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“Girl please, ain’t nobody worried about your brother,” I scoffed. “But my grandma is coming over on Monday to make me some red beans and fried chicken, so we’ll have something to eat here if you wanna come over.”

“Oh baby, that’s one of my favorite meals. I’m there! I’ma come in the evening when Aneesah gets out of school ‘cause I know she wants to see you, too.”

That really warmed my heart to hear because I was certain that Armias’ family didn’t fuck with me anymore. Still having Aspen and Aneesah as friends on social media meant nothing because people followed and kept up with their opps all the time. For months I saw them watching and liking, but they weren’t commenting, sending me funny videos or memes, and they definitely weren’t hitting my line. I had stopped interacting with them though, too. I was scared of how they’d respond to me and I really didn’t want any conflict with girls I viewed as little sisters. I couldn’t trust that I wouldn’t respond if they came at me crazy over their brother, so radio silence on both sides was for the best. Up until a few hours ago I didn’t know how they would receive my pregnancy, but Aspen eased my mind by texting me. She assured me that my problems with her brother wasn’t her business and that she just wanted to be a part of her nieces life. That truly made my day, but hearing that she and Aneesah wanted to spend time with me really made me smile because I missed being around them.

“Shit, I’m coming too!” Armias volunteered from the kitchen.

“Girl anyways,” I sighed. “What did you have to tell me?”

“I gave my mama your number, so she’ll be calling you soon to apologize.”

“To apologize, huh?” My tongue slid across my teeth as my eyes rolled into the back of my head.

“Don’t do that, Lourdy. She’s coming in peace this time,” she laughed. “I think she really wants to dead whatever issue she has because she called me for advice on how she should approach you.”

“That’s cool and all, but that bridge is burnt as far as us having a close relationship. I believe in second chances and forgiveness, but she was dragging for me too hard. It was giving that she hates me and that hasn’t changed overnight. She’s just ready to tolerate me so she can be in her grandchild's life and she knows she can’t do that if we have beef. And I bet Armias told her to apologize for the Facebook shit, too,” I locked eyes with him as he placed my salad in my lap.

“I don’t know why you looking at me like that. I told you I was gon’ get her to say sorry to you. If you don’t want to hear it then ignore her call,” he shrugged, before plopping down on the other side of my couch.

“I think you should hear her out, Lourdy. I know she was doing the most, but Armias was talking bukoo shit and it was amping her u-”

“Aspen, you don’t got some dance moves to practice or a test to study for? Get off my phone with all that mess, bruh!”

I laughed. “No, don’t try to shut her up because she’s putting you on blast.”

“She ain’t putting shit on blast that I haven’t admitted to yet. We all know I vented to people I shouldn’t have, but nobody took it to the net except Rahesha. That’s not on me.”

“Hey, I’m with you when you’re right,” I smirked. “But I’ll hear Rahesha out and if the apology is well worded then I’ll accept it. I’m never going to forget though and we’ll never be besties.”

“And you not wrong for that, sis,” Aspen said. “I just don’t want your mama beating my mama’s ass because then I’m gon’ feel some type of way.”

“Awwww lawd,” I threw my head back and hollered. When I looked back at the phone, Aspen was cackling, too. “Let me guess, Armias told y’all that, too?”

“Yup, and I was dying laughing at the thought of it happening, but I don’t want to see my mama going out like that.”

“I wouldn’t let that happen at this point,” I giggled. “I don’t even want to bring my daughter into the world on that note, so I would hope that Rahesha is ready to be on her best behavior so it doesn’t have to come to that.”

“Oh, she definitely is. I think she’s ready for you to get back to being Zee’s braider, too.”

“She’s not working no more!”

“Armias, please,” I held my hand up. “Even if I do stop working I can still do Zee’s hair. He can sit right in my lap, so I won’t have to be on my feet. He also sits still for me, so it’s not like I’d be moving around and breaking my back.”

“That’s crazy that he really sits still with you, cause Milan sent me a video of him getting his hair combed out after his hair wash today and he was jumping out the seat. Phoenix had to help my mama hold him down.”

“Oh aht-aht, they're over there terrorizing him,” I glanced up at Armias. “Was Rahesha able to actually comb his hair?”

“Hell no…she just put it in two puffs.”

Zee had a head full of thick and long curly hair, so his two puffs were more like long ponytails. If my son had hair that pretty I wouldn’t want to cut it either and Zee really liked his hair. I could tell by how he’d admire it whenever I used to braid it in different styles each time. It was just overstimulating for him to get it done and everybody wasn't equipped to handle it for him.

“I’m free tomorrow. Bring him to me at any time and I’ll do it.”

“You gon’ be free for the next four months.”

“Are you going to bring Zee tomorrow or not?”

“Yea, I’ll bring him…but stay off your feet. For real.”