Love Don't Change • Chris Brown

Thanksgiving Dinner Pt. 2

I rolled over to my left side expecting Ry to cross her leg over me and snuggle her head in my chest, only for the other side of the bed to be vacant and almost cold. I picked my phone up and checked the time. 2:37AM. The twins don't start whining for a feeding until four something, so where the hell she at two in the morning? I went to our text thread to shoot her a message.

Baby Mama 💍
wtfya you cheating on me? 😡🤨
Lazy ass didn't even TRY looking for me 😂 I'm in the kitchen crazy.

I got out the bed and headed for the kitchen, where Ry was sitting on the counter, feasting on a sandwich and listening to Sweet Thing by Mary J Blige. I stood in front of her and wrapped her legs around my waist. "What you doing up, big head? And why you ain't ask me if I wanted a sandwich?"

She shrugged and bit her sandwich. "I woke up to pee and couldn't go back to sleep, I figured you would've stayed asleep."

"You checked on your children?"

"Yea. I was finna wake them up but I know they gonna take forever to go back to sleep."

"Nah keep they asses comatose until four fifteen. What kinda sandwich you eating on?" I asked.

"Peanut butter and jelly. Want one?"

"Yea."

"You know where everything at." Riley said. I sucked my teeth and snaked from between her legs to make my sandwich. "That's fucked up."

"Love you too. While you at it can you make me another one?"

"Yo' hungry ass." After I made myself two sandwiches and Riley one more, we connected her phone to the speaker and chilled in the living room. "So how you feeling? I ain't never really ask."

She looked at me, eyebrows furrowed. "What you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said. How you feeling? Mentally, physically, emotionally." I reiterated. Ry shrugged and smushed the corner of her sandwich in between her fingers before biting down. "I'on know, I'm straight I guess."

These last few days Riley ain't been acting like her normal self; barely eating, crying over little shit, beating herself up mentally and emotionally, overthinking, and snapping at the most random times. I know her parents' remarriage is still heavy on her mind and that's playing a big part in her mood, but postpartum is starting to kick her ass too and those together ain't a good mix. Riley does this mom and future wife shit, especially for her age I must admit, but I know she hold in a bunch of physical and mental shit that she don't want me to know thinking I'ma snub it or not give a fuck.

"I'on need no I guess, baby. I really wanna know how you feel. You know I'on like when you bottle in your emotions and shit."

"Babe if I knew what was wrong with me I would've been told you. I appreciate you caring as much as you do but I don't want you asking me what's wrong everyday when I can barely gather my own emotions right now. When I find out my damn self, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Aight." I settled. As bad as I do want her to tell me what's up so I can do what I can to make it better, only thing I can do right now is respect her wishes and be patient. "Gimme kiss." Ry gave me three pecks then seized my paper plate out my hand to throw it away.