Life After | Trilogy

1

"All I'm saying is, if it wasn't meant to be this way, it wouldn't have happened. I'm genuinely happy and content in life and I don't need no negative energy. I got 5 kids to worry about, fuck him."

1 year Later

Lauren

I tossed my briefcase on the passenger seat and put my seatbelt on. I just finished another meeting with Amy (Ms. Derennencourt) at Berluti. We've been working together for six months now and everything has been going good. Other than the fact that she keeps trying to get me to come to dinner. I know Jayceon will be there and I don't know how to handle that situation right now.

Traffic was the usual. I don't know what's worse - Los Angeles or Atlanta traffic. After 45 minutes, I finally turned into my neighborhood and approached our house. I punched in the gate code and waited for the gate to fully open then I drove in and parked.

I made sure to lock the car doors before approaching the front door. I could hear the kids yelling from outside of the house. I opened the front door to find Chris holding Cameron sideways as he chased the other kids around the living room.

"What is going on in here?" I laughed

"Ma!" Cameron squirmed around until Chris let him go.

Cameron, along with the other kids, ran over to me to get a hug.

"I missed my babies." I cooed

"I must be invisible." Chris stood in front of me

"How could I forget my biggest baby?"

"Haha." He leaned over and kissed me

I walked into the kitchen and pizza boxes were stacked on the counter. I opened a box and grabbed a slice.

"Did Lyric and Dakota do their homework?" I turned to look at Chris

"Yes." He nodded

"Did you check it?" I raised an eyebrow

"Yep." He slipped his arms around my waist. "How was work?"

"It was good. The usual."

"She still trying to get you to dinner?" He chuckled

"Yes." I sighed "And I keep stalling. That shit will be awkward as hell."

"Maybe you should go. See what he says, if he says anything at all."

"Pops!" I heard Kody yell before he appeared at the entrance of the kitchen. "Can we play 2k?"

"Set it up. Get that ass whooped." Chris responded

"Chris." I smacked his chest

"What? He's a grown man."

Kody just recently started calling Chris 'pops'. He knows who his dad is that's why I figured he calls Chris that instead of dad. It caught both, Chris and I, off guard when he first said it.

"Keep playing with me." I pointed at Chris. "And Kody, you have 2 hours then its time for a bath and bed."

"Yes ma'am." He walked into the living room with Cameron right behind him.

"Two hours, Chris." I warned before walking up the steps

"Yea, yea." He yelled

The girls were in Lyric's room doing each other's hair. I watched them for a minute before going into my bedroom to get out of these clothes.

I turned the shower on so the water could warm up while I stripped from my clothes. I tossed the clothes into the hamper and walked back to the shower, stepping inside.