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"Megan..." Normani sounds exhausted as her voice rings through the line. "Please tell me you're calling to say you're on your way. I can't deal with this back and forth."
The young woman's fiancée lowers her head, and sighs meekly over the phone in response.
"No baby... I'm sorry. It's looking like my flight's delayed again. I don't know if I'm gonna make it home."
There's a silence, then Megan feels a crack start to form in her heart when she hears Normani sniffle. Guilt is etched on her face as she holds the phone closer to her ear.
"Baby girl? I'm sorry. Please say something."
The rapper recoils when her fiancée speaks again.
"You made me a promise. You made the kids a promise. What did I tell you when you agreed to do that show in L.A?"
"Normani..."
"What. Did. I. Tell. You?"
The rapper huffs and stands up from the seat she's been occupying for the last several hours in the boarding area at LAX. Her flight was supposed to be yesterday, but it's been delayed more times than she can count. Anyway, she doesn't need any nosey onlookers listening in on her conversation.
"You said... you said the storm would get worse."
"And...?"
Biting her lip, Megan speaks again.
"And that I shouldn't have accepted the offer. But baby, the payout was huge. My first holiday show. I had to take the gig for you."
Normani chuckles sarcastically under her breath and continues stirring the meat sauce resting on the hot stove with a wooden spoon. She's making her famous lasagna dish for Christmas dinner, Megan's favorite. Ironically enough, it's looking like the woman in question won't make it home in time to eat it.
"For me or for you? Christmas is tomorrow, Meg. I want you home with me. Lia and Jovon want you home." Normani sighs, covering the pot with a lid before leaning against the kitchen counter. She uses the rag around her neck to wipe at the bit of sweat covering her forehead. Then, she flicks some of her chestnut braids that have been getting in her way over her shoulder. She's quite hot from cooking all day. "I don't care about the money, you know that."
Megan shrugs her shoulders, even though her fiancée can't see her, and toys with the chain around her neck. She understands why Normani feels her actions were selfish. In hindsight, Megan knows she really did fuck up. But in the moment, the rapper didn't feel like she could refuse the twenty thousand dollars she was offered for her first holiday show as an up and coming rapper. She's never had much money to provide for her family before, at least not legally. This is her first Christmas with real money. She wants it to be special, and she wants it to be grand.
