Jayceon -

It was almost 5am when I finally pulled into the driveway. I got out locking the car and stumbling into the house. I was drunk as fuck, trying my best not too make too much noise. I pepped in the bedroom seeing that both Harlem and Amber were knocked out, I kissed their foreheads and turned off the tv. I went to our walk-in closet grabbing my hygiene bag and going to bathroom.

I undressed and turned on the water hoping in the shower. I lathered my body down, and once I was done I jumped out grabbing my towel and drying off. I put on some deodorant and then a pair of boxers and basketball shorts. Feeling a lil hungry, I went into the kitchen to fix me a bite to eat.

Luckily, I didn't even have to do much Amber had left me a plate from dinner like she normally does but she hadn't cooked in a while so I wasn't expecting this. I wasted no time taking off the foil. I smiled wide seeing that my baby made steak, shrimps, garlic potatoes and broccoli. I popped it in microwave pressing start and then I grabbed a bottle of Fiji water from the fridge. Once my food was hot enough I opened the draw grabbing a fork, a napkin and going down to my man cave in the basement.

I decided on catching up On My Block. After eating and watching a few episodes I turned from Netflix to Spotify pressing on Biggie's Ready To Die album. The intro began and I grabbed my art supplies.

Amber has really convinced me to get back into my art, lately I had been drawing and painting more. K Dot was telling me that I should enter my work in this upcoming competition to win some legit doe. The grand prize was 10,000. That wasn't no money to me I made more in one night selling bottles and pills at the club, but Dot was right I needed to do something other than selling.

Once I was done with the piece I took a picture of it and posted it on my Instagram. Since I'd been posting my work I had gained more followers, mostly art galas, and art nerds asking me to draw certain things. I made a big cartel account, it was a website that most independent merchants used to sell product. I was selling my paintings, since I started I was making mad cheddar I didn't think people would be interested at first but here I am.

I put my phone back down and started back drawing something else this time I was using paint. I was just about to dip my brush in the red color when my phone buzzed a few times. I picked it up seeing that someone had requested to follow me on IG as well as two direct messages. I tapped on the notification, and put in my fingerprint. Diamond1986 has requested to follow you. I tapped on it and chuckled slightly it was the chick from the club. I scrolled through her IG, shawty was instagram famous apparently. I couldn't lie she was dead gorgeous. I liked a few of the pics and opened the direct message.

"Mmm," I said as I was greeted with a few pictures.

Like what you see? I started typing but then I deleted what I typed as well as her message. She was trying her hardest to get me, but I wasn't going. She sent another message but I didn't even respond. I just locked my phone putting it down and getting back to my art.

***

Amber -

"Mommyyyyyy do I have to read all day?" Harlem whined while putting the book down.

"No not all day baby, all you've been doing is watching tv and playing with your toys you need to do some work baby," I say back to him as I wrap the cord around the vacuum, I had just gotten done cleaning up the living room. Today was laundry and clean up day since I was off. Along with cleaning the living room, I cleaned our bedrooms and the bathroom, next was the kitchen. This house needed a deep clean bad. One thing I didn't want was a messy house.

Cleaning had been therapeutic for me. All I needed to do was put my hair in a ponytail, turn on my playlist and get to it. Normally me and Jayceon did it but he was downstairs in his man cave sleeping. I didn't know what time he came in last night probably in the wee hours of the morning like always. I hated that he came in all different times of night I would be so happy when he gave up that club, he made promises saying he would soon but knowing Jayceon there'd be no soon he was in too deep with that club, he wasn't pulling out.

"Mommy how much longer do I have to read?" Harlem asks breaking me from my thoughts.

"Until I say stop," I say back he huffs and skips his lips before opening the book back up. Little did his butt knew after reading he was going to practice his writing. He thought whenever he came back from visiting Erica that it was playtime.

We were enrolling him in kindergarten I wanted him to be ready. Jayceon never had time to sit down with him anymore it was going out "handling business" or the club, and since he came in during the wee hours of the morning he mostly slept half the day.

"Daddy!" Harlem said excitedly as Jayceon walked up from the basement surprisingly he was fully dressed.

"Wassup lil man, babe," he said before going into the kitchen. I got up following him.

"Hey, what time did you come in last night?" I ask.

"A lil before five," he says grabbing a skillet and the eggs.

"Jayce I'm not cool with you coming in so late, it's dangerous and the neighborhood where the club is isn't safe at all," I say

"Babe come on please don't start nagging," he says dismissing me.

