Conflict Reloaded

Chapter 24: Believe Me

(Malia)

"Bruh what the fuck is you doin' here?" Jahlil stood up and put Malina in her hospital bassinet. The rage in his face on full display. Oh no, why the fuck did this happen to me? To us. To Jahlil and I.

"You better answer him! How did you know I was here?"

I looked from Jahlil to Dave....from Dave to Jahlil, not sure what to think or expect.

"I came here to see my babies. We have mutual friends at my school. That's how I knew. Now what's nigga doin' here?"

The thing that shocked me by that statement the most was the fact that Jahlil remained standing in his spot. Babies in the room or not, I fully expected him to try and murder Dave. He's changing, for the better. At least his anger isn't over the top...yet.

"Malia who's the father?", Jahlil asked. He wouldn't even look my way. How can he treat me so cold right now? Maybe that's selfish of me to say, but that means he doesn't trust me. Dave was way before he and I had sex.

"You are Ja-" I somewhat flinched when he suddenly turned his gaze to me. If looks could kill, my family would be planning my funeral.

"Don't tell me shit just cause I want to hear it. What happened to the fact that we would always tell each other the truth? Did you sleep with him?"

I was afraid to say, he's already too calm for this situation. He could snap at any second.

He smirked then shook his head. "That long ass pause told me all I needed to know."

He walked towards the door, bumping the fuck out of Dave's arm, then he walked out of the room. That's one of his problems. He's always running away from me. He never wants to talk about things like this. Important things.

Dave started laughing. I pulled my sore body out of bed to slap him in the face. "You stupid bitch! I cannot believe you would do some shit like this! Wish you was still in jail."

I lied. Here I am trying to take my anger out on Dave, but I lied to Jahlil. One say out of the blue, he asked me about Dave. If I had've been straight up, he probably wouldn't be as mad as he is. I always find a way to mess things up between us.

There's only one way to make things right. Two words, seven letters.

(Janelle)

As I laid on the sofa watching tv, the door opened. I watched Jahlil as he came in, shut the door, then came over to me.

"Jahlil wha-"

He took his shoes off then laid beside me on the sofa. He buried his face in the crook of my neck and began to cry.

Although my baby is sad, I couldn't help but smile a little. He would do this all the time when he was a little boy. Good times.

I put my arms around him and held him close to me.

Today was suppose to be a happy day for him. He and Malia have made me a grandmother. Damn, I feel very old saying that. I haven't even hit forty yet!

When Jahlil first told me that he got Malia pregnant, I wasn't that happy about it. But his life is his life. He has to live it. And it's obvious that he loves Malia. It's not like he knocked up some random chick.

***

"Ma?"

I looked away from the stove to see Jahlil standing in the doorway and rubbing his face. He must've just woke up.

"Yes Jahlil?"

"Can we talk?"

I turned the stove eye and the oven eye lower, then accompanied my son at the table. He began to tell me the things that happened earlier at the hospital. How some other guy came to the hospital claiming he was the father of her babies. How she lied to him when he asked her about the guy. How hurt he feels.

"Jahlil, Sweetheart, what do you truly feel in your heart? I want a yes or a no: Do you think that you are really the father of those babies?"

"Yes." He covered his face with one of his hands. "Those girls.... We have a strong bond. They haven't even been here a whole day yet, but I feel like I need them in my life."

"Then why are you here baby? Because, had that boy not come around, you wouldn't be questioning if their yours or not. Jahlil listen to me, I have twin grandbabies. You have twin daughters."

"Are you trying to say that I was in the wrong for leaving how I did?"

I took a deep breath then sighed.

"Honestly, yes. I'm not saying you are a bad person or anything for that, but you should have tried to talk things out, and not walk away from the situation. You tend to do that a lot, but you shouldn't."

He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

"So what do I do now?"

"To shake all your thoughts, there's only one thing left to do."

(Days Later)

(Malia)

Jahlil and I sat back to back, both staring at my grandfather. Malina in my arms. Isabelle in Jahlils arms.

Well, here goes the moment that might change our lives forever.

For the best I hope.

My grandfather read through the papers as we anxiously waited.