😗sorry for any mistakes

Atlanta, GA

November 16th

Saturday

Ailani put the car in park before grabbing her out of her lap. She went to her Matthias messages to see if she had the right address.

She looked at the numbers on the side of the garage then back at her phone. Nodding to herself that it was right, she turned the music down and put her jacket in her pocket.

She turned the car off and got out before going to the back to get Sarayah out.

Today was the day Lani was taking Sarayah and Kennedi out for a girl's night. As promised, Kennedi was on green for two weeks straight. She didn't have any behavior issues either.

Lani just hoped she kept it up.

"Mommy this is niceee" Rayah gushed when Lani helped her out. Lani chuckled, closing the door "It is nice" She locked the doors.

She wasn't surprised at how nice the house was being what Matthias' career is. The two-story home wasn't too big but it wasn't too small either.

Lani held her hand as they walked to the door. Once making it to the door, she rang the doorbell. After waiting a minute, the door swung open with Matthias in some grey sweatpants and white beader.

He knows he's fine Lani thought then smiled. "Hi, Matt" Rayah smiled, letting Lani's hand go then hugged his legs.

"Hey pretty girl," He bent down to hug her back. He looked up at Lani, she was awkwardly standing in the doorway.

She didn't mean to but when she glanced down she saw a very visible print and it scared her. She had never seen anyone with a third leg before. Nonetheless, she wasn't having sex with him or planning on it but men like him are crazy, or at least that's what Lyric tells her.

"Wassup Ailani" He smirked, She put a smile on her face to cover up her staring "Hi Matthias, how are you?" She asked, walking into the house.

Lani looked around, impressed with how nice everything looked. Again she had to remember he does this for living. She looked again wondering where Sarayah went.

"Where di- Oh," She said when he pulled her into a hug which caught her off guard. After a few seconds, she hugged him back as his thumb was rubbing a small circle on her exposed back.

She felt a shiver down her spine "You smell nice" He mumbled against her neck. She giggled a little at his bead tickling her neck "Thank you"

They pulled away then he led her towards the living room after he told her that's where Rayah went.

"Hi, Lani!" Kennedi jumped off the couch. "Hey Munchkin, you ready?" Lani smiled, fixing the collar to her jean jacket. She had on a black Nike hoodie with a blue jean jacket and black leggings with air forces.

"Yes, I stay with y'all all weekend?" She asked Lani, she nodded. Lani decided to make this a whole girls' weekend.

"Okay, bestie! let's goooo" Kennedi dragged out, grabbing Sarayah's hand so she could get up.

"It was just getting good," Sarayah groaned, talking about Princess and a frog that was playing on TV.

Lani chuckled, "Where is her bag?" She asked Matthias to see him already holding a small duffle bag with Kennedi's name on it.

"I'll take it out for you" He replied, walking to the door. They all followed behind him outside, Lani popped the truck with her keys. She opened the door for Rayah and Ken.

She watched Matthias put in Kennedi's booster seat behind her. She walked to the driver's side, getting in and turning the car on.

"Aight Mami, I'ma see you Monday okay?" He kissed Kennedi's cheek. "Okayyy, I love youuuu"

He chuckled "I love you too princess," He said before closing her door. Lani rolled her window down "Take care of my baby" He said seriously.

Lani nodded "I will. I'll make sure she calls you before she goes to sleep" She smiled.

He nodded "Thank you, y'all have fun" He backed away from the car. Lani backed out of the driveway first before honking the horn and drove off to their first destination.

_________________

"You know what color you're getting Munchkin?" Lani asked Kennedi as she sat in her lap at the nail shop. Getting their nails and toes was the first thing of the day. It was a kid's and adults nail salon that they always go to.

Of course, Lani made sure Lyric and Sierra were both free. Girl's day was what they did every month, now they are just adding Kennedi to the mix.

Kennedi sighed dramatically "Noo, it's so many colors to choose from" She shook her head.

"I know what color I'm getting Mommy" Sarayah smiled as she sat on Lyric's lap. Lani playfully mugged her "Didn't I tell you don't talk to me?" She raised her brow.

"Mommy you're such a cry baby" She giggled.

Lani playfully rolled her eyes. When they first got there Sarayah went straight to Lyric and just forgot all about her. Lani told her not to ask for anything else later since she forgot who carried her for 9 months.

It was all jokes though. Lyric and Si were like second moms to Sarayah. They have been there to support, watch and care for Rayah since birth.

The time that she was going through it with Jabari the first year of Rayah's life, they were there to step in. They helped out with things Jabari wasn't doing because he wanted to be a deadbeat at the time.

"Leave my baby alone girl" Lyric mugged her.

"Girl, I carried her, remember?" Lani mugged her back.

"And I don't care, remember?" Lyric fake smiled, Lani chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"Why didn't you invite yo' friend this time?" Si said, referring to Bonnie.

