“LET’S MUTHAFUCKIN’ GOOOO!” Juelz yelled, throwing his fist in the air. He turned around and dapped up his crew. Sintonio, Mar, and Kane. They were all cheering and proud ofthis moment. Juelz and Tasha's engagement. Again. Ant’s team winning the final game of the season. It was a great day in the D.
Tasha laughed, clapping, her heart still racing.
“He did that,” she said, shaking her head. “He really did that.”
Juelz looked at her, pride all over his face.
“That’s my li’l nigga right there,” he said.
Ant broke free from the team and looked up at the bleachers. Right at them.
He pointed, tapping his chest, then pointed at Juelz. A silent…I see you, Unc.
Juelz nodded back, serious for once.
“I got you,” he mouthed.
Tasha watched that exchange, her chest tightening all over again—but this time it wasn’t fear.
It was something warmer. Something steadier. She looked down at her hand at the ring. Then back at Juelz.
“I love you, Jue!”
He reached for her, lifting her off her feet. “I love ya ass too, girl.”
She looked down at him, locking eyes, her voice dropping just a little. “Don’t fuck it up this time.”
Juelz smiled, spinning her once before setting her back down. “I won’t.”
Months later,Tasha walked out of Women’s Wellness Associates with the biggest smile spread across her face, holding her baby’s 3D ultrasound to her chest like it was the most precious thing in the world. After years of trying, years of tracking ovulation dates, and nights of whispering prayers while kneeling on her knees, she was finally pregnant. Staring down at the sonogram, she could see that the baby already had features that resembled Juelz. His genes clearly weren’t wasting any time showing out. She laughed to herself. Even now, it still didn’t feel real. Her mind drifted back to that early morning when she first found out. She’d been sitting on the edge of the bathtub, with a blank expression on her face, biting her nail so hard it crackedwhile waiting for the pregnancy test results. Her body felt as if it was floating, then the second line appeared.
Tasha stopped breathing for a second. Her eyes instantly filled with tears as a shaky laugh broke from her chest. After all the disappointment, all the negative tests stuffed deep into the bathroom trash cans, she finally had her miracle.
“Oh my goodness,” she whispered to herself. Seeing the double lines on the stick was unreal to her.
Rushing out of the bathroom, she headed upstairs, calling for Juelz. “Jue…” she called out, almost out of breath, but he didn’t answer. Juelz was laid out, one arm stretched across the bed like he was still holding her.
“Jue… Jueee.”
She moved closer, nudging him. “Juelz, wake up. C’mon now.”
He groaned, rolling over. “Tash… whaddup? It’s early as hell…”
She placed the pregnancy test in his line of sight. “Wake up, and look.”
He cracked one eye open, as the other eye was shut with crust around it. He was irritated that she had woken him up. Everybody knew his ass was not a morning person. “Whatchu holdin’?” he asked, sitting up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Tasha just sat on the bed with her legs folded under her, smiling. She let out a shaky breath, quoting playfully. “We did it,Joe!”
“Tasha, stop playin’ with me. Whatchu ‘talmbout?”
She threw the test to him and bounced up and down on the bed. “I’m pregnant.” She fell back on the bed, kicking her feet in the air. “We finally fuckin’ pregnant, baby.”
That woke him all the way up. He reached down to grab the test to see the positive results himself. His eyes widened. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Aw, shit…” he finallyspoke. “The muthafucka got two lines… wait!” He brought his fist to his mouth, thinking. “Two lines is good, right, T?”
She snatched the test from his grasp, laughing. “Yes! We're pregnant, Juelz.” He pulled her into his arms as he rocked and kissed her slowly. They stayed like that for a minute. Just holding each other because this was a dream come true.
Now, in the present, she was happier than ever. She grabbed her cell out of her chocolate Curves tote bag and pressed the call button to call Juelz. Her heart was thumping with a rhythm of pure joy.
