fervor

ｘｌｉ － ｅｎｄ． － ａｉｒ．

ｘｌｉ  

   － ｅｎｄ．  

        － ａｉｒ．

14 years later;

"And that's how your father and I ended it all. Just for you two."

I closed the scrapbook, looking at the kids. Ramiro dusted off his Jordan's, sitting down next to me. "Can I text Mike to come pick me up?" He asked me, batting his long eyelashes.

I rolled my eyes at him. Each year, I swear, he gets more like his father. Now that he's turned 15, he's gotten so popular with these little girls. Now he wants to go everywhere, and will use his looks to get it out of me. He knows I can't resist his charm sometimes.

He has his father's good looks, right down to the same hairstyle.

I kissed his forehead, and he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. I fixed the wrinkles in his Adidas jacket with a smile, while he cut his eyes at me, his jaw clenched.

"I love you too," I smiled.

"I loved it, Mommy!" Monae smiled at me, taking the scrapbook out of my hands. "Best birthday present ever!"

Monae's always been my little Princess. She's oh so sweet at that, too. She was two years younger than Ramiro, and today was her 14th birthday. Monae hugged me, and I rubbed her back.

I decided to tell them the story of how it all started, well Monae asked, so I just decided to tell it.

A way to pass the time..I guess.

Ramiro sneered, "You're just saying that so you can go to that party with me. So you can make googly eyes at Patrick!"

"Am not!" Monae argued back. "You're just upset."

"Brat," Ramiro spat.

"Idiot."

"Jiggaboo."

"Oh my god! Mom, Ramiro just called me a racial slur!" Monae cried, standing up.

These two were almost always at each other's necks. Everyday, there was some argument between them. On the way to school, on the way back from school, at the dinner table...

"You two, stop it."

Monae sat back down, and sighed.

"You two are siblings. Be grateful that you have each other," Romelo mumbled, messing around with some bag of chips. He sounded like he had just woken up from one of his several hour naps, and looking back at him, I was correct.

He only woke up because he had gotten hungry.

I grabbed Ramiro's cracked iPhone off the table, handing it to him. He started to take it, but I yanked it back. "Only if you tell your sister that you love her."

"That's gay."

Romelo slapped the back of his head, "Gay is being on your knees for another man. Now listen to your mother."

Ramiro stood up, pulling Monae up as well.

"I'm sorry, big head. You aren't a jiggaboo. I love you."

Monae hugged him, standing up on her tippy toes. Ramiro had just sprouted up like a tree when he hit puberty, he was almost as tall as Romelo.

"I love you too, ugly."

Ramiro smiled, showing off the sharp canines he got from his father. I handed him his phone. "There you go, honey."

Ramiro hugged me, and then sat himself in my lap. "You're the best mom ever, I swear."

I thumped his forehead, and he laughed.

He texted Mike, and he told us that Mike was outside. Ramiro opened the door for Monae, and grabbed her jacket, helping her put it on. Monae went on out the door, and Ramiro tucked his phone in his pocket, and started to leave, but turned around.

"Aye Ma..Dad?"

We both looked at him, me raising my eyebrows.

"I'm glad you stayed together after all of that."

Romelo laughed, "It was all for you two."

Ramiro nodded, and Melo closed the door.

"He's so sweet, right?"

"He's your son," he commented, plopping down on the couch. I kissed his cheek as I walked around, sitting on his lap. I ate a few of his chips, and he sighed.

"Now I know where Monae gets it from. You were always eating up my shit, now she is too."

"You're such a drama queen," I rolled my eyes, grabbing another chip.

"Come on! A nigga just woke up, and you're already eating my snack!"

I covered his mouth with my hand, and I swear, he licked my palm. "Ew! Romelo that's gross!"

He gave me this goofy grin, and kissed my lips.

I sighed, and flipped through the tv channels for something to watch. The kids would be out for a while, so Romelo and I would have the house to ourselves. "How much you wanna bet Ramiro comes back telling us he got into a fight?"

I didn't even want to think about that.

Ramiro's been getting into plenty of fights lately, and Monae said that it was because of her. They were walking home from school, and some boy had said something to Monae, and Ramiro was across the street before Monae could stop him.

At least he's protecting his sister.

I picked up the scrapbook from the table, something sticking out from one of the pages. I flipped to the page, taking the envelope out.

"What's that?" Romelo asked, taking it from my hand.

"I don't know," I shrugged.

The envelope was beyond old. Most of the white was now yellow, and at one point there must've been a name on the front, because now it was faded and unreadable.

It seems familiar..

He started to open it, and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. He unfolded it, and then looked at me.

"Dear Aaliyah and Romelo, if you are reading this, it has probably been a year, or even ten years since you've last heard from me. I didn't write to ruin your family, I wrote to apologize. I was possessive, and jealous, almost everything and anything under the sun. I didn't deserve to have Aaliyah, and big brother..you proved that. I couldn't force my love on her. It was as clear as day that their wasn't a chance with her. I'm sorry..really sorry for what I've done. You won't be hearing from me after this."

Romelo folded the letter back up, closing his eyes. "I couldn't kill him, y'know..he's my brother..."

I saw tears stream down his cheeks, and I hugged him. "It's okay, baby! I understand. That was your family.."

"I'm sorry for getting you into that. I was a fucking fool.."

I wiped his tears away with my thumbs, his eyes becoming red and puffy. I kissed his lips gently and rubbed his back, feeling him take a deep breath.

"Sometimes, I don't see how you love me.."

I chuckled, "Well you should, it's because I'm your Queen."

"I love you, Aaliyah August."

"And I love you, Romelo August."