"I know ma. Stop fronting. Tell me you miss me." He kissed her in between his words, in love with the way her brown eyes dazed.
"I miss you. And your mouth tastes like pickles." She spoke softly, a smile taking over her face once he laughed.
"You wa...
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Autumn stared up into the late afternoon sky, watching the dark gray layer of clouds-commonly known as nimbostratus clouds-move around in the atmosphere. A thunderstorm happened a few hours go but only drizzle remained now. It was supposed to start back up soon though.
She was lying on a blanket and two of the living room couch cushions to help soothe the pain in her back. They'd be throwing the whole sofa out today anyway, so it meant no difference whether she got them dirty or not.
August was sitting next to her dressed in a black coat, a beanie and a pair of sweats. He was currently building mud pies on her bare stomach since she was only dressed in a bra and boxers. Clothes recently became a give or take with her due to her belly that had been carrying triplets for almost four months now.
"Now if I beat yo' ass, I'ma be wrong, right?" Dayvon stood over her with his arms folded, blocking her view of the sky.
"Um, yes, actually." She shrugged innocently, as if she didn't know what he was upset about.
"Autumn it's fifty two degrees and raining; and you out here in just a bra. Stop playing with me man."
"It's too hot in the house, D. I wanna stay out here." She covered her eyes with her forearm at the same time that August giggled, knowing his mom was now in trouble.
"You knew you could get sick and still came out here with no clothes on. You carrying three kids Autumn. Your pregnancy already high risk. Get up ma." He put his hands underneath her arms, and she heavily sighed at the feeling of being picked up.
"Twin go wait for yo' mama in the tub. The water already ran." Dayvon gestured to the house with his head.
"Where it run to?" August dusted his hands off on his pants as he stood up, giggling again once Autumn let out a laugh at Dayvon's annoyance with them.
Autumn held under her belly while Dayvon held her hand, leading the way to the water hose. He let it run in the grass for a bit before guiding it towards her stomach, allowing it to wash the mud off of her skin so that it wouldn't get their shower dirty.
"You mad at me?" She asked, seeing the natural frown resting on his plump lips.
"No, I just want you to take yo' health more seriously. I don't wanna lose one of them over somethin' small that could've been prevented." He told her, and her playful grin disappeared at his genuine concern.
"Aw, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about it like that. I'll stay inside." She assured, standing on the tip of her toes to give him a kiss.
"Don't lie. You ah' probably be back out here in an hour. I just want you to put a coat on." He kissed her bottom lip when she pulled away, and Autumn smiled in response. They both knew how much she loved being outside, it didn't matter the weather.
Autumn's hand went back underneath her belly while Dayvon held her other one, leading the way in the house. He locked the back sliding door, and then the two of them made their way to the master bathroom.
August was sitting in the jet tub full of bubbles, playing with his toys that were specifically designed for bath time. He moved over to make room for Autumn to get inside even though there was plenty left, and after undressing, she sat down behind him.
They spent a little less than twenty minutes in the tub, and being his usual nurturing self, Dayvon bathed the both of them before helping them get out.
He put on some random pajamas for August since they weren't leaving the house today, and against his wishes, Autumn opted to put her clothes on by herself. He swore she was handicapped now that she was pregnant, when really she could move just as well as before; she just got tired a lot quicker.
"Baby?" Autumn called.
"Wassup mama? You need help?" He abandoned the box in the closet to approach her, putting a smile on her face.
"No. I'm fine." She chuckled. "I wanted to ask you if you decided on transferring precincts when we move or not?"
"Nah. I don't think I'ma go back to work for a lil' minute. 'Til the babies big enough." He told her. "What made you ask that?" He added.
"Do you think I could start my own business? Well, I mean, I know I could-but do you think it would be successful? Even with me not knowing anybody down there?" She asked with curious eyes, causing Dayvon's eyebrows to huddle together.
"You can do anything you put your mind to. Anything. And it'll thrive if you have faith and be patient." He sat on the bed ottoman in front of her, picking up on the seriousness of the conversation.
"What kind of business you wanna start?" He inquired.
"A rehab center, like the one that helped me." She paused after her vague answer, passing her journal over to him.
"I want it to be a real rehabilitation program. Something that actually helps people get on the right track and stay on it, with like, rental assistance and stuff to make sure they don't have to go back to what they're trying to escape. And it won't be solely for drug addicts. It could be for alcoholics and people going through domestic violence, too. Men and women."
"You got 'bout ten pages wrote about this. Why you just now telling me mama?" He glanced between her and the journal, reading some of her ideas.
"It was just something I wanted to see happen at first, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to be the one to execute it. I keep thinking about it though. I feel like God is actually telling me that I have to be the one to do it. I don't know. It sounds kinda stupid now that I'm saying it out loud." She rubbed her left arm, finding the ground interesting all of a sudden.
"This ain't stupid ma. What I tell you 'bout talking like that?" He tilted her head up to look at him.
"I say you should do it. It's a good idea Autumn. A real good one. And if God keeps putting it in yo' face, you really ain't got no choice but to do it. You ain't tripping. His voice can come to you through anything, even crazy shit like a chair or somethin'." He shrugged, causing her smile to return.
"I hate trying stuff and it fails though. The first thing go wrong and I'll wanna give up completely." She expressed in a low sigh.
"Tribulations come with anything mama. You a perfect example. You felt like stuff kept going wrong in yo' life, and look at you now, doing better than ever. Making mistakes along the way is inevitable. Nothing or nobody is perfect."
"You are. 'Cause how you know exactly what to say every time?" Her eyes dazed slightly with admiration, staring at him while he stared right back at her.
"Shit come straight from my soul when it got somethin' to do with you. I don't even gotta think about what to say." He leaned forward to kiss her forehead, making her eyes close momentarily.
