WILTED

Five

[ So Beautiful x Musiq Soulchild]

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Raegan

I pushed my feet into my pink Bottega boots before rising from the bed and taking one last look in the mirror. I smiled, approving all my hard work coming together. I wouldn't say it was hard to pair the leather boots with leather shorts and a graphic tee. Most of the work was put into my hair. I'd done my everyday makeup, since he'd told me to dress casual, I assumed he meant the entire look. Walking over to my vanity and I sat down to apply a coat of lipstick. After coating my lips I looked down at my ringing phone greeted by a FaceTime call from my mother. I pulled the satin bonnet from my curls before answering the call.

"Hi, lovely daughter of mine, you look gorgeous." She answered, a pair of sunglasses covering her eyes. From the noise and ambiance music in her background I could tell she was currently at the mall. Spending my money might I add.

"Thank you Ma." I fluffed my curls after spreading a bit of oil on the palm of my hands. Once I was satisfied with them, I took my pick to my roots to add volume to the collaboration creating the perfect fluffed out afro.

"Where you headed?" She asked, yelling over the noise.

"I'm going out with a friend." I told her as she pulled her sunglasses from her face.

"This friend must be a nigga, the way you got them titties all in the camera." She flashed a smile making me let out a lighthearted chuckle. My breast weren't anything special but with the help of my bestfriend Victoria my c-cup's appeared to be a full and voluptuous d-cup's.

"It is a guy, but I don't wanna jinx it so maybe I'll tell you about it after." I watched her suck her teeth.

"Whatever girl, I need you to send me a stack." She pouted into the camera. I rolled my eyes, I should've known where this was going.

"Ma–"

"Please Izzy-bink, I just saw these gorgeous shoes and you know I don't get my check til the first." She put her sunglasses back over her eyes walking into another store. The woman greeted her happily and it was clear my mother was a regular customer.

"I just sent you money two days ago." I rolled my eyes.

"Okay and? All that damn money me and your Daddy put into that funky ass salon and you can't send me a stack?" She yelled into the phone.

"Alright Ma, request it on Zelle. I have to go, my date's outside." I lied before picking up the phone from my vanity.

"Thank you. I love you Izzy-bink." She blew kisses towards the phone before ending the call. I let out a deep sigh once the request for $3,500 appeared on my screen shortly after. A part of me wanted to ignore the message and pretend I hadn't seen it all together but I knew that would only result in her blowing up my phone for the remainder of the night. I quickly sent her the money to rip the bandaid off and keep myself from dwelling on the situation any further.

I took a few seconds to stare at myself in the mirror making sure there were no imperfections in my makeup before giving myself a final spritz of setting spray. I couldn't pull myself from the vanity without my eyes landing on the photograph hanging from its corner. It was an old polaroid of my father and I on a jet ski. I was terrified and you could see it all over my face but my father was smiling from ear to ear. I pulled it down before flipping it over to read the note he'd scribbled on the back.

Don't trust your fears, they don't know your strength. I love you Izzy-bink. -Daddy

I kissed the image before placing it back in its place. Izzy derived from my middle name which people often thought was short for Isabel but it was just Izzy. Bink was teasing at the attachment issues that grew between me and my pacifier. My Dad had almost everyone in our family hooked to the nickname, although my Mom held off on using it until after he passed. She knew it was my soft spot and used it to her advantage. Before I could fall deeper into my parental trauma my phone vibrated erratically in my hands and Josiah's name appeared on the screen.