"Well, well. Look who needs my help."

"Hush," Zhuri laughs, as the wind blows through her twist-out, the windows down in the 'Stang. "I don't need your lip today, silly."

Taj laughs aloud. "I'm just glad you grabbed me for this. Can you believe this? Yo, I'm for real for real boutta' be an uncle, ZuZu."

"I know, man," and she grins fondly up at him. "I'm mad Asha couldn't come."

"We can FaceTime her," he nods. "She's pissed she can't come, too."

"Aw, Taj," she laughs. "Look at you tryna' be an adult, little boy."

"Little? Girl, I ain't been little since the 5th Grade."

Zhuri laughs loudly. "Taj, you didn't grow until your junior year--"

"What?"

"--So, stop playing."

"You're fake," he exclaims, pushing her against the window. "You don't know shit, ZooPal."

"Ugh--That fucking nickname."

He grins. And then his grin falls.

"What?" Zhuri asks, immediately noting his change in demeanor. "What's going on, TJ?"

"That just...reminded me. I talked to Nana today."

Zhuri's frowning now. "Yeah?"

"She wants you to call her."

"She alright? I called the other day but she was sleep..."

"She just said," he begins, "that she wants you to give her a call," he shrugs. "That's it. I've got nothing else to say 'bout it, ya feel? I'm just being the message man. I'm telling you what she told me."

And Zhuri is almost grateful for the texts she starts receiving, because it takes her mind from the worry and anxiety suddenly spiked at the mention of her grandma.

Would you mind picking me up?

She groans.

And like that, he texts her again.

Love you too :)

"What?" Taj frowns. "What's up?"

"Zayn," she says. "He needs a ride."

"He still not driving?"

"Still," Zhuri nods.

"Damn," and he laughs. "Yeah I'll get your man. It's on the way, right?"

"I mean..." She shrugs. "And he's not--"

"Whatever. You don't know," and he chuckles as she punches his shoulder. "I hope he knows he's coming with us to the hospital, though. This ain't Uber. I don't drive for Lyft..." He grins. "Unless he wants to tip."

"TJ," Zhuri begins, "don't you dare."

___

"Hey," Zayn grins as he slides into the Mustang. "Thanks for the ride, mate."

"No problem," Taj grins. "Anything for one'a ZuZu's friends."

"Aw," Zayn coos, leaning forward to squeeze Zhuri's shoulder. "You called me one'a your friends, babe."

She swats at him, "Shut up."

"Oh," Taj looks between them as they pull from the curb. "Wait...Y'all really aren't fuckin' anymore?"

"Whoa."

"Taj!"

"What?" He recoils as his older sister punches him repeatedly. "What? Damn, Zhuri! I'm just hearin' it from Mani!"'

"Why don't you ever ask me?"

"'Cause you never tell me shit, Zhuri."

"That's a lie!"

"Girl, don't even try me."

"We're friends," Zayn says, living for this interaction. "You can ask me next time."

"Yeah," Zhuri is still glaring at her brother. "Friends."

They were friends.

Well, they were trying. Zhuri was trying, at least. She was. She was trying to ignore the messages she'd been receiving from Blake and she was trying to ignore the thoughts of what everyone at home might think of her with Zayn and so she was trying to take things slow. She was trying to do this the right way, because apparently whatever she had been doing wasn't working, and for some reason, Zhuri really wanted things with Zayn to work.

And Taj smiles at him through the rear view mirror, "Thanks, man," he grins. "I already think I fuck with you. I think."

Zayn shrugs. "I'll take it."

Zhuri turns in her seat. "Don't agree with Taj. Just 'cause he's big don't mean he can back up all the game he talk."

"Hey! Girl, take that back. I'll whoop both of you right now just 'cause."

"Taj, you know I'm faster than you. You better catch me first."

"When's the last time you ran, Zhu? Hmm? You've been retired, boo."

"I can still outrun you."

He laughs. "How often you train at the LA Times, girl? My season just ended."

"So? That doesn't mean you can still go. Last time I checked you'd never beaten me, baby boy."

"Pssh, goodbye. There's the door. See yourself out."

And even Zayn laughs at that one, shaking his head as he stares between the siblings.

"You know what?" Zhuri exclaims, "now I really gotta prove your ass wrong."

"Oooh," Taj grips the steering wheel excitedly, "We gon' race? We haven't done that since we were all home, man."

"It's time, apparently. I have got to shut you up."

"Get the spikes, Zuzie," he nods, clapping loudly, "Get the spikes and you best bring it."

Zayn blinks. "I swear, you two are speaking a different language," he chuckles. "That accent is--"

"Country," Taj finishes, nodding proudly. "With a lil' bit of Creole mixed in just to keep all y'all on the west coast from understanding what we're saying."

Zhuri throws her head back, laughing loudly.

"Please excuse this negro," she says, turning again in her chair to face him. "He can't help the way he is. Mani and I think our sister dropped him a few too many times."

Taj only snorts. "Don't hate me 'cause you ain't me."

And Zhuri and Zayn both burst into laughter.

Imani was at the hospital, today.

And it was just for a check-up, but at her doctor's first mention of finding out the baby's sex, she jumped at the opportunity.

And she wanted everyone around when she found out.

Zayn was kind of flattered, actually. He liked that Imani wanted him there. He liked that he could support her. He liked that she considered him family.

But he hates himself for wanting to hear those things from Zhuri.

And they get to Cedar Sinai hospital and run directly into both Imani and Justin.

"Damn, perfect timing," he says as the three greet them in the waiting room.

"C'mon, y'all," Imani grins, hugging her brother and sister and Zayn. "They just called us back."

