, Korin sat outside on a yoga mat with closed eyes and an empty mind. It'd been nearly three months since Safe Haven Wellness Center had been scheduled to become her temporary home. However, It didn't work out that way. A week into the facility they were attempting to medicate her when that wasn't the route she wanted to take. It was the reason she decided to spend heavy money on a specific facility yet it was just like the rest of the facilities or clinics that tried to "treat" everyday people. The staff even had the audacity to have nasty attitudes. She didn't waste any time signing herself out and catching the first ride to the nearest airport. But instead of going home, she used the money that was intended for her stay at Safe Haven to book a two month trip to Tulum, Mexico.

She wasn't impulsive enough to take the trip alone; she invited Khloe and Daniel for company and comfort. The two were on summer vacation and needed a trip out of the country to breathe and not worry themselves with scholastic obligations. She was grateful that she had because the two had been nothing short of amazing. They gave her space when she needed it and laughter when her journey began to overwhelm her. She even noticed that the trip was working its magic on the two as a couple as well. The connection they were building was hard to miss because they wore it like a brand new layer of skin.

"Breathe." Korin's instructor Naveen whispered.

Though the facility had been everything she didn't want for herself, she came to Mexico and seeked out everything that she did want. A yoga and meditation instructor to help her find ways of deal with the unraveling of trauma that came with counseling. The counselor she'd been recommended by an industry friend was one to snatch everything from the vault like spring cleaning. Each zoom meeting ended with her bawling like a baby and having to nap to keep herself from hyperventilating. There were times where she found herself catching attitudes and being snappy with her counselor but after sitting in her newfound emotions and perspective she could feel chips falling from her shoulder. Chips she didn't know she had.

Yoga and the art of meditating were blessings she was happy to have asked for. While yoga was the act of stretching the body, it was similar to meditation because she was forced to be still, focus and breathe. The only difference was the exercise aspect that left her feeling productive and light on her feet -- once the soreness wore off, of course. Meditation allowed her to ground herself when anxiety decided to sneak up like a bandit in the night, receive energy when she lacked it, align with her intuition and heighten her self awareness.

So far, both gave her a sense of self-control and she was surprised at how much the two molded her into this refined woman. She still had a long way to go but she was more than happy with what was happening before her eyes.

"Beautiful." Naveen watched her slowly breathe in then out. The thirty minute timer went off and she fluttered her eyes open, "You're getting better and better, my love."

"Staying in that space of quiet is still a little difficult."

"It's a constant battle but the more you practice the easier it'll be to slip right back in that peace. You got this." he held his hands up for high-fives. She smacked his hands.

"Thank you for sticking with me for these two months. I've been more than grateful. Whenever I return I'll be sure to give you a call."

"Of course, of course. It was a delight to partner with you and I can't wait to see all the photos of your little baby. I'm definitely going to miss you and your wild sister."

"Oh, I know you won't miss her a bit."

He chuckled. "She's a heart warmer. I'll get out of your hair. I know you like to take a nap after your session. Be safe on your flight back home."

"Pray for a safe landing." she walked him to the front door of the home she was staying in.

"I will. I hope to see you within the next year." he gave her a hug then disappeared down the steps.

Korin watched him climb on his bike and follow the trail down the road. She pushed the door closed and locked it behind herself, mindlessly placing her hand on her small bump. She was now twenty weeks pregnant and over time had completely fallen in love with the little human growing inside of her. The journey was far from over but being able to watch her baby grow and see it physically every morning brought her joy. She wasn't huge or anything but she was fifteen pounds heavier with a small mound in front of her. It was odd but very satisfying for her to watch her body change week by week.

While watching her body change, a cloud of guilt surfed over her head for leaving Gio out of the loop. He wasn't necessarily out of the loop because she called him once every other week to let him know how she was doing. She didn't want to constantly bother him for multiple reasons; they weren't together, he was doing a lot of traveling, and it wasn't important. There were times when she was having mood swings and wanted to call him and vent about her feelings but she stopped herself each time. Instead she'd video-journal, talk to Khloe or call her counselor. Journaling via video had become her favorite thing to do outside of yoga/meditating. Something about saying how she felt aloud felt ten times better than writing them down.

Though it was to help her with her healing journey, she thought it would make for a great pregnancy documentary for her, the baby and maybe even Gio to look back on. She was sure to capture her feelings, the growth of her bump, and the activities she took part in during her stay in Tulum. She was on a self improvement journey but that wasn't stopping her from making her pregnancy a fun and memorable one.

"You be wearing me out, cocoa bean." she yawned on her way to the living room. "I can't wait to meet you and see your tiny little face. You'll probably look like your daddy and I'ma be annoyed. Their family has strong genes."

And just like that Giovanni was on her mind. She wondered if he'd told his family about her being pregnant or if he'd curated a list of names. The gender was still unknown and she was supposed to find out at her next doctor's appointment, but she had every intention of keeping it anonymous. She didn't want to find out until she and Gio were back in New York to have him included. There was only so much he'd be able to see in her last few months while he's in different cities — the least she could do was hold off on finding out the gender.

