"How's Kennedy?" My mom questioned. Her and I were downtown at this ice cream shop after a day of her spoiling Ava like crazy, she wasn't even here yet but she'd  bought her so much stuff. I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know, I'm sure she's good."

"You don't know?" she asked with suspicion. "You two haven't been talking?" My mother knew Kennedy was the main person I hung out with.

"Not lately," I shook my head as I put a scoop of ice cream in my mouth, "you know, we're both busy. Her with her boyfriend, and I think she's taking some summer classes. I'm trying to get ready for Ava, and find a new place, which honestly I'm thinking about moving back home. My lease will be up soon." I said with a smile, hoping she'd be gung-ho for me moving back in.

"What about school? You have one year left, and I told you that you weren't dropping out." She gave me a look letting me know she was serious.

"I'm not, but I'll need help with the baby. I'm thinking about taking a semester off, and going back in the winter."

"I don't know Aria," she started with hesitation, "I think you should continue in the Fall."

"Juggling a newborn and my classes mom? Ava will be all of like a month and a half when school starts. And who is going to watch her? I don't trust nobody here like that."

"Which gives you the six weeks that's recommended. You can do it, I'll be here to help. Matter of fact, I'll take some time off and be your babysitter starting off. I just don't want you to get complacent. It's easy to do that when juggling a baby."

I sighed, I understood where she was coming from. "Well, I need this in writing. I don't need you trying to act like you didn't say you were going to watch her," I said with a laugh.

She rolled her eyes with a smile, "I would never, I want you to finish school and I'm already excited for her, you're going to have more of a problem with me giving her back to you than me watching her."

"Well what am I going to do about an apartment though? I seriously haven't found one yet and my lease is up in a month and I'll also be having Ava in a month sooo..." I knew Jason was talking about moving this way but nothing had been set in stone nor was I about to just move in with him that quickly.

"I mean you can come home for the time being, I don't have a problem with that. I just had a problem with the school situation. We can look at places while I'm here and have Landon go with you when I leave."

"Landon?" I asked with a stank face.

"Nuh un, don't do that. You got pregnant by him." She remarked.

I rolled my eyes. "Not on purpose!"

"Mmhm, I like him though." She gave a small smile as her eyes met mine. Of course she liked him, I could see how Landon could be easily liked, but if she knew Landon she wouldn't be saying this.

"Yeah, he's cool - sometimes." I emphasized as I scrapped the bottom of the cup, playing with it since all the ice cream was now gone.

"And I think he likes you." She continued. I stopped what I was doing, putting the cup on the table and leaning back to truly focus on my mom. "He can like me all he wants, but he has some serious growing up to do ma."

She nodded, "I'm sure of that. I can tell he's a little young minded but he seems sincere."

"He seems sincere?" I questioned. "How you figure that?"

"He makes it obvious he's into you, I just think he doesn't know how to show it appropriately. He gives playboy vibes a little, and you know playboys get what they want and knowing you he's not getting that from you and he doesn't know how to handle it probably. So he's probably messed it all up with you. But he seems to be constantly trying." I didn't respond as a moment of silence hit us, "why are you so against him?" She questioned.

"I'm not against him." I defended, "he's just done some fucked up things and like I said, he has growing up to do. I wouldn't even be dealing with him at all if I wasn't pregnant."

"But you are." She stated, "give him some room to grow." She continued, "I'm not saying be with him by any means, but you will have to deal with this man for years to come. Help him to learn you Aria, it was a little tense at this dinner so I know something is going on. You two have to learn how to communicate appropriately for the sake of that child."

I knew she had a point. I didn't have time to respond as I heard my name being called, I looked up seeing Jodie nearing me. I gave him a small smile as he looked over in my mothers direction, "who is this beauty?" He asked with a pearly white smile. I rolled my eyes at his slick flirtation.

My mom smiled, "I'm Mrs. Williams, and you are handsome?" She drank him in like she wasn't a married woman and he wasn't damn near twenty years younger than her. Jodie was quite attractive though, his dark skin, long dreads, and pretty smile gave hood sophisticated.

"I'm Jodie," he responded as he stuck out his hand, my mother took it as he place a kiss on her hand. I rolled my eyes hard as fuck, the both of them were doing the most. She looked over at me with the biggest smile on face. "This is Ava's Godfather." I stated to let her know this was one of Landon's friends; and indeed the friend he choose as the Godfather.

"Oh, so you're Landon's friend?" She questioned to be sure.

He laughed, "yes ma'am."

"We were just talking about him." She continued.

"Mom stop." I demanded, the last thing I needed Jodie doing was going back and telling him that. Shit, he was the reason my pregnancy got out.

"No please continue." Jodie stated as I gave him a death stare. My mother listened as she waved it off, "it wasn't too much, just that I think he likes hers." Well I thought she was going to listen.

