Please excuse ANY grammatical errors.

July 23, 1998

~DeVanté's P.O.V~

Silent but deadly... I farted and all the windows are rolled up because I have on the air. I pressed the window lock buttons so when she finally does smell it, we smell it together. What's mines is her's, right? That's what she says when she wears my clothes! I looked over to Tia with a side smirk and I saw her face scrunch up with her eyes squinted. Geesh, it smells like I shitted on myself! Did I?

"Now, DeVanté..." Tia trailed off loudly and I saw her hand go straight to the window lever but it didn't move. "Unlock the windows so I can breathe!" She wheezed out dramatically covering her nose with her jacket.

"What?" I looked at her seemingly confused. "Why?"

"MM-MM!" She said disgustingly. "You know why now let down this damn window." She coughed. "Allum."

"I don't..." I turned my head away from her to laugh silently but still paying attention to the road.

"DeVanté stop playing with me. Let them down because yo booty stankin'! Got the whole car over here smelling like Donkey Kong booty and breath!" She said to me.

I burst out laughing because I can't hold it no more. "How the hell you know what Donkey Kong ass smell like?"

"This! I image it smelling like yo funky booty ass. Let them down, DeVanté. Please!" You see how she's calling me DeVanté? She's angry but it's fine. She's not all the way there.

"Make me." I laughed.

"Man!" She sighed and sat back in her seat all upset. "I hope we almost there because yo ass funky."

She's irritated because she called me DeVanté and she's cursing. This is hilarious!

"Sharing means caring. THIS... Is my gift to you!" I laughed.

"Well, shove it back up yo ass 'cause I don't want it!" She told me. "Alright then... The next time I make beans, I won't tell you and I'll be sure to spend the night at yo house." She said shooting her finger out at me.

"You won't be in the room with me." I shrugged.

"Nahh, I'll make SURE that we attached at the hip that day. Mark my words." She rolled her eyes.

"Tsk, tsk, tsskk! Now, Tia, that shit is just ungrateful. I gave you a gift and you won't even accept it as you should. Anybody would be glad to smell DeVanté Swing farts." I said and farted again but this time it was loud.

Tia scoffed. "Really?"

"Yeah, baby. The best things in life are free and THIS is as free as things come." I smiled.

"Kiss my ass." She mumbled.

"I mean..." I smirked. "Look, this is a natural thing. What goes up must come down and what goes in must come out. In this case, it's gas!" I said cracking the hell up.

She smacked her lips. "Okay." She nodded with her nose still covered by her jacket.

"Okay." I mocked with a smirk.

About twenty minutes later, we pulled up to my parents' house. "Well, we're here."

"Are we now?" Tia spoke in her normal tone.

"We are."

"Okay..." She cheesed at me but I don't know why. She's nervous about this Tia then clicked the seatbelt button and took off her seatbelt. "I will remind you that I'm nervous."

"I know, you said that already. Probably a good ten times already TODAY."

"But I wasn't finished..." She smiled and tilted her head to the side. "You see, SCIENCE shows that when a person's anxiety raises, they build up-" Tia sighed then hopped out of the car, press the button that locks all doors, and slammed the door shut.

It hit me! This heifer ain't just fart and leave me in the car!? I unlocked the doors, jumped out the car, and saw her leaned over, cracking the hell up. I left my door open to air it out and went over to her.

"That shit ain't funny." I frowned at her.

"I didn't shit though, I just farted. YOU might wanna check ye draws big fella because YOURS smelled like jungle booty." She said laughing. "It was just a gift-giving moment. I was a little selfish because I only gave you one gift but you just kept on." She lifted up. "I got you later." She kissed my lips.

"Ion want yo stankin' ass gift. Keep that shit."

She gasped. "How ungrateful! Men are so ungrateful and that's sad. This gift came from the bottom of my stomach. Gift giving is beautiful and sharing means caring, remember?" She mocked.

"Alright, you lucky I love you and you beautiful because had another woman did that shit, I'd been gone." I chuckled.

"Wait a minute. You'd leave a girl for doing something so natural?" She questioned, laughing.

"You damn skippy!" I yelled out laughing.

"Whatever, dude." She chuckled.

"Come 'ere." I grabbed her wrist then slid my hand down to hold her hand.

She stopped laughing but still had a goofy expression across her face. "What?"

"I'm tryna be serious. Do your normal face." I told her chuckling.

