Shonari's POV
Malinda was genuinely upset with me and she had every right to be. But I did what I felt was right. There was no way the only one to suffer would be Malinda. I didn't wanna say anything with his moms there, but she insisted on sticking around, so what else was I supposed to do?
I feel so conflicted about the whole thing and I needed someone to talk to. It was too late to talk to Kane. I want Linda to be able to talk to Kaz first. Who else could I turn to, they're all I have.
I find myself in Harlem, driving towards the house I grew up in. My moms car was in the driveway by itself, meaning her husband wasn't home.
My moms adored Linda, but her and I's relationship was... strained to say the least. My pops had died when I was little and she got depressed, stopped working, stopped caring. She met her now husband at her AA meetings.
He treated me like shit, always had. He would constantly remind me that I wasn't his kid, and that he didn't owe me anything. As if I ever needed anything from him.
He was also a very religious man, and he felt that me converting to Islam was more or less the same as me converting to to satanism or some shit. Either way, he refused to recognize my conversion and went of his way to remind me how much if a heathen I was, like his ass wasn't a fucking drunk.
I just didn't like the nigga, but he couldn't stand my ass, and would not let me forget it. Because we couldn't get along, my mother made her choice. But it wasn't me she choose.
I pulled into the driveway, taking a couple seconds to get myself together before going to see my mother for the first time since I got out. I knock on the door a few times, waiting for her to answer.
"Who the hell at my door at this time?" she mutters and I check the time. I hadn't even realized it was going on about 1 in the morning. She opens the door a few inches, her short frame covered in a big robe. Her eyebrows raise as she squints up at me, not immediately recognizing me with this much facial hair.
"It's me, ma" I roll my eyes as she continues to stare me down, prediction she doesn't know me. She pulls me into a tight hug, her short self still strong as hell. She pulls away, and I take in her features. Her hair was wrapped up, but she still had her make up on, probably just getting off work a little while ago. She smiles up at me.
"I missed you Miguel," She pulls me closer to kiss my cheek, then pulls away, smacking the back of my head, hard.
"Took ya ass this long to come see tu madre? Like I didn't birth ya big head ass?" She fusses, pulling me into the small house.
"I'm sorry ma. Had to get myself together. How you knew I was home? You ain't come see me either," I sit on the sofa, crossing my arms.
"The streets talk, mijo, tu sabes,"she mimics my position on the other side of the couch. I laugh at her response, pulling her into yet another hug. She hold me close, whispering in my ear. "Que pasa, Miguel?'' She calls me by my middle name, she always did. She always knew when there was something wrong with me.
"A lot ma," I ruin my hands over my head, and Ma gets up, going into the kitchen. I follow her, taking a seat in one of the bar stools. She pours me a glass of milk, and starts water for her tea.
"You still drink milk, or you too grown now?" She jokes, taking a seat beside me and grabbing my hands in hers. "Now, digame," I sigh loudly, not even knowing where to start, not even feeling comfortable with telling my mother. I take a sip of my milk, before speaking.
"Me and Linda finally got together," I state, and Ma shakes her head.
"I know that, boy," she waves me off and I roll my eyes at her calling me boy.
"How you know?"I raise my eyebrow, looking at her sideways.
"That's not important right now. I know you din't come all the way other here, just to tell me that. You came in here with ya face balled up, looking como tu padre," I roll my eyes again at her. "And Linda must be rubbing off on you allat eye rolling," I laugh at her, thinking the same thing.
"Well a couple weeks back," I tell my mother what happened, and of course she interrupted with her own commentary every so often.
"I'm surprised you didn't kill him. I would've," was all she said when I finished. "I'm proud of you. Finally got those damn anger issues under control," she laughs lightly, and I do too.
"Linda's really pissed with me, ma. And I feel bad that she's mad, but I don't feel sorry for what I did," I shrug, finishing off my glass of milk.
"She'll get over it-"
"Nah mama, you didn't see her face. She wouldn't even look at me," I cut her off, my voice raising in anger.
"She'll get over it because she'll realize that you did it for her," she rubs my shoulders, cradling me into her, like Linda so often did. "Sleep on it, mi amor, you'll both feel better in the morning. Your room is the same way you left it, go lay down," She kisses my temple, and makes her way upstairs. I followed suit, but I couldn't sleep for the life of me.
I kept playing both conversations over in my head until sleep found me.
Malinda's POV
I spoke to Kaz, Necia and Imani about what happened. It felt good to get it off my chest, but they all disagreed with my anger towards Shonari. I, of course, didn't want to listen. I had trouble sleeping that night, but once I was up in the morning, I felt different about the situation.
Shonari had did that for me, he did it so I didn't feel that grief, that turmoil anymore.
And it made me love him even more.
I do my hygiene thing, and head downstairs to start breakfast for everyone.
To My Boy💕: When you get this, come to Kaz's for breakfast. We need to talk.
He read it immediately, but didn't respond. My feeling were lowkey hurt, but I let it go.
As I finished up the french toast, Kaz's favorite, Kaz and Necia enter the kitchen.
"Somebody feels better, " Necia comments starting a pot of tea for her, and getting Kaz some coffee.
"Oh my favorite!" Kaz says excitedly, kissing my forehead, grabbing more plates down.
"Grab 5," I tell him, going to grab Mani.
"5?" He questions, but shrugs after.
"Wake up sleepy head," I giggle, bouncing on the bed next to Imani. She groans at me, turning away from me.
"I made breakfast," I whisper in her ear, and she shoots up out of the bed, running to brush her teeth. I hear Nari's car pull up, and I run downstairs to meet him at the door. I open the door just as he's about to knock, and I pull him into a tight hug.
"Damn, She-Hulk, lemme go," he laughs, kissing my forehead. I lean up to capture his lips, my tongue in his mouth, and a moan leaves me as he grabs a handful of ass. Someone clears their throat behind him and I pull away quickly, blushing hard.
"Well just eat the boy's damn face off," I immediately recognize the voice, and push Nari out of the way. I grab Mama Freeman up into an even bigger hug than I gave Shonari.
"Mama!' I squeal as she hugs me back. Apparently my squealing got Kaz's attention and he joins our hug too.
"Aww I missed my babies," she says softly, tearing up a bit as we all pull away and walk towards the house.
"Missed you too Mama Freeman," Necia hugs her as we all enter the house and sit for breakfast. Kaz grabs another plate for Mama and she blesses the food.
"Glad Linda don't know how to not cook too much food," Mani jokes after she finishes, and we all dig in.
