Sweet Thang [COMPLETE]

Broken Record

Suzette

"Lord... help me," I cried and wiped my eyes as I crawled into bed and got beneath my blanket. I swear I've never had a headache for this long. But between Zaya demanding my attention every five minutes and every thought crossing my mind I was wore out and tired. "What's the matter, Nana?" I opened my eyes slowly to see Zaya watching me with sad eyes. "Nana got a headache. I'll be okay," I said quietly as my granddaughter crawled up my bed. She placed both of her little hands on my face and kissed my forehead causing me to giggle. "Aw thanks Lil Nugget."

"Lil Nugget? Why you always call me Lil Nugget? It's just Nugget Nana," Zaya quizzed and I laughed.
"Cuz my daughter stole that nickname from me. I used to call your Mama that." Zaya gasped. "You did?" I nodded as she got comfortable laying across my stomach. "Mama got a million nicknames."

"She do," I said with a laugh. Zaya laid there looking at me like she was just waiting on me to tell the story. "You see... when I went to the doctors when I was pregnant I didn't know I was having twins yet and when the doctor showed me my baby during the ultrasound she told me it was a girl. And your mommy was so tiny that she looked like a lil nugget so I started calling her that. And then when I had her she was so little and brown and beautiful I just couldn't help but to keep calling her that."

My baby poked her bottom lip out. "Mama never told me that." I chuckled while rubbing her back.

"Why don't you turn on the television so I can try to take a nap, huh? See if your favorite show is on." Zaya gave me a soft smile. "Okay Nana." She crawled back to the foot of the bed with my remote in her hand. I turned over to get my medication from my nightstand drawer, took it, and dozed off after a few minutes.
I was finally getting some good sleep too when I woke up to Zaya trying to shake me awake by the hand as she whined. I sat up confused. "What's the matter?" I asked and she looked at me with the saddest expression and said, "Mama's crying." I sighed as I stood to my feet and slid them into my house shoes.
"Stay here, ight? I'm gonna check on your mom. I'll be right back," I told Zaya as I sat her back on my bed.

Her little cute self looked ready to have a fit for being left alone. This one know better than to try my word, though, I thought as I left to check on her mother.

Downstairs I found Shayne's door closed and I started to knock but I took a second to listen with my ear at the door and she was indeed crying. I went inside to find her sitting up on her bed in the corner with her knees tucked into her chest. "What's the matter, Cry Baby?" I asked as I sat next to Shayne and she started wiping her tears and shaking her head.

"Nothin' Mama, I'm fine," she tried to save face and I shook my head. "If you was fine you wouldn't be sittin' up in here cryin'," I started, "Shayne... did that boy hit you?" She shook her head. "No Mama it wasn't like that." I bit my lip remembering every time I uttered those exact words to defend Cortez.

Now how many times she done heard me say that?

"Shayne, I ain't messin' around. Did Darnell put his hands on you?" I asked and before Shayne could answer her brother came through the open door like he was ready to click out. "What? He put his hands on you again, Shayne?"

Shayne stood to her feet shaking her head. "No we just talked and I got some more stuff for me and Zay, that's it."

"So what you crying for?" Shakur asked with his visibly present attitude bubbling over. "He did it once. That ain't enough of a reason for me to be upset?" I sighed as I scooted to the edge of the bed to pull Shayne down to sit next to me. "Yeah, whatever. I'm out. I'ma go take care of that." Shakur left the room and Shayne followed him reaching and swinging. "HOW MANY TIMES I GOTTA TELL YOUR ASS DON'T PUT YOUR HANDS ON NO FUCKING MAN, SHAYNE?!" I barked as I pulled her back.