"Okay." She inhaled and when she exhaled her face turned neutral.

"I-" I started but was cut off by her laughing. "Tia?" I called out laughing myself because her laughter is contagious. "Can you at least allow me to be serious?"

"Gon' 'head, Donald." She spoke with subsiding laughter. "I'm sorry." She poked her bottom lip out.

"Whatever happens in there or in that back yard I still love you. I'm sure some people from church will be back there being that it is a birthday party and people got kids. I'm positive that some will try to intimidate you. My family too but they aren't as bad. Maybe because I'm used to it, but just like my parents did, they definitely will grill you." I told her.

"I know how to handle interviews and I'll know how to handle this. Some of these interviewers are vicious and go straight for the jugular. I'm nervous, but I got this. I love you." She replied, grabbing my other hand as I have been held her other one this whole time.

"I know but I'm tellin' you this for reassurance. Sometimes people need it and you're one of those people." I said to her.

"Thank you for the reassurance but let's get in the house. We're late and Dalvin LOVES to draw conclusions." She chuckled, letting my hands go.

"NO. Wait, hol' up!" I grabbed her hand and she turned around.

"What is it?" She chuckled.

"Now, you usually be all up on a nigga, what changed?" I questioned.

"What are you talking about? We were hugged all up before we left. Matter of fact before right before you took a dump in the car we were rubbing all on each other." She chuckled. Our rubbing on each other was not sexual, it was just the typical things that people in love do to one another.

I grabbed her waist with my other hand, pulling her against my body, while still holding onto to her hand. "Can I get a kiss? You know for reassurance?" I questioned.

"What you need reassurance for? You know these folks." She chuckled then tucked her bottomed lip and looked at me. "But a'ight." She stood on her tippy toes and I lifted her short ass up some by the waist as we shared a deep but passionate kiss. She pulled away from me after a while. "You gon' let me down?" She chuckled.

"One more. Remember we gon' be away from each other for a while soon." I reminded her. She chuckled and I brought my face closer and kissed her.

She broke the kiss with a chuckle. "Come on, let's go inside."

I put her down. "A'ight but lemme close and lock my car doors," I told her and went around to close my door and locked it.

"It sh'oll is hot in Charlotte." Tia fanned herself with her hand.

"It's the south, baby. Atlanta ain't no better." I chuckled. "Matter fact, it's worse there than here. You should be used to it." I licked my now drying lips.

Tia and I walked inside my parents' house. I held the packs of soda in one hand and pushed the door open even further with the other, letting Tia walk in first. The cool breeze of the air conditioner hit me as I walked inside.

"I can FEEL the difference!" I said in relief because it's hot as hell outside. "Hey, mama." I hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hi, Tia and Junior." Tia and my mother exchanged hugs.

"Hello," Tia replied in a soft but shy tone.

"Don't be so shy. We talked before." My mama told her with a chuckle. "The only difference from then and now is that you're together." She added.

"Yeah." Tia gave a small smile. "How're doing?" She asked my mother as we walked towards the kitchen. The both of them in front of me and me on their tails.

"I'm doing just fine and yourself, darling?" My mother replied.

"I'm great and it's nice to see you again," Tia told her.

Man, Tia's over here acting as if they've NEVER met before. It's quite hilarious actually. We made it into the kitchen. I went straight to the boiling pot but only saw potatoes boiling, so I looked under the foil of the already made food. I turned around to see if somebody was looking to pick at it then I felt something hit my backside.

"Ouch." I turned around, holding my back in pain. Then looked at my mother with a towel in her hand.

"Get out of my pot. You ain't even washed those hands of yours.

"I was JUST looking." I frowned as Tia covered her mouth silently laughing.

"Mmhm. Take a seat." My mother told us.

Tia sat down and I walked to the other side to take a seat. Eden walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, superstar!" She said hugging me.

I spoke once we pulled away. "Sup, Eden. Where Edna?"

"Outside. It's nice to FINALLY see you again." She turned to Tia. "Tia, right?"

"Yes, I'm Tia." Tia smiled.

"I'm Mr. Big Head's little cousin. You can call me Eden like everybody else." Eden pointed to me with her thumb.

As you all know, Tia's family isn't close-knit but my family is. I'm not just talking about immediate family because extended family is included. I'm grateful that my family is still close. We have our problems but it's nothing that'll tear us apart as far as I know. It's NOTHING compared to Tia's family. Theirs is all types of fucked up. Honestly, I think it's because the matriarch and patriarch of my family are still here too. She still has her grandfather on her mother's side but he's not the strongest or best role model.

