Sunday 12 August 2012

13. Breaking The News

Nicki was beginning to feel more and more nervous about telling her family that she was pregnant again. She wasn't sure how they would take it considering the last time they saw Safaree he was nothing more than a lifeless mute. After a phone call with her Mother earlier that day Nicki was told that now it would just be Cai and herself coming to visit because Jelani's girlfriend had been rushed to hospital so he couldn't make it either. He sent his sincere apologies though. Mama Carol also had to explain that they would be there in the evening now, instead of noon.

"Babe?"

"Hmm?" He was focused on laying the table just right as Nicki stood in the doorway watching.

"Y'know, Drake never once mentioned a girlfriend never mind a child. Don't you think that's kinda...odd?"

"Ion know, maybe he's just a private guy? Don't like talkin' 'bout his own personal life." He finished putting the cutlery down and walked over to her, pulling her to him gently and kissing her. "Love you."

"Love you too." She tip-toed to kiss him again before pulling away and heading back to the oven, he took a seat at the table.

"So you still having second thoughts 'bout tellin' your Mom?"

"Ion know Faree...I just, I think I should tell her when it's just me and her. Like, nobody else there." Truthfully she was scared about what her Mom's reaction would be and she certainly didn't want a slanging match to occur at the table.

"That's fine, just tell her in your own time. Nobody's rushin' you." He smiled, stood up and hugged her from behind whilst resting his hands on her hardly-there bump. With her other two pregnancies they waited until after the three-month mark to tell anyone, so that they knew they were out of the danger zone of miscarrying. She was less than a week away from being three months pregnant so she figured it would be alright to let slip a week earlier. He pulled away gently and grabbed his medication from the top if the fridge, way out of Jay's reach. Nicki watched him swallow the pills.

"How are they making you feel?" She twisted her lip at the corner as she waited for him to answer.

"They're workin' babe. Stop fretting." He smiled again before leaving the kitchen. However his smile faded as soon as he was out of her view.

At around 7pm everybody had arrived, everybody being Mama Carol, Macaiah, Drake, his girlfriend Michelle and her son Brady. Everything was running more smoothly than she had imagined as they all tucked into the meal Nicki had prepared for them. She and Safaree kept exchanging glances at the table as Michelle bragged on about how much of a child prodigy her little Brady was. Drake looked more than embarrassed but that was as dramatic as meal time got apart from Jay and Brady finding some fun in throwing peas everywhere. Later on when they were all watching TV and talking Nicki slipped off to go feed Alia and see how the boys were getting along in the playroom. She couldn't help but smile at how cute they were, and the fact that Jay was actually interacting with another child his age, nicely. Almost tearing up she managed to control her crazy emotional self and continued upstairs to feed Alia.

"So Safaree, you stoked 'bout bein' a daddy again?" She smiled and took another sip from her glass as Drake hissed at her.

"Michelle!" He shook his head and looked at Safaree apologetically as Mama Carol and Cai turned their attention his way.

"What is she talking about Safaree?"

"Yeah, Nic's not pregnant again is she?" Cai looked shocked.

"Look, I think you'd be best talkin' to Nic 'bout this." He shrugged and stood himself up. "I better be off to bed now. I have an early start, I'll see you two tomorrow. Talk to you later Drake, and Michelle, nice to meet you and Brady." Everybody replied to him as he went back upstairs, passing Nicki on the way.

"Hey, where you goin'?" She held on to his arm as he tried to continue moving past her. "Safaree?" He seemed both angry and bothered.

"I'm goin' to bed. Michelle just dropped you in it with your Mom too. She knows your pregnant."
Nicki cringed.

"Shit....Kay, well you go on up. I'll clear the kitchen and sort Jay." She sighed and kissed him goodnight before slowly descending the stairs.

"Onika, we need to have a talk."

"Mom, I know. Just let me say goodbye to our guests and put my child to bed and I will be right with you." She didn't hold back from snapping because she knew her Mom had something in-constructive to say to her about this whole situation. She only received a huff in return.

Drake apologised profusely to Nicki as he left. She could tell he was mad with Michelle for what she did too.

"Look, I know I shouldn't have told her. I'm really sorry."

"It's fine, it's not like you're the one who blurted it out is it? I was gonna tell her tonight anyway....Just not like this." They both said their goodbyes again before Nicki bathed Jay and put him to bed. Cai was out like a light as soon as he lay his head on the blow up mattress in the office. He knew his Mom and Nicki would be talking in the kitchen or living room so decided to camp out in there.

***

"Are you out of your mind Nika? Another baby, at a time like this?" She wasn't yelling but Nicki could sense she was angry.

"Like I said, it wasn't planned."

"How far along are you?"

