Surface

When I left the hotel room my initial plan was to go straight to Mama's house, drop Zion off then go meet Sevyn and Neesha for brunch since it was our last day before we flew back home; but clearly Chris had not only made other plans for us, but he had completely forgotten about our conversation the night before, because he called me on some extra nice shit.

"Hey." I answered and waited on him to give just as much of a dry response.

"Hey, you good?" He asked sounding a lot happier than I'd anticipated and it almost made me pull the phone from my ear to make sure I was talking to the right person.

"Uh yeah, what's up why you calling?" I asked bluntly and heard him chuckle on the other end.

"Damn Kam you can sound a little happy to hear from me." I rolled my eyes at his words and sighed stopping at the light.

"I'm sorry. Really though Chris what?" I urged.

"Where y'all at now?"

"On the way to your mothers house. Why?" I asked because I really didn't want him finding different ways to be around there when I got there. He could go over there once I'd left, he could spend all the time in the world with his son- when I wasn't there.

"Well actually I was hoping you could come to my place." He said and immediately my head began to shake as if he could see me.

"No. No. If you want to see zee he's going to be at mama's I'm not coming there I'm sorry. I got plans." I said letting him down hard and heard him suck his teeth.

"Kamaiyah come on I wouldn't be telling you to come if it wasn't for a reason. I got something for Zion. Just bring him over here, I'll call my ma and tell her what's up she won't mind I promise." He said and although my head was still shaking he was honestly making me reconsider. I just was not in the mood to argue today. Especially not with Chris. Again. But Zion was with mama all of last night and he really hadn't seen his dad at all since we'd been here.

"O- okay fine send me your address, and let me find out you got me bringing him over for nothing." I heard him laugh pleased with himself and before he could speak the sound of cars honking behind me filled my ears causing me to lift my foot off the breaks and manovor off.

"Aight imma text it to you now." He said and I let out an "okay" and ended the call. I really hoped and prayed Chris wasn't on no fuck shit today and that his house was clear of his company.

-

I stepped out of the rented range rover and before I could fully unlock zee's car seat I heard the gate that shielded Chris' home swing open.

I turned and saw him in nothing but BBshorts and a pair of Nike slides.

"Hi." I said before he could speak and he smiled.

"Hey. Lemme get him." He sang and slightly barged me out of the way to get Zion out of the backseat.

"So you can't keep your clothes on for shit huh?" I said as he lead us up the stairs to the house that I remembered all to well. Nothing had changed; the interior was just as beautiful as I'd remembered and the exterior had been covered in graffiti.

"More importantly why you looking?" He shot back jokingly and I shook my head removing the sunglasses I'd been wearing off my face.

"Whatever, what you got us here for Chris I gotta be somewhere in A hour." I said with an attitude and watched him unbuckle Zion and lift him out of his car seat. He didn't reply as he went on making faces at our son.

"Come on." He said and began walking towards his hallway and up the long ass stairs. I requested so many times that he got an elevator fitted in.

When we got to one of the, what I remembered to be guest rooms, he smiled down at me making me twist my mouth up and blink a couple times.

"Chris." I said sternly and he twisted the nob to reveal the fully furnished and decorated nursery. It was perfect, the blue walls against the white furniture and the huge block letters that read "Zion" . I couldn't help it when a smile began to emerge on my lips and I looked up at him who was cheesing down at me.

"This is perfect Chris. Really it's perfect." I said over and watched him nod pleased with himself.

"It's just so he got his own space when y'all come, a-and I got this too." He said walking carefully with a wide eyed Zion in his arms causing me to follow him into the next room.

"It's just so y'all can stay here, you know when you come down here. Instead of paying all that money for a hotel." He said and I could see him staring at the side of my face as I assessed the red and cream room. It was amazing, he really didn't have to do this.

"You really didn't have to do all this." I said softly and finally looked up at him. He waved me off walking back out into Zee's nursery.

I didn't want to let go of the upset I held from our conversation the night before, but the angel on my right shoulder had just won and I decided at this point there was no point in him and I doing this back and fourth thing; we weren't together and the only thing we had to worry about was getting along well enough to raise our son.

"Thank you. It's lovely." I thanked him more for the effort than anything, Zion's room was great and he could be over here whenever Chris requested, but something told me I wouldn't be staying in the room he'd set up for me any time soon. Or ever.

"It's cool. And about last night, I'm sorry-" he began to apologise and I shook my head not wanting to get into it.

"No it's fine. We both got a little out of line." I spoke over him and he nodded.

