Building Trust Through Our Issues

Chapter Fourteen

This chapter is one week prior to Aaliyah's sweet sixteen!

"What did you wanna talk about babe?" I asked Chris, he was feeding London while I was finishing up with dinner. Arianna and Lay were already in their high chairs and Bam was down for a nap. The older kids were in the game room with Aaliyah and Marcus.

"We'll talk later baby." He said making me sigh. Whatever Chris had to talk to me about was weighing heavily on my mind. I could not take anymore bad news today. I just prayed that whatever it was, was good or something that I could handle.

"You sure?" I asked making him chuckle. The suspense was eating me alive and I was dying to hear what he had to say.

"I'm sure mama." He replied making me pout. I went to the refrigerator and got out the two bags of shredded cheese.

"Well can I at least get a hint? Is it good or bad?" I asked, sprinkling the cheese onto the two pans of lasagna I'd made. I would leave the lasagna in the oven, long enough to just melt the cheese a little.

"No, Mookie." He laughed. I smacked my lips before putting the pans of food in the oven and cleaning up the mess I'd made.

While I was wiping off the kitchen counter, Zyonn came through the back door with his bag in his hand.

"Hi baby." I said kissing his forehead as he came and hugged me. He handed me an ATM envelope and I opened it to see there was money inside.

"Wassup Chris." Zyonn said as they gave each other dap. "Hi Stink." He said kissing her cheek making her clap and giggle. He went and kissed Arianna and Alayshia as well before getting a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

"What's this?" I asked raising my eyebrow as he got a banana from the fruit bowl. I counted the money and it was six hundred and fifty dollars in this envelope.

"My phone bill, car insurance, and rent." He said making me sigh.

"You're family Zyonn, you don't have to do this. I invited you to come live with me for free." I told him.

"That's fine." He shrugged.

"Take this, keep it Zyonn." I told him as I tried to hand the envelope back to him.

"No ma'am." He replied as he backed away from me with his hands up.

"Stop being disobedient." I said following after him. He ran to the opposite side of the kitchen and I ran after him.

"When have I ever been obedient Aunt Mookie?" He asked raising his eyebrow. I laughed before hitting him. "Auntie, just take it and put it towards a new bag or something. You deserve it." He told me before kissing my cheek and then leaving the kitchen.

"Dinner will be ready in a second." I called to him. I folded the envelope before I tucked it in my bra.

Once I'd finished putting everything away, I leaned against the counter and watched Chris feed London a bottle. Arianna and Alayshia were banging on their hi chairs and singing loudly. I smiled to myself a little before I went upstairs to get Christian.

I changed his diaper before putting him in his sling that was attached to my chest, I held his neck in place so it wouldn't move all over the place while he was sleeping.

"Kids, go wash up. Dinner is almost ready so hurry." I said sticking my head in the game room. "Jaydon go tell Zyonn dinner is ready, please." I told him.

"Yes ma'am!" The twins yelled.

"One more game Mama." Jr. pleaded as he finished up his game with a look of pure concentration on his face. He looked just like his father when he did that.