Most of my family still reside in Virginia where I was born but some recently moved here while most are just visiting for the fourth of July. Coming to North Carolina isn't common for my family, simply because most still are in Virginia and that makes sense.

"Nice to meet you, Eden," Tia replied with her hand out.

Eden looked down at Tia's hand and took offense. "I knew who you were, girl." Eden laughed. " But we hug in this family, so I hope you're comfortable?" Tia laughed then hugged her. When they pulled back, Eden spoke again. "You're gorgeous! You're with Junior?" She gave me a stank face.

Tia side-eyed me then looked back at Eden. "I am." Tia nodded.

"Mmm, I don't know what you see in him because he funny lookin' but whatever floats your boat, girl." Eden gave me a look of disgust.

My head involuntarily jerked back. "Goodbye, because you KNOW I look better tha-"

"Junior..." My mother eyed me.

"So she can talk about me but I can't get back at her?" I frowned.

"Junior..." My mother repeated once more.

"Okay, I won't say it," I told my mother then turned back to Eden. "But you KNOW you ugly." I hopped out of my seat and ran across the room before my mother could even raise her hand or that towel she hit me with earlier. "See..." I said as she missed me.

"Boy..." My mother trailed off then laughed. "Alright, now sit down."

I went and sat back in my seat. My mother doesn't hit us unless she's playing. That's something my father does. It's my mother who just scolds us or gives us that disappointing look.

"I told you I wasn't going to say THAT so I changed my statement and just stated the obvious." I chuckled.

My mother hit my arm with the towel. "And I never said I wasn't gon' hit you, I just changed the way I was going to do it." My mother chuckled.

I held my arm in fake pain and winced. That shit never hurts, I just exaggerate a lot. "I can't move my arm."

Tia looked at me laughing while shaking her head. "Dramatic much?"

"She know what she look like. She used to scare all my friends away. She made it to where Halloween was every day." I told Tia.

"What friends?" Eden said clearly amused. "My friends did you a favor by being friendly to you. You ain't much older than me. Just by some months." She rolled her eyes.

Alright, I wasn't THAT kid in school. I had a couple of friends but I wasn't popular or anything. People would make fun of my looks and thought I acted weird. That shit doesn't matter now of course because most of them popular motherfuckers got a shit ton of kids, drug dealers, strung out, or all the above. Besides, look who I turned out to be. I DID have my time of being fucked up but that time has passed and never to return. You tell me who won... They see me and run towards me.

"So, how did y'all meet?" Eden took a seat.

"We met at a movie premiere," Tia spoke up.

"To her movie six years ago," I added on.

"And y'all JUST started dating THIS year?" Eden said surprised.

I laughed out loud. "Why you gotta say it like that?" I asked through laughter.

"I mean, it's a genuine question." Eden chuckled. "What took y'all so long?"

"Ask her." I threw my head in Tia's direction.

Tia looked at me with a small smirk. "Now you KNOW it ain't all on me. He's in fault just as much as myself. It's a good thing we did wait until now though. We're both better people and are both in happy places."

"Ohhhh, okay. I see. I guess it is good that it did happen now and not then." She laughed.

"That's true but also not funny," I told Eden with my eyebrows furrowed.

"So who made the first move?" Eden questioned.

Damn, she nosy as hell! This story ain't no PG one. I turned my head slightly to see my mother now paying attention to us, waiting for an answer. That's my cue to leave!

"Umm, I'm gonna go outside to see if the cooler need a refill!" I hopped out of my seat.

Tia gave me a death glare as I left the kitchen. Shit made me laugh hard too! She can tell that story or whatever story she comes up with. Tia definitely knows how to beat around the bush when people ask her questions just like me. The difference is that my mother caught onto me and KNOWS when I'm not being truthful. I just can't lie like that to my mother again.

"I'm here! The party can begin now!" I said with my arms to the sky.

"Sit yo skyscraper body built ass down!" One of my uncles yelled at me.

"We been havin' fun!" My cousin Anthony yelled as I walked to the area they're sitting in.

"It's a joke. Happy birthday, bro." I told him as he stood up, dapped me up, and gave me a hug.

"Y'all BEEN said y'all was on yo way. What happened?" Dalvin asked me sitting back down.

