Ariya

Five years later: Present day

"Mama."

"Mama."

"Mama!"

I felt two small arms shaking my shoulders until my eyes fluttered open just to see Rylan sitting upon my stomach.

"Why are you up so early?" I asked, rubbing my eyes before glancing at my clock.

6:00 am

I sighed loudly, knowing I had a lot to do today. I pulled Rylan's head into my chest and squeezed his small body.

He giggled and I sat up.

"Come on." I grabbed his hand and led us into the small bathroom in my room. I picked him up to sit on the counter and he picked up his green toothbrush. I picked up mine and we both brushed our teeth.

I swished the water around in my mouth before spitting it out. Grabbing Rylan right under his arms.

"Spit." He spit out the water and smiled a toothy grin to himself in the mirror. I patted his back and placed him on the ground.

"Go wait for me in the kitchen." I told him.

"Okay!" He said before running off. I chuckled before looking back.

I gripped the edges of the counter and stared forward at my tired self. The bags under my eyes,

collar of my shirt stretched from Rylan pulling on it.

I took a deep breath in and closed my eyes.

One moment of peace.

One single moment to myself.

Breathe.

"Mama!"

I snapped my eyes open and sighed before walking down the small hall to the kitchen. Rylan was sat on one of the stools by the counter while playing with a small toy car.

I pulled out the box of pancake mix and took out a bowl. Shaking the box I realized that it was almost done.

I was saving up to take Rylan back to school shopping and I barely had enough for that as it is.

I mixed the batter and cooked it upon the stove.

It ended up making exactly two, I plated them and slid fluffy goodness in front of Rylan.

"Eat up."

He looked down at them before picking up one with his hands and extending it to me.

"You have one." He said.

"I'm not hungry, it's okay." I smiled at him. He shook his head and refused. I sighed before cutting it in half and eating that.

We watched tv for a bit until getting dressed and descended down the elevator. Heading down to the parking garage and getting into my car.

I strapped him inside his car seat and got into the drivers seat, turning the car on and driving out.

A little while later we arrived in the Walmart parking lot. I helped him out of the car and locked it before holding his hand to cross the street.

He loved to hold my hand, and it really made me want to savour the days. He's growing up so incredibly fast.

We walked down the aisles until arriving in the school section. I meant to go early because they usually have sales if you go early.

"How about that one?" I asked, holding up the blue backpack, dinosaurs laced all over the fabric. He stared long and hard, but I knew that look.

He didn't like it.

He shook his head and walked to a backpack that laid on another rack. Picking it up and walking back over to me.

"This one." He smiled. I sighed at his stubbornness, just like his father.

"Are you sure?" That one's not on sale.

"Yeah, look." He pointed to the different patterns. I sighed loudly trying to remember exactly how much money I still had on my card.

"Pass it." I sighed. He giggled and handed it over, I gripped it and fiddled with the price tag between my fingers. The paper was cold against my skin. The black ink that made my chest constrict.

"Come on, let's go."

I picked up a couple of other things for him and paid. He watched tentatively as the worker scanned each item and placed them inside of a grey plastic bag.

She handed me the bag and I smiled.

He held tightly onto my hand and we left the store.

-

"Goodnight, baby. Love you." I kissed his forehead and leaned back.

"I love you too, mama." He mumbled before dozing off. I switched the lamp off in his small room, closing the creaky door and sitting myself on the small table in the kitchen.

Incoming call from: Zion

I sighed and swiped the white circle, picking the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked softly.

"Ah, Ariya. My beautiful sister, how are you on this fine night?" He asked. I chuckled at his spontaneous behaviour and spoke.

"I shall be good, and you good sir?"

"Pooped, just got home from a double shift."

"Yeah, I just took Rylan shopping for school." I said. Pulling out my book of bills, getting my pencil ready to calculate this months cost.

"I forget, he's starting jk in September right? Did you already enrol him?" He asked. I could hear the shuffling of his clothes in the background.

"Yeah.. anyways why are you calling?" I leaned my elbow on the wood and smiled to myself, tucking my lip between my teeth.

"I was gonna call this morning but I was called in, how was your first night?"

The apartment could be better, scratch that a lot better but he didn't need to know that.

"First nights are always different, good so far. How's things going with you and Lacy?" I asked.

His girlfriend, they been dating for about a month but I can tell somethings up. Zion works two jobs and lives in a condo down in San Francisco, he's pretty stable and has offered me money countless times but I don't need it.

"We broke up." He popped the p. Ugh, I absolutely hated when he did that.