"I'll be twelve weeks after this weekend." She sniffed, she had already been crying after telling her Mom about Safaree and how things were going. She didn't tell her about the anti-depressants though, that was business between her and her husband and nobody else.

"Twelve weeks?!" Nicki stayed silent making her Mother relax and realise that her daughter wasn't a little girl anymore, she sighed heavily and shakily before talking again. "If you're happy....Then, I'm happy for you too. I just can't understand how your going to cope with everything. Especially with me and your father being a four hour drive away." She pulled her closer as they sat on the couch, embracing her into a Motherly hug. "I would never, ever doubt you as a Mother Onika. So don't, for one second think that is what I was doing. It's just your situation right now, it's not going to be easy." She felt her nod her head.

"I know Mom, but Safaree is doing so much better now. And we were talkin' 'bout sending Jay to some sort of Day Care place where he can be with other kids his age and....Just, be a kid." She sniffed again and pulled away to sit up straight. "And with Faree lookin' to find work I guess it will be just me and Alia." She used her sleeve to soak up the last of the tears on her face.

"Well, we are only a call away if you ever need us. You know that right? You're strong, everything will be ok." After that was out of the way the conversation lightened up a little bit with Mama Carol talking about how well Cai was doing and how much her Father was succeeding at work. Before they knew it the time was almost midnight.

(Sorry I just want to pass through time quickly!)

Sadly the weekend passed much quicker than she had hoped and she was now saying goodbye to her Mom and Cai, it was Sunday afternoon. There were a few tears shed but Nicki told them she was planning on visiting them in around four weeks time. Once she knew Safaree was really up to it. Now it was early evening and it was raining really heavily, Safaree had taken Jay out for the day after Carol and Cai left. Nicki stayed home because she was tired and was now sat comfortably on the couch with Alia cuddled close to her. She knew she would probably doze off, and she was right but about half an hour into her little nap a knock at the door made her jump, also causing Alia to start crying. Normally Nicki would just go ahead and answer the door but here, she wasn't so sure. They didn't even know anybody, who the hell could it be?

"Nicki? Nicki, you in there?" she relaxed recognising it was Drake's voice and immediately went to let him in, he was drenched.

"Drake? What are you doin' here? It's freaking pouring out there?"

"Safaree texted me, asked me to come check on you." She dropped her shoulders and huffed.

"So he got you on babysittin' duty now?" They laughed as she shut the door and led them back to the lounge-room.

"He's just worried cause they held up in traffic. He ain't want you to start stressin', plus he wanted someone in the house with you as well." She shook her head at Safaree's over-protective ways.

"Anyway, how's things? Y'know? With little Brady and Michelle?" She smiled sweetly waiting for his response but he just looked down. "Oh? Not good huh?"

"We finished, after Friday we got home and I swear the neighbours were prolly close to callin' a riot squad."

"Damn, that bad?" Her eyes kind of popped a little bit making him laugh.

"We weren't together that long, I think she just needed money and a roof over her head. Whilst she was with me she got it but I was sick of her demanding ways." He looked up and folded his lips together, "Anyway, nuff 'bout me. S'goin on with you and all your kids?" He laughed at her horrified expression.

"Nigga I only got two kids!"

"Three if you count the liddle sprog." That sent her into an eruption of laugher.

"Whatever you loon!" They laughed for a while until Nicki turned serious. "Drake, y'know last week when you found that note on your car? What did it say?" Drake looked up quickly.

"Safaree didn't tell you?" She shook her head as he sighed. "Ion know, maybe you should ask him, Ion wanna overstep the mark. I like having him as a friend. Causing shit between him and his wife would prolly do no good." Nicki's head moved back slightly.

"Was it from another woman?....And why would it be on your car anyway?"

"I don't get the feelin' that a woman wrote it, and honestly I don't have a clue."

"Well, just tell me what it said then? Please?"

"Uugghh! I don't even remember that well, it just said something like "Keep away from them" or "stay away from them" or some shit like that. But DON'T go tellin' Safaree I told you, deal?" Nicki looked too worried to say anything. "Nicki?"

"What? Oh, right yeah I promise...I won't tell him." She wasn't looking at him and had her gaze fixed outside as if she was looking for something.

"Y'know he won't let anything happen to you? Stop freaking out." He put his hand on her knee reassuringly.

"Yeah, I know." She smiled at his kind gesture, until Alia started crying. "I knew that silence wouldn't last long." She laughed. "Imma go feed her upstairs and put her down for the night, but please go help yourself to food and stuff in the kitchen." And with that she stood up and made her way upstairs, he couldn't stop himself from watching her. He would never make a move though, he wasn't that low and he could see they loved each other beyond any words could explain. He did however take up her offer of food, he was starving.