"I been here for a little bit. I was talkin' to mama and Eden." I replied taking a seat.

"Mmhm, I believe you," Dalvin mumbled then laughed.

"PLEASE believe me because what you're thinking is FAR from what happened." I chuckled.

"Why you leave Tia in there and why she ain't out here?" Dalvin questioned.

"They started asking questions and I wanted to check to see if the cooler needed more drinks so I can fill them," I replied not wanting to say what I wanted to say because we're talking at a normal tone and dad can hear us from the grill.

"Well..." Pops turned to me.

I looked at him puzzled. "Well, what pops?"

"Where are the drinks son!?" He said through laughter. "And why you leave her in there with them?"

"OH!" I said finally catching on. "The drinks in the kitchen," I replied. "Where's DJ?" I asked pops.

"He's sleep. Kept us up late last night talking about he couldn't wait to see y'all but he'll be up soon." Pops told me.

"What I wanna know is, how the hell you come out here for a refill but came out here empty-handed?" Uncle Eddie asked me.

"Because he's lazy, dad," Eden said walking closer with a box of soda in her hand.

"I'm not, I just forgot," I spoke up with irritation.

"Sure..." Eden sat the box down and placed her hand on her hip.

I widened my eyes. "Honestly." Then my eyes landed back on my womanfriend who gave me a lot ok of disbelief I stood back up then went to her side.

"This is Tia." Eden and I said together.

"De's womanfriend!" Eden added.

"I got this E.D," I told her.

I wrapped my arm around Tia's waist and pulled her closer to me, looking at the side profile of her face. I really love this woman and I have for a while. I've said it hundred times and I have no problem saying it a million times more. She knows that and she has no problem expressing the same. I felt her hand slide down my arm then grabbed my large one softly. Tia turned to me, then back around to the others. Then she turned back on to me and just stared at me.

"SON!" I heard my dad yell and I snapped out of it, turning to everybody.

I cleared my throat. "Who? Me?" He could be talking to Dalvin for all I know.

Cackles filled the whole backyard. "He don't got it!" Larry yelled out and I turned back to Tia.

"Babe, they were calling your name for a while now," Tia mumbled to me with a chuckle.

"Really?" I turned back to everybody.

"Really!" Uncle Eddie said laughing. "You too busy starin' at your lady to hear us."

"This is Tia. She's-"

"She already introduced herself to everyone, son," Pops told me chuckling.

"You're embarrassing yourself, man," Isaac told me.

"You did?" I asked Tia yet another question.

"Yes." Tia chuckled.

"Well-"

"Dally! Junior!" I heard from behind me and I turned around to see DJ running towards us with our mother behind him.

I bent down as he ran into my arms. "Happy birthday, man!" He hugged me tightly. "I missed you." He pulled away. "Give me some," I said with my hands up and he high-fived me.

Dj moved on to Dalvin and hugged him tightly. "I want a redo!" Dalvin yelled out. "Run to me like you did De." Dalvin laughed.

"No..." Dj laughed and Dalvin picked him up.

"Happy birthday," Dalvin told him.

"Happy burt-day." DJ cheesed.

"Happy birthday!" Everybody said to DJ.

All the kids came over, crowding around us to get to DJ. It's damn sure a bunch of them too. Some I remember and some I just don't. DJ started to wiggle to get out of Dalvin's arms. Dalvin let him down and he and the rest of the kids ran off to play.

"Who all these kids?" Dalvin asked and I chuckled lowly because that's what I was just about to ask. "I know we been gon' but ee ain't been away from Charlotte THAT long for the kids to multiply like this. Ion see no church people here yet unless they just dropped they kids off."

"Some are mines. Some are his. Some are his. Some are hers. Everybody just got kids now. When is y'all turn?"

Me, Dalvin, and Tia looked at each other and with a knowing look. "Ain't no rushin' that part," Dalvin spoke up.

"Right, we don't even have time for children. We can't even see each other all the time and marriage comes first." I explained.

"You say marriage now?" My mother raised her eyebrow.

"That's right..." I trailed off. My mother is being weird.

Tia and I discussed a lot of things and we agreed to do a lot of things because that's what friends and couples do. It took both of us a little thinking about some of the things but we agree that a lot of things that we decided were for the best. Something we all know is that she said she wanted to wait for marriage to bust that thang open. Okay! It's a bad way to put it, but she wants to wait to have sex.

