Follow Aubrey as he tries to improve the lives of himself and his three-year-old son, Omari. Despite the difficulties he has always faced, Aubrey has never given up. However, his situation takes a turn for the better when he unexpectedly encounters...
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"Aub... I've done a lot of thinking, and I've decided that moving with you wouldn't be the best option for me at the moment. I'm not saying I won't move, but right now, I can't. After everything is settled in court, I want you to go. I honestly believe we can handle the long distance. I'll come to see you when I can," I murmured, my voice soft. Aubrey mumbled something that I couldn't understand and turned away from me.
"Aub..."
"You can leave, Dominique," he responded.
"Aubrey, please don't be like this," I pleaded, and he turned back around to face me. The look in his eyes was unrecognizable. " Don't be like this. What way am I supposed to be, huh? I've been expressing how much I need you with me."
"Aubrey, I'm just not ready yet. That's a big commitment. I..." Before I could continue, he started yelling.
"A big commitment? Dom, this isn't just some casual relationship!!! This is real, Dom!! I'm a single father, and my son has gotten attached to you. He calls you mommy, and you're just going to walk away?"
Tears welled up in my eyes as I tried to explain, "Aubrey, I'm not walking away. You know how much you and Omari mean to me. But I have my own fears and doubts from my past relationship. I can't rush into this without sorting out my own issues first."
Aubrey's voice quivered with a mixture of anger and hurt. "I guess I thought what we had was real. This shit was special, you were different! We were supposed to start fresh, away from all the bad shit happening in this city. And now you're telling me..." He looked down.
I reached out to him, my voice desperate. "Aubrey, please try to understand. I'm terrified of getting hurt again. Jay was once as loving and caring as you are now, and look how that turned out." Aubrey snatched his hand away.
"I'm not Jay!!! Do not compare me to him, Dom! I would never do the things to you that he's done," Aubrey said, running a hand over his face in frustration. "I can't believe this, Dominique. I wanted you to be a part of our lives, to make things better. And now you want to leave us hanging." He turned away from me again, his anger evident.
"You can leave, Dominique," he said, his tone different and crushing my heart. I stood there, tears streaming down my face, torn between my fear of repeating the past and my love for both Aubrey and Omari. The future suddenly felt uncertain, and I knew that whatever decision I made would have a profound impact on all our lives.
Aubrey spoke up after a few minutes went by. "I feel like when we move, I won't ever see you again."
"Aub... I told you I just need time. I'll visit when I can."
"Everything is falling apart. Next, they're going to take Mari away. I'll be in jail because Steve is probably setting me up as we speak." I reached for him again, but he backed away from me.
