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“I do, but I was getting dressed in the dressing room at NOLA Skyline because it’s cold outside. So now I gotta get dressed in your room.”

“We gotta get dressed in your room,” Aspen corrected.

“Y’all have rooms at y’all mama house to get dressed,” I replied just to get a reaction out of them, but they both rolled their eyes.

“Anyways, we’ll be at your house in about an hour and a half, Bubby,” Aspen stated.

Chapter 14

Lourdes

Today had taken an unexpected turn that I wouldn’t have dreamt up in a million years. I was aware that Armias had once in a lifetime type of dick, but going out sad over it was a choice and Nazaria had obviously made hers. She was hell bent on doing whatever she could to bring us down to the gutter with her. I understood she was hurt, but if being in your feelings had you trying to start social media beef everyday and calling in bomb threats then you probably needed to do some soul searching. I was grateful that my heartbreak didn’t make me lash out and do embarrassing shit. I never once took any of my frustration out on Naz because she never did me anything, but she didn’t respect the grace I’d given her. She thought I was a pussy ass bitch or maybe she felt confident to do and say whatever she wanted because I was pregnant. I didn’t know what her reasons were behind her latest stunt, but if I ran into her after I had my baby it was on site. As of today I made the decision to push Naz’s failed attempt at ruining my day to the back of my mind.

I was disappointed that NOLA Skyline was no longer an option, but Armias’ brand new house was spacious and beautiful. I wasn’t sure how the decorator and her team were going to pull off everything in a new space, but when I arrived at the house all my doubts went away. Everybody was getting busy and everything was coming together better than it would have at NOLA Skyline. My mom was already there with her makeup professionally done and her hair pin curled because Fendi had done her a quick weave yesterday. She gave me the run down of everything they were doing differently because they had more space to cover. Naturally, the price was going up because the job was bigger and the decorator had to reach out to a table and chair vendor at the last minute. Armias had told her to do whatever she needed to do and he Zelle’d her on the spot with a hefty tip, so she and her team were going hard. Based on what I already saw, I was pleased and my spirits lifted. When Armias and I walked downstairs together hours later to make our grand entrance I was blown away. If my makeup wasn’t flawless I would have been boo-hoo crying, but I held it together and told myself to cry before bed tonight.

For starters, there was a pink and white balloon arch with Hello Kitty faces and bows poking out along the staircase banister and a large custom welcome sign was at the bottom of the stairs. The custom floor decal was Hello Kitty themed and read “Hello Baby! Showering Alouri Rose Pierre!” and it was right in the middle of the foyer floor. The long and wide hallway that led to the living room was my favorite because it was draped off in hot pink drapes. A lifesize cutout of Armias and I from our maternity shoot was also right by the entrance, and I was grateful that my baby daddy had pressed the issue to be involved in the photoshoot. The ceiling of the hallway was covered in balloons that came in white and various shades of pink. Beautiful pink flowers lined the hallway floor in baby pink vases. When we entered the living room and were greeted by our excited guest I was not only amazed by everybody showing up in a timely fashion to a new location, but I was also amazed that they’d managed to drape off the living room and continue on with the balloon ceiling, too. The hot pink drapes covered every wall and the balloon ceiling was even more impressive in an open space. They’d totally transformed Armias’ house beyond my wildest imagination. It really felt like we were at a grand event hall. All the circular tables were topped in baby pink tablecloths along with elaborate flowers and Hello Kitty cutouts as centerpieces. The chairs had white covers on them with big baby pink bows on the back. The focal point of the room was our back drop that was right next to our cake and sweets set up. Three different sized light pink back drop arches were accompanied by a balloon arch that looked just like the one on the stair case and a lifesized Hello Kitty cut out. A hot pink sweetheart sofa with custom pillows that had Hello Kitty and our baby’s name on them was in front of the backdrop. Overall, everything turned out better than it would have if we had it at NOLA Skyline. After Armias and I greeted our guests and took a seat, I made a quick, petty post on my IG story. I snapped a photo of the room and posted it with the caption “Location change worked out for the better! God works in mysterious ways. Baby shower of my dreams, for real!” Then to really dig the knife into that bitches wound I post a selfie of Armias and I kissing. I was done being humble. If Naz was going to be a mad ass bitch then I was going to give her a reason.

