Warning: This chapter may have some content that may be triggering, please proceed with caution.
The room is pretty quiet right now. I guess everyone is trying to process all of the information we just got. I don't know how I'm going to tell Key when she wakes up. I know she is going to be emotional. I'm debating if it would be better to wait. Give her time to heal.
My parents are still here and something is going on between the two of them. Aiden came in right when the doctors were leaving. I filled him in on everything. He's a good friend, like my brother actually. He's been holding things down for me with Lay and I appreciate him for that.
"Ace, I appreciate you being here man. I really do. Thanks for always showing up."
"We are brothers. I'm always gon' have your back no matter what, just like I know you will have mine."
He's right. We have always been there for each other. He's going to be the godfather to my child with Lay. It's crazy, I still don't know what she's having and I feel guilty. I know I have not been there for her. Now that I think about it, I haven't treated Lay's pregnancy the same as I have Keys.
I've spent hours talking to Asia while she was in Key's stomach. I did with Lay, but not as much as I should have. How in the hell did I let this happen? How have I put more time into my kids with Key than I have with my child with Lay? I even missed one of her check-ups to go to Keith's football tryouts. She was a little put off by it but she wasn't upset because it had to do with Keith. I haven't realized until this moment that it wasn't just Layla I was skipping out on.
"How was the shower? Can y'all tell me if I'm finally having my boy or not?"
Aiden takes a deep breath and looks over at my dad and he looks at my mom.
"What, did Tiff tell you not to tell me?"
"The shower was great bro. Everyone had a good time. Layla enjoyed herself. I took some photos, I was going to send them to you but I didn't want to complicate things."
He pulls out his phone and hands it to me. The first photo is of Layla and Kino walking together and she looks beautiful. She has on a purple and teal maxi dress with a split up the side, showing some of her thigh and there's a deep v-cut neckline but it doesn't reveal too much. Her bump is sitting just right. She doesn't have on any make-up and I prefer her not to. She's a goddess walking the earth. She's beyond beautiful.
There's a photo of her with the twins, then Tiffany and Lela, and with Aiden, Ry'lo, and my cousins. Tiff went all out with the decorations. I can only imagine what her games were like. Going through the photos I see Lay enjoying herself with both our families. I see her and Grandpa eating barbecue next to each other. My grandpa is a foodie just like she is. He'll pick at her the whole time asking her where all the food is going because she never grows, but he's constantly adding more food. He loves her, my grandma does too.
I smile at a photo of her by herself sitting in this huge chair that's three times her size. She has her legs crossed and her right leg is fully exposed up to mid thigh. There's no denying my wife is sexy as fuck. She has a genuine smile on her face and she has her hand on her belly. The flower in her hair makes her look even more like a Samoan goddess. I sent the picture to my phone. I haven't seen her smile like that in a while now.
The next photo is like a slap in the face. She is in a room alone sitting in a chair looking out in space, she's crying. I have a feeling I'm the cause of those tears. I didn't mean to upset her today. I wish I was able to be there and just hold her.
"When was this one taken?"
"That was before the reveal. I wanted to send you that picture so you could see what I saw on your wedding night, but then I got your message."
I knew she was going to be hurt but I didn't know it would be like this. She looks like she is struggling with a lot of emotions in that photo and none of them are happy. It's all my fault.
"I know I said some things I shouldn't have said earlier, is that what she was upset about?"
"June, don't you think it's enough going on right now? Let's talk about all of this tomorrow. Right now just focus on baby girl."
My dad is trying to avoid it so it must have been bad. I'm kind of pissed that they don't just come out and tell me.
"What Asia's going through is a lot to handle, Pops. This is taking my mind off of that for a moment. I hurt Lay today and I'm just concerned. Do you see how she looks in this photo? I didn't mean to upset her like this."
Aiden's phone goes off with a message. I look down and see it is from Tiff, asking if he can show them to the waiting room. I'm concerned because Lay does not need to be here right now.
"Please tell me you did not tell Lay what's going on. You know she is going to want to stay here and I don't want her to feel some type of way when I go to see Key. And you know Key will act a fool knowing she's here."
"Man, calm down. It's just Tiff, Lela, and Ry'lo. Lay isn't with them. I'm going to go and bring them over, you know how Tiff gets."
He grabs his phone and walks out. My mother is now looking like she is about to have a panic attack. The fuck happened.
"What's going on Mama? You have been quiet this whole time. What are y'all not telling me?"
My mom looks at me but quickly looks down. My dad is staring at her like he's just disappointed. Did she get caught cheating again?
