Lia knew there was a reason she didn't care for Grace the moment she met her.

Her energy was off, it was just something about her Lia didn't like. When she found out her last name, she realized why.

Lia lay wide awake waiting for Neriah's father to come home. This routine of him coming in late was something she'd grown used to over the last month or so.

She didn't know exactly what Shawn was doing, and when she asked, he claimed he was picking up extra hours at his side job, which was him doing janitorial work. He wasn't bringing home more money, so she knew that was a lie.

Shifting slightly, she looked down at her stomach and wondered if God was punishing her for getting pregnant outside of wedlock again. Josiah's dad only stayed long enough to tell her he didn't want kids, and now Shawn was likely cheating.

When the creak of the door opening could be heard, Lia trained her eyes on the entrance and waited for him to come in.

Shawn was smiling slightly, the darkness preventing him from seeing Lia watching him. He couldn't understand how he was lucky enough to have run across someone like Samantha.

She was at his job one day when he went into the restroom to clean, and found her crying at the sink. He thought it was fate, since if she had responded when he knocked, he would've never entered.

Pulling the shirt over his head, Shawn dropped it to the floor, followed by his pants before entering the bathroom to take a shower.

Lia quietly rose from the bed and went to go through his pants pocket, looking for any sign that he was in fact cheating. She didn't know what she was hoping to find, but when Shawn's phone began vibrating, she pulled it out to see the caller.

S-Tech Industries

Knowing his job never called him after hours, Lia answered the phone and immediately muted it to see who would say something.

"Shawn?" Came a woman's voice, "You left your debit card in the cup holder and I'm sure you need it."

Lia hung up the phone, storming into the bathroom, "You're cheating on me?!"

His hands froze in his hair, forgetting all about washing it, "Of course not."

"Then why is 'S-Tech Industries' calling you?"

"Lia I can explain that. Give me a second to fini-"

She shook her head, tears falling, "No. Get out of the shower and get out of my house."

"Samantha is my boss's wife." He tried to explain, "She's lonely, that's all."

"I'm the mother of your child!" Lia screamed in response, "I'm alone for hours."

Knowing she probably thought they had sex, Shawn tried to assure her that they hadn't, "We're just friends Lia I swear. There's nothing between us."

As badly as he wanted that to change, it was the truth.

Lia didn't believe him.

She made a call the next morning to tell the owner of S-tech industries that his wife was cheating on him.

• • •

"So what do you guys want for the baby?" Grace asked Hassan who was lying on the floor eating.

Like always.

"I mean it really don't matter."

"Google said you should make a registry or something. That way people know what to buy you."

He looked at her, "I wish you'll stay your ass off Google."

Hassan came over everyday after school, not wanting to go home. He would usually stay until around 10 or 11, before Josiah took him home.

"Maybe a bottle maker?" Faelyn suggested, "I was looking at some in Walmart."

"My mama said we don't need one of them. Just pre make the bottles and warm 'em up when we need it."

"I didn't know it was your mama's baby."

Grace quietly blew out a breath as they began to argue. Again.

Thinking of a way to change the subject, Grace interrupted them by asking, "Hassan what are you doing for your birthday tomorrow?"

Effectively distracting him, they started talking about how he wanted to celebrate his 18th birthday, "I wanna go out but don't nobody wanna go with me. Jo don't go out anymore, and I really ain't tryna hang with my sister."

"Where'd you wanna go?"

It'd actually been a while since Grace had gone out. It wasn't any reason in particular, but she was sure it had a lot to do with the fact that Josiah didn't drink.

Hassan sat up excitedly, ignoring the look Faelyn gave him, "We can go anywhere forreal. I'm just tryna get drunk."

"You're not even old enough to drink." Grace laughed, "Who's buying your drinks?"

"My brother girlfriend. I heard she was 22."

Grace rolled her eyes, "I think not. I can just picture you being extra as hell and causing a scene."

"I been drunk before G. At a house party."

"I just think that if your pregnant girlfriend is at home, you should, I don't know," Faelyn paused to act like she was thinking, "Spend your birthday with her?"

"Fae, I'm only turning 18 once. We can have some more kids."

"That's definitely not the point but okay."

Hassan shook his head, "I'm just saying man. You always tryna be up under me. Youn' see Grace following Jo everywhere he go."

That plan backfired, Grace thought.

"We can go somewhere else?" Grace suggested, "The movies or something?"

"Nah bro we can just go to a club. It ain't like we gon' be there all day no way. I'll chill with Faelyn during the day, then me and you'll go out that night."

Faelyn stood up from the sofa, leaving the room without another word.

"Hassan I really feel like you shouldn't go. She's hormonal and you shouldn't add to that."

What Grace should've said was that she wouldn't go, forcing him to either find someone else or not go at all.

But of course she didn't.

And that's how she ended up contributing to Hassan's first mistake as an adult.

______

y'all remember when grace asked her dad to get my baby a job after he got fired & her dad was like "unless you want him to be a janitor, i don't have anything for him"? i aspire to be that petty one day.

i know the last chapter hasn't hit the goal yet but i wanted to post this bc y'all are being so kind to me 🤧 i don't deserve.

thanks for reading & voting ♥️