One and Only

Chapter 16

Khalil POV

"....Good night lil mama." I said but only got light snores in response. I laid in bed listening to Avaa's breathing for a while tossing around trying to get comfortable enough to sleep, but I couldn't.

"Fuck it." I gently slid Avaa's hands from under my shirt and got out the bed. I went downstairs to find something to do, but after aimlessly wandering from room to room, I found my way to the gym setup I have in a side room down in the basement. I hopped on the treadmill and immediately began upping the speed and stopped when I reached 7 mph. I ran on there until I couldn't feel my legs anymore then I went to the bench press to do 4 reps of 15, but in the middle of my third rep my phone rang. I put the weights down and answered my phone without looking to see who it was.

"Yo talk to me." I said into my phone not knowing who I was talking to.

"Why you up dawg?"

I looked down at my screen to see who was on the other end- it was Jason. "You called me brodie, what you want?"

"Nothing, I just had a feeling that I should give you a call- ya know to check in."

"And you couldn't do that later in the morning?" I laughed at him, "but thanks, I think- wait why the hell are you still up at 2 in the morning?"

"Oh because me and Bri just got done fucking. I mean she was putting it down on a nigga."

"Aht just stop right there. I don't wanna hear no more about it." I said shutting him down, "I shouldn't have even asked."

"Whatever nigga, what you doing up this late?"

"Just putting in some work in the gym"

"I know you aint all the way at the office at this time of night with Avaa at home."

"No man, I'm working out in the in-home gym."

"Oh ok. So let me hear it, what's going on?"

I scrunched up my face, "what you talkin bout Jay? I didn't say something was wrong."

"Yea, not with words, but I know you and when you got something heavy on your mind, you work out- in the middle of the damn night. Every. Single. Time."

I sucked my teeth, "no I don't"

"Yea you do. When you and Avaa first started dating you would go down there for hours each night, when we first started this Atlanta project, you'd get in a few hours before we left the office each night, hell you damn near lived at the gym when ya old shawty aborted your kid. Need I continue?"

I could hear the smirk in his words, "no, but now that you say it like that, I guess this is my go to when I'm stressed or something."

"Yea, so lay it on me. What is it this time?"

"Well- its this big trip coming up, I finally told Avaa about all the trips we'll have to make down south for this project and its just kinda hitting me. Like travelling before didn't really bother me because it was just me, but now I got Avaa and the kids. And I know the gym won't be done before the babies get here, I just don't want Avaa to feel like she's doing it all alone. Three babies are a lot to handle for two people, I can't imagine how hard it would be for one person, and I told her I'd be there, but this deal is really important to the both of us." I stopped my rambling and took a deep breath, "I just don't know how to juggle it and make everybody happy. I don't want to miss my babies growing up, nor do I want to be away from Avaa so often, but I also can't let something we've worked our asses off for fall through the cracks."

"Khalil- you and I both know everything has been and will always be different since you now have Avaa and kids on the way. Hell even being with Abriell changes everything and we're not even having kids- but it's alright because Avaa is more than understanding of your journey as an entrepreneur. I know you don't want to miss anything, but the things that you do miss will make all the things you don't, much more special. Plus, you're doing this for them. The life we live and are building with the loves of our lives are why we travel so much- its their happiness and comfortability in life that means everything." I let out deep sigh and Jay continued, "But I do agree, I want to miss as little of my niece and nephews lives as possible, so maybe we can try and scale the traveling back from every month to every other month."