Confessions of a Material Gurl・❥・

☆ TWENTY-EIGHT ☆

Sunday morning ・❥・
11:32 am

One week later

         Blanche rushed through CVS, searching the aisles for birthday cards. She was late and in a hurry to get to Zora's 6th birthday party. Her morning was more chaotic than she'd planned. The morning sickness she was experiencing was giving her a run for her money and every five minutes she was becoming emotional over the slightest things. It was safe to say that growing a life was draining her to the fullest. Blanche didn't know what she was going to do yet. Her and Grey had barely even spoke, so she was unsure of how he would take the news. Her phone buzzes as a text message comes in from Zenobia.

Z: Where are you?
Blanche: I'll be there in 20.
Z: Hurry. Z's dad is here with his girlfriend and I need someone to talk shit with.

Blanche laughs, sliding her phone in her back pocket, as she finally comes across the birthday cards. "I'm sorry." A young girl said bumping into her.
"No worries." Blanche replied, excusing her and turning around. As she stares at the girl, Blanche feels a familiarness. There was something about her that reminded her of someone she hadn't thought about for a while. Someone she rather forget ever existed.
"Gianna, hunny, did you find a card?" An older woman's voice says making Blanche freeze. Her heart drops to her stomach and her palms become sweaty as the woman walks over. Everything goes silent as the woman shockingly stares at Blanche and a puddle of tears fill in the corner of Blanche's eyes. Out of all the times Blanche could have ran into her mother, it was surreal that it was happening right now. Especially after just recently finding out she was pregnant.
          All the doubts and fears, Blanche had of motherhood was because of her. She was the cause of the first twelve years of Blanche's childhood being hell. In Blanche's eyes, her mother was the reason for all of her trauma and damage. It had been over two years since they last seen each other and there last interaction didn't go well. So she was pretty sure the outcome would be the same with this one.
"How are you Blanche?" Her mother asked. The sound of her voice makes Blanche cringe.
"Please don't act like you care about my well being." Blanche harshly replies, rolling her eyes.
"That's not true and you know it." Her mother defensively replied, stepping closer. Blanche takes a couple steps back, scoffing in response.
"Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night." Blanche harshly replied before walking away. She couldn't stand being in the presence of her mother any longer. She'd left any hope of a real relationship between in the past and seeing her with her new child, stung Blanche. Her mother had built a whole new life without her. Granted it was a life, Blanche wanted no parts of, yet she was jealous and resentful that her sibling was obviously getting a version of her mother, Blanche never had a chance to experience.

