Save Me

25| Lauren

"Merry Christmas, baby boy!" I woke Nas up with an extravagant greeting. I was surprised that he was still even sleep at ten in the morning on Christmas.

"Merry Christmas, mama."

Nasir got up and stretched out before getting up from the bed. "Ooh, I smell food too. What you cook for us?"

I moved from the room door to let him out as I followed behind him. "Your favorite. Strawberry-banana pancakes, cheese eggs, and smoked sausage."

"Ayyye!"

Nas clapped his hands loudly and rushed down the stairs. Despite all the chaos that had been going on, it lit my heart up to make my son smile in any way possible.

"Dad, you're here!" I heard Nasir say from downstairs.

I immediately started to rush down the stairs in a panic. How did he know where we were? Why was he here? How the hell did he did get out of jail so quickly?

When I reached the first floor, I was greeted by my dad who had a stern look on his face. He never liked Christian to begin with, so I was surprised that he let him in.

"It's Christmas, I wouldn't feel right not letting Nas see his dad," he admitted.

That was one thing about my dad that I hated that sort of inherited. No matter how dirty would do us, we'd still try our best to be polite and kind. It was shit like this that always ended up with us getting done wrong.

"It's fine," I whispered as I turned to see Nas on the floor with his father. They were bonding as Nas opened up his gifts. I pulled my phone out from my pocket and started to record my baby boy like I did every year.

"Merry Christmas, Laurie," Christian said to me with his eyes focused heavily on me. It made me feel uncomfortable.

"Same to you," I told him as I kept my phone up on Nas. I smiled at his reactions when he opened a box to see an autographed Clippers jersey from his favorite player, Chris Paul.

"Oh my God! This real, mama?" Nas turned to face me and asked.

"Yep," I nodded happily. "Bam got that for you. Don't forget to thank him later. Ok?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Christian gave me an irritated look with his jaw tightened, but right now I could care less about his feelings at the moment. "Laurie, can we talk right quick?" he asked.

"Not now. Let Nasir finish opening all of his stuff first," I said, giving my attention back on our son.

After opening his gifts, Nas skipped on over to the kitchen to go eat with the rest of the fam while I stayed behind with Christian in the living room.

I was ready for him to leave because the last thing I wanted was to get upset on Christmas. "Laurie, I--"

I stopped him my hand and started to walk to the front door. Whatever he had to say, he could say it on his way out of the house. "Say what you need so you can leave, please."

"Laurie, I'm fucking up. I really am. Last night in that cell, I had time to think about shit and it hit me...I need my family. I need you and Nasir with me."

I looked at him like he had lost his mind because he sounded like such a headass right now. I had to laugh. "Are you fucking kidding me? After having your two kids, a damn miscarriage, getting my ass beat by you, cheated on a countless number of times, and not even to mention your engagement to my mother...you need me? You got life fucked up, clearly," I groaned with a mean eye roll.