This abstinent stuff is challenging as fuck! Wrong word...Everybody knows just from some of the music I like that I like to fuck. But with the help of Palmala, I'm managing. I ain't have to do it as much as now since I was a damn teenager. My wrists need to rest. Between me beating my shit all the time and playing instruments, they need a few days off.

I will say that this is making me fall even deeper for her because our focus isn't on focused on sexual aspects, although we have gotten a bit frisky a couple of times with each other. Abstinence really is helpful because I realized that I was fucking all the time just for stress release instead of dealing with things. This has helped me to focus on situations and deal with them head-on instead of burying them. I NEVER thought in a million years that I'd be doing this shit, but here I am.

"Hey, everybody!" I heard Derek's voice ring throughout the yard.

I turned around and saw Derek with his family. Remember how I said he had children out of wedlock? Well, he got married last year. The whole thing was dope. He got a wife and two kids now. He grew up because he was doing the same shit me and Dalvin did. Actually, Dalvin is still at that hopping around shit. Now even more since he's single even though he always lived the life of a single man/ bachelor.

"Wassup, Derek," I said once he made it over here. I missed my little brother. I haven't seen him in a little while.

Derek dapped me up and hugged me. "Hey, bro."

Derek kissed mama on the cheek, hugged Dalvin, and went over to pops. "I'm on grill duty, Derek," Pops said opening up the grill and all the smoke went into the air.

"I forgot," Derek told him.

Uncle Eddie looked at us. "You sure you ain't drop all yo kids on they head Mary? Because they all a lil... Well, you know?"

Pops laughed. "Guilty."

My brothers and I turned to him. "What?" We all said in unison.

"I dropped all of y'all a few times. Junior got it the most because I was just learning. I was almost a pro when Dalvin came. He was only dropped once but the rest of y'all..." Pops shrugged, trailing off.

"I know you didn't drop my babies?" My mother's eyebrows furrowed deeply.

"I'm sorry, Mary. The cats out of the bag." Pop's told her. "The good thing is that DJ NEVER got dropped."

"No wonder De was the most fucked up one." I heard Isaac mumble to Larry with a chuckle.

Tia turned to me. "Just leave it."

"Tia..." Derek turned to us cheesing harder than a motherfucker.

"Derek... Hello, Maria." Tia hugged Maria who's Derek's wife.

"Hi, Tia." She replied.

"FINALLY, it happened," Derek said goofily.

"You knew though," Tia said with a goofy expression.

"He knew before me?" Dalvin asked us.

"I did know," Derek replied to Tia. "BUT it's different now since y'all are right here in front of our faces." He gave her a one-armed side hug.

"How he know before me?" Dalvin said once again.

"Dalvin, it don't matter." My mother spoke up. "You know now."

"I thought we was close?" Dalvin asked me.

"We are but it-"

"It was me," Tia told him.

"I'm the real Pip, huh?" Dalvin questioned, referring to the reference I made back in March.

"Leavin' on that midnight train, woo-woop." Tia sang out then chuckled. "I'm joking."

"I know."

"Donald!" Oh, shit. I know that voice! I turned around.

"I need to take a seat," I mumbled and sat down in an empty chair.

"Mama," Dalvin said in disbelief.

"What? All church folk are welcome of they have kids. This is a kid party, Dalvin. Don't mama me, boy. Who do you think you're talking to?" My mother rested her chin face on her hand.

"It's my birthday and party too," Dalvin added.

"Dalvin, don't be disrespectful or I'll gladly return the disrespect." Pops chimed in. "She's OUR guest so be polite. I shouldn't have to remind a twenty-seven-year-old man to do that."

"This ain't even yo party you grown-up." Derek laughed. "She's cool, man." Derek turned to me. "People change. You did."

"Yeah, but you don't know her like I do," I mumbled to Derek.

"Hey, Mary baby." My mother stood up to hug her.

Mary J. Remember her? Let me refresh your memory. This is the woman who came up to me back in '92 at the Juice premiere. The lady who claimed her white baby was my child. (Chapter 5 is what I'm referring to.) Why me? I'm ALWAYS running into people I had a past with. Okay, I'll admit that I DID deal with a lot of people but relationships were pretty rare for me.

Mary J just happens to be another ex I ran into. Running into two exes in one year? That's me. She has three kids beside her. One's the white boy she showed up to the premiere with, one looks to be black and white and the other one looks to be white and Asian. She also has a child in front of her in a stroller. Damn, these all her's? I didn't even know my parents were still in contact with her.

