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42.

Giovanni Brown

I was really staring back at her. My mother.

"Gio, you've gotten so big."

I chuckled, " Well I'm twenty-three now."

"Right. How's your sister?"

Before I could speak, Jasmine's loud mouth ass came over to us.

"Giovanni, what the hell are you doing? When I walk away, you follow." She looked at my mother, "Who is this?"

"Jasmine this is my mom. Mom, this is my wife Jasmine."

Jasmine and I haven't gotten married or even engaged for that matter. But I want her to know we don't need a ring to have that title. She means a lot to me. Eventually we will get married.

"Wife." She nodded her head in approval. "And a mother to be obviously."

"It's twins." Jasmine told her.

"Mommy." A girl ran up to her, pigtails bouncing on her head. She had to be about six.

"Why aren't you with your daddy? You can't walk away like that." She chastised the girl making her pout.

"I'm sorry."

"So you got yourself a new family, huh?" My whole demeanor changed when I noticed the ring on her finger and this little girl ran up to her.

She got married and had a whole child when she should've been looking for the kids she lost because she was doing drugs.

She frowned at my choice of words, "What do you mean?"

"Gio." Jasmine touched my arm.

"So you got married and had a kid while your daughter and son that you already had was getting molested by people that took you in." I raised my voice.

"Gio, I had to get better and there wasn't much I could do to get you two back."

"So you got married and had a baby to feel that void. Is that what it is?"

"Giovanni, stop it." Jasmine yanked my arm this time.

"No Jasmine. While I was practically homeless for two years until I was eighteen, she was out having another baby. You wanted a new start, huh? Have a child that you couldn't fuck up this time."

She started to tear up and it didn't have any affect on me. I feel like I was being replaced. She promised she was going to find me and all this time she was living lavish in her new life.

"That's not true." Her voice cracked.

A tall dark skinned man came up beside her and draped his arm over her shoulder.

"What's wrong, baby?" He gave her a concerned look. The little girl looked between us confused.

"You try to sit here and smile in my face like you didn't create a whole new life a forget about us. You wouldn't have cared if we found each other or not." I took my necklace of and forced it into her hand. "You can keep it. I won't be needing it."

I grabbed Jasmine's hand and pushed past her.

"Gio, why would you say that to her? Go back and apologize." Jasmine told me as I dragged her out of the store.

"Not now, Jasmine."

"Yes now. You can't-"

"Drop it." I snapped and she jumped from my tone of voice.

She snatched away from my grip and walked ahead of me.

"Jas-"

"Shut up."