😗sorry for any mistakes

4 months later....

Atlanta, GA

March 4th

Tuesday

"Bitccchhh let me tell you to have the best dick I got last night" Lyric came into Lani's station room. Lani laughed, cleaning up after her last client.

"Tell me, girl"

"Bitch it's to the point, I don't even have a roaster anymore! I let them go because he asked me to and I was weak in the kneessss LITERALLY" Lyric whined.

"Wait, who is it? New York?" Lani asked, wiping the chair with the disaffected wipe.

"Kei" She blurted, Lani's eyes widened "KEITH?!"

"Shhh" Lyric hushed her because she was so loud.

"Bitch Keith? Ru best friend Keith? Kei that you argue with all the time?" She asked incredulously, Lyric laughed and nodded.

"Girl when?? How?" Lani sat in her seat to take this in. She was honestly surprised since every time they are all together, the two are always arguing.

"Girl dick go CRAZY!" Lyric exclaimed, making them busted out laughing "But it happened after the new year's party. His ass was getting smart again so I told him little dick niggas should never talk. My first mistake." Lyric shook her head.

Lani started screaming laughing "Lani, that man had me begging. BEGGING! ME!!"

"Wow, y'all nasty. So y'all date now?" Lani asked.

Lyric looked at her funny "Girl no. It's strictly dickly. We both just having fun and putting on a title on something that's only sex is weird"

Lani nodded slowly, trying to understand even though she didn't. Lani hasn't dated in 5 years and never had a sneaky link or just sex type of relationship.

"You need some dick best" Lyric smirked.

Lani chuckled "No ma'am. I'm not built like you, I would let sex compact things so I mind as well not bother" She shrugged.

Lani wishes she could only do sexual things with someone and not get her feelings involved but she couldn't. She saw sex as more than just a need versus everyone else which wasn't a problem.

"Can I ask you something?"

Lani nodded, "Always" she replied.

"Why haven't you dated? It's been 5 years now. Don't use Rayah as an excuse either" Lyric said.

She sighed "That being completely vulnerable again to someone is honestly terrifying to me. Opening up and risking being hurt is scary Lyric. Putting myself out there just to be slapped in the face. And honestly, trusting someone again is hard and I don't think I ever want to trust someone again" She explained.

Lani had really bad trust issues now. If she was being honest, She didn't want to trust someone with her heart ever again.

Lyric pouted at her "Lani, y—" She was cut off by a knock at the door. "Come in," Lani said.

One of her employees, Dakota, walked into the room with beautiful red roses.

"These were delivered for you. So luckyyy" Dakota chuckled. Lani smiled taking the roses "Ugh, lemme go cuss my nigga out. Where the fuck is my fawkin' flowers" She huffed, grabbing her phone out of her pocket.

"Jayden! Why don't you send me fawkin' flowers to work?" Dakota fussed, walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.

"She is a trip" Lani chuckled, not able to wipe the smile off her face. Nobody has ever sent her flowers before.

"Not you got a secret admirerrrr. Does it have a note?" Lyric asked.

Lani shrugged, not knowing until she looked around and found a white envelope.

"Aw that is so sweet" Lani pouted, handing the card to Lyric so she could read it.

She was telling him how yesterday wasn't the best day for her, mentality. She was thinking about her brother and dad, it messed with her mood for the whole day.

Usually, it didn't ruin her day, but her mother wrote her a letter and sent it to her. She asked Lani if she could visit her and that ruined her day.

She didn't know how she got her home address but she didn't like it. Lani thought she had a lot of nerve to ask her to come to visit after almost killing her and killing her brother and dad. The two people she loved the most before she had Sarayah.

That was something Lani could never forgive and refused to even have any contact with her.

"Mhmm" Lyric smirked, handing her the card back,

"What?" Lani asked, still smiling at the flowers. She grabbed her phone to send him a quick thank you text.

"Nothing," Lyric said, standing up "Ima go count the money real quick," She said and walked out the room.

🤍

11:11 AM

Lmaoo, fuck I look like straightening my hair Anahi?

Lani busted out laughing at the message. She forgot she asked him if she could straighten his hair next time she does it.

Now

LMFAOOOAOAO you look like someone that's going to let me do it 🙂

Thank you for the roses, they're beautiful 🥺💕

She put her phone in her pocket after checking the time, seeing it was 12:30. She grabbed her clipboard to see the next which was at 2.

She smiled when her phone went off, thinking it was Matthias. It dropped when she saw it was only Jabari.

You tryna go to lunch?

Yeah, where tho?

Aunt Jas soul food?

You know me so wellll.

I'll be there in 10 mins.

She put her phone back in her pocket then grabbed her purse from her drawer. Walking out of her station, she walked up to the front seeing Keith.

"Hey Kei," She smiled. He looked up and smirked "Wassup babymomma" He side hugged her.