・❥・

      Blanche finally arrived at Zora's birthday party an hour later. She'd arrived later than planned because she couldn't stop herself from crying, feeling all effects of her run in with her mother. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't self medicate which only make it more difficult to endure the day. She was counting down the moments until she could be back home and curled up under the covers away from all the shit life had been throwing her way.
         Grabbing Zora's gift and her purse out the backseat, Blanche makes her way towards the entrance of rented event space. The outside of the building had a large sign that read, Welcome to Zoraland with a pink and purple balloon arch underneath. Once inside, Blanche was blown away by the lavishly, decorated, miniature theme park resembling candy land. There were several small carnival rides for children, a face paint station, concession stand serving all the best theme park goodies like funnel cakes, caramelized apples and deep fried treats. When Zenobia says she was going all out, Blanche was not expecting this. Which only intrigued her more on finding out who Zora's dad was. Spotting Zenobia across the room, Blanche makes her way over to her.
"Finally you here. I thought something happened to you." Zenobia said, noticing Blanche walking up.
"Sorry, traffic was brutal." Blanche replied, telling a white lie and handing her Zora's gift. Yes she and Zenobia were close, but they were some things Zenobia didn't know about Blanche's mother. Frankly, Blanche didn't think it was her job to say, if her father wanted Zenobia to know then he would've told her.
"It's okay. I'm just glad you're here now." Zenobia responded, taking the gift.
"Where's Z?"
"Over there with her dad." Zenobia said, nodding over to the rides a couple feet away. Fuck my life, she quietly groans. Blanche just couldn't catch a break. Life was looking to screw her over in the worse way possible today. Out of all the niggas in fucking LA, she says to herself. Blanche couldn't believe this whole time the baby daddy in question was fucking Grey. When he said he had a daughter never in a million years did Blanche think it was Zora.
"That's your baby daddy?" Blanche asked in disbelief.
"Mhm and there goes that bitch tryna to act like step mom of the year." Zenobia annoyingly stated, making Blanche snicker as she watches Ash come over.
"That's the girlfriend?"
"Apparently, but knowing him she ain't the only one." Zenobia adds, clueless to Blanche's line of questioning.
"Niggas." Blanche said. Honestly she was already shocked to see Grey, but seeing Grey at his daughters birthday party with Ash bruised the hell out of her ego. It was obvious things between them were serious and her heart ached as she unknowingly watched them from afar. Seeing them at Zora's birthday party made Blanche wondered if Grey ever actually had any real feelings for her. He couldn't of, flaunting Ash around.
She was more than ready to leave the party now.
"Where's my dad?" Blanche questioned. Her plan was to show her face then leave before Grey spotted her. She couldn't handle another emotional run in today.
"I think over by the concession stand with Power."
"Okay, I'll be right back." Blanche told her, going to search for her dad. She discreetly tries to walk past where Grey was with Zora at the tea cups, but she had no luck cause as soon as she gets closer, Zora spotted her.
"Blanche!" Zora yelled running over to her. Blanche picks her up as Zora hugs her tightly.
"Hi Z." She greets her, hugging her back. Hearing his daughter yell Blanche's name, Grey swiftly turns around as confused frown appears on his face. What the hell she doing here?, he thought, walking over to the pair and making Blanche tense up. He didn't know she was pregnant yet and now she definitely didn't know how to tell him. Shit just got messy as hell now that Blanche knew he was the father of, her father's, girlfriend's daughter. What type of Game of Thrones bullshit is this?, Blanche thought.
"What are you doing here?" Grey immediately questioned, avoiding the pleasantries. His displeasing tone didn't go unnoticed. Grey was still pissed at Blanche for ghosting him.
"I could ask you the same thing." She replied vaguely.
"She's my daughter." He said, nodding to Zora in her arms. Grey holds his arms out for Zora, but she refuses to go to him.
"No daddy, I wanna stay with B." Zora told him, hugging her neck tighter.
"She doesn't want you." Blanche antagonized as he amusingly glared at her, rubbing the hairs on his chin. His intense gazed made her shy away. Grey watching her daughter openly love on Blanche, melted someone of his distain away. Honestly he'd never seen her so taken with another woman other than her mother. Even the few times, Grey had his daughter around Ash, there was never a connection like the one he clearly saw between his daughter and Blanche.
"That's my child." He stated.
"So? She loves me more." Blanche protested.
"Man, fuck outta here." Grey said smacks his lips and shaking her head.
"Ooh, daddy said a curse word." Zora exclaimed as her mouth forms into an O.
"Mhm, that's why your daddy's in trouble now cause he's a bad boy." Blanche said to Zora. Grey chuckled, licking, and examining Blanche, noticing the puffy circles around her eyes.
"You been crying, ma?" He softly questioned.
"What?" She responded, thrown off by his questioning. His attentiveness caused an unsettling feeling for her.
"You heard what I said." Grey retorted, stepping closer, but not to close, knowing there were probably eyes on them. That last thing Grey wanted was to rise any suspicious of intimate relationship between them. Not because, he was ashamed but because the shit obviously was more complicated than he'd known. He was still trying to understand what Blanche was doing here in the first place and why his daughter was so familiar with her.
"It's none of your concern. How about you worry about who you brought here." Blanche bitterly stated. Grey chuckled. Her jealousy was amusing especially because she was the one who'd been dissing him.
"She's your girlfriend now?" Blanche inquired, unable to hide the hurt in her voice.
"Like you said, it's none of your concern." Grey bites back. Blanche scoffs, shaking her head in disgust. Frankly Grey hated to do her like that, but Blanche had played one too many games with his feelings. She couldn't keep shutting him out expecting him to chase her. Grey wasn't going to continue wasting his time pursuing someone who blocked his every play.
"Whatever Grey." She responded, rolling her eyes.
"You been dodging me, ma. You can't be mad." Grey reminded.
"I said whatever Grey." She fussed, clearly upset. He smirked, rubbing his goatee. Blanche could continue to act like she didn't give a fuck, but he could see right through her games.
"I see you've met Blanche." Zenobia said coming over, interrupting their conversation.
"Yeah, she was just introducing herself." Grey replied but still looking at Blanche.
"Did you find your dad?" Zenobia asked.
"Nah, not yet." Blanche answered.
"Carter's ass is around here somewhere."
"You're Carter's daughter?" Grey interrogated, finally realizing the connection Blanche had to his daughter.
"Yep." Blanche dryly responds as a awkward silence fills the conversation.
"What am I missing?" Zenobia questioned, noticing their off vibe.
"Nothing." Blanche tries to assure her, but Zenobia doesn't buy it.
"Nah it's something. You two know each?" Zenobia asked.
"We've met briefly." Grey admitted.
"He knows Talia's boyfriend." Blanche adds.
"Mhm, is that so?" Zenobia interrogated, knowing both Grey and Blanche. Plus she picked up on the energy between them, the energy of two people that clearly had an attraction for one another.
"Yes." Blanche urged, trying to reassure Zenobia of any doubts.
"If you say," She replied dropping it, for now, "There goes your dad. Let's go cut the cake, Z." Zenobia said, lifting Zora from Blanche's arm. Blanche starts to walk away, but Grey stops her, grabbing ahold of her arm. She quickly releases herself from his grasp, shooting daggers at him with her eyes.
"Let me holla at you for a moment."
"Sorry, can't, don't wanna miss out singing happy birthday to Z." She tells him, as Ash walks up, mugging Blanche as she walks away. Ash didn't know why Blanche was here and she was certainly not thrilled that Grey was up in her face. She thought him inviting her to his daughter's birthday would solidify their relationship, however with Blanche being here as well, Ash wasn't so sure about that anymore.
"Why is she here?" Ash rudely questioned.
Drawing in a long breath, Grey said, "Man, don't start with that shit."
"How am I starting anything when you invited her here?" Ash fussed back.
"I didn't invite her." Grey told her matter of factly.
"So why is she here?" Ash asked again, but Grey wasn't the one for being questioned and Ash was overstepping her place.
"I don't know and I'm not about to argue with you about this shit at my daughter's birthday." He declared, leaving Ash standing there and infuriating her even more. Ash watches Blanche with Zenobia and Grey's daughter realizing that was why she was here. Noticing how Grey and Blanche were keeping there distance, Ash connects the pieces and wonder if Zenobia knew about their little affair. Her mind starts scheming as a devious smile spreads across her face.