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“I’m not eloping,” she frowned. “I’ve always wanted a big, princess wedding.”
“See, that’s why it’ll be the wedding of your dreams. Me just being there with you is a dream come true for me.”
“Alright, stop gassing me up,” she giggled.
“I’m dead serious, Lo.”
“Okayyy, so what if I said I wanted an all pink wedding?”
“All pink?”
“Yep. Maybe with a splash of cream or nude.”
“Then shit, we having a pink wedding with a splash of cream or nude.”
“I’m holding you to that. Don’t act brand new if the time comes.”
“If? You mean when, cause it’s only a matter of time.”
“Well I’m on birth control until the time comes.”
“That’s fine with me.” The wheels were spinning in my head. I was thinking of where, when, and how I wanted to propose to her. There was a lot to consider and I wanted input from the people she was closest to.
“I like the three to four year age gap with kids, though. That’s enough time for Louri to know what life is like as an only child. She can get whatever she wants and more. Grand birthday parties, big Christmas mornings, and bukoo vacations. She’ll have all that but she’ll still feel incomplete and start begging for a lil sister or brother.”
“If she has all that she might pray that we don’t have another child.”
“All kids want siblings. Didn’t you grown up wanting a brother or sister?”
“I asked for one once and my mama told me to get the hell out of her face.”
“Mannn,” I laughed. “Lucia was a fool for that. But still, you wanted a sibling because you were lonely. I know I did.”
“Louri won’t be lonely. She’ll have your brothers and sisters.”
“They don’t live with us though, so that doesn’t count. They’re older than her, too. Milan gon’ be 13 by the time she’s four.”
“Omg…don’t say that. That makes me sad,” she pouted. “Speaking of Milan, she texted me and asked if she could borrow my Hello Kitty Chanel bag for show and tell. Poor baby don’t know that my old house was robbed or that my purse was stolen.”
“Even if it wasn’t her lil ass wasn’t bouta bring that to school. I don’t know what her obsession is with designer shit anyway. Aspen and Neese weren’t like that when they were 8.”
“She’s not them, and not too much because you’re a part of the reason she’s obsessed,” she giggled. “If I still had my purse I’d let my diva borrow it for school. I’d just have to bring it for show and tell and then leave with it right after.”
I managed to laugh with her but she brought my mood down by mentioning that robbery. When we were finally able to go back to her house we saw that half of her closet was gone. She didn’t care about the clothes as much because most of it was fast fashion, but her designer purses were long gone, too. Most of them were at my house, but the custom Hello Kitty Chanel bag I’d gifted her with for her 23rd birthday was gone. I had already secretly placed another order with the girl who made the first one and it was arriving in a few days. Material shit was replaceable, so I didn’t care about what was stolen. I was fucked up about her being knocked down and forced into labor early. By the grace of God, everything ended up working out. Even our doctor gloated about us beating all the odds with our predicament. I was able to acknowledge that and be thankful, but I was still getting over it for some reason. It appeared to be a random robbery and nothing personal, but the instincts I had from being in the streets were telling me differently. I wanted to press the issue and investigate but I didn’t even know where to start.
I had asked my family and homies who were still in the streets to ask around, but they hadn’t heard anything. Unfortunately, Lourdes’ ring camera wasn’t charged up at the time of the robbery, so we couldn’t look back at that. Then of course the police were no help and I’d bet money that they weren’t investigating. NOPD had always been sorry and with them having a shortage they were even sorrier. The only reason we went through with filing an official police report was because we needed proof that her house was broken into so she could get the rent money back that she paid in advance. I never thought the police would do their job nor was I counting on them pigs to serve justice. If justice was going to be served then I’d have to take matters into my own hands and be the judge.
Chapter 23
Lourdes
“My Nanny baby pictures came out soooo cute! When you post these tomorrow they’re gonna go up just like her hospital pictures.”
I had expedited Alouri’s edited pictures that Kiyor had taken. She sent them back in a timely fashion as always. I immediately sent them to my mom, Armias, and Dream, who was her Godmother. I was eager to pick Godparents immediately but my mom advised me to wait after the baby was born. “Everybody acts excited during the pregnancy. Wait and see who’s really there for you after you have the baby.” I relayed that advice to Armias and he strongly agreed.
Turns out, I really didn’t have to wait. I was going to pick Dream to be Alouri’s Godmother in the beginning and I still ended up picking her in the end. I gave her the title about two weeks after Alouri was born, but she earned it during my four day hospital stay. Everyday she came with something rather it was a basket of goodies, flowers, or food. Then when I got home she was always checking in and texting me encouraging words. She’d come by every other day and she never went without asking if I needed anything. My best friend was as solid as they came and the sister my mom never gave me. There was no doubt in my mind that she’d treat Alouri as her own in my absence.
“Which was sooo unexpected,” I giggled. “I really didn’t even want to take those hospital pictures because I wasn’t in the mood. My mama and Armias insisted that we take them.”