"I am not nagging you Jayce I'm just saying it's too late and disrespectful to me for you to be coming in those type of hours,"

" I been coming in that late, look you know the club is jumping every night, as the owner I have to be there to see things out,"

"You told me you were giving up the club,"

"In due time I will, shit I don't have a job right now you can't pay all the bills and shit by yourself lay off my fucking back I'm not feeling it right now Damn," he says slamming the refrigerator door.

"You know what fine I won't say shit I'm going out to get some air,"

"Hold on you taking lil man with you right?" He asks

"No he's going to stay here with you, you're always either at the club or sleeping spend some damn time with your son," I say angrily before snatching my purse off the door handle and leaving.

****

"I can't believe he said I was nagging him, nagging him please if this was the other way around he'd be tripping, let me walk through the door at four am every night he would have a fucking fit," I say angrily as we walk down the aisle.

"You're right he wouldn't like it at all you guys should sit down again and talk about it,"

JT says grabbing a dove body wash off the shelf. When I left the house I called her to see what she was up too, she told me she was going to make a few runs and when she asked me if I wanted to go with her I agreed.

"Ive been saying this J I don't know how many times I need to say it i don't know what I need to do to get through to him but something has to give, he promised me that he was leaving the club scene alone that he would get back into his art that he would get his GED but it's like all that went out the window," I say while shaking my head.

"Well sis to be honest I don't want to get involved in your marriage but it's like I said you gotta find a way to communicate with him get him to listen to you and mean what you say when you say it, if he knows what's best for him he'll get his act together," she replies.

"I guess your right," I sigh

"I know I'm right but hey enough about Jayceon, after I run these groceries home you wanna go see a movie?"

"Sure I don't mind what's good out?"

"Uhm we could see The Invisible Man, A quiet place, there's a new Harry Potter movie it's up to you,"

"Hey I'm not picky whatever we see I'm down,"

"Alright cool I just gotta grab a few more things and we can head to the register,"

After her shopping we went back to her house and she put away her groceries, I logged onto Instagram and saw a TikTok that Jayceon and Harlem did together, it was really cute I laughed. I hearted the video. Jayceon was a good father I wished he would give up this fantasy life that he's living and just focus on being there for Harlem and our unborn.

He has the potential to do great things but he knows nothing but the streets. I wish he would let all that go getting rich quick schemes, selling drugs, and just live a regular life. I realized that we did better when we were separated, if he didn't make any changes then I would have to make them and exit myself from the equation because I don't want those dreams to become a reality.

****

Jayceon -

When Amber came back in I stayed around another hour before grabbing my portfolio and leaving. Once I got in the car I typed in the address to the art gallery in my GPS. I backed out the driveway and headed down the block.

After the twenty minute drive I pulled into the parking lot of the tall orange and white looking building with the name Castro on the front. I cut the engine, grabbing my portfolio and getting out walking up to the building. This motherfucker was nice, they had glass windows and doors on this bitch.

I walked inside looking around, the inside was just as beautiful as the outside. As soon as you walked in there was a receptionist sitting behind a long white desk. The walls were painted white with a few orange designs. Along the walls were various paintings, and quotes. Some of Michael Angelo's sculptures were there as well. I was absolutely amazed.

"Can I help you Sir?" A dark skinned chubby woman asked as she walked out the office room door.

"Yes I have an appointment with Professor Gates," I say

"Jayceon?"

"Yes,"

"Follow me He's ready to see you," she says smiling.

"Thank you,"

I follow her down the hallway, to his office, his name Richard Gates was on the wall near the door to his office in big bold letters. She tapped on the door and a very deep husky voice said lowly "Come in,"

"Mr. Gates, Mr. Taylor is here to see you," she says the moment she opened the door.

"Bring him in," He replied. I walked in and he got up walking over to me.

"Jayceon I've been waiting to meet you come in have a seat," We shake hands before I sit down in one of the chairs that sat in front of his desk.

"May I offer you some juice, water?"

"Waters fine thank you,"

He reaches into the mini fridge that sat on a small wooden table next to his mahogany desk. On top of the desk were a few pictures of a woman and two small boys, probably his wife and children. A Mac computer, a few pens, a telephone, and a large calendar was on the desk as well.

Mr. Gates was a fifty five year old, African American illustrator, oil-painter, and craftsman. He stood six feet tall, with a little stomach poking out in the front. He had a low salt and pepper hair cut, with a neatly trimmed beard, and light green eyes, and a pair of wired rimmed glasses rested on his face.

He wasn't your average old man, He was sharp, the brother stayed clean, and well dressed. He wore a small gold cross earring in one ear and a gold stud in the other. He was dressed in a navy blue dress shirt that was tucked in his black dress pants. His pants seemed to have the perfect crease in them. A pair of black Allen Edmonds dress shoes were on his feet.

