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A year later

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A year later.

"Emerie, stop before I pop you." Sonni pointed her finger at Emani's one-year-old daughter, who was trying to pull the Bath and Body Works wallflower out of the wall.

"You stop." She sassed and stomped her feet before running, well, waddling away.

Sonni couldn't do anything, but shake her head knowing she was going to look for "her Zai." Emani gave birth to little Emerie a month early on the Fourth of July, exactly when the clock struck 12. Unfortunately, after giving birth she committed suicide in the hospital. Before doing so, she had made the necessary preparations. Sonni was listed as her next of kin, power of attorney, and Emerie's godmother. Emani knew that by doing that, her baby would be in good hands. She knew her baby was going to live the life she deserved. A life she didn't get to have. She didn't have much family, and she would prefer her baby go to the person that she knew was going to take care of her.

Emani also had the other proper documents in place, saying that everything she owned went to Sonni. And with Sonni's being power of attorney, she was going to get everything anyway. Sonni sold the car, and started a trust fund for Emerie with the money. She also rented out the townhome, and those payments went into the trust fund as well.

There are some days where Sonni finds herself in tears at the thought of her friend. She knew the friendship didn't end on the best of terms, but she was still sad and angry that Emani took her own life. She didn't know exactly why she was angry, but she was. Sonni had been raising Emerie since she was a week old, and from day one she made it her mission to teach and remind her who her mama was. Mani left behind an iPad with pictures and videos for her daughter. She documented her whole pregnancy until she gave birth.

It was honestly a sad situation, but Sonni handled it well because who else was going to?

Outside of Sonni raising her goddaughter, she and Xavier have been going strong. At her graduation dinner, Xavier proposed and gave her the keys to her custom yellow Porsche Cayenne. Her ring was custom made as well. She was in love with Xavier's birthstone color, so her ring was a 3 carat pear-shaped aquamarine diamond halo ring with a platinum band, which made the ring more expensive, but of course Zai didn't care.

"Sunflower!"

Sonni smiled at her infamous nickname being yelled through the house. Two years later, and she'll never get tired of hearing it. "I'm in Emerie's room!"

She responded back as she continued packing her Coach diaper bag, a gift from Uncle Sav. Today was Xavier's second annual back-to-school bash at his building, No Child Left Behind. The building is equipped with everything you could think of. For those aged 16–20 who are homeless or living in an unsafe environment at home, there are study rooms, a cafe, computer rooms, lounge areas, and counseling rooms, as well as bathrooms and dorms. Xavier was determined to give kids the life they deserved, and he did just that.

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