"Figures, anyways I should go. Night."

"Night, Ariya, love you."

"Love you too." My lips pressed into a thin smile and I chuckled before hanging up.

I placed my phone down and opened the book. My eyes ran over the dreaded numbers of the grey pencil etched on the lined paper.

Just enough.

I sighed loudly leaned back in the chair, releasing the breath I've been holding in all month.

Until I heard some strangled curses outside of the door. Raising my brow I stood up and opened the door.

There was a young woman, I can assume by her features and style sense she had been around my age, maybe even younger. She had been dragging a small sofa down the hall. By herself.

Upon her eyes moving up to mine, her hair was slightly drenched most likely from the sweat being produced.

Dropping the sofa it landed on the creaked wood with a thud. I flinched and she stood straight up, dusting herself off.

"I'm Amara, I'm assuming you've just moved in?" He smiled.

From what I could decipher it seemed organic, she ultimately seemed like a genuinely nice person.

"Yeah, I'm Ariya.. I moved in with my son." I nodded awkwardly while rubbing my hands together. She nodded.

"Oh! Sorry about all the noise I'm not usually used to neighbours. That apartment has been vacant for almost two years now." Her arm was now resting on the arm of the sofa and my shoulder was leaned on my door frame.

"Explains all the shitty appliances." She chuckled at my remark and I nodded truthfully.

"Yeah, honestly this complex is compete shit, I guess you could say the only good things are the people." She nodded while rolling her bottom

Lip between her plump pink lips. My eyes catching the silver of what I could assume was a tongue piercing as she spoke.

"Do you n-" I gestured to the small sofa. She flinched like she had forgotten all about it before nodding.

"Thank you so much."

I grabbed a hold of the other side as we moved it skillfully through the small doorway and settled it in her living room.

Her apartment had the same layout as mine, as all the apartments in this building probably did. It was very nomad, clothes and items scattered around, meaning she's probably been living here for a while. The walls drenched in eggshell white, she'd painted over the stained walls.

"Drink?"

Her offer caught me off guard.

"Pardon?"

"Drink? Wine? It's one in the morning and you're still up meaning your son probably kept you up and you're tired as fuck." She leaned on her marble counter top. Her body retrieved a green bottle before the cork screw was twisted off and the red liquid flooded into the two glasses.

"How old are you?" She asked.

"Twenty three."

"Twenty one." She nodded.

"So, what's your story?" She leaned forward from

the adjacent side of the counter and locked eyes with me.

"My story?" I asked, slowly slipping the alcohol contents in the glass.

"Anyone who lives here is either a middle aged broke adult or a broke student drowning in student debt? You seem to be neither." Her eyes ran over my features, I felt very much attacked.

"Why don't you tell me yours first?" I bargained.

"Okay well I'm studying at NYU, I would've gotten a dorm but I'm immensely broke and this place was the only place I could afford. I work at the fragrance kiosk in the mall, trust me it does not pay well." She sighed.

"Your turn."

"Well, I was living with my brother until I moved here to get a better job for my son and I. When you have three degrees and no job life becomes a little depressing."

She gasped and I tilted my head up to see what was wrong.

"Did you study all three of them at once?"

I nodded.

"The first in my university to do so."

"Damn!" She began to slow clap and I chuckled in embarrassment.

"I can't imagine what that would be like, how old is your son.. if you don't mind me asking?" She questioned.

"Four."

"Wait! So you raised a kid while studying three degrees? That's some next level type shit, you have instantly earned my full respect." She began to bow and I shoved her shoulder.

"I can't exactly say I did it alone, I had help from my brothers so." I nodded.

"I should probably get going." I nodded.

"Oh, alright." I slid the empty wine glass over to her and she smiled before placing them carefully in her sink. Rounding the corner to help me to the door.

"Thank you for the wine, if you ever need alcohol you can come around after the hours of nine." I chuckled with a smile and she cracked a smirk.

"I think I'm going to like you, Ariya."

"Likewise."

"Have a good night." I added.

"You too." She said before closing the door.

I walked back over to my door and used my key to unlock it. Locking it from the inside and turning off all of the lights in the kitchen and living room.

The floor was cold against my bare feet, sending shivers down my spine. I creaked Rylan's door open to observe him sleeping. Quietly walking over to the edge of his bed. Leaning down to place a soft kiss upon his warm cheeks.

I smoothed his hair back lightly, making sure to be gentle so my touch wouldn't wake him.

"I love you." I whispered before walking out.

I love him so much.