After Aleesha left from visiting with Cali, she met up with her mother, sister, and niece Breanna, at Walmart. She found them in the baby clothing aisle, picking out a few things for Breanna.
“How was the honeymoon?” Laila asked as she exchanged a hug with her sister.
“It was amazing,” Aleesha said as she fluttered her eyelashes with a huge smile on her face.
“Spare me the details, please,” Renee said as she and Aleesha hugged.
“Don’t worry mommy, I wouldn’t tell you anyway,” Aleesha said as they pulled apart. “And how’s my little poo poo doing?” She playfully squeezed Breanna’s cheeks, making the one-year-old giggle.
“Bad as I don’t know what,” Laila answered.
“She ain’t bad,” Renee said, looking at Laila. “You were bad.”
“Okay,” Laila said as she and Aleesha laughed, “we’ll see when you have her by yourself for a day.”
“Speaking of, when am I gonna get to spend time with my poo poo?” Aleesha asked while she browsed through the baby clothes.
“You can get her tomorrow if you’re not busy,” said Laila.
“Okay, that’s perfect.” Aleesha put an outfit in the basket.
“Oh, everyone’s meeting at mommies today, you and Savage should stop by,” Laila said as they began to make their way to the registers.
“Dang mom thanks for letting me know,” Aleesha said as she looked at her mother.
Renee rolled her eyes at the sarcasm. “It was a last-minute thing your sister wanted me to do. And I didn’t know you were back from your honeymoon until you called.”
“Oh yeah, you right,” Aleesha said with a giggle. “Who’s all going to be there?”
“Just the family and close friends,” Renee answered
“Okay. I’ll have Savage meet us over there then.”
They approached the registers. The women paid for the items in the basket, and were on their way to Renee’s to have a family get together.
***
When they arrived, Darion, DJ, and a few other family members were already there. After everyone said their hellos, Aleesha went into the kitchen to help her mother cook, while Laila put Breanna to sleep. Then she joined her mother and older sister in the kitchen to help them finish cook the little bit of what was left.
“What time is Savage coming?” Laila asked, setting the party dishes out.
“I don’t know. I called him but he didn’t answer, he’s probably at one of the shops so he’ll come a little later.”
“With all those big hungry niggas in there it won’t be none left by the time he gets here.”
“Man I know.” Aleesha laughed with her sister, as she took the last of the fish out of the deep fryer. “I’ll go call him and see where he’s at.”
She washed her hands, dried them quick and made her way outside to call Savage. When he didn’t pick up, she texted him cussing him out, but he still didn’t respond and it aggravated her, so she rolled her up a blunt of GDP.
Even though it was scorching hot outside with the temperature topping the high 90’s and the sun beating down on her skin, Aleesha stayed outside to smoke the blunt she rolled. She took a few hits, and noticed a royal blue 2014 Bentley Mulsanne pull up and park on the street. Damn that’s a nice ass car, she thought to herself as she took a hit from the blunt. A few seconds later the driver got out, and her jaw dropped when she realized who he was.
“Aleesha?” he asked as he took off his Versace shades and walked toward her. His dark chocolate skin allured her more and more with each step he took.
“Oh my god!” she exclaimed as she gave him a hug, dropping her blunt on the floor in the process. He wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her a little off the ground as he hugged her.
“Long time no see,” he said as they continued to hug. He set her back on the ground and she took a step back to get a better look at him. Everything he had on was Versace, from his dress shoes and slacks, to his casual button up. His tapered fade and beard were neatly cut, highlighting the maturity in his face.
“Dang you look good, Sincere,” she said as she continued to check him out.
“I feel good. You lookin’ real good too,” he said in a deep sultry voice, making Aleesha hot.
“Thanks,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. They stood there for a few moments staring at each other, until Sincere peered down at the 7-karat ring on Aleesha’s finger.
“Wow,” he said as he grabbed her hand and stared at the ring, “when did this happen?”
“Oh.” Aleesha snatched her hand away. “I got married a week ago.”
“Congrats. Where’s the lucky man at?”
“He should be coming any minute now.”
“Well, I can’t wait to meet him,” he said as he stared at Aleesha.
“Me too,” she said as she looked down at the ground.
“Well, I’m ‘bout to go holla at yo brother. I’ll see you inside,” he said as he began to walk away.
“Okay,” Aleesha said as she picked up her blunt off of the ground. She finished smoking it then went back inside.
Everyone was already seated around the table and had begun eating when Aleesha walked into the kitchen.
“I made you and Savage a plate, they’re in the oven baby,” Renee said to Aleesha, noticing the look on her face seeing that all the food was gone.
“Thank you mommy,” Aleesha said as she walked to the oven and grabbed the two plates out. She took foil and covered Savage’s plate with it, and put it in a plastic bag to take home to him.
“Where is he at anyway?” Darion asked, looking up from his plate.
“He’s at work father,” Aleesha answered as she took a seat at the table next to Laila.
Sincere looked at Aleesha. “It would have been nice to have met him.”
“I’m sure it would have,” Aleesha said as she smirked at Sincere, which didn’t get unnoticed by DJ. “But maybe next time,” she said as she took a bite out of her dirty rice.
