Part Two

18

🐝Beyoncé's Point of View

"How much are you offering? Name your price and I'll match it,"I spoke on the phone with the owner of the store and he gave me a figure. I looked at my bank balance and smiled. "Agreed. I'll have my lawyers send the contracts for you to sign alongside the cheque and we'll finalise the deal. Goodbye Mr Rivera,"I ended the phone call and went over the figures once more before having a feeling of satisfaction that I was finally getting what I was owed.

Jay had been blowing up my phone non-stop but every time I picked up thinking it was something to do with the girls but it was really about what he said to me, I hung up straight away and had no intentions of talking about it. What he said cut deep because to me, he basically agreed with Chanel and was saying that he preferred it when I wasn't around and he was the only parent...basically he didn't mind when I was 'dead' because the pro was that he could make all the decisions as a parent.

Bella came downstairs with a messy bun looking exactly like her mama. Of course I wanted her to stay with me because it seemed as if Jay was in 'Sephora and Chanel Fairyland' and the girls clearly weren't happy but he didn't care. It was bad that B.B. and Bella were excluded and they were missing days from school but it wasn't as if they randomly left their class and beat up somebody; there was another side to the story, the side that provoked the girls. Yes, the girls would have to learn how to control their anger but I didn't blame them for reacting that way and they rarely got into physical fights at all.

"Good morning mommy,"Bella kissed my cheek.

"Good morning baby. Did you sleep good?"I asked her as she walked to the fridge and grabbed the milk.

"Well...it's been better than the nights I've been having lately,"she got a bowl and poured the milk inside. (S/N:milk before cereal first. Sorry but that's the way it is🤷🏾‍♀️)

"Is it from all the stress from school and home? Because of me?"I took my glasses off and placed them on the table.

"It's just everything to be honest. School, home, life. Everything stressing me out. Even the bowl is stressing me out,"she laughed.

"Talk to me about how you feel about me, your dad and everything since I've come back,"I closed my laptop and gave her my full attention.

"Ma,"she whined.

"I'm serious Bella. You are my daughter and y'all are my priority. I know it hasn't been easy on any of you so tell me how you feel."

"Well,"she stated leaning over the island with a spoon before she pushed her glasses up. "I'm happy you're back because I've got my mom back. I used to picture you with me in certain situations and try and hear your voice so I could feel closer to you. Blue and I used to write letters to you too because it hurt so much that one minute you were here and the next you weren't. I feel like all my dreams have come true because now we have our mom back,"I couldn't help but smile at my baby because with people throwing bullets at me, I only trusted my daughters to want me around.

"How do you feel about everything I'm doing and me and your dad?"

"I did want you and dad to get back together but I heard what he said to you yesterday and now I'm not so sure. I thought that he'd drop Sephora like a bar of soap and run back to you so we could be a family all over again but it's like he's too infatuated with her and love be blind sometimes,"she scoffed. "I mean, you could be a little softer on him. We were acting in Mr Oakley's office but it was actually true- dad really did used to cry every night in his room. I don't know,"she brushed it off. "I just want to finish these exams and get over high school,"she rolled her eyes.

"Baby you got a few more years before you can 'get over high school',"I laughed. "But I'm glad you're talking to me about this and you're open with it. Frankly, I believed we were going to get back together but then I found the letter and I realised everything and all those thoughts went out of my head. I'm trying Bella, I really am, but there are demons I have to fight and your father is not helping by letting things slide past him. He's not in my corner and that's why I'm so hard on him. I only have my sister and you girls in my corner and I expected your father to be there too but he's not,"I sighed.

"I'm happy I'm staying here. I'm tired of hearing about Coco Chanel and Christian Dior,"we laughed and heard the door open. From my position I could see B.B. and Blue walk in with some bags.

"Hey babies!"they closed the door and ran to me.

"No! Why y'all gotta ruin the moment! I was so close to getting my car and now y'all just show up wrecking everything!"Bella whined.

"Shut up Bella. If I don't get a car then you don't get one either,"B.B. stuck her tongue out.

"Mommy, we're staying here for the weekend and then we're going back to daddy's house,"Blue climbed on my lap and rested her head on my chest. Whether she was 10 years old or 10 days old she was my youngest baby and I missed out on so much with her because I had to leave literally 48 hours after she was born.

"So we're going to have a girls weekend? I like the sound of this!"I smiled. "I still want to see y'all doing some home studying for at least two hours a day though. Out of twenty four, two hours isn't much. And I want to see the evidence because I will be testing you on what you've learnt,"I told them and they all grumbled.

"But then we can do whatever we want after?"Blue checked.

"Absolutely,"I assured her.

B.B. and Blue took their bags upstairs while Bella continued eating her cereal. I felt happier with my daughters around me because they were the only ones I needed in my life. I was still their mother and whether Jay found it easier to parent alone or not, I was going to be a part of their lives and he had no choice but to get used to me as their mother again.