Tangled Emotions

009

Hailey Pov
3 days later•4:00pm

I sat cross-legged on the floor of my bedroom, my fingers nervously twisting a loose thread on the hem of my sweater. My best friend, Nana, lay sprawled on the bed, scrolling through instagram.

"Adoriyah, I need to tell you something," I began, my voice barely above a whisper.

Adoriyah looked up, her eyes instantly sharpening with concern. "A wamp? Wah mek yaah call mi fuss name? Yaah frighten mi fah?"

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. "It's about my stepdad. Ever since mommy tell him mi a breed him an act weird."

"Weird how?" She asked, sitting up and putting the phone aside.

"Well, him say him want back the money him give me fi mi school subjects. Well a that mi hear say him say" Sarah said," But him tell mi him disappointed ina mi and him think mi did better than this."

Jenna's eyes widened in shock. "Him say that? Mi doubt that, fada nuh stay suh and yuh know that. Some people just nuh like see yuh happy and tell yuh a bagga lie ino Hailey"

Tears welling up in my eyes. "Mi know but from him know say mi pregnant him hardly talk to me or come round mi and mi pregnant 4 months a go 5. It's like him blame mi fi everything. Mi know mi mess up, but... it hurts so much to hear him say him disappointed ina mi."

Nana reached out, taking my hand in hers. "I'm so sorry, mama. That's... that's just fuck up. But you know this isn't your fault, right? If god never want yuh breed yuh wouldn't a breed, everything happen for a reason."

"I don't know," I whispered, looking down at our joined hands. "Maybe I do. Maybe mi ruined everything."

"Stop it," she said firmly. "You haven't ruined anything. Yaah go be a great mom, and yaa go get through this. And yave me. Mi dehyah fih yuh, no matter wah."

I sniffled, a small, grateful smile breaking through my tears. "Thanks. Nuh know wah mi woulda do without yuh so big up Donna she!" She chuckled wiping the small tear that fell on my check

"How are you feeling, though? Since the breakup with odane ?" She sighed, "Honestly, mi not even know right now. Some days mi good and other days... it's like a part of mi missing. Mi miss him, but mi know a fi the best. Him Neva ready fi this, and mi cyaa force him fih be."

I nodded, understanding. "Breakups hard, especially when there's so much at stake. But yuh strong, Nana. Stronger than yuh think. You'll get through this."

She leaned back against the bed. "Mi hope suh mi just... mi wish things did different."

I squeezed her hand. "Mi tuh. But wi cyaa change the past. Wi can only move forward. And mi ago deh right yaso wid yuh every step a the way"

"Thanks big belly," she said, "That means a lot."

I smiled, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Anytime mi gyal, Anytime."

~

~

Keilen Mario Howard
Same Day•7:13pm

I gripped the steering wheel with one hand, my phone pressed to my ear with the other. I had been worried about Nana ever since my brother told me what happen. Nana have always been strong, but this incident shaken her in ways I've never seen before.

The phone rang twice before Nana picked up. Her voice sounded tired, strained. "Hey, Keilen"

"Hey, Nana. How are you holding up?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady and calm.

Nana sighed, and i could almost hear her forcing a small smile. "I'm managing. Just taking it one day at a time. It no easy when uno call everyday a remind me bout it ino."

"Dane tell mi wamp." I said gently. "With him and... Ashley,Sorry yaah fih guh through that."

There was a pause on the other end, and I could hear her taking a deep breath. "Yeah it fuck up but a life and yuh know waah the other fk up thing? Mi never seet a come. One minute everything alright and the next... it's like mi wull life ova.

I grip tightened on the steering wheel. I hated feeling so helpless, so far away from my sister. "If there's anything mi can do, just seh the word. You know mi dehyah fih yuh right?"

"Thanks, Keilen, mi appreciate it,"she replied softly. "It just... it just ago tek some time fih get over but mi ago good eventually"

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. I pulled into the gas station parking lot and turned off the engine. "Mi deh a the gas station. A buy some snacks fih Sarah. Yuh know how she stay when she hungry."

She let out a small, genuine laugh, and I felt a pang of relief at hearing it. "Yeah, mi know mi bestie and har long gut."

As I got out of the car and walked toward the entrance, my eyes scanned the lot out of habit. That's when I saw a woman with a bandage over her nose, her eyes downcast as she filled her tank. My heart skipped a beat when I realized it's Ashley.

Bomboclatt Ashley bingo fih true
A weh shi get car?

"Keilen, Yuh still dehyah?" Nana's voice brought me back to reality.

"Yeah, mi dehyah ," I said, my voice tight. I couldn't take my eyes off Ashley. She looked different than the time she was over the house. She looked more vulnerable, almost fragile. "Speak of the devil, mi come buk har a the gas station."

Her breath hitched. "Yuh sure a shi?"

"Positive," I replied, watching as the Ashley glanced around nervously. "She have a bandage over har nose. Looks like yuh fuck up eeh people them gyal pickney"

"Never did ago put mi hand pon har but she past har place" she said and I couldn't say nothing but laugh.

"Yuh couldn't call mi? Yuh mek all a the likkle excitement past mi, wah kind of sister yuh be?" I aske jokingly.

"Yuh nave ntn a hot you ino, mi bestfriend a wait pon the snacks them just come off a mi mobile yerr." She replied.

"Alright tomorrow mi gi yuh a shout sis, member yuh bredda love yuh"

"I know, I love you too" she said.

Hanging up the phone and slipping it into my pocket. I took a deep breath and head into the gas station, picked up some snacks for Nastasia But my mind kept drifting back to my sister, and the silent promise i made to myself to be there for her, no matter what.

She might not be blood but mi love har yf. Blood or not a my sister that.