𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐀𝐒 𝐖𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓 ⭐𝐆𝐢𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐬 𝐠𝐱𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲⭐

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐭. 𝟐

Gio:

I parked the car in the driveway and right now? Claudia needed me to act like her whole damn world, and I was more than willing.

I turned off the engine and looked at her.

She was quiet. Eyes red, lips pressed together. Shoulders curled in like she was trying to fold into herself.

"Come on, baby. We’re home," I said softly, reaching over to rub her thigh. “Let’s get inside.”

She nodded. No words. Just grabbed my hand and let me guide her up the steps.

Beyoncé opened the door before we even knocked. Her face was calm, but I could see the worry in her eyes.

“You okay?” she asked gently, her eyes darting to Claudia.

Claudia nodded, leaning into me.

“She’s okay now,” I answered for her.

“Savanni’s upstairs with Onika. She was asking for her mama.”

Claudia’s breath hitched. “I’ll go up.”

I gave her a kiss to the temple. “I’ll be right behind you.”

She gave me a little nod and headed upstairs, her steps slow like her legs didn’t fully trust her yet.

Beyoncé waited till she was out of earshot, then turned to me.

“You good?”

I exhaled, my whole chest deflating. “I found her outside Shay’s house. In the damn car.”

Her face paled. “What?”

“Yeah.” I rubbed my temples. “She had a panic attack or something. Said she had a dream I left her. Woke up and drove there on instinct. She didn’t even realize she was doing it until she was already on that street.”

Beyoncé didn’t say anything for a moment. Just nodded slowly. “She’s been holding a lot in.”

“I know.” I looked toward the stairs. “She don’t need to do that anymore. I’m here. I’m really here.”

“I see that,” Beyoncé said, giving my arm a squeeze. “Thank you for going after her.”

I just nodded and went upstairs.

Claudia:

I walked into the bedroom and saw her—my baby girl, sound asleep on our bed. Nicki sat in the corner chair scrolling through her phone, one leg folded up beneath her.

“You good, baby?” she asked, voice soft.

I nodded. “Thanks for watching her.”

She stood up, walked over, and gave me a long hug. “We love you, okay? All of us.”

I hugged her tighter than I expected to. Then she kissed my cheek and slid past Gio in the hallway with a wink. “She’s all yours now.”

Gio:

I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. Claudia had crawled into bed beside Savanni and was brushing her curls back off her face.

I sat down on the edge and watched them.

“I don’t know what I’d do without either of you,” she said quietly.

“You’re not gonna have to find out,” I replied. “That’s not how this ends.”

Claudia looked up at me. “You sure you’re not gonna wake up one day and regret getting into this?”

I raised an eyebrow. “You still don’t get it, huh?”

She blinked.

I leaned in, cupping her jaw. “Mama, I’d go through ten versions of this just to end up next to you. Don’t let the fear write stories in your head.”

She let out a shaky breath. “I’m trying.”

“I know,” I said, crawling in beside her. I pulled her close so that we were skin to skin, my hand under her shirt tracing slow circles on her back. “And I’m proud of you.”

She buried her face in my neck. “Even when I mess up like tonight?”

“Especially then,” I said. “That’s when you need the most love.”

She didn’t say anything for a while. Just laid there breathing with me. Savanni’s little foot kicked gently against my thigh in her sleep.

After a while, Claudia spoke again. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Do you think I’ll ever be free from her?”

I held her tighter. “You already are, baby. She doesn’t own your mind. She just squats in it sometimes.”

Claudia let out a tearful laugh. “Squats?”

“Yeah,” I said, smiling. “But guess what? I’m here now. And I got eviction papers.”

That made her laugh a little more. Then cry again.

But it was softer this time.

And I held her through it, just like I promised I always would.