Shea Butter Baby

Monsoon

There was darkness, but that brief moment of darkness was met with a bright ray of light peaking through the dark clouds. The sound of waves crashing calmed her restless nerves as the wind blowing gently brushed her skin. She looked down and could feel the earth beneath her bare feet as the grass itched in betweenher toes. Her physical body was gone, but her kindred spirit illuminated her path as she walked slowly and hesitantly across the grassy plains.

She stood at the bottom of a hill in the middle of the field, where at the top stood a couple, a man and a woman who were awaiting for her arrival. The leaves on the African marula tree were full and vibrant as it swayed with the wind.

"Come my child do not be afraid." The woman spoke up, holding her arm out, gesturing for Bria. 

Unafraid, she followed the voice which led her to the couple in the middle of the field.  The man who stood next to the beautiful woman resembled Adonis. She blinked a few times as flashbacks from her memory plagued her mind.

Snapshots of her husband watching his father's fights on his iPad jogged her memory. Her breathing hitched, her eyes widened as she began to scream and run in fear of where she was. She was no longer on earth, but she couldn't be gone so soon. The woman and the man hugged her, and grabbed her before she could run off, but where exactly would she run off to?

Bria cries, in their arms afraid of what her fate had succumbed to.

"Do you not know who I am my child?" The woman asked.

Bria shook her head slowly, and shakily responded, "No."

"You should, she gave birth to you." Apollo spoke up and gestures to the woman next to him.

"M-mom?" Bria's voice cracked, with tears streaming down her face.

"Yes Baby." Denise smiles as Bria rushes to embrace her mother for the first time. Her mother accepts her loving embrace as the two cry tears of joy and sorrow, making up for lost time.

Apollo stands off to the side nearby and let's the two be alone to converse amongst each other.

"You are such a beautiful woman good genes really do run in the family." Denise chuckles, trying to lighten the mood.

"Thank you mama," Bria faintly smiles and asks, "Is this heaven?"

"No baby, this is more so of a holding place in between life and death. On earth you were pronounced dead just a few moments ago so our time here won't be that long before they try to revive you. You are not done yet, this is not the end of your story. We were sent here to comfort you to make this transition smoother. Apollo, is Adonis' father I'm sure you know who he is. Don't be afraid to say hi." She smiles.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Creed." Bria smiles and greets him with a hug.

"Likewise, and sweetie you can always call me Apollo. You're taking real good care of my son, you're an amazing wife, and given me two beautiful grandchildren but I'm afraid my son has let his past transgressions catch up to him. He means well but he doesn't always do well. Sometimes we need to let people go, for the betterment of ourselves."

Bria slowly nods and clears her throat. "I've known that for a while now. I'm just lost because I'm in love with a man that doesn't love me the same."

"Baby girl, you've got to hold your ground. If he doesn't love you the way that he should, then spend some time apart. Co parent and build your brand using his name. Do what you love, you've done everything you can to help this man and if he doesn't do the same then that's on him. You'll be okay, I know you will. Adonis has got to get his shit together and he's going to regret what he did to you all the physical and emotional hell that he's put you through."