𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲'𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐧 ⏧ Jey Uso

𝟎𝟏.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐞

𝕬ᥙgᥙs𝗍 30, 2023
18 ᥕᥱᥱks ⍴rᥱgᥒᥲᥒ𝗍

"Are you ready?" Naima asked, her voice buzzing with excitement over the phone.

Natia sat on the edge of her bed, gripping her phone tightly. The call was about the gender of her twins, a moment she had anticipated with a mix of eagerness and anxiety.

Originally, they had planned a grand gender reveal party, filled with laughter and celebration. But that was before the tragic news of Windham's passing, Joshua's close friend who had succumbed to a heart attack just days ago.

The joy of a party felt inappropriate amidst such sorrow, and Natia had made the difficult decision to forgo the celebration, opting instead for a private reveal through her sister.

"Hold on, I want Josh to hear it too," Natia replied, her heart racing as she made her way down the hallway toward the living room.

She hoped for a boy and a girl, while Joshua firmly believed they were having boys. Their differing expectations heightened the stakes of this moment.

Natia entered the room where Joshua, his brothers, and his cousin were gathered. "Okay, ready," she said, sitting beside Joshua and switching the call to speaker.

"Surprise!" Naima exclaimed, her laughter infectious. "We're having girls!"

Natia blinked, stunned. "You're lying."

"I'm not lying. You're having twin girls, Tia!"

As disbelief washed over her, tears welled in Natia's eyes. She had been certain they would have a boy and a girl or twin boys, as was common in her family. The notion of twin girls was unprecedented; her family had never welcomed twin girls before.

This revelation, however shocking, brought with it a profound sense of happiness and pride. "My girls are already trendsetters," she thought.

Joshua wrapped his arms around her, the guys cheering loudly in the background. Natia felt a wave of warmth wash over her, the initial shock giving way to joy. "I'm so happy for you," Naima said, her voice brimming with excitement. "This is the first set of twin girls in our family! I'm shocked for you!"

"Wait! You guys never had twin girls in your family? Ever?" Joshua asked, clearly taken aback.

Natia shook her head, wiping away the tears that had fallen. "Nope, it's always been either twin boys or a boy and girl. Never twin girls."

"That's crazy," Jon chimed in.

"And your girls will be the first granddaughters of our parents," Naima added. "You know Mom is about to be so emotional when she finds out."

Natia giggled, imagining her mother's reaction. "Please, don't tell her. I don't need her trying to take over my pregnancy if she knows I'm carrying girls."

"Maybe we can have dinner with our parents and tell them then," Joshua suggested.

"Perfect! Please tell our mother in a public setting so she doesn't break out into a praise dance and shout about it," Naima said, laughing.

Natia could already envision her mother jumping with joy, celebrating the arrival of granddaughters after six grandsons. "After six grandsons, she'll be happy to have girls to teach how to be proper Togan women," she quipped.

"Like we weren't proper Togan women," Naima shot back.

The guys laughed, and Joshua took their joined hands, placing them on Natia's stomach. He leaned closer, a soft smile on his face. "Girls, it's your pops. I can't wait to meet you," he said, speaking affectionately to her belly.

"Awe," Sefa said, grinning.

"You guys have to tell the boys," Joe reminded them.

"I had a cake made; it should be at the house by the time the boys get home from school," Naima said.

Natia beamed at her sister's thoughtfulness. "See, this is why you're my favorite sister," she teased.

"Whore, I'm your only sister," Naima shot back playfully.

"Thank you, sis. You're always looking out," Joshua added, attempting to steer Natia and Naima away from their playful banter.

"You're welcome, brother," Naima replied with a laugh.

Natia rolled her eyes, a smile still on her face. The way Joshua and Naima interacted made it seem as though they had known each other for years, while she and Joshua had only been together for a few weeks.

That comfort between them sometimes unsettled her, planting seeds of doubt about their relationship. When she wasn't sure Joshua and her would last as babies often altered dynamics, especially when a couple came together under the weight of impending parenthood without a strong foundation. She didn't want her family to get too attached to Joshua, nor did she want him to feel the same burden.

"Girl, shut up, Da ara sabotaging rẹ ibasepo," Naima teased, switching to Yoruba.

"Ẹnu mi ni," Natia retorted playfully, the tension in her heart easing slightly.

"Josh, don't let her eat the cake since she wants to act up," Naima added.

Natia clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Fuck the cake," she said, ending the call abruptly and standing up, walking away from the group.

Joshua looked at his brothers and cousin, confused. "What just happened?"

"It's the mood swings," Sefa said, shrugging.

Joshua sighed, knowing that Natia's moodiness stemmed from more than just hormones. He sensed that her discomfort with their interactions was tied to deeper issues.

Most women would appreciate a man who bonded with their family, but Natia seemed guarded. He didn't understand why she resisted this connection. He recognized that she had a complicated past with men, particularly with her ex-husband, but he had begun to wonder if there was something more beneath the surface.

"Nah, I don't think she likes me being close to her family," Joshua admitted, frowning.

"Why not?" Jon asked, intrigued.

Joshua shook his head, feeling the weight of the situation. "It's complicated."

"Uce, what's going on in your relationship with Natia?" Joe pressed, genuinely curious.

Joshua hesitated, unsure of how to convey the complexity of their situation. "We have good days, and then suddenly I'm the enemy," he replied, his frustration palpable.

"Is she bipolar?" Sefa asked, genuinely concerned.

"Is she bipolar?" Jon echoed, looking at Joshua expectantly.

Joshua shrugged. "I don't know. I wish she was, so I could understand her behavior better. But she's not. She's just... broken." He ran a hand through his hair, a sign of his exasperation. "Her ex-husband did a number on her. Things not even the public knows. I'm trying to be there for her, but it's like she's scared of being hurt again."

The guys absorbed this revelation, empathy washing over them. They could see how hard Joshua was trying to navigate the challenges of their relationship.

"It must be tough for her to move on after a relationship like that," Joe remarked. "She doesn't know what a healthy relationship looks like, which makes it hard for her to connect with you."

Joshua nodded, the weight of their situation settling heavily on his shoulders. "I know. I got us a therapist to help, and I'm trying to show her that I can be a strong support system. It's just difficult," he admitted, his voice rising in frustration.

"Just give her time," Sefa advised. "You guys didn't come together the normal way. Patience is key."

As Joshua contemplated his brothers' and cousin's words, he understood that he would need to be patient with Natia as she navigated her past and present. They had a long journey ahead, but with love and understanding, he hoped they could build the family they both wanted—together.