𝐀 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞 - 𝐏𝐨𝐩 𝐒𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐞

𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭

Friday, April. 17. 2019
Bronx Leadership — SB 📍
12pm

Today was the big day. One of the most important days of my life. The day I would finally reunite with my birth mother who I haven't seen since I was two.

I still hadn't told anyone about her contacting me two days prior. Pop and Papi were the only ones to know.

All day I was nervous. What if she wouldn't show up. Or what she would look like? Has she changed? Is she an addict? You just never ever know. And me being me, I was filling my head with all types of crazy shit that had me overthinking the entire day.

"Ciela? Ciela!" My teacher calls out, "Are you okay hun?" She asks.

"I -I'm fine. What was your question i'm sorry.." I trail off.

I was barely attentive in my classes either. Literally just thinking and thinking and thinking. And I couldn't even go to anyone besides Pop about it and he was busy.

"Could you tell me what you got for number nineteen?" She asks, "For b?"

I look down at my homework then back up at her, "Forty," I answer.

"Good job. That one was a hard one did you have any trouble on it?"

"No," I answer.

"Anyone else have problems with number nineteen if so let me know and i'll walk you through it."

3pm
I blurred my whole day out. And I mean whole day. Before I knew it, it was time to leave. Last period was english and it was the class closest to the entrance so I just headed straight out.

Pop planned to pick us up from school and offered to drive us to the restaurant to meet our birth mom.

"How was school?" He asks as I get in the car.

"Aight I guess," I shrug before I lean in to kiss him, "I'm just thinking too heavy right now like i'm seriously nervous."

"It's normal. It's not everyday someone meets their parent after over ten years. Most don't even get a call or a text or nothing. This all God right here. But don't over think it. Just be honest about what you wanna say to her you think about that?"

"Nope," I laugh, "I'm not sure yet it'll come to me when it's time though," I say before Cameron opens up the back door.

"Yooooo! Wassup Woo!" He reaches his hand to the front to dap Pop up.

"Was going on woo how was school?" He asks before pulling off.

"Shit regular," He laughs, "I'm glad this week over but.. Ci you ready? Couple hours you meet your mom."

"I'm ready.." I take a big sigh.

We went straight to Pop's house. My dad and Luce were at work and wouldn't be home til later so that gave us time.

"Hey ma," I smile and hug his mom as we walk in.

"Hey Ciela how's it going? How was the wedding?" She asks before greeting Cameron.

"It was beautiful. I wish you could've came."

"Me too! You know me though always working! So what's going on just coming over to be a headache?" She looks at Cameron, "Feel like I have another son," She laughs making us laugh.

"Something like that," I answer.

"Aww you know you love me!" Cameron puts his arm around her making her laugh.

"I do!" She laughs more.

"Alright ma we're gonna go down to my room," Pop leads us to the stairs.

"Alright i'll be up here i'm about to go in the shower," She says.

"Okay!" He shouts back before we reach the bottom of the stairs in the basement.

"When did you change your room around?" I ask walking around.

"She must've did this today. I swear she's so extra when she cleans she loves being a interior designer and changing and adding shit around the house!" He laughs, "Remind me of you. Ya room changes every like two weeks."

"Because I get tired of seeing the same thing for a while."

"Nah but you clean one thing it could be just cleaning off your dresser and boom two hours later ya whole room different. Just like my moms," He laughs making me laugh.

4:55pm
Time was ticking faster and faster. In a couple of minutes i'll be meeting my mom again.

"Call me when you're ready?" Pop opens up the door for me letting me out on the sidewalk.

"You're not coming in?" I ask, "I thought you were?" I add.

"Oh I didn't know if you wanted me here with yah," He looks at Cam then back at me.

"I want you here."

"Alright let me park the car real quick wait out here."

We both watch as he hurries to get back in the car and pull off to find a spot.

"You sure about this?" Cam looks at me and asks.

"Nervous but i'm sure. We're already here so why not. I just hope she speaks a little english because Pop's gonna be lost," I laugh making him laugh.

Once Pop got back we all went in together.

"Hi can I help you guys?" The waitress asks.

"Yeah we're here to meet someone uhm.. Cedella older woman came by herself I don't know the last name sorry," I speak up.

"Oh yeah, Mrs. Lopez just came in. She's a regular. She's at the table all the way in the back to the left. The big booth," The waitress says before starting to guiding us to the table.

A regular? So she hasn't been far from us at all. I've started seeing Pop in february and it's now April.

"You heard that?" I look back at Pop and Cam, "She's a regular."

"So she hasn't been far," Cameron shakes his head.

Approaching the table in the back it was a booth. She had long dark brown hair. She wore a suit and heels. Looked as if she was a businesswoman.

"Here you go," She smiles and holds her arm out before placing three menus down on the table, "Let me know when you're ready to order," She walks away.

"Ciela?" She stands up, "Muy hermosa. H-how are you?! Can I hug you?" She holds out her arms.

She had on Chanel sunglasses and a gold necklace that said her last name on it.

"I-I'm not ready for that.." I trail off before her smile fades.

"I get it. No rush. No pressure," She laughs nervously before looking at Cam and Pop, "You must be the rapper everyone's talking about these days it's so nice to meet you," She says.

"Nice to meet you too, hope i'm not like intruding or anything. I know how personal and important this is for y'all," He explains as all three of us sit down across from her.

"No no not at all. If Ciela wants you here i'm fine with it," She smiles at me, "A-And Cameron? You've gotten so big from the last time that I saw you."

"Yeah," Cameron answers.

"Thank you for coming.." She smiles at the both of us, "I know this is hard for you.." She trails off dropping a few tears, "I love you," She snuffles, "I love you more than anything."

I look away from her trying not to cry because once she started to cry it triggered something in me.

"Can you look at me? Can you look at me real fast?" She sniffles again, "I know you're upset with me for every reason that you can be but you can't look at me? I know you're upset with me and may hate me.. Ciela I swear to God I was doing everything right to get my life together..." She trails off before I start balling.

"You got this Ci.." Cameron's voice cracks.

"Be strong baebas," Pop says before rubbing my lower back.