If Only You Knew

Priority

August

Zay's POV

"Whew, it's getting hot out here." Veronica blew out. She fanned herself as he walked down the concrete path around a nice pond.

"Yea." I seconded her statement while trying to squint my eyes to block the sun.

August was living up to its name of the hottest month of the year. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck slipping from the braids, we had to get back inside quickly.

"Let's take a seat." She suggested. I obliged only because the bench she wanted to sit at was in the shade.

"I'm glad you doing better, ma." I spoke truthfully.

Veronica's face lit up as she gave me a sly smirk. "Thank you, son. I'm glad you came to see me, I was starting to think you forgot about your mama." She joked but I could tell by the tiny awkward chuckle she did that there was some truth there.

My shoulders slumped a bit as the realization came over me. It had been a few weeks since I saw my mom but it was her fault. Thanks to her dumb-ass statement about a family, me and Aniyah been going through it. She ain't been home in three weeks and I was missing her like a muthafucker but I knew I couldn't give her what she wanted.

"Nah I just had some shit going on." I tried to look elsewhere but I saw the worry take over her whole face.

"Are you in trouble?" She sat up promptly while placing her hand on top of mine.

"I'm fine, mama." I laughed as I watched her calm down.

"Oh, thank God." Her shoulders relaxed and she placed a hand over her chest. "Don't scare me like that, mijo!"

"So what's wrong?" She rested her arms on the table before she started into my eyes. "You look stressed."

"Aniyah ain't fucking with me right now." I grumbled.

"Why not?!" She whined.

I sighed deeply trying to get my thoughts together. How could I say this without sounding like I was blaming her?

"Because you put the idea of kids into her head, ma! Ever since you brought up having a baby that's all she wanna talk about."

She snickered as she looked shocked by my words. "Oh, so it's my fault that you don't wanna commit to your girlfriend?"

"In a way. We was good until you said sum."

She paused giving me a look of pity. Her tongue sat under her lip and she shook her head with a slight chuckle.

"You're so clueless... just like your father used to be. I hate that you didn't get my sharp wit." She sounded disappointed as she spoke more to herself.

"That girl came to me asking for advice because she didn't know how to talk to you herself."

"What?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. I was lost.

"She brought up the idea of a baby genius! We had a talk weeks before I said something. She's been thinking about this for a long time, Isaiah, so imagine her dismay when you immediately shut her down once I brought it up."

"She put you up to that shit?"

"No, but I told her I'd talk to you myself. Why don't you want a family with that girl? She's great!"

"Mama mind yo business!" I huffed in annoyance.

"You are my business!" She matched my tone. "And your girl made it my business when she called me crying saying that she thinks you two are over because you can't compromise!"