It also led her to wonder if he'd started to date again. A few of her sessions were on the topic of her love life and she didn't plan to date for a while. She'd dedicate her time and energy to dating herself and being the best mother she could be. The love she had for Gio wasn't going anywhere any time soon and she was very aware of that. If anything she'd been wanting to be closer to him since she entered her second trimester. There were times she caught whiffs of his cologne while in bed or swore she heard him whisper his love in her ear like he did when they called it a night. It made her feel a little crazy at times but it gave her comfort.

"Six more hours." she blew out air. "Six hours."

Khloe burst through the kitchen's sliding doors nearly giving Korin a heart attack. She sat up and gave her sister the coldest glare she could muster up while Khloe continued to laugh and pant. She was bent over with her hands on her knees. Daniel came walking in behind her with a large smile and short of breath as well.

"What are you two doing? I'm tryna take a nap."

"I'm sorry but I had to smoke him real quick. Show him that I didn't make it to state for the 200 meter every year for no reason. Made his ass eat straight dust."

"I sprang my ankle." he lightly pushed her, making her stumble into the wall.

"A damn lie. Admit that you're slow and I'll never bring this moment up again." she followed behind him over to the sofa adjacent to Korin.

"I told you I sprang my ankle. That's my story and I'm sticking to it got dammit."

"I hope you two are packed. As much as I'd like to stay here I miss my friends, Willow and my own bed so y'all will get left if you're not ready to go."

"We packed." they both muttered while scratching the back of their heads.

"Now who's a damn lie? Y'all better go pack. By time I wake up from my nap we should all be able to get ready and walk out of here."

"You can't lie to save your life." Daniel whispered to Khloe as they traveled to the bedroom that had been their's.

"You're the one who gave us away. Scratching the back of your head like you got dandruff or something. Remind me to never rob a bank with you."

He scoffed. "You can't even lie at Walmart's self checkout. I'll never rob a bank with yo ass."

This was what Korin endured whenever the couple decided to join her around the house. She had to listen to them bicker while simultaneously falling all over one another. It was fun for her to watch but they did touch on her nerves every now and again. Yet and still, their company was still gravely appreciated.

Korin stepped off the elevator on her floor with a yawn, lugging her suitcase behind her. Her eyes quickly widened when she raised her head and saw Brit standing in front of her door with balloons and an extra large gift bag. She picked up her pace to a slight jog, desperately wanting to embrace her friend.

"I missed you so much!" she said the minute Brit's arms were wrapped around her. "Talking over the phone wasn't doing me enough justice."

"Girl, I don't think you know how much I've missed you! And then you came back with a gift that's melting my heart. Oh my God, you're really pregnant bitch." she caressed Korin's belly.

"I know. Twenty weeks with so many more to go."

"I told you you were gonna let that man impregnate you. At least Sadie will have a playmate and I'll be an aunt of two. Wow."

"I can't wait to meet miss Sadie Giana. Every time Morgan sends me a picture or video of her I just explode. It's illegal for a baby to be so gorgeous."

Upon entering her condo, Korin was met with huge silver letters spelling out welcome back floating in front of her tv. A small gift box sat on her glass coffee table with a card resting underneath it. She put her suitcase to the side and reached for the card rather than the box.

"Welcome home, it hasn't been the same without you." she read the script on the front. "Aw, that's sweet Brit."

Korin flipped the card open not expecting to see the right hand side of the card filled with handwritten words. The penmanship confused her because she didn't recognize it as Brittney's but as Giovanni's. He was the last person she expected a welcome home gesture from since things between them were far from the same. Communication was low and when they did talk it was only to give him an update on their baby. Nothing more.

She read over his words and found herself getting emotional. She understood their stand point, she understood that she needed to focus on herself and he needed to do the same but she still missed him. She had Giovanni but she didn't have lover Giovanni — the one who put her first and loved her wholeheartedly. She'd lost that privilege. While she focused on herself she thought that she had finally accepted it but his card let her know that she hadn't.

"Wait—Whoa whoa, these aren't happy tears." Brit's smile dropped. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing I'm okay I-I just...it's the hormones."

"You sure?"

She gave Brit a smile, "Yes. Let me go pee then I'll be back to open this gift box."

Korin was on her way to the bathroom to cry in peace only to be startled by a large figure sprawled across her bed. Her scream made them quickly raise their head, and she clutched her chest in relief once she realized that it was Giovanni. His eyes were bloodshot red letting her know that he probably didn't know he'd fallen asleep. A concerned Brit had rushed into the room as well and immediately laughed at Gio's confused expression. He was still trying to take in his surroundings.

Korin walked further in the room, prompting him to sit up and stretch his limbs. He was still glancing around the room but stopped when his eyes fell upon Korin and he actually realized who she was.

"What are you doing here? And why are you in my bed?" Korin tried to regulate her breathing. Her heart was still racing from the scare.

"I came over here to see you but I must've fell asleep waiting on you to get here."

