Lights Please II

13: Don't Ever Leave Me Again

2 months later

Tess

"So when you thinking of putting this EP out?" he asked me as we sat on the park bench. After the trip to the Ville, Jermaine kept ghosting me. So I drew my attention towards my work and my daughter as my main priorities. We hadn't spoken—unless of course he was calling to talk to Lex. The show in the Ville was the last show of the tour that me and Lex had seen, and after he left the Ville the next day, the last I heard from him.

He needed his space and it's what I was giving him.

"I dunno B," I sighed. "I gotta do it when the time is right, I think... right now doesn't feel too right—I been writing a lot though."

"Word? You should let me hear some shit—" Bryson said with a soft smile.

"No," I shook my head, "we can't be in the studio together you know that." I told him as I watched Lex play with his three year old daughter Harley.

"It'd be strictly work. Deadass."

"Nah man, you'll hear it with the rest of the world. The only reason I agreed to all the times we've hung out is so the girls can play—Lex actually really likes Harley."

He nodded in agreement, "Harley loves her too man, they two peas in a pod."

We sat in a comfortable silence for a while and he brought out his phone, I assumed he was texting Harley's mother who he's in love with but can't be with for whatever reason—anyway, that's besides the point.

"How are you two doing? Any progress?"

"How's you and your man? Any progress?" he put his phone in his pocket, changing the subject.

"Not fair, I asked you first."

He shrugged, "it's aight... but when's ya dude coming back?"

"In a couple days," I mumbled.

"Oh word? You excited? Are y'all like on better terms?"

"Hell yeah I'm excited," I laughed a little bit. "we're doing great." I lied.

"That's dope," he nodded, "I'm happy for you." He said while looking down at his hands.

---

I'd been at the studio today and met a new producer that I was working with, then ran some errands. I then picked up Lex from day care cause Dondria was in the middle of finals so I gave her some time to focus on that a little bit more.

I looked up in the rear view mirror at my daughter who was sipping on her juice box, looking like the spitting image of her father. "Mommy where's we gooooooooin???" she asked me as she kicked her little feet in her car seat.

"We're gonna go see auntie Zee baby," I told her bringing my focus back on the road.

"She awaysss has fun stuff for me to play and paint at her house," she grinned.

Minutes later we pulled up to Zoe's house and once she let us in we went into the kitchen and she set up a little table where Alexia could draw and color while we talked.

"So Jermaine comes back tomorrow?" she asked me, leaning against the counter.

"Yup," I nodded. "I'm scared as shit fam, what if he dumps me?"

"Then so be it, life happens the way its supposed to happen Tess."

"Can you fuck outta here with your yogini advice and tell me what I wanna hear omgggggg—"