Carry On

Don't Feel

It had been a few weeks since her lunch with Jaden, and Gia didn't know what she was feeling. She was spending the evening with her girlfriends. Her mom was handling things better and thought she'd give Gia a break for a couple days.

Gia was trying her best not to drown in her grief, so she was making an effort to get back to her day-to-day activities. And with Gigi at her mom's, it was the perfect time. So, she was making dinner for her friends tonight. It was something that she really enjoyed doing, especially for her friends and family, and she wanted to get back to it.

Dinner was at 7:30 and Gia was already in the kitchen. Gia always thought that when you looked good, you felt better. So, even though cooking was always something that brought her peace, she wore a natural face of makeup while she did it. She held a 90s/2000s R&B concert in her kitchen while she cooked, and it just made the time she spent with herself much more joyful.

Tonight, she was making salmon stuffed shrimp with loaded baked potatoes. She added her signature margaritas and the complete menu made for a great night. Jordyn and Kenzie were on desserts this time, so she didn't have to worry about that.

She played her all her favorite artists: Kelly Rowland, India.Arie, Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Anthony Hamilton, Musiq Soulchild, Tyrese, Tank, and so many more. She moved to the beat of the music and sang each song at the top of her lungs. As she danced around her kitchen, she felt more like herself than she had in weeks. The aromas of the food smelled up her apartment and she was at peace for a while.

When the food was almost ready, she began to clean up any leftover mess and light candles. She loved seafood, but the after smell, she could not deal with. She plated the food and took pictures, excited for her girls to taste it. Her food was one thing she took a lot of pride in.

She ran and changed into something that didn't have food on it or carry the smell of raw food when she was done. As soon as she finished, she heard her doorbell.

She squealed and ran toward the door. Gia threw the door opened and it revealed two of her favorite people on earth.

"Hiiiiii!!!" She let them inside before throwing her arms around them. "I'm so glad you guys are here! And on time, too!" She grinned.

"Hi, boo!" Jordie embraced her. "Don't do us, girl. You the one that's always late." She laughed. She placed a tray of desserts on the counter.

"It smells like you threw down in here! I can't wait to eat." Kenzie hugged her friend and handed her a bottle of wine.

"I can't wait for you guys to try it. I've made this for myself before, but never for anyone else. So, y'all are essentially my guinea pigs."

"You know we don't mind, girl. Your culinary skills are top tier." Jordie moved into the living room.

Gia loved aesthetics, so no matter what the occasion, she had to give it its proper setting. She'd lit several candles in her living room and sat their plates and drinks out to start girls night off right. Even her music was still playing in the background. She was in a good mood to have a great night with her best friends.

"It's so cute in here, G!" Kenzie cooed at her friend, which she loved. "And it smells so good."

"Thank you, friend!" She beamed.

They got comfortable and sat down to eat. Jordyn blessed the food, and they dug in. They lavished her with compliments on the meal, and Gia felt proud.

"So, it's been a couple of weeks since the breakup. How are you doing with that?" Kenzie asked her.

"Honestly, I don' t know. I'm not mad at Jaden. I don't even know if I could be. Getting custody of a child is huge, you know? It's not what he signed up for." She answered truthfully, surprising herself because she usually wanted to keep her thoughts to herself these days.