“On ya’ head, hoe! Bopping!” We were three and a half hours into our baby shower and the DJ had bounce music spinning. Showboy CJ’s On Ya Head, Pt. 2 always got the girls out of their seats and a baby shower in New Orleans was no exception. In other places people were probably mindful of their elders but most of ours was on bullshit with us. For the few who weren't they understood this was the culture, so they minded their business and didn’t judge. That’s how it was in my family and from past events I’d learned that Armias’ family was the same way, so everybody at our baby shower was getting along just fine.

“Yeaaaa, Lo!”

I was sure that was Dream hyping me up. I didn’t know for certain because I was bent over wobbling my ass on Armias. We’d taken pictures, everyone had eaten multiple times and made use of the open bar, and we played several games. The only thing I hadn’t done was open gifts, but they weren’t going anywhere and we didn’t have a time limit because we were at my man’s house. If I wanted to take a dance break I was going to do that. I hadn’t shaken my ass in so long that I forgot how fun it was. I thought I’d be easily winded, but I was going to town. I had come up out of my silver Rene Caovoli Cleo Crystal Heels and I put on generic silver slides hours ago. I didn’t bother with a designer option because most of them hurt. I was comfortable and having the time of my life.

“Alright,” Armias laughed while making me stand up straight. “This is too much movement for my baby. She probably in distress wondering what the fuck is going on.”

That garnered laughter from everyone within an earshot. I was about to give him a piece of my mind until I realized I was in fact winded. I guess my adrenaline was pumping when I was dancing and being hyped up by half of the room.

Armias must have noticed that I was really tired because his smile had vanished and he quickly led me to the sofa that was a few feet away. He retrieved my Hello Kitty Stanley that was filled with ice cold water from behind the sofa.

“Uh-oh, I think she’s tired,” Denim tittered.

“Shit, I’m tired for her and I’m not even pregnant,” Qaylo’s wife, Amil, giggled with their daughter on her hip. She was so pretty with her deep dimples, long, curly hair, and pink Dior outfit. My future with my baby girl was so bright.

He leaned in closer to me. “Doll Baby…”

“You don’t have to lecture me, daddy. I’m going to chill,” I smirked before kissing his lips. I pulled away and immediately started wiping my lip combo off his lips. My mama popped up out of nowhere with a damp napkin and handed it to me. This had become an ongoing thing because we couldn’t keep our lips off each other. I’d never been this comfortable with PDA in front of my family, but I wasn’t thinking twice about it today.

My mom was hosting the babyshower, so she got on the mic and announced that it was time for me to start opening gifts. My Auntie Luna, Armias’ Auntie Peaches and Auntie Nette, and Qaylo’s mom, Shakie, had volunteered to bring the gifts to the front bit by bit because the overflowing gift table was at the back of the room. There was no way all of these gifts were getting opened at this shower. Covering half of them would have to suffice.

“I’ll help, too!” Rahesha jumped up when she noticed Shakie switching past her. They had some weird energy between them whenever they were in the same room. They were cordial, but it was evident they weren’t friends. I asked Armias about it and he gave me all the tea. According to Rahesha, Shakie had fucked with Big Armias first before moving on to Quincy Senior and having Qaylo. Rahesha was also good friends with Velvet, Quincy Senior’s ex main chick and the mother of his twin boys. Velvet had burned bridges with the Pierre family, including her own son, so she was no longer welcomed to family functions. Rahesha felt a way on her friend's behalf because the side chick who’d been passed around the family got to come and go freely. For years, Shakie was someone no one respected because she was a piss poor mother but things had changed drastically. She was an upstanding, hands on grandmother, she’d found herself a good man and had gotten married, and she fixed her relationship with her son. Everyone obviously acknowledged her growth and gave her a second chance, but Rahesha felt as though she didn’t deserve it. I guess she jumped up to help because she didn’t want Shakie outdoing her at her son’s baby shower. I would have gotten a kick out of it, but I was irritated about what Rahesha had on.