"Hi, Mrs. DeGrate." She hugged my mother. This is revolting! "Mr. DeGrate."

Why the fuck would they do this when they know I was coming and bringing Tia? They KNOW my history with this demon. How would they like it if I invited them to my house and invited an ex of theirs? Disrespected!

"Hi, Dalvin and Derek." She waved. "Donald..." She trailed off with the same expression she walked over her with.

"Hey, Mary." Derek greeted and Dalvin turned his head.

"I told them..." Uncle Eddie told me, shaking his head. "I tried but you know how they are."

"And by that you mean?" My mother questioned.

"Y'all choose to ignore the evil in people." Uncle Eddie replied.

"Hol' on, now. We don't invite evil people to our home." Pops spoke up.

"Am I supposed to be the evil one?" Mary said shocked. "I can't believe some people look at me that way. That's ungodly and I'm a child of God."

"The child of God's brother, Lucifer," I mumbled. Seriously? Child of God? She doesn't even know who father's her kids.

"JUNIOR!" My mother and pops shouted. I sat back in my seat with a smug look.

"I'm not worthy enough for a greeting, Dalvin, and Donald?" Mary frowned.

"Nope," Dalvin said popping the p.

"Well, hello. Tia, right?" Mary asked.

"Yes, I'm Tia," Tia replied with a small smile.

"I;m Mary J. Nice to see you again. I see you on TV a lot and in person a few times. I was at the Juice premiere after-party back in '92." Mary reminded Tia.

Tia looked off to the sky trying to remember. "Oh! That- that was you?" Tia questioned.

"Forgive me for that." Mary chuckled. "I'm a changed woman."

"You can't force nobody into forgiving you," I spoke up. "Sound more like a demand than a question to me."

"So you're Donald's girlfriend at the moment?" Mary asked.

"Positive!" I spoke up.

Tia looked at me. "I am, but I don't think this is just an "at the moment thing" if you catch my drift. But yes, we're together." Tia nodded.

"My apology. I didn't mean it like that." Mary giggled. "These are my children. Donald, James, Tim, and the baby's name is Carly. They're cute are they?"

"Hi, you're the guy on my mom's wall?" Donald, the one who's clearly white, the one who clearly is named after me, asked.

I frowned. "Am I?" I questioned.

"Mmhm, are you REALLY my dad? Why did you abandon us?" Donald asked.

"Look at my arm then look at yours," I suggested and the little boy did just that. "If you were my child, you would at least look like your brother James there, but you're even paler than your mom. I'm sorry, kid. I'm not your dad. I don't think anyone really knows honestly." I shrugged as something flew and hit me in the head.

"Forgive my son. He just hasn't been himself. Why don't you kids go play?" My mother said to the kids.

"Yeah, go play." Mary cosigned and they ran off. Before they did, Donald gave me a hurtful look. Okay, I shouldn't have said that to her child, but I'm being honest.

"I'm sorry." I stood up. "Wanna sit down?" Mary took a seat in my seat. "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to my woman. Why would I stand up and offer you a seat when my girlfriend is standing with no other seats out here."

"That's okay, babe. She can sit there." Tia shrugged.

"Because you're a gentleman is why. You offer any woman a seat." Pops frowned at me.

"That ain't what I meant," I replied to pops. "I'm gon' get some more chairs from the shed," I said walking off.

Why the fuck is Tia taking up for her!? I'm confused! Pops know I'll let anybody take my seat but I'm looking out for those I care about FIRST. It's s the fact that Mary automatically thought I was speaking to her when Tia was just standing there. I grabbed four folding chairs from then went back outside and set them up. I sat up mines and Tia chair further from everyone but not far enough for them to complain about us being far.

"Why the fuck are you taking up for her?" I whispered to Tia.

"I'm not. Look, Donald, that girl has done nothing to me. I don't even know her from a can of paint. It would be childish of me to hate or be rude to a woman I don't know. Does that mean I'll be her friend?" Tia chuckled after the question. "No, but I will be cordial. Now if she tries anything then my politeness will disappear. As of now, I'm good. That's like me telling you not to speak to my sperm donor because I can't stand him."

"But what about that child? She told him I was his father. What about that?"

