Consequences

36

A week had passed, and Armani found herself standing on Roman's doorstep. Armani was sitting in her dorm room packing up all of her belongings. She found a picture of herself and Mckenna together. They had taken it right after she crossed into her Sorority. Usually she got butterflies when she looked at that picture, but this time she felt nothing. She turned and looked at a picture of herself and Roman. It was taken at Fantasia's wedding. She looked at him in his suit and her in the bridesmaid's gown. They looked beautiful together. Emotions began to flood through her body as she realized that she had made a big mistake. She constantly tried to contact him, but he would never answer her calls. After she had filled up his voicemail on his cell and home phone, she realized there was only one thing to do. She borrowed Fantasia's car and drove to Atlanta.
Now, here she was, standing on his doorstep. Armani rang the doorbell a few times. She looked in the garage and saw Roman's car in there. She realized he just wasn't coming to the door.
"Roman!"
she yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Roman, I'm not leaving until you come out here!"
Armani realized neighbors were starting to look out their windows, but she didn't care. She rang the doorbell again, until she heard the door unlock.
"What are you doing here, Armani?"
Roman stood in the doorway blocking her so that she couldn't come in.
"I need to talk to you. You wouldn't answer the phone."
"I don't think we have anything to talk about."
Roman went to close the door when Armani yelled out.
"Rome, it's you. You have me and my heart. I want to be with you and our baby."
roman opened the door back up.
"Why, Armani? Just a week ago you were kissing a fucking woman. Why you want me now?"
"Roman, I can't lie and say that I don't have an attraction to women. Just like you will always be attracted to other women, I will too. But it's about acting on it. I don't have the urge to act on it. I love you and you only. You have held my heart all these years, and you still hold it."
Roman looked at Armani.
"How can I know that in a few months you won't want to go sleep with a girl?"
"Because you love me, and I love you. Just like I know that you are not going to go sleep with another woman. It's trust. I trust you."
"I don't think I trust you anymore, Armani. I saw a girl doing you!"
Roman yelled.
"I know, and it was a mistake. I was emotional and it happened. But, baby, I promise you it will never happen again."
Armani grabbed Roman's hand.
"Please give me the chance to make it up to you. Let me earn your trust back."
Roman looked at Armani. He shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Armani, but I can't. It's over. I'll be there for you and the baby, but I can't be with you. Now, please leave."
Roman slowly closed the door, leaving Armani in tears.

Fantasia and Kendall sat on the couch watching Law and Order. Kendall looked over at Fantasia.
"Tasia, I want to ask you something."
"Yeah?"
"Baby, I fucked up, more than once. You've been there for me through it all. But I can't help but have the feeling that you have tip-toed out on me at least once."
"Ken-"
"No, let me finish. If you have, I can't blame you. I haven't been all I should be to you. Yeah, it may hurt for you to tell me, but I would rather know than not know. So, we can start over fresh."
Fantasia looked at Kendall. She knew she needed to tell him the truth. She turned to tell him everything about her relationship with Taraji.
"Kendall, you're right. I deserved to go out and mess around, but I promise you I haven't."
Kendall's face lit up. He kissed her on her forehead.
"I love you so much, baby. I'm going to get a water, you want something?"
Fantasia nodded. Kendall headed to the kitchen.
Suddenly Fantasia heard a baby crying. She had been in her room for weeks and had almost forgotten there was a baby in the house. She followed the sound to the guest bedroom. The nanny was giving the baby a bottle.
"May I?"
Fantasia asked the woman, who gladly handed the little boy to her. She held the baby in her hands and

fed him the bottle. Fantasia lit up inside. For the first time, she truly felt motherly.
"You look so beautiful doing that."
She turned around to see Kendall standing in the door, smiling.
"He is a beautiful baby,"
Fantasia said as she caressed his soft curls.
"What's the status on the mother?"
"Still haven't found her. They think she may have left the country,"
Kendall said as he walked closer.
"I guess we got some things we need to talk about."
"Yes, we do."
Fantasia sat down in the rocking chair.
"Kendall, I love you, and I want to make this work."
Kendall's face lit up.
"Baby, are you serious? I will do anything."
Fantasia smiled.
"First, we are going to go to counseling. Second, you are going to do what you have to do to get legal custody of this boy. We are going to raise him."
"You really want to raise him?"
Kendall questioned.
"Yes, he is going to be our baby's big brother. We will raise him as our own. And there is one more thing. You need to apologize to Taraji for what you did."
Kendall sighed.
"You're right, I do owe her an apology. I will do it when she gets back in town."
Kendall kissed Fantasia on her forehead.
"Fantasia, you are my earth, you know that."
"Let's hope you don't forget it again."
She raised her head up so that he could kiss her on her lips. Things were finally looking positive.