"Well don't do that. You scared me."

"Come here. Let me look at you." he fingered her over to him with his eyes half open.

A surge of heat coursed through Korin's body but she kept her cool as she rounded the foot of her bed to where he sat. His eyes wandered her figure ever so slowly. It was like he was trying to identify every change her body had gone through. When his eyes finally reached her belly, a smile stretched across his face followed by a soft chuckle.

"You really walking around here with my baby in you." he put his fist to his mouth.

"Really?" she deadpanned.

"Yeah." he reached forward to touch her stomach but quickly paused, "I can touch you, right?"

She smacked her teeth, grabbing his large hands and placing them on her stomach. The way his face lit up like a kid in a candy store made her break out into a smile. He kneeled down to be face to face with her belly and gently rested his head on it. Korin looked over at Brit who had her hands over her heart with a pout on her face.

"Can they hear me yet?" he looked up at Korin.

"Supposedly. She hasn't moved so I'm not sure she's awake."

"You think it's a girl?"

"It is." Brit intervened.

"Yeah, I do but sometimes I feel like it's a boy too so." Korin shrugged. "You can go ahead and say whatever you want."

Giovanni moved back to the edge of the bed and pulled Korin in between his open legs. He bowed his head on her belly like he was praying and began speaking to the baby at a volume only he could hear. Korin tried her hardest to hear what he was saying but it was obvious he didn't want it to be known.

"I love you." was the last thing he said before placing a kiss on her belly.

"I know you just got back, Kori but my man is begging me to come home before they have to catch their flight. I'll be back tonight to spend the night with you." Brit peeked in the room after stepping out.

"Okay, call me when you're on your way back. I might be sleep."

"How have you been feeling?" Gio mindlessly rested his hands on the back of Korin's thighs since she still stood in between his legs.

"Well today I've been fine. I woke up a little sore in my lower back but for the most part I'm fine compared to other days. For the past week I've been having the urge to throw up but I have yet to actually throw up. It's like it just sits right in my throat all day."

"Yeah? You talked to your doctor about it?" he began to small rub circles on her thighs. It was then she realized how close they were and took a step back.

"Um, we talked about it a lil bit but we'll talk more about it during my appointment tomorrow. How's it been on the road?"

"I'm just ready to win the series and start off-season. I forgot just how much all the traveling and playing every night wears me out."

"Well, you'll have a newborn to sleep the day away with."

"Sounds like heaven to me." he smiled.

Giovanni stood beside Chazmon, leaned against the wall talking to watch their teammate go up to bat. Both of them were covered in sweat from the two hours of play and had clay smudged into their uniform. It was game three of the seven they were scheduled to play against the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2020 World Series title. The Mets were currently in the lead with five completed runs around the diamond.

"I seen Korin before the game and sis done got big as hell." Chad spoke, eyes still glued to the game.

"I know. Her due date is in a week but Mama thinks she's gonna drop any day now."

"You still nervous or you feel like you ready?"

"To be honest, I'm feeling a little bit of both. I'm nervous because I know I have so much to learn but at the same time, I know it'll all be alright because I'ma put my all into being the best parent I can be."

"I'm actually excited to see you as a parent, big dawg. Wait, does this mean you and Pete gonna start excluding me for daddy stuff? See, already ion like this."

Gio laughed, "Drop a jit. You know you want to give Brit one of your babies."

"Don't encourage me because I'll do it. Nah, I need to see what this Godfather life is hitting like first. Gotta test it out before I just drive off the lot."

The sound of the baseball hitting the bat brought fans to their feet to see just how far the ball would fly. Gio leaned over the wall, yelling for his teammate to kick up dust and get to second base. The ball bounced off the wall and the time it took for the outfielder to grab it and throw it back in the diamond, allowed the man to reach second base with a short slide.

"Hell yeah!" Gio cheered.

"Gio!" his name was shouted from afar. He looked around but couldn't find who had called out for him. He turned back to the field only for the assistant coach to shout his name, "Hoffman!"

He pushed off the wall and walked over to his coach, "Wassup?"

"Your babymother is in labor."

"What?" his eyes stretched. He looked toward the skybox like he could actually see inside from where he stood. "Where she at?"

"She said to finish the game then come to the birthing center and not to worry about her. Focus on the game." said, a man with security written across his chest

"Is she out of her mind!?"

"Hoffman relax." his coach spoke up. "Labor takes hours and the game is nearly finished. You can leave as soon as the game is called."

For the remainder of the game, Giovanni's nerves were running rampant. He wanted to walk out on the team and take his place at Korin's side but he kept telling himself that she was okay. It didn't help that much because during his down time he had read articles about black women's birthing experience and he wasn't a fan. He was pretty sure his parents had gone with her since they all were seated together, but he wanted to be there to be her voice. The very last thing he wanted was for her to die giving birth because there wasn't anyone pushing for her to be heard.

From his place in center field, he hoped the person up to bat would strike out so the game could be called. It seemed to be taking longer than the average game and it was making him irritable.