Hey guys! I am BAACKK! Finals are DONE, which means I have freedom until January! I plan to update as much as I can over my break. Thank you guys for being patient with me.
It was a Sunday afternoon, and Jazmine was finally back at her home. She was sitting in the chair in the living room, looking out the window. Huey was on her way to drop of Lela. Jazmine could not wait for Huey's car to pull into the driveway. Despite having a nice time at Caesar's, she missed her little girl. Cindy laid on the couch next to her. She could not help but laugh at her best friend. Jazmine looked like Justin waiting for his daddy to come home.
"Don't laugh at me." Jazmine stuck her tongue out.
"Sorry, hun." Cindy chuckled. "Anyway, how was your weekend with Caesar? You never told me how that went."
Jazmine rolled her eyes. She knew her best friend too well. Cindy did not really care to see how her weekend was. She just wanted to if they had sex. "It was great…and before you ask, we did have sex- "
"AH!" Cindy screamed, shooting up from the couch. "How was it!?"
"It was great," Jazmine said blatantly. "Orgasm was 10/10. Actually the best sex I've had in since…you know who."
"Damn girl. Telling me all the juicy details." Cindy smirked. "Anyway, what else happened this weekend?"
"He made me breakfast, watched movies, went to the gym…told me he loved me." Jazmine counted on her fingers.
"Whoa, what!" Cindy gasped. "He told you he loved you!"
"Yeah…and I said it back."
"Aww Jazzy! Good for you!"
"I didn't mean it though." Jazmine hesitantly admitted, nervously gripping at her shirt.
"Oh." Cindy sighed, her tone of voice shifting from excited to disappoint. "Jazzy, why would you say if you didn't mean it?"
"I don't know." Jazmine groaned, slumping in her chair. "I panicked! I mean, don't get me wrong. Caesar is great. He's polite, treats me like a queen, and is great to Lela. I enjoy being with him, But I just don't feel that "spark" with him. "
"Spark? Girl this ain't the notebook!" Cindy retorted.
"Oh come on Cindy. You know that spark you get whenever you're with Riley?"
Cindy thought about it. She had always struggled with showing her emotions. She was as tough as a rock. The only time Cindy cried was during pregnancy, and that one time on the basketball court when she was ten. Other than that, she would refuse to show any sign of weakness. That's why falling in love with Riley was difficult. It took her a long time to admit that she loved him. Though she would never say it out loud, she did feel that "spark" whenever she was with Riley. "I guess." Cindy shrugged.
"See, Huey and I had undeniable chemistry." Jazmine reminisced. "Whenever we kissed, hugged, cuddled, have sex, even argued, I felt something. I just…don't feel that with Caesar."
"I think we all feel like that about our first love, Jazzy." Cindy. "Like remember my ex, Hamilton?"
"Dear God." Jazmine cringed. Lamilton was known in their neighborhood for being his destructive behavior. Cindy made the mistake of dating him in high school. He was abusive towards Cindy, and it hurt Jazmine to watch her friend be in a terrible relationship. Riley ended up fighting him (he lost really badly) but his courage ended up saving Cindy from him. Though she would never admit it, Cindy did struggle with trauma from being with him.
"Despite what happened between us, he was my first love." Cindy grimaced. "Even though I hate him and hope he drowns in the pits of hell. But my heart is going to cherish the good times we had together. Will I ever get back with him? Hell no! I've moved on with my life and I am happier than I have ever been!"
"What's your point, Cindy?" Jazmine raised her eyebrow.
"What I am trying to say is that I think everyone is going to have a different experience whenever you date someone new," Cindy explained. "Riley and I do not have the same relationship I had with Lamilton, which I am happy about. Maybe you're just expecting your relationship with Caesar to be just like your relationship with Huey's."
"Maybe you're right." Jazmine shrugged. "I haven't been with anyone since Huey. I think I just need to get used to…not being with Huey." She then looked out the window. "Speak of the devil." She said as Huey pulled into the driveway. He parked his car, got out of the driver's seat, and pulled Lela out of the backseat. Jazmine got up to open the front door for them. She smiled as Lela approached the door.
"Baby!" Jazmine cheered and opened the door.
"Mommy!" Lela jumped into her arm. Jazmine picked her up and hugged her tightly. "I missed you," Jazmine said as she stroked her hair. Huey stepped onto the front door. "Hi, Huey." Jazmine greeted. Huey waved in response.
"Guess what I did! Daddy took me to the fishy place!" Lela said. "We saw fishies, and dolphins, and whales, and parrots!"
"Wow!" Jazmine said excitedly. "We might have to go there again."
