Journey of the heart(3)

Chapter 3: Real Talk

Mya sat on the couch, scrolling through her phone, tryna relax after a long day. Jaylen was still at the office, working late on some real estate deal, and she had the place to herself for a bit. Her mind kept driftin' back to her convo with Melody. She was cool, and Mya had a good feeling 'bout her. It felt good to meet someone on that same grind.

Her phone buzzed, and she smiled when she saw it was a text from Layla.

Layla: Girl, brunch tomorrow? We gotta catch up!

Mya chuckled, typing back.

Mya: You already know it. 11am?

Layla: Bet. See you then, boo! 💋

Just as she was puttin' her phone down, the door opened, and Jaylen walked in, lookin' tired but still fine as ever. He dropped his keys on the table and let out a deep sigh, then locked eyes with her.

"Damn, it's good to be home," he said, walkin' over and ploppin' down on the couch next to her. He leaned in, kissin' her softly, and Mya smiled against his lips.

"Tough day?" she asked, strokin' his arm as he leaned back.

"You don't even know the half of it," Jaylen said, runnin' a hand over his face. "That deal I been workin' on? It's stressin' me out. But it's gonna be worth it. This property's a big one."

Mya nodded, feelin' his energy. She knew when he was on the grind, there wasn't much she could do but be there for him. She admired how hard he worked, always pushin' for more.

"You got this, though. You always do," she said, rubbin' his leg. "You know I got your back."

Jaylen looked over at her, his expression softenin'. "I know you do. That's why I love you, baby. You my rock."

Mya felt that warmth spread through her chest, the same way it always did when he said somethin' like that. It didn't matter how busy or stressed they got—when it came down to it, they were a team, always holdin' each other down.

"Anyway," Mya said, tryna lighten the mood, "I met that girl I was tellin' you about, Melody. We gon' link up soon and talk shop. She tryna get her cafe poppin', and I think I can help her with the marketing."

Jaylen raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "That's dope. You already out here connectin' with folks and helpin' them level up. You a boss for real."

Mya grinned, leanin' into him. "I'm just tryna stay on my grind, same as you. We out here buildin' somethin'."

Jaylen wrapped an arm around her, pullin' her close. "That's what I love about us. We don't stop. Always movin' forward."

They sat there for a minute, enjoyin' the quiet. Mya loved these moments—just bein' close, talkin' about life, and plannin' for the future. It was in these little moments that she felt how solid they were.

"So," Jaylen started, breakin' the silence, "what you thinkin' 'bout kids? We ain't gotta rush, but it's been on my mind lately."

Mya turned to face him, feelin' that familiar flip in her stomach. "I been thinkin' about it too. I mean, we in a good place, but... I don't know. I just wanna make sure we ready, ya feel me?"

Jaylen nodded, his expression serious but patient. "I feel you. We got time, but I want you to know, when you ready, I'm ready. I'm already thinkin' 'bout what life gon' look like with little ones runnin' around."

Mya smiled, imaginin' it for a second. She could see it—Jaylen bein' a dad, her runnin' her business while jugglin' family life. It was a big step, but she wasn't scared of it anymore. She knew they'd handle it, just like they handled everything else.

"I think we gon' be good," Mya said softly. "Whenever the time comes, we'll be ready."

Jaylen leaned in, kissin' her again, his lips soft and warm against hers. "That's all I needed to hear."

The next morning, Mya met up with Layla at their favorite brunch spot. Layla, as usual, was already seated with a mimosa in hand, lookin' fly in her bright-colored jumpsuit. When Mya walked in, Layla waved her over, a big grin on her face.

"Girl, get over here!" Layla called, and Mya laughed, huggin' her as she sat down.

"What's good, Lay?" Mya asked, reachin' for her own mimosa.

"Same old, same old. But I wanna hear 'bout you and Jaylen. How's married life treatin' y'all?"

Mya smiled, takin' a sip of her drink. "Honestly? It's been great. We've just been enjoyin' each other, ya know? But we been talkin' 'bout some serious stuff lately."

Layla raised an eyebrow, leanin' in. "Like what?"

"Like kids," Mya said, lettin' the word hang in the air.

Layla's eyes widened, and she set her glass down. "Kids?! Girl, y'all really thinkin' 'bout that already?"

Mya chuckled. "Yeah, kinda. We not in a rush or anything, but it's definitely on the table. Jaylen's been bringin' it up more, and I'm startin' to warm up to the idea. It feels like the next step."

Layla nodded slowly, her eyes thoughtful. "That's big, Mya. You ready for all that? I mean, I know you and Jaylen got that bond, but kids change everything."

"I know," Mya said, feelin' a mix of excitement and nerves. "But I think we'll be alright. We been through so much together already, I know we can handle it. It's just... it's a lot to think about, ya know?"

Layla reached across the table, takin' Mya's hand. "I know you gon' be an amazing mom. And Jaylen? He gon' be that dad everybody wanna be like. Y'all just gotta do it when it feels right."

Mya smiled, squeezin' her hand. "Thanks, Lay. You always know what to say."

"That's what I'm here for," Layla said with a wink.

They spent the rest of brunch catchin' up, talkin' about life, and laughin' like they always did. But Mya couldn't shake the feelin' that she was standin' on the edge of somethin' big—like her life was about to change in ways she hadn't even imagined.

Later that day, Mya was back home, sittin' on the couch, her mind still on the future. She glanced at her phone and saw a text from Melody.

Melody: Hey! Cafe's opening next week, and I'd love for you and Jaylen to come through. I'm also thinkin' we should set up a time to talk about marketing. Let me know what works for you!

Mya smiled, feelin' a spark of excitement. She was lookin' forward to seein' how Melody's cafe turned out, and she couldn't wait to help her take it to the next level.

She typed back quickly.

Mya: Definitely! We'll be there. Let's plan to meet next week to talk. I got some ideas for you already 😊.

As she put her phone down, Jaylen walked into the room, his eyes lockin' with hers.

"Everything good?" he asked, sittin' down next to her.

"Yeah, everything's good," Mya said, leanin' into him.

And as they sat there, wrapped up in each other, Mya felt ready—ready for whatever the future had in store, whether it was buildin' her business, helpin' Melody with hers, or startin' a family with Jaylen.

They were buildin' somethin' real, somethin' solid. And Mya was all in.