She playfully rolled her eyes at what he's been calling her since he met her. "Why are you here?" She asked.

"Yo' rat lookin' ass friend stole my charger," He said, glancing around.

"You came all the way here just for a charger?" She raised her brow.

"Hell yeah, do you know how expensive dem shits are? I'll be damned if ha' fish smelling ass kept my shit"

Lani chuckled, this wasn't anything new to her. She also knew it wasn't true or he wouldn't be having sex with her all the time they do.

"Boy shut yo' monkey lookin' ass up. Always talkin' shit" Lyric said, coming up to them mugging Keith.

"Ima go before y'all start" Lani laughed, "You want something from Aunt Jas?" She asked Lyric.

When she told her no, Lani walked out of the building, going to her car.

_________________

"How long are you going to be gone?" Lani asked Jabari after taking a bite of her chicken wing as they sat in the booth of the restaurant.

"Jus' 3 days. I gotta check on the property and tell them about my leave" He said.

"You're really about to start your own business. I'm proud of you" Lani said sincerely.

"I appreciate that, I can't work fa' the white man nomo" He chuckled, eating his macaroni and cheese.

Jabari was an accounting manager, one of the youngest at his job. He was leaving to start better for himself. He couldn't work for someone that didn't appreciate him anymore. Once his contract with the company was over, he was starting his own accounting business which is next month.

He already got a good clientele since some homeowners and business owners continued to want to work with him. He didn't have employees yet but his business was slowly coming together.

"As you shouldn't. You deserve better than them"

He nodded then cleared his throat "I wanna talk to you about Bo—Nope" She cut him off already knowing what he was going to say.

He sighed, putting his fork down "Lani she wants to apologize and start over" He tried to reason.

"On Christmas, I should've whooped her ass for disrespecting me in front of my daughter but I didn't. I'll accept her apology but everything after that is dead. I can't and won't be cool with her again" She stated, before sipping some of her pink lemonade.

Lani was no longer dealing with Bonnie whether she apologized or anything. On Christmas, like every year everyone comes over so Lani and her granny could cook Christmas dinner for everyone.

It was like a tradition since Lyric's parents died 10 years ago and Jabari and Si don't mess with either of their parents anymore. This year Ru even came and of course, Bonnie came, like she always has over the past 2 almost 3 years.

Lani and Sarayah were in the kitchen making a strawberry cheesecake when Bonnie came in there with her mess. She asked Lani why she was keeping Rayah from going over to their house lately.

Lani ignored her. She felt like when it came to parenting, it was between her and Jabari nobody else's unless they allowed it and they didn't allow Bonnie. They had certain boundaries and Bonnie had crossed them asking that. She also didn't think it was a conversation to have in front of Rayah.

Bonnie didn't like that, she went on to say how Lani was a jealous bitter bitch and just wanted to break her and Jabari up. She called her a hoe and desperate bitch for sleeping with a married man and not moving on from Jabari.

That instantly triggered Lani. She was trying to be nice and keep her distance herself but she felt like Bonnie provoked her then was projecting her insecurity about her relationship on her.

Lani instantly went off on her, she called Bonnie weird and insecure. She also let it slip how Jabari cheated on her when she was 7 months pregnant and that's why they weren't together and never would be again.

It was a mess, Sarayah was crying because she never heard or seen her mother like that. Lani still kicked herself down for letting Bonnie bring her out of character.

She went back to her 17-year-old self and if Jabari and Ru didn't come in and grab her first, she would've started fighting Bonnie. Lani could never be cool with her after that especially after she disrespected her in front of her child.

"Aight and you kno' I ain' tryna make excuses for her but you forgave me after what I did," He said.

She shook her head, putting the cup down "That was very different. No matter what you did, you never called me out of my name. Don't forget, me and you both did stupid things back then but I never once did anything wrong to her." She explained.

She thought those situations were totally different. Plus she has to deal with Jabari for the rest of her life because they share a child together. She doesn't have to deal with Bonnie if she doesn't want to.

He nodded understanding "I jus' had to try"

If Lani didn't see and hear Jabari cussing Bonnie out after the altercation, she would have thought he was lying to both of them. After she heard him saying the same things he told her, she knew that wasn't the case.

"I know but the answer is no and will always be no" She chuckled.

"I appreciate you for not keeping Rayah from her tho. I know it's hard not to" He said. Everyone knew if you disrespect Lani, you weren't allowed around her child anymore.

She nodded "Rayah has a bond with he so I can't mess that up. I'm only doing it for Rayah tho" She spoke.

_________________

"I don't want to go to prom," Syd said while helping Matthias cook dinner.

"Why not? I thought you and Brook were both excited about prom?" He said, seasoning the flour that he was about to use to fry fish.