"You told him you aren't. That was rude of you to tell that kid you aren't his father in the way that you did, but its a great thing that you did acknowledge it. There are levels to it and THAT was not one of them." Tia chuckled. "You just don't do that and you should've known that. Think before you speak. Isn't that what you tell me?"

"Yes, BUT it's because of your wording. I wasn't being truthful but I agree that I was wrong to tell that to a child. I realized that afterward. I also don't want a child that isn't mine growing up thinking they're my child and I abandoned them." I added.

"That's understandable." Tia nodded in understanding. "My thing is that it seems like she never corrected him. She continued to make him think you're his father."

"Thank you. I KNEW I wasn't trippin'." I chuckled. I'm sure we aren't heard because we're damn good at whispering.

"Nope, but you shouldn't even worry about her. You could've just said hi and kept it pushing with the exception of asking the little boy's question. You even giving her that makes it seem like you still care about her whereabouts. Do you?" Tia eyed me.

I scoffed, "Of course not. Why would you even ask me that?" I frowned feeling offended that she'd ask me this.

"I'm just asking. I have the right to ask you just like you asked me about Taimak when he showed up at the event so don't do that." She rolled her eyes.

I sighed simply because she's right. "Baby, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at my family for doing this shit."

"I get it, but don't take your anger out on me. I did nothing." She pursed her lips.

"I'm sorry. My behavior towards you was uncalled for. You accept my apology?" I asked her with her hand in mines.

"Hmmm... Let me think about it." She looked up to the sky. "You carry the two then you divide by the eight then subtract-" Tia said pretending to write the numbers.

I looked at her like she was stupid and chuckled. "What the hell math gotta do with this?"

"Hush, I'm tryna see if I accept that apology of yours..." She squinted, "Now where was I- You subtract the three then you get-" I swear she's mad extra sometimes! She looked into my eyes and nodded."Okay... Okay, yeah. I accept your apology."

I laughed. "I won't but what the hell the math got to do with an apology acceptance?" I laughed louder.

"Because if you approach me like you JUST did a couple of minutes ago, WE gon' have some problems PLUS ninety-nine. That's what the fuck math gotta do with it because I'm going to be on one hundred." Tia tilted her head with a smile. "Try me again and you gon' see what the fucks going to happen."

"Let's set THAT straight right now. No man of MINES is going to speak to me in a way that I don't speak to him." Tia said with that same look.

"I won't and stop doing that, you look crazy as hell." I chuckled. "Kinda scaring me..."

"Try me again and crazy will come out. Ye know?" She laughed popping her imaginary collar.

"Damn, I love yo extra ass, woman," I said staring at her. 

"I know. Who could resist THIS?" She said getting cocky. She has ALWAYS been extra and funny. We BOTH play too damn much! We match energies most of the time and I like that shit.

"I sure can't but I'm managing, how 'bout you?" I chuckled.

Tia lifted her finger up and pointed to me. "You play too much and ye nasty." She laughed, throwing her head back.

"How?"

"First off, we're at your parent's house and you talking about this." She chuckled. "They probably hear us. You know Dalvin read lips."

"I could give a damn if he hears us but what's the second point?"

"There is none. That's my one and only." She replied.

"You said first off which usually leads to a second point." I reminded her.

Tia nodded. "True, that was dumb of me."

"It was." I laughed. "But there's nothing wrong with talking about abstinence.  We weren't talking about sex is a whole 'notha thang."

"So Donald and Tia, why don't you join the conversation?" Mary J asked.

"Sure." Tia turned to her and replied.

"You do movies, right? Weren't you part of the Juice production?" Mary J asked Tia.

"I was. What about it?" Tia questioned, and sat with her back completely straight.

"You're the reason for black men's demise. Promoting gang violence and all. How do you feel about that?"

Tia turned to me with her tongue in her jaw. She gave me that "I KNOW this heifer ain't just ask me this bullshit," look. Mary starting already, huh? Uh-oh, Mary might've started something! Go off baby, RESPECTFULLY. Let's see how this goes...

Author's Note: Don't play wit' her! 🤣 But for real, how would you as a woman or man if your parents brought someone they KNEW you had a past with when you're on introducing your boyfriend or girlfriend to the rest of the family? Then that heifer has the nerve to keep telling that child he DeVanté's child! Ain't that about a bihh- Ye know what, just leave ye comments. 🤣

Word Count: 6,300
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Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to read another chapter of this story. Thank you for staying despite the slacking.💚🖤❤💜💙💛