Chapter 7: Breaking Point
Huey's POV
Huey tapped his foot impatiently as he sat in traffic, his jaw clinched so hard it hurt. His thoughts replayed the previous week's events like a broken record. Jazmine had been distant since he returned from his work trip—from him, Adia, and everything else. At first, he was worried. He'd attempted to be understanding, coaxing her into talking about whatever was bothering her. However, his patience was running thin. Now, he was just pissed.
Every attempt he made to reach her had been met with silence or a curt dismissal. He'd tried apologizing for their argument before leaving and showing his lovewith tiny gestures—flowers, chocolates, looking after Adia when he got home—but nothing seemed to work. Jazmine had built a wall around herself and was not letting anyone in. Not even Adia. That part hurt the most. Jazmine had always been so attentive and kind to their daughter. But now... it felt like she was hardly there.
He thought about last night, about coming home to find Adia screaming her lungs out in her crib while Jazmine sat zoned out on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. He'd lost his temper then, snapping at her to pay attention, to do something. She'd barely reacted, just mumbled an apology and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving him to handle Adia alone.
He'd stayed up late after putting Adia to bed, waiting for Jazmine to come out so they could talk. But when she finally emerged, she'd brushed past him without a word and gone straight to their bedroom. That was when worry had turned to anger. He wasn't perfect—hell, he'd made plenty of mistakes—but he didn't deserve to be treated like he didn't exist. And Adia certainly didn't deserve to be ignored.
The car behind him honked, jolting Huey out of thoughts. He noticed the light had turned green and pressed the gas, muttering a curse under his breath. By the time he pulled into the driveway, his rage had simmered just beneath the surface. He grabbed his briefcase from the passenger seat, slammed the car door shut, and walked toward the house.
The crying was the first thing he noticed when he stepped in. Adia's harsh, unrelenting wails resonated down the hallway. He dropped his briefcase by the door and headed straight for her room.
Adia was standing in her crib, her little face red and tear-streaked, her hands clutching the rail as she screamed. Huey scooped her up immediately, cradling her against his chest and murmuring soothing words. "Hey, hey, it's okay, baby girl. Daddy's here."
Her cries began to quiet, but his anger only grew. Where the fuck was Jazmine? He carried Adia out of the nursery and into the living room, where he found her exactly where he'd expected—on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. She didn't even flinch when he stormed in, didn't acknowledge him or the crying child in his arms.
"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" Huey snapped, his voice cutting through the room like a whip. "She's been screaming her head off, and you're just sitting here doing… what? Nothing?"
Jazmine blinked slowly, as if pulling herself out of a fog. Her eyes flicked to Adia, then back to the TV. "I didn't hear her," she said flatly, her tone devoid of any emotion.
Huey's blood boiled. "You didn't hear her? What the hell is wrong with you, Jazmine? She's your daughter! You're supposed to take care of her, not fucking ignore her!"
Jazmine flinched at his words, but she didn't respond. Instead, she stood up and started walking toward the hallway. Huey stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
"No," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "We're not doing this. You're not walking away from me again. We need to talk, and we need to do it now."
Her eyes met his, and for a moment, he thought he saw a flicker of something—guilt, sadness, anger—he wasn't sure. But then it was gone, replaced by the same blank expression she'd been wearing for days.
"I don't want to talk," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Huey's patience snapped. "Well, too fucking bad," he shot back. "Because I'm done tiptoeing around you, Jazmine. I've been trying to fix this, trying to be there for you, but you won't let me in. You won't even help with Adia. Do you know how hard that is to watch? To see you pull away from her, from me, and not know why?"
Tears welled up in Jazmine's eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. "I'm tired, Huey. I'm just… tired."
"Bullshit," he said, his voice rising. "You're not just tired. This isn't about being tired. Something is wrong, and instead of dealing with it, you're shutting us out. Well, I'm done letting you do that. You need to get your shit together, Jazmine, because this isn't fair to me, and it sure as hell isn't fair to Adia."
Jazmine's shoulders sagged, and for a moment, Huey thought she might actually open up. But then she shook her head, stepping around him. "I need to lie down," she said, her voice barely audible.
Huey stared after her, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He wanted to scream, to break something, to shake her until she snapped out of whatever trance she was in. But he couldn't. Not with Adia in his arms, her tiny body warm and fragile against his chest.
He looked down at his daughter, her big brown eyes staring up at him with an innocence that broke his heart. "It's okay, baby girl," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Daddy's got you."
Huey paced the living room, Adia cradled against his chest. Jazmine had retreated to the bedroom, leaving him standing there, once again feeling like an afterthought. He ran a hand over his face, the weight of everything pressing down on him. He couldn't keep doing this—couldn't keep walking on eggshells while Jazmine pushed him and Adia away.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he scrolled through his contacts and tapped Riley's name. The phone barely rang twice before Riley picked up.
"Yo, what's good, Nigga?" Riley's voice was light, but there was an edge of curiosity—probably because Huey rarely called out of the blue.
"Riley," Huey said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I need a favor. Can Adia and I crash at your place for a few days?"
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Uh, yeah, of course. But… what's going on? Everything okay?"
Huey sighed, glancing down at Adia's peaceful face. "I'll explain when I get there. Just… is it alright?"
"Yeah, no problem," Riley said, though his voice was laced with concern.
