Baby Mama

20.

I'm holding Zaylee in the kitchen and rinsing off her pacifier when Kasey walks through the front door sometime after 4pm. As soon as I put the pink piece of rubber in her mouth, Zaylee's cries die down and she closes her eyes for another nap.

"Hey mommy's baby." Kasey coos as she holds her arms out for Zaylee.

My heart skips a beat when Mercedes walks in the kitchen next.

Kasey offers me a small smile but doesn't speak and that makes me frown. Next to her, Mercedes leans against the counter and pulls out her phone.

"Put the baby upstairs so we can smoke." She says to Kasey as I walk off to the living room.

While Kasey takes Zaylee up to their room, I kick my feet up on the coffee table and roll a couple of blunts. By the time both Mercedes and Kasey are sitting on the couch with me, my stomach starts growling.

"I told you I didn't want Zaylee around drama and I meant that." Kasey says as she lights up one of the pearls I rolled.

I should have known Mercedes would have already told her about what happened earlier.

"I know and I'm sorry all that shit went down, foreal. I get it if you're mad at me but don't stay at Mercedes' tonight. Stay here...please."

Kasey's eyes soften as she gazes at me. Smoke escapes her nostrils slowly and I feel hypnotized as we stare at each other.

"I don't know, Sapphire." She says and then passes the blunt to Mercedes.

"You shouldn't have no more issues with that hoe though, Kase. I beat her ass."

"And I'm mad at you too." Kasey shuts down the smile on Mercedes' face instantly. "I told you not to do shit. I could have handled that situation on my own without damn near breaking her face. I saw the video she put on her snap and if she presses charges, you know that's assault right?!"

Holy shit. I've never seen Kasey this mad before. And by the way Mercedes shoulders slump, this side of her cousin is new to her too.

"I didn't think about..."

"Yeah that's because you don't think! I have a baby now, Mercedes. I can't do stupid reckless shit anymore and I don't want that in me or Zaylee's life."

The stare down between both girls makes my stomach turn.

"So you dead ass gon trip on me 'cause I had yo back? That's what's happenin' right now?"

Kasey's face falls.

"No." She sighs and forced her eyes onto something on the carpet. "I just need you to do better. Okay?"

Mercedes melts like butter on warm bread. She passes me the blunt and then gives her cousin a genuine hug.

"I gotchu. You right." She pulls away and then flashes a smile at me. "I think imma give y'all some alone time though now that she's single, single, foreal."

My cheeks flush so I reach for another blunt and put my focus on my art.

A few minutes later, Kasey comes back inside from walking Mercedes to her car. She heads upstairs without saying anything to me and I continue to sit on the couch, smoking.

My heart is beating so damn hard, it's all I can hear while I wait for her to come back downstairs.

Five minutes pass and then ten.

After twenty minutes, I roll another blunt and go to spark it when Kasey finally graces me with her presence.

When I see that she's showered and changed into comfortable, skimpy clothes, I don't hide my smile.

"About time." I blow out smoke from my nose and take another pull on the blunt.

"What? I wanted to shower away my stress."

"Whatchu stressed about, baby mama?" I ask, handing her the weed as she sits next to me.

I can smell her vanilla shea butter body wash and that makes me smile.

"You. Riah. Mercedes. Section 8. I need a job." She sighs and adjusts her long ponytail over her right shoulder.

"My bad about that shit with Riah, though mama."

She hands over the blunt and watches me closely.

"Mhmm."

"And I told you, you can stay here as long as you want or need. You don't need section 8. When I told you I gotchu, I meant it."

I take a deep breath after passing the blunt again.

"Yeah, until you don't because the next girl has your attention." She says quietly.

A second of silence passes over our heads and I don't know what to say.

Damn.

"I know I said I'm not gay and I don't like girls but I like you. I don't know how it happened but it did. And that scares me. Because what happens when you get another girlfriend and me and Zaylee get put on the back burner again? You don't know how that feels..."

I'm speechless.

Kasey puts the blunt out and gives me 100% of her attention. I know she's waiting for me to say something but my tongue feels tied and my mind is completely blank after hearing that.

So I grab her hand and pull her close enough to sit in my lap.

"Kasey, you got me so shook right now, ma."

My eyes dart from her lips to her cheek bones up to her pretty brown eyes.

Kasey leans in and presses our lips together. The kiss is soft and when she puts her hand on my cheek, I close my eyes and enjoy the way our lips feel connected.

"You got me shook too." She confesses with her eyes closed.

"Tell me what happened on yo date, mama." I tell her while leaning my forehead against hers.

"I couldn't stop bringing you up to him. I couldn't stop thinking about you and Zaylee and...that's when I put it together."

I bite my lip as she talks with a smile. Damn, she is so damn cute.

"I ain't tryna get played though, 'Phire..."

"I gotchu, ma. You got my word, I ain't gon' play you, baby mama."