Everyone continued to make small talk while they ate, enjoying the company of the other’s around them. After everyone was nice and full, everyone crowded around in the living room to watch a few old home movies. A few embarrassing movies later, Aleesha needed to step outside for another smoke. She snuck to the backyard, where she looked up and saw the sun fading into the horizon. It was getting later in the evening. She sat down a three-foot brick wall that separated the back yard from the patio, and started to get lost in deep thought while she smoked.
“What you smokin’ on, sis?” DJ asked as he snuck up behind her.
“Oh shit!” Aleesha screamed, jumping from being frightened. “You can’t be doin’ that shit bro, might fuck around and have me shoot yo ass,” she said laughing as she got resituated on the wall. “But shit, this is just some Granddaddy Purp, you tryna smoke?” She extended the blunt to him.
“Yeah, I’ll sit out here and smoke witchu’.” DJ took a seat next to her. “We ain’t chilled and really talked in a coo minute,” he said as he took a hit from the blunt.
“I know ...” Aleesha was staring off into the horizon. “So what’s been going on?” she asked as she glanced at her brother.
“Shit same o’, same o’ wit’ me, sis,” he said as he took another hit from the blunt and passed it to Aleesha. He coughed off the blunt once, then exhaled the smoke out of his mouth. “Everything good wit’ you?”
“Yeah, everything finally seems to be going right. I’m really happy.”
“I love hearing that.” DJ looked at her. “So what was that in there wit’ Sincere earlier?”
“What!” Aleesha exclaimed as she began to cough from the weed smoke. It took her a whole minute before she caught her breath. “Whatchu’ mean?”
“Aleesha I ain’t dumb, keep it real with me. It ain’t like I’ma be mad anyway, you twenty-two years old, you been grown.”
“Uh ...” Aleesha said as she sighed and began to giggle. “Man this is awkward,” she said as she looked at her brother, still giggling. “We used to talk a long time ago. I mean years ago, when I was still a teenager. But we didn’t ever do anything because of my age, and then I ended up getting with Savage and I don’t know, we just stopped talking.”
“I always knew one of my sisters would end up talkin’ to one of my friends.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I thought it would be Laila though, I ain’t even gone lie,” DJ said, laughing. “But I’m glad that you talked to him over anybody else.”
Aleesha was stunned. “Why?”
“Cuz out of all my friends, Sincere was the only one with his head on straight,” DJ admitted. “He was never into the gang bangin’ and shit, and he only slanged to pay his way through school. Now this nigga makin’ dummy bread.”
“I know, I seen his car.”
“Yeah, and he was never into havin’ a lot of bitches and shit. He really stayed faithful to every girlfriend he had. So I would have been cool wit’ you bein’ wit’ him, cuz I know he would have treated you right.”
“Damn,” she said as she began to reflect on what her brother had just told her. “Well, things happened the way they did for a reason I suppose.” She took a hit from the blunt and passed it back to her brother.
“Yeah, but you straight. Savage is a good dude too. I know y’all been through y’all shit but dude seem like he really love you.”
“Yeah, I love him a lot too.”
“Shit, I would hope so if you married to the nigga,” DJ said, making him and Aleesha laugh.
“Yeah I would be one dumb bitch if I married him for nothing.”
“But you know I’d take that nigga out if I had to for you,” he stated gravely.
“Shut up,” Aleesha said as she playfully shoved her brother, knowing he was telling the truth.
“Nah, but I love you lil’ nigga,” DJ said as he put her in a headlock.
“I love you too ugly cuz.” Aleesha hugged her brother.
They finished smoking the blunt and then went back into the house to spend time with their family.
After two more hours, Aleesha still hadn’t heard from Savage. She was getting tired, and planned on spending time with her niece the next day and knew she needed rest, so she went home. As soon as she got there, she called him a few more times, and when she still didn’t get a response from him, she gave up and started getting ready for a shower. As soon as she was stepping foot in the shower, her cell phone started ringing. She ran to her room, grabbed her phone off of the dresser, and immediately answered it.
“You have a collect call from, Savage, an inmate at West Valley Detention Center. If you would like to accept this call, please press one now.”
Aleesha was so shocked to hear that she had a collect call from her husband, especially from jail. She quickly pressed one and was connected to her man.
“Babe,” Savage said through the receiver.
“What the fuck Savage, how did you get locked up? And what the fuck for?” she yelled at him.
“Babe I’m sorry. I’ll tell you when—”
“NO! Tell me right now!” she yelled, not even letting him get the rest of his sentence out.
“I can’t right now, look please just come see me Tuesday. Some shit went down but I promise I will be out soon. I just need you to promise to come see me.”
“I promise,” she said as she began crying.
“Babe don’t cry, please, for me,” he pleaded with her. “Stay strong. I promise I won’t be here for long.”
“I know, but you promised me you would never go back. I need you, babe.”
“I know,” Savage answered, disappointed in himself. “Just make an appointment as soon as possible. Be strong for daddy, okay? I’ll be home in no time.”
“Okay,” Aleesha answered, trying to toughen up.
“Alright, babe, don’t forget to make the appointment. I love you with all of me.”
“I love you too,” she said, before ending the call.
She couldn’t believe that he was locked up, not to mention he didn’t want to tell her why he was even in there. She took a shower, and called it a night. The next morning when she woke up, the first thing she did was made the call and scheduled the appointment.