This Time Around

Chapter 55 - Preston

"Do you know what you want to do with Senior?"

Looking over at my mama, I can tell that she is conflicted on how to handle that nigga. It took years for her to finally accept that he wasn't coming back for us. The mothafucka didn't even show up for his son's funeral.

"You already know how me and P. feel about the situation. The only thing holding us back is how you feel."

My mother is beautiful and any nigga around would be lucky to have her on his shoulder. She's had to make a lot of sacrifices to raise us. I'm just glad that my uncle didn't turn his back on her like the rest of her family. None of her friends were loyal, except for Shad's mom. Sadly, she passed away a few years ago.

That's why I have made it a goal to spoil the hell out of her every chance that I get. She's retired and living her best life. Goes to work whenever the fuck she feels like it. She started a holistic midwifery service. Services range from prenatal care to postpartum care.

Women could choose to have a team come to their home or have one of her luxury coaches to pull up. That was solely Beautiful's idea but for the past two years, she has gone from five coaches to ten. Those mothafuckas have everything; birthing pools, breastfeeding rooms for skin to skin contact, ultrasound machines, other necessary and unnecessary shit to give birth.

It's bougie ass fuck and expensive. These mothafuckas don't care though, she is always completely booked. I guess that a thousand dollar postpartum gift set is a nice incentive for the mothers.

Employee salaries ensure they are loyal and always at the top of their game. Midwives are making about sixty-five dollars an hour and the nurses are making around forty. Not to mention they get an annual stay at DJs for three days and four nights if they keep a five star review for nine out of twelve months.

"That son of a bitch should have been dead years ago. I can't lie though, I want to know why he claimed that he couldn't be there for you and your brothers, then runs out and plays daddy to all of his bastards and more."

My focus snaps back to my mama.

"Damn, Ma. What happened to kids aren't responsible for their parent's actions? All of a sudden you have a different opinion?"

I'm just fucking with her but we have heard that shit so much, it comes natural now. I dodge her as she tries to smack me upside the head.

"They are not responsible. However these bastards followed in the asshole's footsteps. Therefore, they are responsible for their own actions that he taught them."

"So, are you good with whatever happens?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be? Maybe if he would have stayed or at least contributed financially, Prince could still be alive today. Prentiss could have gotten better medical care and you wouldn't have gotten caught up in this world."

I go over and wrap my arms around her short self. I guess that is another reason I love Kehlani. She reminds me so much of my mother, even though my mom has about five inches on her. My mom is a dwarf next to me and my brother.

"Ma, you did everything you were supposed to do as a mother. You raised three bad ass boys. Maybe things weren't always the best, but you did it. Every life choice we made was so that we could take some of that pressure off of you. Look where we are today.

You went to school, got your nursing degree then went back for midwifery. I went to school and got my MBA. Prentiss got his master's in computer programming. I don't have a doubt in my mind that Prince would have gone to culinary school and opened that restaurant he always said he would have."