"Yeah, make sure you have a lot of money. Because then you won't have to lie." Lela said. Jazmine's smile turned into a scowl. If looks could kill, Huey would have been a dead man. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Lela, how about you go upstairs and play with Justin," Jazmine said calmly. She put her daughter down. Lela ran upstairs to go play.
"So, you're teaching our daughter to lie?" Jazmine asked, crossing her arms.
"Come on Jazmine, it wasn't like that." Huey sighed. "Do you know how much tickets cost?"
"You are so cheap!" Jazmine scoffed.
"Cheap!? That would have been around 90 dollars!" Huey spat. "I also explained that it is better to be truthful and lying is wrong…under certain circumstances."
"Uh, guys-"Cindy tried to speak up but was ignored by the bickering couple.
"Yeah, that is so much better!" Jazmine rolled her eyes.
"At least I don't lie about fictional holiday characters!" Huey argued.
"That's different!"
"No, it isn't! You're lying to her too! You're not much better than I am!"
"G-Guys…" Cindy breathed heavily, wrapping her arm around her stomach.
"Telling your kid about Santa is NOT lying! It's adding fun to her childhood!"
"Well, it seems like going to the aquarium added fun to her childhood."
"AYE, DUMB ASS #1 AND #2!" Cindy shrieked, getting their attention.
"What!?" Huey and Jazmine snapped at her.
"MY WATER JUST BROKE!" Cindy yelled.
"Oh my God!" Jazmine quickly rushed to Cindy's aid. "Huey, call Riley!" She instructed. Huey nodded and grabbed his phone to call his brother. "I'll go upstairs and get your bag!" Jazmine darted off the couch and up the stairs. Cindy started to grip the couch in pain. She tried to remember the breathing technique she learned in Lamaze class. To her dismay, they were not working. Huey quickly walked back into the living room.
"Riley isn't answering her phone," Huey said.
"Damn it, I forgot he was going into the field today!" Cindy groaned. "He probably doesn't have his phone on him!" She then turned to Huey. "Would you mind timing my contractions?" Cindy asked hesitantly.
"Oh, Uhm, sure." Huey flustered a bit, pulling his phone out to time them. Birth and labor was a foreign concept for Huey. He wasn't there for Lela's birth, so he didn't know what to do in this situation. Jazmine ran down the stairs with the hospital bag. "Is Riley on the way?" She asked. Huey shook his head. Jazmine took a deep breath and thought about what to next. She smirked when an idea finally formed in her mind. Huey knew whenever Jazmine smirked like that, he was going to have to do something he didn't want to do.
"Huey, you're going to take Cindy to the hospital."
"What!?" Cindy and Huey said in unison. Other than the fact Huey could not stand Cindy, he was inexperienced when it came to delivering a baby!
"Jazmine, you delivered a baby before…shouldn't you be the one that goes?" Huey asked in an agitated tone.
"Well, since you missed your daughter's birth, you can experience the miracle of childbirth with Cindy." Jazmine crossed her arms.
"Really? You're pulling that card?"
"Look, I don't care who takes me to the hospital! Just someone takes me there before I give birth on the fucking floor!" Cindy hissed in pain.
"Alright Alright Alright! Damn!" Huey said. He grabbed Cindy's hospital bag. "Come on Cindy!"
Cindy and Jazmine stared at him.
"What!?" Huey lashed out.
"Help me up, dumb ass!" Cindy lashed back. Huey huffed and, helping her off the couch. He carefully walked her out the door and to the car. Cindy sat in the passenger seat, lowering the seat down. She grabbed her stomach and started breathing heavily. Huey quickly got into the front seat and drove off, not even bothering to put on a seatbelt. Jazmine watched Huey pull out of the driveway. She hoped Cindy was not too mad at her for sending Huey. But she also believed that Huey would learn a lot from that experience. She backed away from the window and headed up the stairs into Justin's room. He sat on his bed playing action figures with Lela.
"Hey, kiddos." Jazmine smiled, sitting on Justin's batman themed bed. "What are you up to?"
"Playing," Justin said, not looking up from his toys.
"I have good news for you." Jazmine twirled Justin's curly blonde hair. "Your baby sister is coming today!"
Justin and Lela stopped what they were doing. "She is!?" They both beamed excitedly.
"Yep!" Jazmine said.
"I can't wait to be a big brother!" Justin said. "My daddy said I have to change her diapers, but I am NOT doing that! P.U!" He said as he pinched his nose. Jazmine laughed at her nephew.
"Well, I am glad you're excited about being a big brother," Jazmine said. "I think you'll be an amazing big brother."
"Mommy? When will I be a big sister?" Lela asked. That question caught Jazmine off guard.
"Hmm, I don't know sweetie," Jazmine answered honestly.