Taraji sat in the chair with her cap and gown on. Graduation was bittersweet for her. She was happy that she finally did it, but the one person she wanted to see her graduate was not there. A tear fell from her face as she thought about her grandmother. She knew she had to be smiling from heaven.
Taraji walked across the stage. People in the stands roared as they called her name. Taraji turned her tassel to the other side. She felt intensely proud of herself. She quickly snapped the graduation picture at the bottom of the stage.
Taraji yelled as they called Mckenna and Zaria's names. She couldn't help feeling proud of them as well. They had experienced and endured so much together over the years.
At the closing of the ceremony, the class stood up and threw their hats in the air. Taraji didn't throw her hat. A picture of her grandmother was taped to the inside. She pressed the cap to her heart instead.
"Bruuuhhhh!"
Mckenna yelled as she hugged Taraji.
"Y'all turn around and let me take a picture,"
Zaria said, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Shes been crying all day."
Mckenna said.
"Im Sorry I cant help it."
Zaria said as she snapped the photo.
"Leave my baby alone,"
Nic said as she wrapped her arms around Zaria.
"Let me get a group picture of you all, the three amigos." Nic snapped the picture of the trio.
"That was beautiful."
They turned around to see Fantasia standing there. Zaria had Nic snap a picture of her and Fantasia. Taraji watched as Fantasia smiled for the camera. Their eyes met. Fantasia walked up to Taraji.
"Hold up, let me get a picture of you two,"
Zaria said. Taraji wrapped her arm around Fantasia as they posed for the picture. She felt a warm sensation take over her body.
"Let's give them some privacy,"
Mckenna said.
"Besides, I want to meet Nic's family. I know it's gotta be some sexy girls in it."
"Hey, stay away from my cousins, Kenna!"
Nic yelled as they ran off.
"Ti, I am so proud of you."
Fantasia smiled.
"Thanks. I'm a little proud of myself."
"Ti, I just wanted to tell you-"
"Tae, please don't. Don't apologize, don't tell me how you feel, just don't do anything. My heart can't take much more right about now."
"So, do you think we will ever be able to be friends again?"
Taraji shook her head.
"Fantasia, you mean a lot to me, and I will never forget you. You are going to be a great mother, and I know your baby is going to be the most beautiful baby in the world. But I can't be friends with you. I can't be friends with the woman I'm ... that I'm in love with."
Taraji hugged Fantasia.
"I wish you nothing but the best."
Fantasia fought to hold back tears. She didn't want to let go. "I wish you the same."
Taraji finally let go. Fantasia watched her walk away. Taraji never looked back.

Armani threw her gown and cap on the bed. She was glad the graduation was over. She broke down crying when Mckenna walked across the stage. She didn't stay for pictures. She didn't have any family to be with. She realized she'd lost her chance to have a family again. Armani looked around her dorm room. Everything was packed. She was supposed to leave for Atlanta the day after graduation. Now she had no idea where she was going to live or go. She heard a knock on her door. Armani opened the door to find Mckenna standing there.
"Look, I am not in the mood right now if you are coming to yell at me,"
Armani said as she walked back into her room. Mckenna closed the door behind her.
"I ain't here to yell. I'm here to apologize. I'm sorry about that incident. I admit that I was hurt. I reacted real badly."
Mckenna sat on the bed next to Armani.
"I'm sorry about everything too. I don't know what's wrong with me."
Armani began to cry. Mckenna wiped the tears from her face.
"Nothing is wrong with you. Everyone fucks up from time to time. So, are you really pregnant?"
Armani nodded.
"Yes, and he doesn't want to have anything to do with me, unless it's dealing with the baby."
Mckenna looked at Armani's facial expression. She realized that she had truly lost Armani.
"You really love him. I can tell."
"I do, Kenna. I can't even lie. I have loved him for years. He was my first, and I wanted him to be my last. But I fucked it all up."
Armani buried her head into Mckenna's chest. Mckenna put her arms around her. For the first time she was in complete friend mode with Armani.
"Now I know how Ti felt about Tasia."
Mckenna sighed.
"He'll come around. Just give him some time. You will be OK."
Mckenna stood up.
"I gotta go. See you tonight at the party, right?"
Armani shook her head.
"Yeah, I'll be there. Mckenna, thanks for this."
"Anytime."
Mckenna put her shades on and walked out the door. She finally let Armani go, and it hurt like hell.