Babygirl

Eight

Toni's POV

"Soleil baby you have to calm down breathe." I say.

She was having a panic attack and was trying to calm herself down but it obviously wasn't working. I went to go get her some cold water and instructed her to take small sips as I held her hand. She calmed down some which was good but she was still very much crying and I didn't know why.

"What happened Soleil?" I ask. "Was it me did I do something wrong?"

She shakes her head.

"It wasn't you it was my dad." Soleil says.

She goes on to explain the phone conversation she had between her and her father which only gets her upset all over again.

"It's gonna be okay baby." I say as she cries into my arms.

"No it's not." She says. "I wanna live with you it's so fun out here. No two annoying little brothers no dumb step mother. Just me and you I love my dad but it's so much easier living with your mom. You understand me more than he does."

I don't say anything and continue to let her talk.

"Shortest two days of my life." She adds.

"Look Soleil I know this might not work but how about we convince your dad to let you come and live with me. You'll be 18 in three years he had you for the first 15 it's only fair." I tell her.

"He's not gonna let that happen." Soleil says looking down.

"Unless we get your grandma involved." I say.

She looks up at me and gives me a small smile causing me to laugh.

"Look let's spend this last night we have together wisely let's watch our movie." I say and she nods.

That night while Soleil was sleeping I called her grandmother who agreed to help us out.

"Look Toni yes what you did wasn't okay but you've been wanting to be in that girls life for years." She tells me. "I'll help y'all out tomorrow just pick me up."

"Okay thank you." I say.

"No problem now get some rest baby." She says to me and I do as told.

Soleil and I had to wake up at six to catch our flight. She was cranky because 1. She's not a morning person and 2. She was scared for what was going to happen once she got home.

"Soleil baby you are going to be fine." I say.

Tamar agreed to drive us to the airport so while she was driving I was in the backseat trying to calm my daughter down.

"What if you get in trouble? What if he calls the cops on you." Soleil rants.

I look at Tamar from the mirror and she looks back at me. I sigh and turn back to Soleil.

"Trust me baby everything is going to be okay just relax." I say holding her hand.

Soleil nods but I could tell she didn't believe a word I was saying. We got to the airport at 8 and thankfully on the flight back to Atlanta she fell asleep. As she slept I stroked her hair praying that Keri would let me see her.

Honestly I couldn't even be mad if he didn't. It was my decision to leave our daughter and to put my career over her. I also left him too which I know had to hurt because we were each other's first everything's. Eventually I ended up falling asleep too and I woke up exactly as the plane was landing.

"Come on Soleil wake up." I say shaking her gently.

"We're here?" She asks and I nod.

"Yeah your grandma is picking us up." I say and her eyes widen.

"Yeah I'm definitely in trouble now aren't I?" She asks and I shake my head.

"No baby she's helping convince your dad to let you stay with me." I say and she relaxes a bit.

"Oh okay good." She says.

We meet her grandmother outside the airport fifteen minutes later and the first thing she does is give me a big hug.

"Aww Toni you look amazing." She says to me and I smile.

"Thank you." I say but then her grandmother pushes me out the of the way to see Soleil.

"Girl I should spank you don't you ever pull anything like this again." She says. "You got your father in shambles."

Soleil looks down and her grandmother sighs.

"Come here Soleil." She says bringing her into a hug.

"Don't worry the plan is going to work out fine if Keri gets reckless I'll get reckless too that boy is no match against me." Soleil's grandmother says.

"I'm scared." I say.

"I know but you have a right to see your child and have her live with you and your daughter wants to as well he can't be mad at you forever." She says to me.

I look at Soleil who is looking out the window obviously still anxious about this entire ordeal. Two hours later we made it to Soleil's house and when Keri knocked on the door all hell broke loose.

Soleil's POV

"So you mean to tell me you snuck off to California to be with your mother?!" My father yells.

"Mm a damn shame." Lisa says.

"Lisa mind your business!" I snap and she gives a look before joining my father side.

"Don't talk to her like that." My dad says and I roll my eyes.

"You haven't told me anything about my mother, showed me pictures, told me stories nothing! I just wanted to find out more about her and now that I finally met her I wanna go live with her." I say.

It get silent and my father is staring down my mother.

"No." He says plainly.

"Look Keri I know you're upset that I left and I regret it honestly it was the worst decision of my life but you also know I tried everyday for the last 15 years of Soleil's life to try and see her and you never let me." My mother says.

"Because you didn't deserve too. You left us without anything but a note and a stupid box to leave to our daughter." My dad says.

"It's not stupid!" I yell and I could feel tears form in my eyes. "It helped me find my mother something I've been wanting to do for the longest."

My dad doesn't say anything and that's when my grandma steps in.

"Keri look yeah you're upset about what happened we all were but Toni's been trying to see Soleil. From what I heard on the car ride here Soleil actually had fun with her and enjoyed being around her." My grandma says.

"Too bad it had to be cut short." I say and my dad glares at me.

"Point is Keri you had the first 15 let Toni have the last 3 and spend the time shes missed out with her daughter." She says.

My dad looks at me and then at my mom and then sighs.

"You know what fine." He says.

I run and hug my mother and she squeezes me tightly.

"You're making the right choice Keri." I hear my grandmother say to my dad.

"No I'm not." I hear him say before watching him walk away.

I couldn't even be happy anymore just hearing that ruined it.

"I love you so much Soleil." My mother says.

"I love you too mom." I say.