"Can't you and CeCe make a baby?" Lela asked. Jazmine felt her stomach sink. She has actually wanted a baby for a year now. But right now was not the time to start trying for one. With graduation around the corner and her confusing feelings for Caesar, it was still not a good time.
"Lela honey, Mommy is not ready to have another baby. One day you'll have one, just not yet." Jazmine explained.
"Okay…maybe daddy will give me another sibling!" Lela beamed. Jazmine busted into a fit of laughter. She did not see Huey having any more kids in the future. He didn't even originally want the kid he has now!
"I don't think daddy wants any more kids," Jazmine said.
"You two are no fun!" Lela pouted.
Jazmine chuckled. "Sorry, sweetie."
Huey drove as fast as he could to Woodcrest hospital. He tried to tune out the sound of Cindy's groaning. Not because he thought they were annoying, but he just did not know how to comfort her. All he could think about was Jazmine being in that situation. He could never watch Jazmine be in that much pain. That just made him feel even guiltier than before.
Cindy was hissing in pain, grabbing to handle attached to the door. "Fuck." She murmured. The pain was intolerable. The awkward tension in the car was not helping much either. She and Huey had not really spoken to each other since the time Lela was sick. That was the first time Huey had said something nice to her. Once Cindy fully recovered from the birth, Jazmine was getting her ass kicked.
"Huey," Cindy said weakly. "Talk to me. I need a distraction from the pain."
"Um, what do you want to talk about?" Huey asked.
"I dunno, something!" Cindy said. "How about your new job?"
"Well, so far-"
"Nah, too boring!" She cut him off. Huey rolled his eyes as he drove.
"So, was this baby planned?" Huey asked. "Or another accident?"
Cindy would have clobbered him if he wasn't driving. "For your information, this one was planned." She said calmly. "When your granddaddy was put into a nursing home, we got the house. It is all paid off, we both have steady jobs, so we figured it was a good time to have another baby. "
"And marriage…this is something you really want?" Huey asked.
"Yes, it is. I know you don't approve of the decisions Riley and I make. I also know you don't approve of me. But having another baby and getting married is something we both want. I love your brother. He's an amazing daddy, funny, my other half, a partner in crime. I love him and he loves me. We've known each other since we were kids. I see him by my side for the rest of my life." Cindy smiled as she finished her speech.
"Well…good for you."
"Huh?" Cindy turned to look at him.
"Good for you," Huey repeated. "I hope you two live a nice life together."
"Was not expecting that…but thanks."
"My brother has grown up a lot since having a kid," Huey said. "I think Justin actually saved him from going down a dangerous path."
"I think so too." Cindy agreed. "That little boy was the best thing that ever happened to us….so was Lela."
"She is…" Huey decided to shift the conversation. "Can I ask you something about Jazmine?"
"Okay…" Cindy said intriguingly.
"Caesar and Jazmine…do you honestly see them working out?" Huey asked.
"I actually don't know," Cindy answered honestly. "She is still hurt from you dumping her and running off to Chicago like a bitch."
"Thanks for that," Huey said sarcastically.
"Oh you know you deserved that! Anyway, the girl is still not used to being treated like a Queen. Like damn, Caesar treats her like the Queen of England." Cindy chuckled. "Caesar does love her, and I think Jazmine will grow to love him back."
"Oh," Huey answered.
Cindy sighed, turning to face him. "You still in love with her?"
"I don't know what you're- "
"Huey, it's okay. I won't tell her."
Huey sighed. "I do. I can't stop thinking about her. But I blew it, Cindy."
"You did." Cindy agreed. "But…I don't think you should give up on her."
"What?"
"If you love her, fight for her!" Cindy pumped her fist in the air. "Look, Caesar is my boy, but you know the guy is known for fucking up in relationships! Like we all thought Diamond was gonna last, but he fucked that up!"
"I'm confused, I thought you were all for Caesar and Jazmine?" Huey questioned.
"I am for whatever makes Jazzy happy," Cindy said. "Whether that is you or Caesar. As long as she is happy."
"Fair enough." Huey turned to look at Cindy. "You know…thanks, Cindy."
"No problem Huey…still hate me?"
"Yup."
"Good. Cuz I still don't like you either. "Son of a bitch that hurt!" She blurted out as she held her stomach. She looked up and saw the hospital up ahead. "Thank God! I was so close to having this baby in your car. I swear to god, Riley better show up."
"He'll be here, don't worry," Huey reassured. "You ready to have a baby?"
"The real question is if you're ready," Cindy smirked.
"Not at all."
Cindy slapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, childbirth is a beautiful, wonderful thing!"
"I highly doubt that."