“Wow, nice,” I say, finally piecing everything together. Skye chuckles softly.
“Junior, you good?” Orion asks, and Junior nods while munching.
“Mi nuh look like mi good?”
Damn Junior…
“I’m happy to see you guys after so long,” Ms. Cherry says, to kill the brewing tension.
“I’d like to say congrats to you, Nickoi and Zara, and I want to officially welcome you to the Jacobs family,” Wren says warmly. I thank her as the table breaks into polite applause.
I smile, resting my head on Nickoi’s shoulder. Jordane and Junior both smile and Suzanne shouts, “Ouuu!” before saying, “Watch nice parents.”
We all laugh.
“So cute,” Skye says, and Junior glances at her before returning his gaze to us with a smile. He’s acting off, though.
“Very nice couple,” Roy adds with a chuckle. He hasn’t said much, he eats more than he talks but when he does speak, it’s worth hearing.
“Thank you,” I say softly, entwining my fingers with Nickoi’s.
Nicki smiles at us sweetly.
“Who’s ready for dessert?” Ms. Cherry asks, standing.
“Mi born ready,” Carol replies quickly, making us all laugh.
JANIA
“Denise, yuh cyah deh lick har suh and she pregnant enuh,” Bigz says in concern.
“Nuh get inna this, Bigz,” Mommy snaps, still fuming. “She know betta! She mek the bwoy breed har, then she mek bigwoman a beat har pan road? When since Jania stay suh? WHEN?” Her voice cuts deep, and before I can blink, she grabs me by the arm.
“Look how long mi tell yuh fi breeze deh bwoy deh?! Mi neva tell yuh fi lef him?” she shouts, her broad hand crashing into my face over and over.
I try to duck, but she holds me firmly, dragging me back and slapping my back as I cry out.
“Mommy!” I scream, but she nah hear me. Her eyes blazing with rage.
“Yuh dutty fadda lef mi one fi tek care a four pickney, and you, as the biggest, weh fi help mi, gone do dis to mi!” her fists pounds me again, and I stumble. Mommy is stout, so every lick fling mi a ground.
I drop, dazed, barely able to move. Jordane got me pregnant. Then on top of that, his woman, who I didn’t even know existed jumped me.
I really thought I was the only one.You put your trust inna nigga stupid hoe’ how you figure?the voice in my head taunts me.
I’m pregnant, played, and heartbroken.
Niggas ain’t shit.
Mommy spins ‘round to her friend, eyes blazing. “Me a go kill Jordane enuh. Weh him deh?” she yells.
I wipe my tears. “Mommy, leave Jordane out.”
I’m afraid of his family…
His brother.
She laughs, an angry, almost bitter laugh. “How yuh mean leave Jordane outta this, Jania Tiara Lee? Eh? Like yuh nuh see seh a prison mi ready fi go now, enuh? How him fi have woman a beat yuh? Beat mi likkle sixteen-year-old?”