"I don't have a date an—"

"You don't need a date to go to prom pea" He cut her off, calling her by her nickname he's been calling her since she was a baby.

"I know but I know Brook wants to go with her boyfriend. I don't want to take that chance from her '' She shrugged while making the coleslaw.

"And Brook is going to be talking to everyone and I would just be sitting in the corner"

Sydney and Brooklyn may have been twins but we're the complete opposite. Sydney was more of an introvert and doesn't like conversing with others versus Brook did.

"You know she isn't just going to let you sit in the corner pea" He frowned.

Even though Brook was the more out there between the two, she never left Sydney out. She always did her best to make sure she was comfortable with whatever.

"My point exactly. She's going to be too worried about me instead of having fun." She spoke, now putting foil on top of the bowl.

"You want me to be yo' date?" He chuckled.

"No! That would be so weird. I'd rather stay home" She shook her head.

You— Daddy!" He attempted to say until Kennedi ran into the kitchen crying with Brook behind her trying not to laugh.

"What's wrong mami?" He asked, picking her up as cried, "Brook was laughing at my picture I drew" Kennedi cried.

Matthias glared at his sister, she was dying laughing while showing Sydney something on her phone. Syd tucked her lips and covered her mouth, trying so hard not to laugh.

"You know Brook is a hater. Let me see" He said.

She sniffled, holding up the picture.

"I– Oh" He blurted, trying to hold in his laugh. Kennedi threw the notebook down and began to cry again.

"No! No, i-it's beautiful Mami " He snickered, picking the notebook back up. Both of the twins were crying on the floor now.

"W-Who is it?" He chuckled underneath his breath. "It's us! That's Rayah holding Lani's hand and that's me and you" She sniffled, pouting at the picture.

He snickered again, "You're an artist baby." He lied straight through his teeth. He didn't want to hurt her feelings even more.

"You think so?" She asked, sadly smiling at him. He nodded "Yeah, I'ma have to frame it." He smiled.

"Period. Can I call Lani and show her?" She asked, He nodded, walking them to the counter. He opened his phone and went to facetime, he pressed her contact since she was already at the top.

"He— What the hell?" Lani said, answering on the second ring and Kennedi was already holding up the picture in the camera.

"I mean, ooouu ahhh" Lani quickly covered up smiling, Matthias couldn't help but chuckle.

"That is soooooo pretty mami. Who is it?" Lani asked, Matthais could hear in her voice she was trying not to laugh.

"That's Rayah holding your hand and that's me and my daddy" Kennedi beamed.

"What's going on with your hair tho?" Lani asked, if she didn't explain it, Matthias would have thought it was a boy.

"My hair is in a messy bun, silly goose," Kennedi giggled. Matt turned his head to laugh then look at his sisters who were still dying.

"Wow, I love it. I hope your daddy frames it" Lani smiled.

"Yeah, he is. You are too right?" Kennedi smiled.

"Yeah girl, Mhm"

_________________

"What do you mean by expanding? You're going to open up a business in a different state?" Lani asked Matthias while they were on facetime both getting ready for bed.

They always were on facetime after pulling Rayah and Ken to bed. A few times they even went to sleep on the phone, not wanting to end their conversation.

"No, I mean as in taking more business offers in different states. So far we only do Georgia and a few in Florida but I want to do some a little everywhere" He explained, putting moisturizer on his face.

Lani nodded as she already settled in bed "So you're going to be taking out-of-town trips?" She asked. He nodded moisturizing his beard now and combing it out.

"Not all the time, I still have to figure out a way to do more meetings at home. I can't be away from my baby for a long time," He chuckled.

Matthias be sick to his stomach when he is away for too long. He has never been able to stay away from her longer than a week.

Lani laughed at him "I understand that. You're a really good father tho"

The biggest grin came across his face. It was never his attention-seeking but hearing people say that to him was something needed.

"Thank you, I appreciate that" He nodded, putting everything back.

"You need your hair done" Lani curled up her lip, he picked up the phone, mugging her.

"When you gon' do it?" He raised his brow, she playfully rolled her eyes "Why I always have to do it now?" She chuckled.

"Cause who else gon' do it?" He smirked. Matthias could easily go back to the shop and allow them to do his hair but he liked it when she did it. It allowed him to spend time with her.

"The same people that did it before me"

"I like the way you do it better tho. You've been doing it for 4 months now" He shrugged, turned the light off in the bathroom then walked out.

"You something else, I swear" She giggled. He licked his lips looking at her "You so pretty" He said.

He chuckled watching her trying to hide her smile as she blushed. She always got nervous when he complimented her, he thought it was cute.

"Thank you"

He nodded, still staring at her. She sucked her teeth "Stawwp" She giggled making the camera face the ceiling.

He chuckled "Girl get back in the camera" He shook his head. "What did I do?" He licked his lips, waiting for her to put her face back in the camera.