O.....

Ch 22

Sid

"Thank you, have a nice day....." I smiled at the man and his daughter.

I let out a deep breath and ran my hand through my hair. It's been a couple weeks since all the chaos with the trafficking, there's been less stress on everybody. Rocki was up and moved to DC with her brother, the rest of the ladies were trying to cope and get back to their normalcy.

I dunno how I woulda been able to forgive myself if Rocki was hurt more than she already was. It was at my birthday party that she got kidnapped, I dunno why they felt like they had to kidnap Rocki.....but it's still hard for me to accept that there was nothing I could do.

"Hello.....?" I answered my phone, fighting the smile on my face.

"Hey, baby.....you aight.....?" I placed the display of necklaces in the case, after the husband found a perfect birthday gift for his wife.

I looked around the store, Hiromi sat in the back, leisurely reading his book. We decided to keep him as store security, cuz we do have the assholes that still be coming in and he handles them for us without Ant or Josh having to lose their shit. The guys left a lil while ago to help aunty Laurie and Liz get ready for this weekend.

"Yeah, I might close up the store a lil earlier....." I locked up the display. It's 2:00 pm, Monday.....business really be booming during Christmas and valentine's.....and I really don't have the energy today. We can afford to close early.

"You still not feeling good....?" I sat the phone down on the counter, pulling my hair in a messy low ponytail.

"I feel.....aight, I guess. Just a lil sluggish....." I could be just coming down with a flu or something, this is the time where it's getting cooler and people are getting sick. I'll just take some Dayquil and be aight.

"I made some creamy chicken noodle soup, eat some of that......" I smiled, staring out at the street. People were walking by, laughing and casually conversating.....the whole scandal of trafficking, a thing of the past.

"You take care of me so good....." These last couple weeks.....I seen a more laid back Orion.

He didn't have that tension of his ex wife no more, the bullshit with the police department.....nothing seems to be stressing him anymore. He even smiles more, in which Orion has a beautiful smile.

"That's my job as your man....I gotta take care of bae....." I let out a huff and bit my lips again.

"I love you....." I said quietly.

"I love you too, baby. I wanna talk to you about something when you get here...." Now, Orion did seem less stressed.....but there was something occupying his mind these past few weeks.

I know it's not about telling Maris about his mom, I suggested on waiting to tell Maris. When we told Peanut that Kwamy was gone.....it was probably 2 months after he died. At that time, we were all angry....hurt.....and trying to cope with our emotions and loss. We didn't think it was the right time to tell him right then and we had the typa emotions going on in our heads.

What Gregory did was beyond any typa of forgiveness or mercy, but we didn't want Peanut to pick up on that hate and see how much it affected us. He's still a baby and didn't need that energy. We needed to control our emotions and keep them in check to properly tell Peanut.

So, what's been on O's mind.....?

"Ok.....everything aight.....?" When I do ask him, he just brushes it off and says, yeah.....

"Yeah, baby.....it's really a question that I been thinking bout asking you....." It didn't make me nervous.....just more curious.

When O is evasive like this, it gets me to wondering. Like when we were at the house for my birthday weekend and he asked me when was it too long for me to get proposed to......it made me stop and look at him closely......