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"You know if Tyson get locked up, you gonna have to take that baby, Kiki," my grandma's voice echoed through the phone, carrying that familiar weight of responsibility that always seems to land on me.
"No, I'm not. I want nothing to do with that girl or the baby," I snapped, pacing back and forth in the bathroom.
"I know, baby, but we can't fail the baby. We can't. So you have to step up if Tyson can't," she pleaded, her voice soft but firm.
It's like I can never catch a break in this damn family. How you gonna volunteer to take care of a baby, then end up with legal issues? Now I'm supposed to take in a kid? I'm still in high school, trying to get my own life together. I didn't ask for this, and I sure as hell didn't plan to be involved. They got me all the way fucked up.
"I told y'all I want nothing to do with my parents or Kayla. So no, I'm not taking that damn baby. I have a life to live. I didn't lay down and get pregnant by a dude pushing thirty, so that's on her."
"Chloe, you know the foster care system is terrible. You've experienced it, baby," she reminded me, hitting me where it hurt.
"Yeah, I did, but that's not my responsibility. Talk to her baby daddy's family," I shot back, my frustration bubbling over.
"His family is full of crackheads. Do you really want your niece or nephew growing up in that?" she countered, voice tinged with desperation.
I hung up. She wasn't about to guilt-trip me into giving up my freedom for a baby I didn't ask for. Not today.
Before I could even catch my breath, my phone buzzed again. Tyson. Of course.
"I'm not taking that fucking baby, Tyson. You should've never said you were gonna take it if you knew you were about to get locked up. I'm seventeen," I spat into the phone, not bothering to hide my anger.
"Kiera, you gonna have to. I ain't gonna beat this court case. But as soon as I'm out, I swear I'll come get the baby. We can't let the baby go through what you went through. If Kayla keeps it, it's gonna be worse," he pleaded, his voice cracking under the pressure.
"I don't want to, Tyson."
"We all gotta do shit we don't want to. I'm about to go to jail, and I sure as hell don't want to. But I have to."
"Yeah, well, you're going to jail for your actions. I didn't do shit to be dragged into this," I shot back, my voice hard.
"All I'm saying is she's in labor right now, so get ready to have that baby by Wednesday." And just like that, he hung up. This nigga got me fucked up. I already said no.
Can I afford a baby? Technically, yeah. I just got approved for my first apartment. But why should I have to be the one to take on this responsibility? I didn't make this baby, didn't sign up for this.
"Kieraaaa," Nalani's voice cut through my thoughts, accompanied by a knock on the door.
"Come in," I said, staring at my reflection in the mirror, my mind racing.
"You good?" she asked, hopping up on the counter, her presence always a comfort.
"Yeah," I replied dryly, not really feeling it.
"What's wrong?" she pressed, concern lacing her tone.
"They're talking about me taking Kayla's baby because Tyson is about to get locked up," I explained, the weight of it all sinking in deeper.
"You should," she said casually, like it was the easiest decision in the world. "It'll be like having another little Miyella."
I shook my head. "I don't want to, Lani. I want to be free. I want nothing to do with Kayla."
"Neither will the baby in a few years. And it's not like you won't have all of us to help you," she reasoned, her words striking a chord.
I sat there, the silence stretching between us, the weight of the decision pressing down on my shoulders.
"Just think about it. Or at least see the baby before you say a complete no," she added, her voice soft, her gaze steady.
I didn't say anything, just kept staring at the floor, my mind a whirlwind of emotions. Could I really do this? Did I even want to?________________________________________________________________________________
my bad for the short chapter but my sims game is tweaking and I'm ngl I more interested in that rn.
