Page 27 of When It’s All Said And Done

“Hey, Mommy,” Nyla greeted before hugging me. “Hey, Desmo–.”

“Go inside while the adults talk, Baby Girl,” Nas instructed.

“Ok, Daddy.”

“This must be the supposed boyfriend?” Nas quizzed with his hands folded across his chest. “And here I was thinkin’ that you’d made him up because he was never around when you really needed him.”

“Nas,” I urged as I tried to heed off the tension.

“Look it wasn’t my intention to stand you up, and I’ve been more than ready to reschedule it whenever you’re free,” Desmond reasoned.

“It’s gonna be awhile before I free up any of my time for somebody who has wasted it before. So, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting on that date.”

“But you got enough free time to be ridin’ around in Nessa’s car though.”

“Ridin’ ‘round in her car,” he sinisterly chuckled as he repeated what Desmond had just said. “I can’t believe this the goofy you decided to get serious with. Aye, look Nessa, here go yo’ car. I found it in some abandoned lot. I need y’all ready to move by Friday.”

“Move?!” Desmond gasped.

“Ok, we’ll be ready, Nas. Thanks for findin’ my car. I’ll have Nyla call you later.”

“Alright, Baby Mama. Call me if you need anything else ‘cause you know I gotcha.”

He sized Desmond hard before walking off and getting into a black SUV. I could feel Desmond burning a hole in the side of my face. This wasn’t the circumstance that I wanted Desmond to find any of this out, but the cat was out of the bag now. As I thought of how much talking this damage control was going to take, I stepped inside with him right behind me. Hell, I’m just glad I wasn’t picking him up off the concrete from Nas knocking him out for being disrespectful.

“Nessa, what happened to yo’ car? And what this nigga talkin’ ‘bout we’re movin’? When did all of this fuckin’ take place?”

“For one you’ve been in and out since I said you could move in with us. I don’t know what that’s about, but you’ve dropped the ball when I’ve been needin’ you most. Secondly, my car was stolen yesterday which was the reason for me callin’ you first three times but not getting an answer. I didn’t know yesterday yo’ phone was broken, so I had to reach out to Nas.Like he just said he found it for me thankfully.”

“Ok, but that doesn’t answer the question ‘bout us movin’.”

“That’s because there is no us. It’s just me and Nyla?”

“Y’all movin’ in with this nigga?!”

“Calm the fuck down. No, we not movin’ in with him. He, uh, brough us a house.”

“Where I’m supposed to go?”

“I mean where you been hangin’ but if that don’t work out you can stay here by yo’self. Look listen let’s go in my room, so I give you all the details and you’re in the loop movin’ forward.”

“Yeah, I need a rundown on everything.”

Moving day came quicker than I thought but I couldn’t lie and say I wasn’t excited about it. These last few days had been filled with packing, reassuring Desmond and keeping Nas off my back about Desmond. Today, I was going be just as stressed as I was that day they met on the porch because they were both adamant about helping me load the U-haul. When me and Desmond were catching up, he’d informed me that he’d gotten a new job. The only thing was that he started on Friday and could only help that morning because he had to go in at one o’clock.

Somehow the U-haul Nas rented wasn’t ready until noon. That would only allow Desmond to help me for a little before he had to leave. We were waiting for Nas to pull up with the truck, so we moved all the boxes into the living room that way they’d all be in one spot. When I saw Nas pulling up through the window, I stepped on the porch. I came out here to tell Nas to be on his best behavior then I saw Chance get out the U-haul and I gave up.

“I’m here to help you keep the peace,” Chance explained as they walked up on me. “Because you ain’t gonna be able to get Nas off that nigga if he comes out the neck sideways again.”

“Chance, please keep your cousin under control,” I begged.

“All you gotta do is drop this goofy and I’ll behave,” Nas voiced.

“Nas, I can’t do that,” I dropped my head.

“Then keep yo’ nigga out my way and I’ll be straight. Don’t he gotta be to work anyways?”

“He does but he’s gonna help load the boxes in the truck.”