.”
“You don’t want to have my babies?”
Rain turned so that she was facing him and kissed his lips. “I’ll have them.”
Love kissed her again. “I know you will. Since you’re mine forever.”
Rain wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you.”
“I know you do. You’ve been in love with me since the first time we met.”
The End
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Other Titles by A’zayler
Love and Loyalty 1&2
Loyal to his Love 1&2
Finding a Loyal Love 1&2
Love Me Through the Rain 1-4
My Love Aint Meant for a Thug 1-3
Real Riders Never Die 1-3
The Love of an East Atlanta Boss 1-3
Deceitful Hearts
Heartbeat of the Block 1-3
Giving You All I’ve Got 1&2
Caught up With a South Georgia Savage 1&2
The Lies We Told 1&2
Please Come Home for Christmas
A Forever Kind of Love
In Too Deep
Dying to be Loved
Your Heart is Safe With Me
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A'zayler, Love Me Through The Rain 4