Authors Note: Hey everyone here's chapter 3 enjoy. I don't know when 4 will be out hope all of you are having a good Labor Day weekend. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 3

The cries of a child had Musa's eyes open and alert in an instant. She turned off the baby monitor and made her way to the nursery passing empty bottles of beer in the hall. How they got there and why she had no idea and didn't want to know. "It's okay sweetie mommy's here." She said as she picked up her son. "We need a diaper change I see." She said as she made her way to the changing table, Musa changed his diaper and threw the dirty one in the diaper bin next to the changing table. "There you go all dry now. What should we wear today?" She asked him even though she knew she wouldn't get an intelligible response. He did however look at her with his baby blues his face clenched up and gave out a pretty loud fart. "You're pooping aren't you?" His only reply to that was another barrage of farts. She sighed waited for him to finish and changed him yet again. After that she put him in his swing and grabbed out a few outfits. "Okay serious question." She said walking over to him. "Should we wear the blue I'm a future rock star outfit or the green dinosaur outfit?" Then held up the two in front of him. He stared at the two for a while then his reached out his chubby hand towards the green dinosaur outfit. "Good choice since we're going out with Aunt Layla today and she bought this for you." Musa changed James into the outfit but first she had to tickle his tummy to hear his cute little giggles and see his wonderful smile. Once she had him dressed she fed him his bottle. Then got everything ready that they'd need for the trip and changed into a pair of blue jeans and a white tank top.

"Derrick, Derrick." Musa said kicking the bed to wake him up.

"What? I'm trying to sleep." He mumbled.

"I'm going out with Layla so I won't be here f or a while." She said.

"What?" He asked still in a daze.

"I'm going out." She said a little more forcefully.

"Fine." He said, "But take the kid with you."

"I Am." She said "It's not like you're his father and could actually take care of him for a change." She though then left the room.

"Pick me up some more beer on your way back." He called.

She sighed grabbed James out of his playpen went out to her pickup and secured him into his car seat then got into the driver's seat and headed towards the mall where she'd meet up with Layla.

"Musa over here." Layla called as Musa entered the mall.

"Hey Layla what's up?"

"Not much." She said taking a bite of a soft pretzel.

"Is that your breakfast?"

"Yep."

"It's not very healthy." Musa said.

"Then what'd you have for breakfast."

"Nothing I was so busy getting James ready that I skipped it."

"Well skipping breakfast is worse than not having it." Layla said then ripped the pretzel in half. "Here we'll both be unhealthy breakfast eaters together." She said while handing her a half of pretzel.

"Thanks." Musa said and took a bite of the pretzel. "So what store do you want to go to first?" She asked while she chewed.

"Not sure."

"Well how about we just wander around until something catches our eye."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Layla agreed.

The two began walking through the mall.

Hey that top is really cute." Musa said pointing to a red button up blouse in a shop window.

"Well then why don't we go in so you can try it on?" Layla suggested.

The two walked in a Musa found one in her size. "I'll watch James while you try it on."

Musa nodded and headed into the changing room.

"Hey isn't this the outfit I got James" Layla asked.

"Yeah it is." Musa said, while changing, "He picked it out himself. I showed him to outfits and he chose that one." She said.

"Aw do you like the outfit Auntie Layla got for you." Layla asked James while talking in a baby type voice. James just smiled and Musa came out a second later.

"What do you think?" She asked spinning in a circle.

"It looks great." Layla told her. "Hey do you still have that white mini dress with the flare skirt?"

"Yeah why?"

"Well theme day is coming up at the Fruity Music Bar. This time it's a country theme and I was just thinking that if you tied the blouse instead of buttoning it get a cowboy hat and some boots and you'd look great."

"Why Miss Layla are we channeling a little bit of Stella?" Musa joked.

"Maybe just little." Layla said with a smile. "But what do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea." Musa told her. "In fact I already have cowboy boots and a hat from when I did a show in Nashville."

"Then let's pay for that and head to Victoria Secret I need to pick up a little something for my wedding Anniversary." She said while they went to the register.

"You mean you have to pick up something nice for Nabu." Musa said while paying for the blouse. Then they exited the shop.

"Hey it's not just for him." Layla said, "It makes me feel good seeing that look in his eyes like a man dying of thirst and I'm the water that he's been craving when I walk out in something sexy." She said, "Doesn't Derrick look at you that way when you come out in lingerie?"

"Not really." Musa confessed, "Though I've never really worn any in front of him."

