Twenty six

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Victoria

"Nine times out of ten, I'm in my feelings
But ten times out of nine, I'm only human
Tell me, what did I do wrong?
Feel like that question has been posed
I'm movin' on..."

Vanessa and I sang to Love Drought from Lemonade as I drove around the Galleria parking garage looking for a spot. That song was one of my favorites and I swore that I would never get tired of hearing it.

It was the day after Thanksgiving and Vanessa and I were going Black Friday shopping just to get out the house. I had to bribe her with her favorite meal, nachos, because she really didn't wanna walk around all day. This was new because both of us preferred to shop online. I guess I was just in the mood for a new experience.

Since we weren't really talking to our parents, we, as in me, Kareem, Vanessa, and Kaseem, decided to just chill at the house. The traditional Thanksgiving meal didn't interest us so we had ribs, sausage, dirty rice, and a bunch of other non traditional Thanksgiving food. It was a good time nonetheless.

I was kinda bummed that Kai wasn't with us because with each day that we were were around each other, I was growing more and more attached to her. She was so beautiful, inside and out, loving and effortlessly entertaining that I couldn't help but fall in love with her.

Finally finding a parking spot since someone was leaving, I turned Kareem's Jeep Wrangler into it. I wasn't tryna fall the hell out, so I had him put the doors back on before he left that morning.

Due to my truck being totaled out, I was riding around in Kareem's stuff. I was grateful that I had a way from point A to point B, but there will never be a feeling similar to having our own.

Within the next few months I'd probably have enough saved up to buy a new vehicle. I'd been looking at Mercedes G-Wagons for a while and I really liked them.

After having his people check the cameras of not only my shop, but also the places surrounding it, Kareem wasn't able to find out who did the damage. They couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman because the person was so covered up and didn't leave and DNA behind.

Kareem said it was best that we didn't get the insurance people involved because somehow the police would grow interested in the situation and then shit would start crumbling.

I was just doing whatever I had to do in order to stay safe- including going everywhere with his damn guards following me. At first it was irritating and uncomfortable as hell. But, after a few weeks it was like they weren't there.

"Cause you! You!"

Turning the key and taking it out of the ignition, I couldn't help but make a face at Vanessa's no singing ass. She really cannot sing to save her life but she's always the loudest person when a song comes on.

When she noticed that I was staring at her, Vanessa stopped singing and made a face at me. "Don't look at me like that."

I mimicked the face she was making, "Don't sing like that then."

Rolling her eyes, Vanessa waved me off and got out the truck. "Girl boo."

After getting my purse from the back, I locked up the car, took a picture of the parking spot so that I could find the car later, and waited on Vanessa to finish taking selfies.

Nothing new.

From the corner of my eye, I saw two men coming from the other side of that level of the parking garage. When I looked in their direction, they nodded at me and I recognized them to be two of the many guards that were sent by Kareem. They continued walking to the elevators.

"Where we going first," Vanessa questioned, finally done with her mini photo shoot.

Nobody could tell my baby sister that she wasn't beautiful because she wouldn't believe them. I was so grateful for her level of confidence, especially since she's been through so much in her life. I would wait for her to finish taking selfies in a hot ass parking garage any day as long as she loved herself.

"To the food court. I'm sure you want some Auntie Anne's," I replied with a knowing smirk on my face, pressing the button for the elevator.

Every time the two of us went to the mall together she just had to go get her cinnamon pretzel bites. Then we had to go to Starbucks to get my piece of coffee cake and both of our Passion Tea Lemonades.

Vanessa grinned. "You know me so well."

"Mhm."

The elevator finally stopped and the two of us got off.  Making our way to the food court through the crowds of people, we passed up the ice skating rink before finally reaching the food court.

"Okay now where are we going," Vanessa asked, munching on her pretzel.

"Gymboree. I gotta get my babies something," I spoke, referring to Kai and my niece or nephew that would be born within the next four months.

Nodding, Vanessa got some sanitizer out of her purse, following me towards the escalators because I wasn't even about to play her by going near stairs.

"I really admire the way that you took her in as your own. Not too many women are willing to do that."

"They ain't women then. Thank you for the props but I could never be one of those that try to take a father away from his kids."

"And that's why I fucks with you," she stated in a deep voice, making me laugh.

Vanessa put her hand out so that we could do our handshake that we made when she was 6 and I was 13. We just wanted something between the two of us. Eventually Samir found out about it and was acting like a big baby so we made a new one that all three of us could participate in.

Damn I miss my brother.

"All these damn people," I mumbled as we walked into the packed store.

