Tough Love

Chap. 78 • "Trials"

(Minus the unnecessary drama, the way we WONNNN today is IMMACULATE. We got a joint birthday party, and a co-parenting pic? TUH. And say what y'all want, but Chris looks GOODT, hair and all. Wait till the black comes back, I promise he finna step.)

Aya Weathers

"Momma?" I spoke up while my mother braided my thick curly hair.

"Yes, baby?" Her voice was smooth like butter to the ears, and it was so sweet and filled with love every time she spoke.

"You love Daddy, right?" I asked her. She sighed deeply.

"Yes, I do. If I didn't, you wouldn't be here." She chuckled.

"Then how come you guys are always yelling at each other and you're always crying?" I questioned.

"Aya." Sevion said in a stern tone.

"No, it's okay. Sometimes your daddy does things that don't make mommy happy, and sometimes I do things that don't make daddy happy. I cry because I'm just a crybaby. He doesn't mean to make me cry, I just can't control it. But we love each other very much." She assured me as she placed a barrette at the end of my braid.

"Is love complicated?" I looked up at her.

"It'll almost always be. You just gotta be smart enough to figure it out." She wiped her hands with a towel.

"Am I smart enough to figure it out?"

"I'm sure you will be. One day, you'll be one of those people that grow up and fall in love with somebody who might not know nothing about love and affection—" A knock at the door stopped her sentence.

"Aya! The ice cream truck is outside! Hurry! I got five bucks!" I heard Chris's raspy voice yell at me from behind the door.

"Like the little light skinned boy you got knocking at my door. Go ahead, before it leaves." I hopped up and swung the door open.

"Come on! They're gonna leave!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me outside, the two of us running hand in hand to catch the truck before the last kid left.

I don't know what Momma's talking about. Chris and I are just friends. Besides, he likes the older girls, and I'm younger than him. He probably thinks I'm some sort of baby. But I'll show him. I'll make that boy so jealous one day that he'll wish he never called me 'kiddo' ever. He'll see.

••••

Aya Weathers

I tapped my foot impatiently as I stood in line at Panera. I had just dropped off Kenya for school, and although it was morning time, I didn't want breakfast. As I was waiting, I felt a tap on the shoulder. I turned around to see that same man I saw at that event one night with the New York accent.

"I felt like I recognized you, so I wanted to say wassup." He explained. I shrugged one shoulder and turned back around. I ain't got time for friends, even niggas I didn't like went out of their way to betray me, so nah.

"Damn, it's like that?" He chuckled.

"Yeah." I stared up at the menu, although I already knew what I wanted.

"Why?" He continued to pester me. I ignored him and went up to the register.

The cashier asked me what I wanted and I placed my order, although I wasn't getting much. Soup, a smoothie, and a cinnamon roll. After I got my food I went and took a seat. I opened up my laptop and opened a file that I've been working on.