"Maybe you should pick some up and see."

"Did you forget I just had a kid not that long ago I'm probably not that great to look at right now." She said as they entered Victoria's Secret. "And I'm sorry I missed the wedding."

"Sweetie believe me when I say this you've already lost all your baby weight give yourself some credit you're one hot mama, and don't worry about missing the wedding." Layla assured her. "You were on tour we understood. You've come to every anniversary party since then quit beating yourself up about it." She said in a matter of fact tone. "Now which one of these outfits do you think I should get so my husband ravages me."

Once they finished shopping they stopped and grabbed some lunch at the food court Musa got a salad while Layla got pasta and Musa gave James a bottle when he started fussing.

"How long has Riven been back in town?" Musa asked.

"About two weeks." Layla told her.

"I keep meaning to stop in and see how he's doing but something always comes up." She said, "How's he doing? What's he been doing?"

"He's doing fine renting a house not far from the bar. As to what he does when he's not at work, your guess is as good as mine."

"I didn't mean what he does when he's not working. Maybe I should've phrased it different. I guess where has he been all this time?" She asked while picking James up and started burping him.

Layla sighed as she thought for moment, "You know he hasn't really said where he's been and when we do talk about the past it's mostly what we did in high school. Nabu and I will talk about things we've done afterwards but Riven doesn't seem to want to talk about where he's been. But then again he was never really one to talk about his personal life."

"Yeah that's true." Musa agreed, "Well if I want to know I'll just have to ask."

"Good luck getting anything out of him." Layla said.

"Thanks I'm going to need it."

"I've got to get back and start getting ready the bar will be opening in few." Layla said as she took the last bite of her pasta. "Okay I've got a few more errands I have to run anyways." Musa said as she put James back in his stroller.

"Will you be stopping by later?" Layla asked as she threw both her and Musa's trash in the nearest bin.

"I don't know if I can find a sitter sure I'll stop by."

"Alright then I'll see you then."

They walked out of the mall hugged goodbye and went to their vehicles.

"Where have you been?" Derrick asked as soon as Musa entered the house

"I went out with Layla." She told him, "I told you this morning that I'd be out for a while." She said as she placed James in his playpen.

"I didn't think you'd be gone all freaking day!" He exclaimed.

"Well I had other errands to run as well."

"Yeah like what?"

"We needed groceries for one, and James needed diapers, plus the truck needed an oil change so I took it to the mechanic."

"Did you at least pick up my beer?"

"Yes it's in the truck."

"It better be cold. And the house is a mess." He said and went for the door.

"Gee I wonder why" Musa said under her breath.

Derrick turned around sharply "What was that?" he asked

"What was what?" she asked.

"What you just said" he stated as he marched towards her. "You blaming me for the house being a mess?" he asked as he towered over.

"I'm not the one who gets hammered with their friends every night trashing the place acting stupid and James is only three months old so it certainly wasn't him." Musa said.

It happened so suddenly that she didn't have time to react but she felt the burning sting of the slap on her face. "We're threw I refuse to be your punching bag any longer." She said shoving past him going to her room to pack her and James things, doing her best to not let the tears that were forming in her eyes fall.

He followed her into the bedroom and as she was grabbing a suitcase out of the closet he grabbed her by the hair and slammed her against the wall taking her breath away, the force of the hit knocking down photos that were hung up. Caging her in with his he said, "You're never going to leave Musa and do you know why that is?" he asked but continued without giving her time to answer. "Because you don't want your baby to grow up without a father. No one wants to be with a girl who has a child. Not to mention you're a has been and an unattractive one at that. Sure you can sing but talent doesn't matter when you don't have the looks. You're lucky I even took a chance on you. "It's like I keep telling you you're trash sweetheart." He said while moving a strand of hair behind her ear, "and nobody wants trash." Then he shoved her to ground. "I'll get the groceries. You clean up this dump." He ordered. "You know I really do hate hurting you but if didn't have such a smart mouth I wouldn't have to." He said.

Once he left the room she finally let her tears fall and began to cry. She replayed his comments over in her head and realized he was right she didn't want her son to grow up without a father, and whenever she had James or even mentioned him all the men shied away or avoided her altogether. Was she really ugly? Layla didn't seem to think so but then again she was her friend maybe she just said that to be nice and she really was nothing special to look at. Now that she thought about it even before Derrick she'd flirt with guys but it never seemed to go anywhere. But with him he they actually started dating. He was right she was lucky he even looked at her because she was nothing special, a has been, trash.