"Honestly. If you're happy then I'm happy for you." He said and I nodded from the love seat across from the couch he was sitting back on with Zion against his chest.

"Well I'm going to leave to go meet the girls. You want to keep him till I get back?" I asked and he smiled.

"Yeah, I got it." I stoop up first and began walking to the counter where I'd put my bag down. And when I got back to the couch I walked over and leaned down to kiss my baby before standing to my full height.

"I'll be back around 9 alright?" I said and he nodded watching me as I turned around.

"Stop staring at my butt Chris." I said because I could feel his eyes on me something crazy, I heard him snicker as I closed the door behind me and stepped down to my car.

-

"So you got any plans put in place yet or na?" Sevyn said biting into her brunch hash brown and I looked up at her shaking my head.

"No, I don't think we're going to start planning for a while actually. We're just taking things slow for now." I replied and Sevyn nodded while Neesh sat looking at the side of my face. I didn't know if it was the hormones or not but she'd been off with me since we got here.

"Neesh you alright?" Sev said before I could and I turned to look at her urging her to speak.

"So you're really marrying this nigga?" She shot and immediately I felt scolded.

"What?" I asked in disbelief and looked up at Sev for a reaction but she looked just as confused as I did.

"Mike, you're really marrying him? Really Kam?" She said with a look of disgust and my brows furrowed ready for whatever she'd throw at me.

"Well you see us together and you see a ring on my finger so hell yea I'm marrying him. Neesh why you buggin?" I said jokingly then turned serious.

She shook her head slightly and looked down at her plate with a shrug.

"With everything you went through with Chris? You're just going to give up on ya'll relationship and get married to someone else?" Sevyn's brows rose in shock when Neesh was done and I raised mine in anger.

"So this is about Chris? I'm sorry Neesha but I don't really think that's any of your business." I told her nonchalant and she rolled her eyes.

"Yes it's my business, it's all of our business Kamaiyah. When he's not right none of us are and the only time he is right is when you're around, he might act like a complete dick to you but that man loves you. When you left he nearly lost it Kam, he was doing things, acting out in ways I had never seen him. Shit the only reason he even straightened out a little was because Heiress was born. And since Zion been here." She paused to use her hands for effect.

"Since Zion's been here Kam it's like he's a different person, he smiles you know? Like actually smiles and I know it's because he loves ya'll, loves that you're the mother of his child. Because in a sense it gives him hope, that maybe y'all could still be together and be a family." At this point I couldn't stop my lips quivering, the things she said really shouldn't have fazed me but they did. I was mad at her for it, I hadn't cried recently, since Zion was born, and I hated her for making me weak again, and I hated Chris for being the source.

"You guys don't get it, you guys really don't get it. He hurt me, he hurt me so bad and I'm not ready to get over that." I said biting on my bottom lip as the tears slid out of my eyes and I wiped them away violently.

"What did he do?! You never told us you just up and left, we're supposed to be your girls Kam and you never even gave us an explanation, you just left and showed up with his baby 6 months later. You never tell us anything that's going on then you say we won't get it." Sevyn said over me and I looked at both of them as they watched my tears helplessly fall.

"He told me to get an abortion." I said finally and both of their mouths shut immediately and I noticed Sevyn's posture slouch slightly.

"That man told me to get an abortion. He said that he couldn't do it, have another child on the way and that he had so much going on with Jasmine. He said it wasn't going to work." I cried and finally let out all the pent up emotion I was feeling.

I finally looked up at them and saw both of them tearing up, Neesha's fell first though.

"He didn't call me, text me or anything for two weeks after we had that conversation then that day you came by my place Sev, he came later that night talking about I was selfish for trying to leave and not tell him, that I was having his child and leaving without telling him and I don't know, I was just so angry I told him I'd already gone through with the abortion, just so he would let me go. And you know what I don't regret it; because had I been honest and stayed here with him I would've gone crazy. I just wanted to have my baby." Sevyn wiped her eyes and scooted closer to me in our booth throwing her arm around me.

"I'm so sorry. I would have never imagined that being why Kam." She said rocking me back and forth and before I knew it Neesh had joined in too.

"And I get it I really do, you guys wanting Chris and I back together and for us all to be back heavy like we used to but... I'm happy you know? With Michael, he's such a great guy, we don't argue, he's loyal and he really loves my son. I love him." I finished and they both nodded in understanding.

"I get it. I get it now... I just want you to be happy and if Mike makes you happy then that's all that matters and I'm sorry, I shouldn't have doubted ya'll relationship..or meddled." She explained with a hold on my hand and I chuckled through the tears.