There was no secret that Si didn't like Bonnie, she never did. Not because she wanted her brother and Lani to be together but because she felt like Bonnie was weird and couldn't be trusted.

Lani rolled her eyes "That's not my friend" She shrugged which was true. Lani has been keeping her distance from Bonnie and prefers to keep it that way.

"Why? I need to beat her A-S-S?" Lyric asked and smiled at Kennedi as she looked at her.

Lani chuckled "No, I just keep a distance from her because—"

"We can take them right here" A lady accidentally cut her off and pointed to Rayah and Ken. Lani looked at where she was pointing, making sure they were in her view to keep an eye on them.

"Are they getting their feet first?" She asked the lady and she nodded. Lani put Kennedi down and grabbed Rayah's hand to walk them to the pedicure area for kids.

She helped both of them out of their shoes before putting them on the side. She gave them their Ipads that she already hooked the wi-fi too.

"Y'all okay?" She asked to make sure before she walked around and they nodded.

"So why should we beat her ass?" Lyric asked, Lani, busted out laughing.

"Nobody said that, I'm just cool off her. She's moving weird and I'on like that" She shrugged.

"How?" Si asked.

"Her and Jabari having problems or whatever and apparently it's because of me. I asked Bari to tell her to leave my dating life alone. She took that to saying that me and him to mess around when we don't" She ranted, still a little annoyed about the whole situation.

It was very annoying, Lani doesn't even let Rayah go over there anymore because she doesn't want Bari to bring her back every time he and Bonnie get into it.

She didn't want to make it seem like she was keeping Rayah from him but she will protect her daughter at all cost. She refuses to let her daughter be somewhere when people are always arguing and only arguing when she is around.

"I told y'all she was weird and lowkey jealous" Si spoke. Lani knew she was right, Si always had good intuition about people. Her intuition about Bonnie was she was off.

"Why because you want her to mind her damn business she assumes you want him back? Or y'all together" Lyric shook her head.

"Exactly. I just don't speak to her anymore, if she's at the house I don't say anything but she always looks like she has a little pressure on her chest when looking at me" She smiled when Rayah looked at her.

"Yes! let that old Lani come back" Lyric devilishly smiled, Lani shook her head no.

"You see that little girl over there?" She pointed at Rayah "I can't be doing that no more. I've changed for the better and fighting isn't me anymore" She shrugged.

Lani has always been the nice sweetheart but she never tolerated disrespect. Not even the smallest type of disrespect, she was kind of a hothead before she had Sarayah. She used to stay fighting any and everyone when it came to her respect and that wasn't good because fighting people over small things wasn't right especially when she could have used her words.

She grew up and for the better. She needed to be a good example for Rayah and she always made sure she was.

"But what I'm not finna have is someone that's probably going to talk shit on my name around my child. I'll be damned." She scoffed. If you couldn't respect her, you couldn't be around her child period point-blank.

She didn't need anyone that didn't like her making slick and disrespectful remarks and comments about her around Sarayah. She didn't care who you were.

Rayah has yet to meet Jabari's mother because she was disrespectful when she was pregnant. Always told her Rayah wasn't his. She always had something disrespectful to say about her when she got pregnant.

Lani didn't see anything wrong with it either. She didn't have to allow someone she didn't want around her child, even if it was his mom. That was her choice.

It wasn't an issue to Jabari either since he cut his mom off because in his words 'If you can't respect the mother of my child, you don't need to be around us'.

"I don't want Bari to feel like I'm keeping her from him tho." She sighed, she didn't want to seem bitter because she honestly wasn't but grown adults arguing around Rayah was a negative.

"Has he said that?" Si asked.

"No, she still sees him every morning and he comes over during the week to spend time with her but it's not the same as them spending the weekend together," She said.

"Am I being selfish?" She asked, knowing they always gave their honest opinion.

"No. Everyone knows why you don't want people arguing around Rayah. It's understandable but you do need to talk to Bari about it too. Just to voice why ya know?" Lyric said, she nodded.

Lani had Ptsd from people arguing and yelling. She couldn't help but get nervous or scared that something bad was going to happen when people were arguing. She didn't want that type of behavior around Rayah.

"Yeah, you know Bari isn't going to let anyone talk down on you, especially while Rayah is around. If it was an issue, you KNOW he would say something" Si added.

Lani sighed, she just hoped she wasn't being a bad or bitter mom.

_________________

"S-so where is she now?" Autumn sniffed and wiped her tears away after Matthias told what happened at Kennedi's therapy session the other day.

It was still very hard for Matthias to speak about it, even think about how his baby girl was getting taken advantage of. It broke his heart, even more, now she has anger issues and Ptsd.

They talked about her arguing with her teacher and other people. She does it because if they slightly raise their voice at her and she doesn't know you, she feels threatened.

It wasn't fair that she is only 5 going through so much all because the person she trusted didn't protect her.