I regretted complaining about being cooped up in the house since I'd finished my clients on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. After seeing the long lines there was nothing that I wanted to do more than go home and lay in the bed, filling my online shopping cart up with everything that I wanted to buy.

Vanessa smacked her lips, "You the one that wanted to come to the mall. I was fine with ordering online and paying that high ass shipping."

"Shut up," I mumbled once again, not wanting to admit that she was right.

"No you shut up- did this lil nigga just push me?" Looking in her direction, I watched as Vanessa had a mug on her face, still staring the way that the little boy went. It was like she was frozen in space and I couldn't help but laugh at the look on her face.

"Vanessa please calm your reckless ass down," finally calming down from my laughing fit, I tried to relax her before I was bailing her out of jail for hurting somebody's ill mannered child.

"It ain't me that's reckless, it's these kids. Who in the hell brings their kids to the mall on Black Friday anyways."

She rolled her eyes before slurping whatever was left of her Icee and looking around the store like she was getting paid to be a damn snitch.

Vanessa would probably do it for free.

Shaking my head, I went back to looking through the clothes for something that caught my eye.

"Victoria."

I didn't pay her any mind because I was too busy gawking over all the cute clothes I was finding.

My babies are gonna look so adorable in this stuff. I thought, smiling at the thought of Kai and my soon-to-be godbaby.

Of course I was gonna be the godmother and I wasn't having it any other way. Well it's not really like there were too many options because we didn't mess with many.

I had been shopping since a few months after I talked to Vanessa in my loft about her moving out of our parents house.

Over the short amount of time, she really started changing for the better. She was spending less on herself and more on the baby. The only reason why I hadn't bought any diapers or hygiene necessities was because the baby's room was already full of any and everything that they may ever need. I was proud of her and Kaseem for making sure that their child wouldn't have to go without.

"These are cute," I mumbled, scanning my eyes over the thick, patterned leggings that I knew Kai would love. Picking through the neat stack, I found her size and then added them to the rest of the clothes that I was planning on buying.

"Victoria, this is important." Vanessa tapped my shoulder and spoke with urgency in her voice.

Looking up with my eyebrows furrowed, I expected her dramatic ass to be going into labor but she was staring towards the entrance of the door.

I followed her eyes to the guy that had just walked in, not missing the security that went everywhere with us.

There was one at the front of the store talking to the cashier. Another was right outside, sitting on one of the benches with a footlocker bag in his hand and a phone up to his ear. I could see another across the way at another store.

I wouldn't be surprised if Kareem sent people to watch this whole mall. He was on some secret service type shit, but I couldn't complain. I liked the fact that I could feel protected even when he wasn't with me in the flesh.

At the sight of the guy who was alone with the baby stroller, my mouth dropped. The resemblance made me want to break down in tears. But, I wasn't gonna do that in the mall because I was sure that it was only a coincidence even though the only thing that distinguished this man from my late brother was the color of his eyes.

"Is that Samir?"

"Can't be."

The two of us spoke at the same time, shocked that this guy looked so much like our brother. I know a lot of times I wished he was still alive but if he was like those undertaker ass niggas who faked his death for some dumb ass reason, I was gonna fight him right in the store that we were in.

Before I knew it, Vanessa had grabbed my arm and pulled me over to him. She tapped his shoulder and he looked up, confused. Switching his gaze between the two of us a few times, his eyebrows furrowed even more.

Vanessa was the first to speak, "I'm sorry, but you look like our late brother Samir."

"Nah, I'm Rondell." His mouth dropped in what seemed to be realization and he rubbed his hand over his head. "Wait... Y-y'all are Vanessa and Victoria."

"In the flesh," Vanessa replied with a sheepish grin on her face. I was happy that she did because I could barely think.

"It's a small world."

"It really is. How do you know us?"

"My biological father's name is Victor Marshall. He cheated on y'all's momma with mine. I always heard him and my momma talking about his other family  so I knew I had more siblings. He tried to hard to keep me and mine away from y'all though. A few months ago I ran across Vanessa's Instagram on the Explore page and I was lurkin' because you looked familiar. I been contemplatin' on reaching out because I've always been afraid of rejection. I guess it was meant for us to meet like this."

How the fuck could our dad hide some shit like this from us?

"Wow." That was the only thing that I could say.

"Right."

His daughter started making noise, causing us to look down at her.

"She's beautiful," Vanessa cooed, smiling at the baby. She smiled back at Vanessa, flashing her toothless grin.

"What's her name?"

"Thank you. Her name is Serenity and she's nine months old."

Vanessa asked if she could play with her and Rondell assured her that it was fine.

"How old are you?" I didn't mean to interrogate him, but I was curious. If you didn't find out that you had another sibling until they were grown and had a kid, how would you feel?

