Black Female Celebrity Imagines 2

Babydaddy Crew 2

Julian Whittaker 26

Julian Whittaker Jr. 2 (J3)

Y/n Hayes 24

Leilani Hayes 4

Y/n POV

I followed Leora upstairs, not saying nothing at first. I already knew if I came at her wrong it was gone turn into some other shit. The kids room door closed and I heard her moving around, her whispering to them real soft. Apologizing. I could tell without even seeing her.

That shit did something to me.

I leaned against the wall outside the room, arms crossed, jaw tight. This wasn't normal. Leora don't play about them kids. Ever. Snacks always stocked, hair always done, outfits already picked out. She be tired as hell but still moving like a machine. Today the crib felt different and now I knew why.

The door opened and she stepped out. Hoodie pulled up, lashes half gone, eyes red as hell. She tried to walk past me like I wasn't standing right there.

"Leora," I said low.

She stopped but didn't look at me.

"I'm fine," she snapped quick.

"You not," I said just as quick.

She laughed dry. "Here you go."

I stepped closer but didn't crowd her. "I ain't here to argue."

She finally looked at me and I could see it all in her face. Fear. Guilt. Embarrassment. All that shit she try so hard to hide.

"I woke up and the house was empty," she said, voice shaky. "I couldn't hear them. I thought something happened."

That hit me in the chest.

"I thought I lost my kids," she whispered and the tears just fell. She tried to wipe them away fast but her hands was shaking too bad.

I ain't even think. I just pulled her into me.

She froze for half a second then broke down completely, face pressed into my chest, crying hard. Not no quiet tears either. The real ones that shake your whole body.

"I'm sorry," she kept saying. "I fell asleep. I'm a bad mom."

"Nah," I said firm, wrapping my arms tighter around her. "Don't say that."

"I should've been up. I should've cooked. I should've did they hair. I don't even remember laying down," she cried.

I pulled her back just enough to look at her and held her face in my hands. "You tired, Leora. That's it. You tired."

She shook her head. "What if something happened?"

"But it didn't," I said. "Because we here. Because them kids loved and protected. Because you not doing this shit by yourself."

That did it.

Her legs gave out and she slid down the wall. I went down with her, sitting right in front of her, knees touching. She covered her face with her hands.

"I been drowning," she said. "Trying to prove I can do this alone. Trying not to need nobody. Trying not to need you."

She peeked at me through her fingers.

"I'm failing," she whispered.

I pulled her into me again, rocking her slightly like I used to back when she was pregnant. Hand rubbing her back slow.

"You not failing," I said. "You been strong too long."

She cried quieter this time, head tucked under my chin.

"I hate that you still make me feel safe," she said low.

"I ain't never stopped wanting to," I answered.

We sat there like that for a minute, just breathing. Feeling each other. Too close to ignore the tension, too familiar to act like it wasn't there.

After a while she pulled back and looked at me. Really looked.

"You judging me?" she asked again.

"Never," I said. "I'm proud of you."

Her eyes filled back up. "For what?"

"For loving them this hard. For still showing up even when you exhausted. For letting me help."

She leaned her forehead against mine, eyes closed. "I don't like feeling weak."

"You ain't weak," I said. "You just human."

Downstairs I heard Ju come back in loud as hell talking shit like always.

She laughed through her tears. "He so dumb."

"Yeah," I said. "But he solid."

She nodded. "Y'all both are."

She pulled back just a little, looking unsure. "I don't know if I'm ready for... us."

"I ain't rushing you," I said. "I'm here though."

She stared at me for a second longer then nodded slowly.

And for the first time in a long time it felt like we was getting back to something we never really lost.