“Never.”
“Exactly!”
“Ugh,” she groaned. “I hate when I have to tell him he’s right.”
“A little birdie once told me acknowledging that you were wrong keeps your marriage healthy.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, hating that I was using her advice against her. “When the hell did you get so wise?” she jested with a light scoff.
Laughing, I shrugged my shoulders lightly. “Jazzy is all grown up now.”
A smile grew on her face, and she sat up. She cupped her hands around mine while looking me in my eyes. “I’m so proud of the woman you’ve grown into. I met you when all you thought about was money, cars, and bags-”
“Damn! Was I that superficial?!”
“Not blatantly!” she quickly reassured me. “You were just young, inexperienced, and trying to figure things out on your own instead of following the playbook your brother wanted you to. You stressed us the hell out, girl, but a part of me is happy that you stuck to your guns and always did what you wanted to do. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have met Ahkeem.”
When people would say everything happened for a reason, I never paid much attention to it until I thought back to how things played out in my life. Rebelling and going against Priest sent me on a journey in life that I don’t think I would have ever embarked on had I done what was expected of me. It didn’t makea lick of sense while my life was going to shit, but it made all the sense in the world now.
“Ahkeem is literally God sent, Brit. I don’t feel like I have to be in survivor mode when I’m with it him… like I can finally breathe.”
“He makes you feel safe. Like you don’t have to think and worry about anything. That’s what happens when you’re being loved correctly. From day one, Ahkeem has shown he’s been about you. That man doesn’t play about you, Jazzy.”
My face heated up, and the fact that I didn’t have on any makeup allowed Britain to see my face tint red. “I know, and that’s why I have to give him a baby.”
Recently, I opened up to Britain about our miscarriage, and she had been guiding me through the heavy emotions I felt from time to time. She experienced a traumatic loss when she gave birth to her stillborn daughter Dreux before she got with Priest. That pain wasn’t anything to take lightly, but she persevered through it.
“Everything will happen in due time. Don’t rush it. Give your mind, heart, and body time to heal. We were blessed with amazing men who understand and cater to our every need, even if it means pushing their own to the back burner for a little while.”
“Life is going too smoothly. It’s kinda creeping me out.”
She laughed while waving me off. “You’re happy. You deserve it, Jazzlyn. Don’t question it.”
“We’re getting the house down the street too.”
“What?! Really! Oh, I can’t wait to help you decorate!” she excitedly let out before flinging her arms around me.
Her excitement was so damn contagious that I ended up cheering and squealing too. We rocked side to side in our embrace, and once I felt her give me a tight squeeze, my brows bumped together. “Brit… you alright?”
“Mhm.” She nodded her head. “Jazzy?”
“Yeah.”
“My water just broke,” she nervously eased out, prompting my eyes to widen before a loud gasp aired out of me.
“Britain, stop playing!”
“I’m serious!” she replied before getting up from the couch. Lo and behold, there was a wet spot on their expensive-ass couch. “Look at my couch! We might as well burn it ‘cause nothing is gonna get that out!”
I grabbed her shoulders, fixing her attention back onto me so she wouldn’t end up spiraling about the couch. “Screw the damn couch, Britain! You’re about to have a baby!”
“The hell going on?” Priest and Akeem emerged from the man cave with concerned looks on their faces.
We both had our eyes wide as we looked back at them. “P, my water just broke,” she told him, which caused his and Ahkeem’s eyes to widen as well.
“You deadass?” Priest rushed to her side and set his hands on her rounded belly.
She nodded vigorously while looking up at him. Once he got confirmation that it wasn’t a false alarm, a wide ear to ear smile panned onto his face.