Jodie nodded, "yeah I'm pretty sure that's a fact, that even she knows. Sometimes I feel like they are together. They argue like a married couple, then turn around and be good like one too." He finished off.

"Apparently they have sex like married couples too,"my mom said with attitude as she looked at my belly causing a laugh out of Jodie.

I rolled my eyes once again, "are you two done?" I questioned with attitude. "Cause I'm done with this, matter of fact" I looked at the time on my phone, "it's almost time for you to hit the road mom." I got up, throwing away our trash. As I returned to the table Jodie was laughing and saying his goodbyes. "It was nice meeting you," he finished as she said the same thing. He turned and looked at me telling me bye as well as letting me know he liked my mother.

"I'm sure," I said with a roll of my eyes. The two were borderline flirting. My mother got up grabbing the bags filled with stuff she bought for Ava and we walked out the parlor.

"He's a little cutie." She mentioned as we walked to the car. "If I was about twenty years younger — "

"Ew mom stop!" I interrupted as she started laughing, "I wasn't even going to say anything crazy."

Once we got back to my place my mom and I talked a bit more before she hit the road. Once she left I got comfortable knowing Mink would be coming over soon, we were growing closer and closer since Kennedy had been somewhat distant.

My phone started ringing as I started to get into the murder mystery I was watching on Hulu, I looked down seeing Jason's name pop up. I paused the show before answering cause I was really interested in this one.

"I'm ready to see you again." Jason cooed over the phone. I couldn't help but smile, "you were just here you know?"

"And I'm ready to be back." I felt like a little schoolgirl talking to him sometimes. "Well, I might be back that way before you come back this way." I let be known.

"Is that right?" he asked real seductively. I nodded as if he could see me, "yeah, my mom's throwing a baby shower there in a few weeks."

"Am I invited?" He questioned.

"I mean if you want to come, you can. Landon's supposed to possibly be there though." I knew the two of them butt heads and I didn't want any of that at the baby shower.

He chuckled, "I don't give a fuck about him. I tried to hash shit out with him. I ain't gon' pay that little boy no attention."

I shook my head, "I was just letting you know. Speaking of, why did you tell him we were moving in together? We spoke of you coming this way not us living together."

"I know, I'm sorry but he was really getting to me and he just needs to get it through his head I'm in the picture."

"Well Jason causing extra issues isn't going to help so please don't do no shit like that again." There was a knock on my door, letting me know Mink had arrived. I walked to the door as Jason apologized again and let it be known it was childish of him to do that.

"Hey girllll!" Mink yelled as soon as I opened the door, "you so cute with your pregnant ass!" she smiled wide as I returned the smile before speaking with Jason again. "I'm going to call you back. Mink just got here." He laughed, "okay, I'll talk to you later baby." I hung up the phone as Mink looked like she was trying to figure something out.

"Jason?" She finally asked. I rolled my eyes as I took the sparkling cider out of her hand, seeing she had a bottle of wine in the other. "Mink, you met him earlier this week." I walked to the kitchen, placing the cider in the freezer to get it cold, seeing she still had a look of confusion on her face, which I didn't understand. "From back home, has a daughter. Damn I only introduced you to one person."

"Ohh, him. That's right. So y'all still talking?" I nodded not understanding why she would think we still wouldn't be. "Yeah, why wouldn't I still be talking to him?" I questioned as I crossed my arms.

She caught that I felt some type of way about the statement, she laughed, "relax, I just think he's sketch."

"Why?"

She grabbed a wine class and then started to open the wine bottle. "Listen, I know you a bomb ass chick. But one, you're pregnant, two, you aren't throwing no pussy. Three, he lives in another city, four, he's cute as hell and nice as hell. Five, something just ain't right."

"He can't just be a good man who recognizes a good woman when he sees one?" I was slightly offended. "Not every man just wants pussy Mink."

She got the wine bottle open and then put everything on the counter and focused on me. "I'm aware of that, I just think it's weird."

"And I was barely pregnant when I ran into him again though. Not like I was like this," I pointed to my stomach, "and then he tried to get with me." I stated to further make my case. There were plenty of men who got with women who were pregnant simply because they liked them for them.

"Okay, but him choosing a pregnant girl, withholding pussy in another city is sus sis."

"Well ain't nobody me." I reminded her. She smiled as she shook her head. "And that's a fact." She easily responded, "and I'm not trying to rile you up or make you second guess anything but you know I state how I feel. Just watch that shit."

I tried not to think too much of it as she started pouring herself a glass of wine. "What we watching?" She asked as I made my way back towards the living room?

"I really want to finish this murder mystery." She perked up as a smile came to her face, "hell yeah! Let's do it!"

I smiled as she made her way to sit beside me. Her comments did bother me a little, but I knew it was only because there was some truth to it. But I brushed it off and intended to enjoy this girls night with her.