Journey of the heart(3)

Chapter 5: Balancin' the Hustle

L

The weeks flew by, and Mya's schedule was crazier than ever. Between workin' with Melody on the marketing for the cafe and keepin' up with her other clients, she felt like she barely had a minute to breathe. But she wasn't complainin'—this was exactly what she'd wanted. The grind was real, and Mya was right in the thick of it.

One Thursday afternoon, she was sittin' at her desk, goin' through emails when her phone rang. It was Layla.

"Hey, girl, what's up?" Mya answered, leanin' back in her chair.

"Girl, are you free this weekend? We need a girls' night out. I'm talkin' drinks, dancin', the whole thing," Layla said, her voice full of energy.

Mya laughed, shakin' her head. "I don't know, Lay. I been swamped with work. I ain't even sure if I'll be done by then."

"Uh-uh, no excuses. You gotta make time for yourself, Mya. You out here grindin' non-stop, and you deserve a break. Come on, one night. Let's just unwind and have some fun."

Mya thought about it for a minute. She'd been so focused on work lately that she hadn't done much else. And Layla was right—she needed a break.

"Aight, fine," Mya said, grinnin'. "I'm down. What time?"

"Meet me at 9 at that spot we like downtown. And wear somethin' cute. We hittin' the dance floor, for real," Layla said with a laugh.

"I got you. See you then," Mya said, hangin' up.

She smiled to herself, feelin' excited. A night out with Layla was exactly what she needed to recharge. But first, she had to finish up her work. She dove back into her tasks, knockin' out emails and checkin' off her to-do list like a boss.

By the time Saturday rolled around, Mya was ready for a break. She spent the day wrappin' up her work and then headed to her closet to find the perfect outfit for her night out with Layla. After tryin' on a few different looks, she settled on a sleek, black dress that hugged her curves just right. She paired it with her favorite heels and some gold jewelry, feelin' fly as ever.

Jaylen walked into the bedroom as she was finishin' up her makeup. He leaned against the doorframe, smilin' at her.

"Damn, you steppin' out tonight, huh?" he said, eyein' her up and down.

Mya smirked, turnin' to face him. "You know it. Layla talked me into a girls' night."

"You lookin' good, baby. Y'all gon' have fun," Jaylen said, walkin' over to kiss her.

Mya kissed him back, then pulled away with a playful grin. "Don't miss me too much while I'm gone."

Jaylen chuckled. "I'll try not to. Just don't have too much fun without me."

"I make no promises," Mya teased, grabbin' her purse and headin' out the door.

When Mya got to the club, Layla was already there, posted up at the bar with a drink in hand. The music was bumpin', the lights were low, and the place was packed with people dancin' and havin' a good time. It was exactly the kind of night Mya had been needin'.

"Mya! You lookin' like a whole snack!" Layla shouted over the music, huggin' her as she walked up.

Mya laughed, strikin' a pose. "Girl, I'm just tryin' to keep up with you."

They ordered drinks and spent the first half of the night catchin' up. Layla filled Mya in on the latest drama at work and the new guy she was talkin' to, while Mya shared updates on Melody's cafe and how busy her business had been.

"I'm proud of you, Mya," Layla said, sippin' her drink. "You really out here doin' your thing. I remember when you was stressed about quittin' your job, and now look at you—you killin' it."

Mya smiled, feelin' the love. "Thanks, Lay. It's been a wild ride, but I'm happy. I just gotta figure out how to balance everything. Some days, I feel like I'm spreadin' myself too thin."

Layla nodded. "I get that. But you know, you gotta take care of yourself too. All this hustlin' is great, but if you don't make time for you, you gon' burn out."

Mya sighed, knowin' Layla was right. She'd been so focused on work lately that she hadn't been takin' much time for herself.

"Yeah, I know. I'm tryna work on that," Mya said. "I just feel like I need to keep pushin' while things are goin' good."

Layla gave her a serious look. "And you will. But don't forget to live in the moment, too. You and Jaylen just got married, you got a business that's growin', and you got people in your life who love you. Enjoy that, Mya."

Mya smiled, feelin' grateful for Layla's words. "You always know what to say."

"That's what I'm here for," Layla said with a wink. "Now, let's hit the dance floor. We ain't done yet."

They spent the rest of the night dancin', laughin', and just lettin' loose. It felt good to forget about work for a while and just have fun. Mya didn't realize how much she'd needed this.

The next morning, Mya woke up feelin' refreshed. She lay in bed for a while, thinkin' about what Layla had said. She knew she needed to slow down, but it was hard when there was so much on her plate. Still, she made a mental note to start makin' more time for herself—and for Jaylen.

She rolled over and saw a text from Melody.

Melody: Hey! Just wanted to say thanks again for all your help. Things are really pickin' up at the cafe! Let's grab coffee soon and catch up 😊.

Mya smiled, feelin' proud of how far Melody's business had come. She was glad she could be a part of that journey.

Mya: Of course! So happy for you. Let's do coffee this week. I'll text you some times!

As she put her phone down, Jaylen walked into the room with a plate of breakfast—pancakes, eggs, and bacon.

"Breakfast in bed?" Mya said, smilin' up at him.

Jaylen grinned, settin' the tray down on the bed. "Just tryna spoil my wife a little."

Mya sat up, her heart swellin' with love. "You know how to make a girl feel special."

Jaylen leaned down, kissin' her softly. "Always."

As they ate breakfast together, Mya felt that familiar sense of gratitude. Yeah, things were busy, and sometimes life felt like a whirlwind, but moments like this? They were what mattered.

And Mya was ready to make sure she didn't lose sight of that, no matter how busy life got.

It was all about balance—workin' hard, but also makin' space for the things that made life sweet.