"Damn, would'ya look at all these white boys," Taj laughs, shaking his head as they enter the room. "I expected it outta Mani, but Zhuri?" He shoves her lightly, "Blowing me."

Mani rolls her eyes. "Taj, bye."

Zayn decides that he likes Taj.

Why?

He really likes Zhuri around him. He's always loved Imani, with her calm, easy-going nature, but Zhuri around both of her siblings was calm, too. She was fun and chilled and not uptight or worried or easily stressed. It was nice, seeing her like this. She wasn't trying to hide her accent and she wasn't trying to be anyone else because she couldn't be, and since the day he met her he had been trying to tell her that she didn't have to be anyone but Zhuri, not with him.

"Zayn," she's blinking up at him, her big eyes wide and bright. "You okay?"

"Don't pass out," Justin calls. "That's gonna be my job."

"Oh my god," Imani laughs, "You'd better not."

"Yeah," Taj nods, suddenly serious and looking up from his phone, "you'd better not."

And Zhuri and Zayn both exchange amused looks as Justin kind of gulps a little. All six feet of Taj could be intimidating-- he was obviously protective of his sisters, and Zayn was lucky as hell he caught him on his good side.

And Zhuri laughs again.

At the sight of Taj glaring over his the game he had playing on his phone screen at Justin, who was standing at Imani's side with her hand in his, it tickles her. Her brother with her sister and her friends...she was enjoying the people in this hospital room. She hated the hospital, but with them?

She laughs that hard, open-mouthed laugh she had been laughing all day in the car and Zayn's smiling. It's like, honestly so nice. It's doing some shit to his heart in his chest, as he sits there listening to the sounds of Zhuri being so carefree and so happy.

He could listen to that shit all day.

And after a quick visit by the nurse, in walks the doctor.

She's light-skinned with big eyes and a dimpled smile and the slightest twang of a southern accent.

Zhuri likes her already.

"Guys," Imani begins, "meet Dr. Cunningham."

"Well," the doctor stares at everyone in the room, a big smile still on her face and her hands upon her hips, "if this isn't a party..."

Imani giggles. "I roll deep, Jada."

"I can see," Dr. Cunningham nods. "I can definitely see that."

And the doctor claps her hands. "Well, then! Let's find out how this baby is doing today, shall we?"

Imani grins, pulling her shirt over her growing belly. "We shall."

And Zhuri, Zayn and Taj fall back, looking on and listening as the check-up continues for Imani and Justin.

She was already sixteen weeks into her pregnancy.

Her bump was a real one now, although it was still small, and the doctor was discussing how the top of Imani's uterus is now about halfway between her pubic bone and navel, and how the round ligaments that support it are thickening and stretching as it grows. Dr. Cunningham began asking about her nausea and mood swings, which, Justin could attest, were decreasing.

"I'm feeling better," Imani admits, and to that her doctor had smiled.

"Good," she had nodded. "Because you're glowing. Things are looking good."

She continued to explain how she should eat in this next trimester and what to expect. And when she squirted the gel upon her tummy, Zhuri and Taj and Zayn all sat up as the swirling images of the baby came up on the ultrasound.

There were about two to four more weeks before the baby would be big enough to feel kick.

"There's your little avocado," the doctor laughs, joking about the infants size. She points to the screen. "There's the little head, and the little arms, and the little legs..."

"Damn," Taj laughs. "That's like..." He shakes his head. "Shit..."

Imani nods. There's a giant smile on her face. "Crazy, right?"

"Blowing me."

The doctor laughs. "I love watching new parents and family react to the ultrasounds," she giggles. "New family additions are exciting."

Zhuri sighs happily. "I can't wait to spoil her rotten."

Zayn elbows her. "Or him."

"Him," the doctor nods, "would be correct," and she points to a tiny appendage on the ultrasound. "See?"

"Aww fuck, my man's gonna be just like his uncle Taj!"

Justin takes out his phone, releasing Imani's hand only for a second to snap a picture.

He's smiling so big Zhuri thinks his cheeks might hurt.

"I," he begins, "am about to have a son."

And they're all joking and laughing, each of them marveling in the magnitude of this moment, as Zhuri texts her sister and her parents and snaps photos of their pregnant Imani.

"Ya' girl's about to have a little baby boy..."

"Here," and the doctor lifts her stethoscope over her neck and places the device around Imani's neck. "You can listen to his heartbeat."

And as she does, Zhuri giggles and shows Zayn all of her family's responses.

He wrinkles his nose adorably as the texts stream through. "Y'all have a group text as a family?"

She nods. "Don't tell me that's just a black thing."

Taj laughs. "It can't be."

"Wait, wait," Imani exclaims at once, grinning. She shakes the three from their conversation, "I want Zhuri to hear," and she smiles as Taj opens his mouth to protest, "and my brother. TJ, you too."

And Dr. Cunningham nods, handing over the stethoscope to Zhuri first.

She lifts the stethoscope to her ears, leaning over her sister's growing belly.

"Oh my god," and Zhuri wants to cry, because there's a small thump-thump, thump-thump, coming through the stethoscope.

Zayn frowns, running his hand comfortingly on her lower back, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she shakes her head, laughing away that bristle of tears. "Damn...It's a little baby heartbeat."

And she's still laughing, staring at her little baby nephew as she pulls the apparatus from her ears, handing it to her brother.

She's beaming, staring at Zayn. "Shit," she whispers, falling back against him and allowing Taj room to move around Imani. "That was like, the best sound I've heard all day."

And she giggles. Her eyes are wide and her manicured nails cover her mouth, and Zayn thinks that the best thing he's heard all day has been her.

It's definitely been her.

He keeps that thought to himself.

___

gotta be my fave chapter so far. i love this family together ngl