"At a sleepover" He replied.

"Sleepover?" Vanessa asked, raising her brow.

He nodded "Yeah with her friend that she told y'all 'bout" He replied,

"Ohhh with the real pretty mom" Vanessa smirked, he chuckled.

"Yeah, that's her" He shook his head.

"Your dad is going to throw a fit when he finds out" Autumn shook her head.

His father didn't play those harming children or rape stuff. He was a special victim detective and worked on all types of these things. One thing he always did was make sure the person that caused the crime went to jail.

He retired maybe a year ago but when he hears this, it's probably going to make him go back.

"Where is he?" Matt asked.

"He took the twines Christmas shopping"

Matt furrowed his eyebrows "Why are they Christmas shopping with him like they ain't gon' know what they are getting?" He asked.

"He said he isn't making that mistake again" Autumn chuckled, shaking his head.

"Just spoiled," He grumbled.

"Oh, I knowwwww you are not talkin' " Vanessa deadpans him "You were spoiled like hell too. He always use to come home with new shoes and games for you" She chuckled.

Matt laughed, he couldn't lie, he was spoiled as a child and very loved. His parents always found a way to spoil him and spend time with him so that he wouldn't have gotten jealous when the twins came.

"When was the last time you talked to Cora?"

"When she left and I cussed her out" He shrugged "Ken doesn't need her anyway. She got me" He said.

He was very certain that Kennedi didn't need her. She needed to be surrounded by love, not a mother that doesn't protect her like she should have.

"Find her a new momma boy" They fussed, he laughed "I'm working on it" He smirked, pulling his phone out when he heard it go off.

🫧🤎

MATTHIAS STOP SENDING ME DAMN MONEY!

It's for Ken's food and stuff y'all doing this weekend😂

I got her. I invited her, you don't need to send me money for her🙄

You don't have to do that

I know that but I am now stop before I block you on cash app🫥

Who even gave you my cash app?

I know my ways, lil girl.

It's giving stalker🧍🏾‍♀️

Leave me alone, OLD-man and she will call you later.

lmao aight.

"Why are you over thea' smiling?" Autumn smiled, loving her son's smiling since he didn't do it much unless he was around Kennedi.

"Talking to yall future daughter-in-law" He shrugged. He's been feeling Ailani and within a short time, he developed a small crush on her. When he wanted something, he was going to get it.

"Our future daughter-in-law huh?"

"Gotta speak it into the universe. Y'all know I been manifesting lately" He shrugged. They busted out laughing at him for being 100% serious.

_________________

🎶Wave your hands side to side, put it in the air

Clap, clap, clap like you don't care

Smack that, clap, clap, clap, like you don't care

(I know you care)🎶

"YESSSSS! YALL BETTER WORK IT!" Ailani hyped and recorded Sarayah and Kennedi as they danced in her living room.

Lani set the phone up and started dancing with them.

"Yuuhhh"

Lani busted out laughing, they had been practicing Beyoncé 7/11 music video all day.

"Okay, okay. Come on and let's get in the bed" She said, turning the music off and stopping the recording.

"Wait, mommy, I have to call daddy first," Rayah said, she nodded "I know, your tablet in your room baby," Lani told her. Rayah made sure to call Bari every night if he wasn't here to do it.

Lani loved their daddy and daughter relationship, it reminded her of her and her dad before he died.

Rayah ran into her room "Come on babes, we gotta call your daddy" Lani told Kennedi. She grabbed her phone and facetime Matthias.

She started picking up the toys that they were playing with.

"Hello?" She heard Matthias' deep voice.

"Hey, daddy!" Kennedi beamed.

"Hey princess, you having fun?" He asked.

"Yes, look at my nails" She put her freshly painted purple nails in the camera. She and Sarayah ended up getting the same color to be twins.

"I like them"

"Can I stay with Lani for the rest of the week?" She asked.

Lani started laughing while sitting next to her on the couch. Kennedi asked her earlier if she could stay and Lani told her yes only if she asked first.

Lani loved having her around, it was like having a second mini-me even though she acted just like Matthias, just very bossy. It also made Rayah happy to have someone her age around.

"Dang, that's how it is now? You don't want to be with daddy anymore? Wow, Nolle" He shook his head as she giggled.

He laughed "That's not funny, you'n miss me?"

"I dooooo but I like it hereee" She dragged, Lani couldn't do anything but laugh seeing Matthias face, mugging Kennedi.

"Stay thea' then. She just gon' send you back"

Kennedi's jaw dropped and she looked up at Lani "No I'm not. Yo' daddy a liar" Lani chuckled.

"Oooh she called you a li- Call me a liar if you want to Nolle." He warned.

Lani mugged the phone before taking it "You're a liar and yo' hair looks a mess. Don't talk to my baby like that" She fussed.

He mugged her back "Girl— give the phone back to my child the hell"