Fireworks 3 and 4

Chapter Seventeen

"Hush little baby, don't say a word,

Mama's gonna make sure you ain't a bird.

Cause dusty birds are super lame,

Mama's gonna make sure you got game.

Hush little baby, don't you cry,

If anyone hurts you, they will fry.

They will fry 'cause Mama don't play,

Mama's gonna make sure baby has her day."

    Abbriana, more affectionately known as "Bri," paced around the living room, clutching a small baby bundle to her chest. After kissing the baby's forehead, she walked out of the living room and down the hall of the apartment she shared with her husband and two children. She poked her head into her son's room while gently bouncing the baby in her arms.

    Her son, Bryce, was sprawled across his bed. He was completely knocked out, and his room was filled with snores.

    Smiling and shaking her head, she kissed her daughter's forehead again, then turned at the sound of the apartment buzzer. Since she hadn't invited anyone over, there were two possibilities: the person who was ringing the buzzer was either her husband, having lost his apartment key - again - or a neighbor who'd lost their apartment key - again.

    The buzzing didn't let up.

    "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," she called as if the person could hear her. She returned to the living room and approached the intercom panel near the apartment door. Keeping one arm secured around her baby, she pressed the button on the intercom. "Bitch, who goes there?"

    "It's Mia."

    Bri's eyes widened, and her hand froze on the intercom panel. Mia? Here? "Come again?"

    "It's Mia. Can I come up?"

    "Um, yeah. Of course." Confused, Bri pressed the button that disengaged the locks on the door to the apartment building. The confused expression hadn't left her face by the time a soft knock sounded on the door. She grabbed the door handle and turned it, but was slow to pull the door open. Had she fallen asleep on the couch or something? Was this a dream? Mia was a busy little bee who barely even had time to talk to her on the phone these days, let alone popping up for a visit to Texas.

    But there Mia was, standing out in the hallway looking...fragile.

    Happy tears sprang to Bri's eyes. That said a lot, considering the fact that it took a lot to get Bri to cry.

    Mia breezed into the apartment. "I'm sorry to show up unannounced like this."

    "Hi to you too, bitch," Bri said, gradually getting over the initial shock of seeing her old friend. She allowed the door to swing closed. When she turned to face Mia, Mia was smiling and her ears were shining with tears. Bringing up a hand to tame her wild and crazy hair, Bri took a small step forward.

    Mia met her halfway and wrapped her arms around Bri, enveloping both Bri and the baby in a warm hug.

    The baby cooed while waving a fist in the air.

    "Soraya is even more beautiful in person," Mia said as she pulled out of the hug. She held her finger out and as if on cue, the baby grabbed it.

    "Soraya, this is your Auntie Mia." Bri positioned the baby girl so that she had the perfect view of Mia. "This is your first time seeing her for real because she's too good for us normal peasant folk."