Loyalty: Something Dishonest

F O R T Y- S I X

J O R D A N

I watch Arianna show me all of her new outfits via FaceTime. She finally gets tired of switching the camera around so she flops down on her bed. "Uncle Juno did you like them?"

"Loved them", I reply back. She accepts the answer and starts humming a tune. "Make sure you hang all them clothes up too"

"Okay Uncle Juno, can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Did you love Brianna more than me?", she asks sounding emotional. The look on her face makes me sit up in the bed.

"Arianna why you ask me that? First off what made you think like that? I love y'all both the same. You and Brianna were lowkey names after each other. Y'all names are just alike but with two different first letters", I explain to her.

"Mommy let me go over Brae house a-"

"Yo what?", I ask cutting her off. I get pissed just by hearing that damn statement. Diana know not to take her over there. Even though Arianna is her daughter and she can her wherever she pleases, going over Brae's is a damn no no.

Arianna looks scared but I make her tell me anyway. "Mommy said that Brae could watch me cause grandma couldn't. So she said that you would never love me like you did Brianna. That I could never take her place"

My anger rises and I try and calm myself down for the sake of Arianna. "Let me be real wit yo. Arianna you could never take her place as my daughter. Because you are my niece and she was my daughter. That's two different relationships and I love y'all both the same. Don't let nobody try and tear me and you apart. You'll always be my favorite niece and I love you. By the way put ya mom's on the phone"

The hotel door opens and Aniya walks in with bags of food in her hand. I smile because I'm hungry as fuck. She starts setting breakfast food out and Diana comes into view. "Hey Juno"

"Diana why you take her over Brae's? That's shit don't even sound good plus it ain't good. Brae tryna instill false information into her head", I complain. I bite into a blueberry bagel and watch Diana sigh.

"Jordan Nothing is wrong with Brae. I don't have a problem with her being around Aniya so why should Brae matter? She is your baby's mom", she tries to reason.

"Used to be my baby's mom", I correct. "That shit don't sit well and I don't want Arianna around that negativity."

Aniya looks over at me and I give her a sign that I'll tell her later. Diana looks at me and shakes her head. "Arianna knows that you love her very much. I don't believe Braelynn said it so I'm not paying attention to it. This is my daughter I can take her where I want. Goodbye Jordan". She hangs up the FaceTime call and I throw my phone down.

"You okay?", Niya asks me with a mouth full of bagel.

"Man Diana dumb ass then let Arianna go around Braelynn. I don't even remember them two being close enough. Why the fuck would she do that?", I ask myself more than her.

"Maybe she really just needed a babysitter"

"Bullshit she got a damn baby daddy", I snap. Aniya holds her hands up in surrender and I apologize. "Diana just stupid I see what Jere mean"