“Well.” Mahari clicked his tongue and palmed her stomach. “You can’t do that. A conversation must happen before the girls get here. Regardless of if y’all are in a relationship, y’all will need to healthily co-parent.”
Aspen flung her head back and stomped her foot. “How did I get myself in the situation?”
Deep down, Mahari wondered the same. He’d warned Aspen about Lance before they started talking, but she didn’t take heed to his warning. At the end of the day, all Mahari knew was that he’d be there to help Aspen get through it.
Two weeks later. . .
Life was different for Aspen, and she was unsure of how to embrace it. She needed to be doing things like studying for nursing school, planning the twin’s baby shower, and looking for a home to call her own. Instead, she’d been at Lavender’s, withering away in her sorrow.
The day she and Lance broke up, everyone left the island except for Lance. For the first time in forever, he kept true to his word and had movers packing up Aspen’s things when she made it to the home they once shared. Seeing years of stuff she’d collected being taken away caused her to break down. She couldn’t believe it was truly over.
A part of her heart ached while the other part felt relieved. The weight of her relationship had held her down for so long. Aspen finally felt like she could breathe again until one of the twins kicked, reminding her that her ties to Lance hadn’t completely been severed. They were tied for life, and it frustrated her more than ever.
When Aspen called and told Savannah and Denver what happened, Savannah insisted she move back home with her. She even offered for her to live with her up until the girls were one so she could have help. The offer was tempting, but Aspen didn’t want to rely on her mother in such a way. She blamed herself for the situation she was in. If only she had listened to everyone who warned her about Lance, she wouldn’t have been in the predicament.
Instead of moving with her mother, Aspen temporarily moved in with Lavender. The spare bedroom in Lavender’s apartment had been the perfect place for Aspen to rot in her emotions. If it wasn’t for being pregnant, Aspen wouldn’t have taken care of herself in the way she needed. She knew she had to eat and stay clean for them, but it had been one of the most trying tasks for her.
One thing she couldn’t deny was that she missed Lance.
While Aspen thought it was crazy to miss someone who was never there, she missed the times they had together. Word traveled fast of their breakup. Lance had deleted all their pictures off his FameVsYou profile, which wasn’t many, and posted a new picture with the caption ‘Single.’
For him to immediately announce it to the world hurt Aspen. He hadn’t even called or texted to see how she was doing. Aspen didn’t care that he wasn’t asking about her, but the least he could do was show interest in the two lives he’d help create.
Lavender busting in the room and going straight to open the blinds caused Aspen to release an aggravated groan. She threwthe covers on top of her head, only for Lavender to pull them completely off the bed.
“Get up, Aspen,” Lavender demanded, gently tugging on Aspen’s arm.
“Just let me lie here, please. I don’t have the energy to do anything today.”
“Well, you better find it because you have a doctor’s appointment in an hour and a half, remember?”
Aspen’s eyes shot open. Sitting up in bed, she searched around for her phone to check the date. Sure enough, she had one. The thought of being able to see the twin’s sweet faces put a little pep in Aspen’s step. Lavender helped her off the bed and followed her into the bathroom, watching her every move.
“Dang, Lavender. Am I on suicide watch or something?”
“No, but we need to talk. You’ve been cooped up in this room since you got here. It’s time you pick up your life and start living, Aspen.”
“It’s not that easy for me.”
“Nothing in life is easy, especially not a breakup. I can only imagine how hard it’s hitting you with you being pregnant, but I’m not about to let you dwell in it. I know you loved Lance, but I need you to hear me when I say this.”
With her toothbrush in her mouth, Aspen looked at Lavender and nodded for her to continue.
“Fuck. Lance.”
The toothbrush hit the mirror along with toothpaste splattering all over it. For the first time in weeks, Aspen released a genuine laugh, one that tightened her stomach. She assumed Lavender was about to give her a lecture about why the breakup was best for her and how she needed to move on. Cussing Lance out wasn’t what she expected but appreciated.
Throwing her dry face towel at Lavender, Aspen joked. “I can’t stand you. You had me really thinking you were about to say something meaningful.”
“What?” Lavender’s brows curved and dipped. “That was the most meaningful thing I had to say about his ass. Have you seen how he’s been acting on social media? I’ve been wanting to jump through the screen and choke his ass.”
“Trust me, I’ve seen it. I had to turn off the notifications for his posts and stories.”
“You need to unfollow him.”
Aspen agreed. “I do. Sitting back and watching him live while I try to pick up my life has been one of the things keeping me bound to the bed. I mean, this man really put me out hours after the breakup. He wasn’t even considerate enough to give me time to find a place to stay.”
“Exactly. That goes to show he’s never cared like he put on.” Lavender inched closer to Aspen and placed her hand on her stomach. “You’re free from him, Aspen. You can live your life as you please. Don’t think because y’all will share two beautiful babies that you can’t fully move on. You can.”
