S'pose To Be

s e v e n t e e n

Daniel
5 months later

"We're like the best of friends now." Vera smiled as she cleaned the living room. "Watch your feet." I lifted my feet on the coffee. "She talks about you a lot." I looked up at her.

"I bet..." I sighed.

"Stop being a dickhead for once and listen to some damn body." She spat.

I miss Jet man & seeing Dominique and Aaliyah that day in the studio, that precious lil girl reminded me of him. She looks just like him, she was attached to Dominique just like Jet was, she is Jet....just not my kid.

I only came to Vera's cause she was cleaning up & she refused to go in Jetter's old bedroom, so she asked me to clean it up a bit. Everything is still in his room, just like he left it. No one been in that room in almost three years, but I don't blame her. I almost didn't go in myself.

"Vera!" I heard a sweet voice. A voice I haven't heard in months. I turned around, taking the hood of my hoodie off my head. "Who's in Jet—" She stopped when she saw me. "Oh....hey." She kinda smiled. I bobbed my head.

"DAN DAN!!!!" Aaliyah squealed. Dominique put her down & walked off. Aaliyah ran over to me.

"Hey babygirl.." I chuckled & picked her up. "Are we talkin now?" I raised my eyebrow at her. She giggled & nodded.

"Uh huh!" She smiled. "I big gur' now..." I'm dying man!!! Why she look so goddamn much like Jetter!? I smiled.

"That won't shut her damn trap..." Dominique said, walked back in.

"And you wonder where she get it from...." I gave her the side eye. She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever Simmons!" She spat. "No one asked for your input." Aaliyah giggled.

"Ya' make mwommy mad." She squealed & giggled more. I chuckled, then I got serious.

"Can we talk for a sec?" I asked her. She looked at Aaliyah, then back at me.

"What is it, Daniel?" I walked back in Jet's room & sat on his bed. Dominique followed. She looked around & smiled. "I haven't been in here since—" She stopped herself.

"Yeah me too." I sighed, then Aaliyah climbed in my lap. "Look baby I miss you. I miss your smile, your laugh, all your playful gestures when I do stupid shit." I looked down at Aaliyah. "The missed opportunities." I looked back up at her. "I just want what we had back. I want my bestfriend back." She shrugged.

"I'm not the one that shut people out." She confirmed. "I know you mean well Daniel, but I don't want anything other than just a friend....a friendship." She kinda smiled. "I love you with all my heart; I always have, but I just wanna focus on me right now. Aaliyah is my main priority and I'd like to keep it that way." I sighed & kinda nodded. She walked over & kissed me. "Maybe we can pick back up where we let off in a few years, but I can't deal with all this right now."

"I guess I have no choice but to follow your wishes...." She giggled, taking Aaliyah from me.

"Nooooooo!!!" She cried, reaching for me. I got up.

"Is it alright if I keep her?" I asked. She just looked at me, gnawing on her jaw. "C'mon Dee, you know I wouldn't let anything happen to her." She looked at me a little longer, then sighed in defeat. I took Aaliyah for her.

"Just don't give her any sweets and don't feed her anything with beans or peas in it because she's highly allergic." She told me.

"Yes ma'am."

"And you better behave yourself." Aaliyah looked up at her & pouted. "If I find out that you've been acting up, it's your butt."

"Yes mwommy..."

"Okay." Dominique sighed, then kissed her head. She looked at me. "Take care of my child."

"You have my word." I told her. She looked at me one last time, then left. I looked at Aaliyah. "Guess it's just you and me, Short stack.." She giggled. I smiled.