"Thanks. I'll see you soon." Huey hung up and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the gnawing guilt in his chest. This wasn't what he wanted, but he needed to protect Adia—and himself—from whatever Jazmine was going through.
He moved quickly, packing a small bag for Adia with diapers, bottles, and her favorite blanket, then threw some clothes into a duffel bag for himself. He left everything else untouched, the weight of the decision pressing heavily on his shoulders. Before he walked out the door, he grabbed a notepad from the kitchen drawer and wrote a note:
Jazmine,
I don't know what's going on with you, but I can't keep doing this. I've tried to reach you, to help you, but you won't let me in. Adia deserves better than being ignored, and so do I. I'm taking her to Riley's for a few days. You need to figure out what you want and how you're going to fix this, because I can't do it for you.
Huey
He left the note on the counter, where he knew she'd see it, and carried Adia out to the car. As he buckled her into her car seat, his heart felt like it was being ripped in two. But this was the only thing he could think to do.
Jazmine's POV
The house was strangely quiet as Jazmine lay curled under the covers. Her tears had dried on her cheeks, leaving only a dull aching in her chest. She hated herself for everything—for shutting Huey out, failing Adia, and becoming a shell of the person she used to be. She pressed her eyes tight, as tears began to fall again.
She heard movement in the living room but did not get up. Huey would be pissed, and she couldn't deal with another argument. She decided to wait till he calmed down, or until the morning. Maybe they could talk... or not. She forced herself out of bed after fifteen minutes of heavy silence, the weight of her shame almost too much to bear.
Walking into the kitchen, she immediately noticed the note on the counter. Her heart sank as she unfolded it and began to read. By the time she reached the end, her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
The walls seemed to close in around her as her chest tightened, her breaths coming in short, shallow gasps. She couldn't think, couldn't move. The panic clawed at her throat as the reality of what Huey had written sank in.
"I've lost him," she whispered to herself, her voice breaking. "I've lost them both."
Her eyes darted toward the bathroom, and before she could stop herself, she was moving. She didn't think as she picked up the razor, her hand trembling as she pressed the cold metal to her wrist. Her mind was a whirlwind of self-loathing and despair.
Huey pulled into Riley's driveway. The drive had been silent, save for the occasional coos and babbles from Adia. He unbuckled her car seat and carried her up to the door, his heart heavy as he knocked.
Riley opened the door almost immediately, his expression softening when he saw Adia. "There's my favorite little niece!" he said, taking her from Huey's arms. He gave her a big grin, which earned him a giggle.
"Thanks for letting us crash here," Huey said, stepping inside. "I'll explain everything in a minute."
Riley led them to the living room, where they sat down. He handed Adia a toy to keep her entertained before turning his attention to Huey. "Alright, what's going on?"
Huey ran a hand through his hair, letting out a long sigh. "It's Jazmine. She's been… off. Distant. She's shutting me out, shutting Adia out. I've tried everything I can think of to get through to her, but nothing works. I came home tonight and found Adia crying in her crib while Jazmine sat on the couch like a damn zombie. I can't keep doing this, Riley. I can't."
Riley frowned, leaning back in his seat. "Damn. That doesn't sound like her at all."
"It's not," Huey agreed. "She's not herself, and I don't know what to do. I'm worried about her, but I'm also… I'm fucking mad. She's ignoring Adia, and that's not okay."
Before Riley could respond, Cindy walked into the room, a curious look on her face. "What's going on?" she asked, sitting beside Riley.
"Jazmine," Riley said simply. "Huey's dealing with some heavy shit."
Cindy's brow furrowed as she listened to Huey explain the situation again. When he finished, she was quiet for a moment, her gaze thoughtful.
Huey," she said gently, "it sounds like Jazmine might be dealing with depression. Maybe even postpartum depression. This isn't about you or Adia—it's about her. She's drowning, and she doesn't know how to ask for help."
Huey's jaw tightened, his frustration bubbling over. "So, what? That's an excuse to ignore her own daughter? To let Adia cry while she stares at a wall?"
Cindy shook her head, her expression calm but firm. "It's not an excuse, Huey. It's an explanation. Depression doesn't make sense, and it doesn't care about logic. Jazmine isn't doing this on purpose. She's not choosing to be like this."
"But she's hurting Adia," Huey shot back. "And me. I've been trying to hold everything together, and she's just… slipping further away."
"I know it's hard," Cindy said softly. "But if she really is dealing with postpartum depression, she needs help. Professional help. And she needs you to understand what she's going through."
Huey leaned back on the couch, scrubbing a hand over his face. He was exhausted—physically, mentally, emotionally. "I don't know if I can do that," he admitted. "I'm so damn angry, Cindy. I don't know how to just let that go."
"You don't have to let it go right now," Cindy said. "But think about it. Sleep on it. You love Jazmine, right?"
Huey nodded reluctantly. "Yeah. I do."
"Then take some time to cool off," Cindy said standing up. "But don't give up on her. She needs you, even if she doesn't know how to show it right now."
Riley, who had been quiet during their exchange, stood up and stretched. "Imma put Adia to bed," he said, scooping his niece up. "She's out cold anyway."
Huey watched as Riley carried Adia to the spare room along with Cindy who followed behind him, leaving him alone in the living room with his thoughts. The silence was deafening, broken only by the ticking of the clock on the wall. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands.