The invitation clearly stated the mandatory dress code was any shade of pink and or white. Everybody had complied, but I think going against dress codes was a kink that Rahesha had. She wore black leather pants, furry black stiletto boots, a leather bandana hat, and a black mesh top. The only thing that had pink in it was her cropped mink jacket and most of that was black, too. She’d removed the jacket a while ago, so she was a spec of black in my sea of pink and white. I tried to ignore her, but now that she was strutting down the middle of the walkway I couldn’t help but see her. If it had been anybody else I’d give them the benefit of the doubt of this being a mistake, but Rahesha had done this one too many times in the past. It was done purposely and I hated that we were letting it slide.

“How hard is it to follow a fucking dress code? I hate stupid ass bitches,” my mama spat under her breath.

I held back laughter while Armias hung his head and shook it. He was just as agitated as me when noticed his mom. We exchanged silent looks but we didn’t say anything about it. I never wanted to be the person who put somebody out because they weren’t in the right attire. Causing a scene over something like that could shift the energy and I didn’t want that. But Rahesha was playing in our faces and I was over it. My mom was, too, and I could tell she was done with biting her tongue.

The gift opening started when they returned with a handful of gifts and sat them in front of us. Auntie Luna stayed at the front to hand us gifts one by one. We opened Kyree and Kamaria’s gift first and I could hardly contain my excitement because they’d got the pink bathtub along with all the bath time necessities off my registry. But they also got our baby a bunch of pink Burberry and Ralph Lauren outfits ranging in different sizes. As I continued to open gifts I noticed that was a pattern with the Pierre’s. They bought something that was on the registry but they also bought something expensive, fly, and best of all, pink. When I first laid eyes on Baby Quincy I went on and on complimenting her Dior outfit just for Qaylo and Amil to get Alouri multiple pink Dior outfits. My cheeks were hurting so much from smiling. Me being in a good mood must have been a greenlight for people to try my life.

My Auntie Luna was first to blow me. I had just opened her gift and it was Juicy Couture onesies along with a bunch of other things I’d put on the registry, so I was happy. Armias and I were thanking her when she decided to bend down and whisper some dumb shit to me.

“That’s from me and your cousin, niece. I know she wanted to be here but you know she’s due any day now.”

I kept smiling but I blinked rapidly before looking away. I wasn’t even going to acknowledge that dumb shit she’d just said. I didn’t feel the need to announce that Lyss was uninvited from my baby shower. I didn’t even reach out and let her know. I’d blocked that bitch on everything. I didn’t even want her hating ass to see me shining on IG, but I’m sure like most haters she found a way to watch. I told my mom and Granny several times over that I was done with Lyss. They hated to hear that and were optimistic that we could overcome it because our family was close, but they also agreed that she was dead wrong for teaming up with her friend to go against me. My mom and her sister were thick as thieves and talked multiple times everyday, so they’d more than likely discussed this. Auntie Luna knew what was up but I hadn’t held Lyss’ actions against her because my Auntie had also been good to me. She was damn near like a second mom, but I knew come hell or high water she’d side with the bitch she carried for nine months. That hurt because I loved my Auntie. Shit, I loved my cousin but she obviously hated me and I couldn’t have that energy around me. I damn sure didn’t want her at my baby shower that was taking place at my man’s house. She’d probably give her friends the address and have them pull up to seduce him or something. I just didn’t trust the bitch anymore because she’d shown me her hand.

After ignoring my Auntie, here comes Rahesha dressed like the Undertaker in his biker era. She was smiling from ear to ear while holding up familiar pink shopping bags. She also had her phone out recording as if we didn’t have a professional photographer and videographer capturing everything. I was glad we decided to go with both because not only was our baby shower beautiful but we looked damn good as a couple, too. Of course my Daisie Martelle original was a huge hit along with my Rene’s, my Barbie beat, and my curly up-do. But my man complemented me well with his Moncler pink sweater that was in the same shade as my dress, white Ivory Moncler trousers, and white and pink Louis Vuitton Trainer sneakers. The diamonds around his neck and in his rolex complemented the diamonds in his bottom grills. I personally loved that he still wore them today and didn’t let the fact that it was our baby shower stop him. He could wear his grills when we got married for all I cared. It was a part of what made him him. I embraced and loved it all.

“Okay, y’all need to open mine,” she said excitedly.