As she rocked in the chair feeding Alia she looked down and admired her. Soon thinking about how she was going to be doing this all over again in six months with her new baby boy or girl.  She couldn't actually believe Alia was almost five months old now, she was still so small. Once she was finished she wiped her little face and put her in her crib before heading back downstairs.

"He really likes to paint." She made him jump slightly as he turned around from looking at Jay's "Art" on the fridge door.

"Yeah! I can see that." He laughed and sat down as she did too. "I don't wanna seem like I'm being nosey but, is it hard? Y'know? Having a kid with autism?"

"Well yeah, I think at first we were really overwhelmed but then we realised just 'cause there was a name to his behaviour it didn't mean anything had changed. He was still our Jayson." She smiled at his understanding face and went to get up and get them something to eat before setting a plate of snacks down and taking her seat again. "You're not gonna miss Brady?"

"She never really let me do anything with him. Like, I never got to look after him or stuff like that. She was weird in that way. So I hardly saw the little guy to be honest." Nicki saw how sad he looked.

"Well, her loss. From what I heard you were great with Jay and Lia."

"Safaree told you that?"

"Yeah, apparently Jay was askin' 'bout you when we got home. He told Faree he gave you a truck or a car or one of his damn wheeled toys!"

"Yeah, yeah he gave me his blue truck."

"That's a blessing y'know? He never lets anyone touch that 'part from me and Faree."

"Really?"

"Positive! He must like you."

"I thought he didn't 'cause he never spoke."

"That's one thing you have to understand 'bout him, he never really speaks. If you're 'round him long enough though he'll warm to you." She notice it looked like knowing that lifted his spirits a little. Truthfully he adored kids and not being able to be a part of Brady's life was upsetting him but he hoped one day he'd have what Safaree had. He saw her looking at her watch before speaking quite irritably. "Where the hell are they? Jay shoulda been in bed, like, an hour ago."

"I'm sure they'll be back soon." He looked at his own watch, reading 9pm and started to worry a little himself.

"You can go if you want? I mean you've been here a while and you do have your own life."

"Hey, don't be silly! I'll wait it out with you." The room when silent again until Nicki spoke up.

"You wanna watch a movie or something? Might kill time?"

"Sure." They stood up and went into the lounge room both taking separate couches so they could stretch out. The movie was no less that 15 minutes in and Nicki was fast asleep curled up under a pink blanket. Drake noticed an laughed quietly before turning the TV down in case it woke her. Before he knew it, headlights were shining into the lounge room window. Hearing car doors close, he figured Safaree was back so he turned of the movie and stood up as Safaree entered the house quietly carrying a sleeping Jay, whose head was resting on his shoulder.

"Hey, you made it back then?"

"Yeah, shit I'm sorry! If I'd known the freaking traffic was gon' be that bad I woulda gone the other way." He shook his head. "Listen, thanks for comin' over to check on her. I 'preciate it."

"No problem. Hope y'all had a good day out."

"Yeah, not too bad actually. 'cept the rain tho. Anyway I'll go put him to bed...." He noticed Nicki on the couch. "....And her too I guess! Then how 'bout we have a beer or somthin'?"

"I'm up for that, thanks." He took a seat again whilst Safaree dealt with Jay and came back down to carry and exhausted Nicki to bed. He picked her up like she weighed nothing and they both laughed at how she didn't even stir.

*Ohhhh I'm done with this chapter XD the next one will be fast-forwarded by 2 months kay? I will mention that again in the actual chap though haha. Dead @ u guys who read CAHM, I went to bed after posting and requesting 8 comments thinking it will take YEARS and then I wake up to 11 comments!! smdh but THANKU so much!...I will post when I can haha and I will update FY as soon as possible too ^____^
Anyone else seen the 'I Luv Dem Strippers' video yet? O___O Like, wooow, Nicki is just AMAZING!! ^_^
Well hope this was alright for everyone, it's a drama-less right now I know, but just waait  >:) Sorry for mistakes Muuuah*





3 comments:

  1. Glad Momma Carol took that well... Didn't judge her or anything. Jay and his sister is like so cute to me & ion even know what they look like lol. But this was a great chapter. Went smoothly.

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  2. i hate michelle all ready. How can u brag bout anything to Nic when Nics perfect? Like........what a moron. Glad drake broke up with her but i wanted Brady to stay around for Jay :( That was cute that Safaree sent Drake over to check on Nic. And its cute Safaree and Drake doing there liddo bonding session ! How sweet! And yeah, Drake better keep his beady liddo eyes off Nic as she walks up the stairs........ SMDH

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  3. Don't have much 2 say, but I thought this was really & Drake does need 2 keep his little eyes off of Nicki as she walks up the stairs.

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