Aight then.

"I just turned 24 on the 15th of October."

"Wow," I replied, shaking my head with a small smile on my face.

A part of me was happy that I finally met Rondell because I've always had suspicions about an outside child. However, the other part of me was pissed the hell off. It seemed like my parents kept surprising me more and more each day.

Reaching into my grey Chanel cross body bag, I pulled it my phone and unlocked it, going to the phone app. "Can we exchange numbers and continue this talk over lunch or something?"

"Most definitely," Rondell agreed, nodding his head and getting out his phone as well.

I put both my number as well as Vanessa's into his phone before calling Vanessa so that she would have his number, and then we switched back.

"Who this, baby?"

Turning to where the voice came from, we were faced with a really pretty girl who had Ralph Lauren packages in her hands. I assumed that was the mother of Rondell's daughter by how possessive she was acting as soon as she walked up.

Chillat boo. I don't want ya man.

Rondell's grin seemed to have gotten wider when she grabbed onto his forearm, leaning into him. I could tell that he was really in love with her just by the energy he gave off when she showed up.

I fucks with it.





"These are my sisters I was tellin' you about. Baby, Vanessa and Victoria. Y'all, my girlfriend and the mother of my daughter, Serene."

I watched as her body relaxed, a small smile taking over her face as she blushed in embarrassment. Serene sheepishly tucked her hair behind her left ear, not allowing the diamond ring on the ring finger of her left hand to go unnoticed.

"My bad."

Smirking, I replied, "I'm not tripping. Claim what's yours."

Vanessa eventually stopped plying with Serenity and joined our convo. We continued to talk for a few more minutes before Serenity started getting restless and Serene and Rondell decided to leave.

"Congrats on your baby, Vanessa. We'll see y'all later," Serenity said with a smile on her face.

"Be careful out here."

"You too. See y'all later."

We all exchanged hugs before they left out the store.

Exhaling, I turned to Vanessa, "That went well."

She nodded, "It did."

*

"Ridin' around in my whip, listenin' to my shit
She wanna hear track six, she told me that's her jam
Baby girl said I got the title, got a nigga feelin' like Michael-"

My music lowered and the default iPhone ringtone blared throughout the truck. Baby was calling.

Taking my right hand off the wheel, I reached into the cup holder where my phone was and slid the green button so that it would answer.

"Where you at," Kareem questioned as soon as I answered the phone causing me to tune my face up.

"No hey?"

"Hey baby. Where you at?"

"I'm on the way back to the house. I just dropped Vanessa off. What's up?"

"I just called to make sure you good."

"Kareem, don't bullshit me."

Ain't no way he was just calling to make sure I'm good by the way that he didn't even greet me when I answered the phone. His ass is up to something.

Kareem sucked his teeth, "What are you talkin' about Victoria?"

"I'd appreciate it so much more if you were straight with me. Stop beatin' around the bush so fuckin much."

He sighed, getting ready to reply to me before he was cut off, "I'm-"

"Come here, baby." I heard Layla's voice in the background.

"Kareem what the fuck is going on right now," I questioned in a calm voice, trying not to flip my shit before I knew the full story. They did have a child together so I was giving the benefit of the doubt.

"You don't need this right now. Come on," followed by a giggle, was the last thing I heard before the dial tone.

"These mothafuckers tryna make me catch a case, I swear," I mumbled to myself, nodding slowly as I pulled into a parking space in front of CVS.

Once I got out the truck, I put my hand up towards the trucks that the guards were in, letting them know that I wouldn't be in for long and that they could stay in the car.

Entering the store, got what I needed, checked out, and then completed my commute to the house in complete silence. My mind was running wild.

Pulling into the garage, I cut the car off, got everything that I'd bought at the galleria and CVS and went into the house, straight to the master bedroom.

Dropping all the bags except the CVS one, I continued into the bathroom.

I opened all five of the boxes as soon as I hit the door before pulling my joggers and underwear down and sitting down on the toilet. I took turns doing what I needed to do on each of them and then wiped myself, flushed the toilet, fixed my clothes, and washed my hands.

Within the following ten minutes, I called Kareem once because I wasn't about to stress myself out. When his phone went straight to voicemail, I went down the hall to the utility room to start a load of colored clothes, wondering if I should get the bleach and be reckless or not.

The timer on my phone went off during my decision making process, bringing me out of my thoughts.

My hands became clammy as I walked from the utility room back to the master bedroom's bathroom.  Taking a deep breath, I looked at each of the pregnancy tests in anticipation.

Negative.

Negative.

Negative.

Negative.

Negative.
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I didn't edit.

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