Baby Mama

5.

"So you had to do yo whole pregnancy by yourself?" I ask curiously once Kasey and I start digging through our wings at a secluded table in the back.

"Mhm." She nods, her eyes on me with a raised eyebrow.

"When you due?"

"Two weeks. Hopefully sooner 'cause I'm so tireddddd of being pregnant." She pouts and then sips on the sprite in front of her.

I ain't gon' be able to look at Kasey as just a friend with eyes as pretty as hers. She's flawless and so is her gorgeous brown skin.

"You're staring." She mumbles bashfully.

"Damn, my fault." I apologize even though I ain't sorry at all. I could watch her all damn day.

"What?" She asks shyly.

"You wouldn't have to do shit by yourself if you fucked with me." I say with confidence. "Even as a friend, foreal. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing. Shouldn't nobody have to do it alone." I run game like a smooth criminal and watch a few seconds later as Kacey's hard exterior softens a little.

She bows her head and puts her eyes on the fries sitting between us.

"You got a name picked out?" I ask, changing the subject before she can get uncomfortable.

Kasey nods excitedly and lifts her head, showing off a genuine smile. If we weren't sitting down, my knees would be wobbling right now.

Her smile is a breath of fresh air.

"I don't know about her middle name but I've had my baby girl name picked out since I was a kid. So, Zaylee Robinson." She says through a face eating grin.

"Zaylee Sapphire Robinson sounds good to me." I flirt and bat my eyelashes.

Kasey laughs and blushes but she doesn't say no. So that makes me smile.

"You're a trip." She says.

"Aye, if imma be helping out and you gon' be my baby mama, it's only right you name her after me."

"Tuh. I told you, I'm not anybody's baby mama, Sapphire. Stop calling me that." She rolls her eyes and picks apart a piece of chicken before putting it in her mouth.

"I'm not hearing a no to the name though."

"That's because I didn't say no." She smiles and shakes her head again. "I can't with you, girl. You flirt with all your friends? Actually...don't answer that."

We both laugh as Mercedes crosses my mind and probably hers too.

"Nah, man chill." I say once we're done laughing. "I don't flirt with all my friends but I don't know how you expect me not to when you're the prettiest woman I ever seen in my life. No cap."

Kasey blushes again, this time darker than before.

"You're annoying." She groans through a smile. "Thank you though. That made me smile."

"I can see that. You blushing mad hard for somebody that don't like girls."

"Pft, girl no. I just haven't been complimented in a long time. It's nice to hear it sometimes. That's it." She says.

Kasey is beautiful as hell. How can she not get compliments everyday? I know if she was mine, she'd know how good she looks every single day.

"You can drop me off now if all you're going to do is stare at me."

"Aight," I laugh. "That's coo. I gotta meet up with my mama anyway." I say, checking the time on my phone.

4:52pm

"Mhm, you don't have to explain nothing to me."

"Whatever girl, come on."

*******

"What's on your mind?" Momma asks as we finish packing up her orders for the day. Like me, she has long, gorgeous locs except hers aren't bright red like mine. They're jet black with grey tips even though she ain't old enough to have much gray hair.

I'm her twin, standing at 5'7. We share the same honey colored skin and almond shaped eyes. The only difference between our skin color is hers is ink free and I have a sleeve. My momma is easily the prettiest woman besides Kasey walking this earth.

"How you know something on my mind?" I ask, trying to stall.

"You're my child. I'm know when you need to talk." She says nonchalantly. "What's going on?"

I sigh.

"So I met this girl. Mercedes' cousin."

"Mercedes your best friend?"

I nod and continue. "I like chillin' with her. She's like...a breath of fresh air. She ain't nothing like Riah or any of the other girls I brought around before." Ugh, I sound aggy as fuck, like a teenager in love or some shit.

"But?"

"But she don't like girls and she's about to have a baby in two weeks."

"Wow, okay." Momma takes a breath before she leans against the marble counter. "I thought we agreed no more straight girls."

I groan and nod my head. After the first time Riah went bat shit crazy on me and momma for having breakfast because she thought I was lying, momma made me promise she was the last straight girl. And she was.

Until now.

"You must like the drama these young straight girls come with, Sapphire, honey." Momma laughs as she starts cleaning up the kitchen.

"Nah," I chuckle too. "I think I wanna help her with her baby."

"That's a lot of responsibility."

"I know, I know. She been doing everything so far by herself." I think about the way my stepdad came into my life and treated me like his own flesh and blood before speak I again. I know momma knows what's on my heart without me saying a word.

"So you want to be a stepparent then?"

"It's not really a stepparent if the dad ain't around and she doesn't know him." I shrug. "Iono, that's what's on my mind though."

"That's a lot. Like a lot to take on for somebody that you don't really know honey. I'm not saying not to be there for her but maybe protect yourself this time around. You get attached to kids and this is a newborn baby. You can't ghost this girl when you're tired of her if she's letting you in her child's life."

I soak up momma's words quietly. I know she's right so I remain silent and listen for a change.

"It was so scary putting myself back out there after me and your dad separated because I had your emotions to think about too...but when I met Jax, and I watched him fall in love with my child too...it was worth it in the end. If you don't think it's gonna be worth it in the end for her, I don't think you should pursue anything with this girl or her baby."

I bite the inside of my cheek and tap my foot anxiously. I know everything she's saying is right. So I nod and agree.

I know I got a lot of baggage to deal with right now. But when I think about Kasey and Zaylee, none of that matters.

That's gotta mean they're worth it.

Right?