"Do you prefer Jayceon or Mr. Taylor?"

"Jayceon is fine,"

"Alright call me Richard, Mr. Gates was my father," he says before sipping on his tea.

"Listen I've been waiting to finally meet you young man, Kendrick has spoken so highly of you and based on your work, he wasn't wrong. He showed me a few of your paintings, I also looked on your Instagram and I must say you are very talented son, I haven't seen art like yours in a while, so to put it in a nutshell I'm going to give you a shot and offer you a job," He says smiling wide.

"Wow, thank you..wow that really means a lot to me sir, To be honest I didn't think my art was that good I stopped drawing for a little while but my wife brought it back to my attention how good I was back in the day and I decided to give it a second go," I say shocked. I didn't think he would be this impressed.

"Well I am glad your wife brought it to your attention son, she's definitely a good woman because she told you right," he says and I smile.

"Yes she is,"

"Well you go home to her and tell her baby I will be working at Castro's art gala, I'll have Marie the receptionist handle all your payroll paperwork, and you can be here at 8:00 tomorrow morning,"

"Thank you sir, thank you so much," I say before shaking his hand.

"Go on go ahead and get set up with Marie I'm going to page her now," he says picking up the phone.

"Alright thank you again sir,"

I couldn't believe it, I was beyond happy. Someone that impressed with my work to offer me a gig on the spot. I instantly sent a text to Dot letting him know we needed to talk about the club. He wasn't working right now so, and shit he was the only one I trusted, I knew leaving the club in his hands wouldn't be a bad idea.

After setting up my payroll and getting my clock in and out number, taking my photo for my badge, I went to the grocery store picking up some roses for Amber. I rushed home jumping out the car and making my way in. As soon as I walked in the crib the aroma of whatever Amber was cooking hit my nose and I mouth began to water, baby was in there throwing down.

As I walked closer to the kitchen I heard Amber singing along to Real Love by Mary J.

She had her back turned dancing at the stove as she began stirring whatever she was cooking in the pot. She started dancing wildly and I eased over dancing behind her I kept dancing until she bumped into me.

"Oh my gosh bae.. Don't scare me like that!" She said grabbing her chest.

"I sorry baby," I said laughing. She hit me a few times with the dry towel.

"I got these for you baby," I say handing her the flowers.

"Aww baby, you haven't brought me flowers in a long time," she says with poked her lips out.

"I know and I'm sorry bae I promise we gonna get back to the romance, I'm sorry I haven't been the man you needed me to be, and I was wrong baby for coming at you like that the other day, you was right, I was dead wrong coming in all types of hours, but all that's going to change cause I got hired on the spot at Castro's art gala," I say smiling.

"What! For real baby that is amazing, that's awesome," she squeals with excitement.

"Yeah Mr. Gates was impressed with my work he said he didn't need to say anything else I set up my payroll already and I start tomorrow morning," I reply before gripping her waist and pulling her closer to me.

"Baby I am so proud of you...see I told you, you are so talented honey, he would of been a fool to turn you away,"

"Yeah well I gotta talk to Kendrick he the only one I trust with the club, so I'm gonna leave it to him and see how this art thing goes,"

"I'm sure Kendrick wouldn't mind looking after things it probably will be like you never left," she says before turning off the stove and oven.

"Yeah well I'm about to go shower and play with lil man,"

"Please because he's been asking if you were going to be home tonight he wants to watch some movie,"

"Alright well imma go upstairs and I'll be back down,"

"Alright babe dinner is ready we can actually eat when you come back down,"

"Alright," I was about to walk away when she called my name.

"Yeah babe,"

"I'm so proud of you honey, I really am," she says smiling wide. I thought I'd never see her smile like that again. I was glad, hopefully I kept her smiling that way but knowing me I would fuck it up somehow.

"Thank you baby, I love you too,"

***

After my shower, I fixed our plates, while Amber put on the movie. Harlem wanted to see The Wild Thornberry movie one of Nick's classic cartoons. I don't care how old I get I could always sit and watch cartoons now that I was starting my own family I could share the nostalgia with Harlem and my unborn.

Amber had threw together a little honey chicken and rice dish, I loved when she went in the kitchen and put shit together, after eating two big ass plates of food I leaned back on the recliner and glued my eyes to the tv. Lil man was on the floor sitting in his beanie while Amber laid under her blanket on the couch.

Mid into the movie my phone started going off with notifications from Instagram and Facebook. Diamond Has requested to be your friend on Facebook.

Damn this bitch is persistent much I think to myself as I decline the request blocking her page. I don't know but it was something about this chick, she was up to something I didn't know what but I was going to find out sooner or later......