"It's okay... I can't snuff your pregnant ass anyway." I joked and they both sniggered and blotted their tears away.

"I hope this don't make y'all think negatively of Chris either because I really have forgiven him and he's a great dad despite anything else, I think he was just scared at the time." I said in his defence.

"He really loves you, both of you." Neesh repeated and I nodded at her words.

"But enough with all this crying" I said changing the subject and although I knew the previous topic was eating both of them up inside, they still lightened up.

-"Um hey I'm on my way back now, I have an early flight and I need to get Zion down early so if you could have all his things packed up when I get there that'll be great. See you soon."

I said to Chris' voice mail when he didn't answer, I was on the way back to his house but the 30 minute journey meant I had to call him from then to make sure he had zee ready by the time I got there. But he didn't answer, and just like his phone, he didn't answer the first knock I placed on his door which only made me bang till finally he snatched it open looking surprised to see me.

"What the hell Chris I been calling you and I been outside for like 10 minutes... Excuse me." I said with a mild attitude moving past him when he tried to block me.

"Why didn't you call I would'-"

I heard a woman's voice followed by the sound of zion's babbles and looked Chris dead in the eye knowing what was going on and from his expression he knew I was going to pop off.

I walked speedily into the living room with Chris on my ass and saw Zion sat on his girls lap as she made faces at him and immediately her head snapped up when she saw me and her mouth shut only for a small smile to play at her lips.

I sucked my teeth already getting mad and walked further into the room and bent down slightly to lift my son off her lap and she lifted her guarding arms away from him in defence as I did so.

I walked out of the room then turned to look at Chris who was stood awkwardly not speaking.

"Where are his things?" I asked sternly and he nodded up the stairs, he followed me up till we reached the nursery and I laid Zion down in his cot as I picked up and placed random items from the bag I'd packed for him back into it.

"Why you tripping Kam? I know you're mad about something too so don't lie." He said finally breaking his silence and I stopped packing momentarily.

"Next time I'm calling you to check on my child you better fucking answer and not miss me over that bitch" I said in an aggressive whisper as I poked my finger in his chest.

"Don't call her no bitch Kam you don't even know her and why you acting like she can't be around him? I don't throw bitch fits about y'all living with your dude" He spoke back just as aggressively.

"Imma call her bird ass whatever I want to. And you can't say anything about it. Michael been in zee's life from day one, its different." I fought and I don't care what Chris or anybody had to say I was right. I continued packing till the sound of Zion's small cries started up.

We both moved towards the cot and I looked up at him. "Move." I said sternly, I don't know why I was so got damn worked up but after the shit she pulled the morning of, Dani really was not classified as any kind of shit in my book. Fuck her.

"No I got it. Move." He said pushing me away slightly but with enough strength to get me out of the way and to our son first.

"You're so damn childish." I muttered in annoyance watching him lift zee out of his laid spot.

"I'm childish when you just stormed in and snatched him out of her hands like he was a doll." He snapped back causing me to shoot him a glare.

"Whatever I'm out. Kiss him bye so we can leave please." I said with zee's over night bag in one hand and my Chanel purse in the other as I turned to leave the room.

When I got to the bottom his bitch was sat at the kitchen counter looking down at her phone and she looked up when she noticed me come in.

"You didn't have to do all that you know." She spoke and I looked up the stairs to see if Chris was coming down. I didn't want him to hear this because I didn't want him to think I was salty about her.

"I don't fuck with you so yes I did have to do that and what you have to do is never call my phone again." She raised a brow and chuckled slightly with a shake of her head.

"Whatever, you're just mad he's moved on." She said insulting me.

"Dani you seem like a smart girl, but your mouth is due to get you fucked up." I shot back then cocked my head to the side.

"And trust me if I was with it, Chris would have fell in my lap a long time ago, ask him what he did in Florida." I said confidently and her face fell before my head looked up in the direction of Chris bringing zee down with his outwear on.

"Y'all alright?" Chris asked looking between both of us and I looked back at her then to him with a smile.

"Yeah we're good, I'll go open the car." I said and picked up the bag before walking out of the house completely. By the times i'd closed the boot Chris had made it down the stairs with zion in his car seat and I opened the door to let him lock him in. I watched as he kissed our son's forehead then rose up to his full height again.

"Call me before ya'll leave tomorrow okay?" he instructed more than asked and I looked up into his eyes momentarily before looking down at his pink lips and nodding.

"I will. See you later." I said getting into the driver's seat and pulling off.