"June, it's not the best time right now, but we will let you know once things settle down."
I look at my mom. There's a knock on the door before everyone walks in. My attention is on my mom because this is unlike her. She turns to see who is entering and I see that her face looks swollen on the other side. Somebody is about to tell me something.
"Mama, what the hell happened to your face? And I don't want to hear that shit about it not being the right time. Did some nigga put his hands on you?"
Tiff laughs.
"Yeah some nigga being her husband because she doesn't know how to keep her mouth closed."
"Peach, watch it. You know I won't hesitate to correct you when you step out of line right?"
"I'm sorry Pops but he needs to know what happened before he finds out through social media or Monica's loud ass mouth."
She looks over to me with sad eyes. Tiff is a pain in my ass majority of the time, but I always want my baby sister to be all smiles.
"Ken, I love you more than anything because you are my big brother but you are a dumbass. If you ever ignore my calls again I'll drag your ass behind my car, understand? I'm sorry my niece is going through all of this and I'm praying for her to get better so that I can spoil her. Me and Nya have been waiting for her to join the crew."
Pain in my ass but she's my rock at times. I couldn't help but hold her tight when she walked over and hugged me. She held on tight too.
"Now you know I'm going to tell you everything but since we are in this hospital, you have to promise not to lose your shit."
"I'm not trying to get kicked out of here Tiff, my daughter and Key are still here."
"Okay, remember that. The shower was great even though it would have been better if you were there for Lay. Anyhow, your ratchet ass family showed up and showed their ass. It was stupid though because they had stayed and participated almost until the end. If you ask me, they did the shit on purpose.
Monica was leading the pack wanting to know why you weren't there. They didn't need to know, it wasn't their business. But your family just couldn't take that for an answer. One thing led to another and they started throwing jabs at Lay about how she was stupid for staying with you, how you had your real family in a million dollar mansion, and you were only playing house with Lay when you felt like it.
Oh and let's not forget they bought a bunch of disrespectful gifts. It didn't stop there though. They told her how they talk about her behind her back with your mother and how she believes that Lay is a gold digger."
I look at my mom and she is crying. Why? She wasn't the one who got hurt by all this bullshit. That's probably why my dad hit her ass.
"You would have been proud of Layla. She held her own this time. Don't get me wrong I love how my girl ignores the shit out of those hoes, making their blood boil. But this time, she clapped back.
Have you ever seen a proper person diss the fuck out of someone? My baby let them know that she's responsible for their livelihood and can snatch that shit away with the blink of an eye. Oh, and Lela may have knocked Monica's ass out. She deserved it.
Your stupid ass friend wouldn't let me go because I would have beat all their asses. Your mother and Lay -"
She was cut off by my dad. Now he's pissing me off.
"June, I told you that I will tell you everything later. Peach, you know everything that is going on, don't make it worse. I'm not trying to keep it away from you but trust me when I tell you this is not the time for you to find out about all of this."
"Pops, when will be the right time? When Key wakes up I'm sure she isn't going to let me do a damn thing. I already fucked over Lay by not showing up and going off on her earlier. Let me at least try to make something right for her."
"The fuck did you just say? You went off on who? I know you didn't just say you went off on my bestie, who is pregnant with your fucking child. Pops is right, it's not the time right now but I'm knocking you in yo shit as SOON as you step outside this hospital."
Great, now I'm going to have to shoot baby Mike. I can't fight my sister. She's savage with her hands and my dad will beat my ass even though she would have started it.
"Tiff, I'm already beating my own ass. It wasn't how you think. I had Lay, Mama, and Key all coming at me from different ways. I kept telling her that I couldn't come to the shower because of complications and she wouldn't stop talking about it. Key was whining every five minutes and stressing Asia the fuck out, and Mama was being Mama.
Lay was just the person I was talking to when I finally snapped. I told her to cancel the shower and I'll make it up to her but not in a very nice way. She told me she loved me, congratulated me on Asia's birth, and hung up. I know that was her way of saying fuck you. I tried calling her back to apologize but she must have turned the phone off."
Ry'lo and Aiden shake their heads. Lela looks ready to pop my ass like they say she did Monica and Tiff is planning where to dump my body. Aiden is the one to speak up.
"You are my best friend and I'm always gon' be a hundred with you. You deserve to get your ass beat. Lay has been by your side through all this bullshit and you should have never got out of line with her. You keep this stupid shit up and you're gon' lose her for good. On everything I love, if you disrespect her like that again then I'm on your ass. You don't have to worry about Tiff, the twins, or anyone else. I'm the nigga that's taking you out, understand?"
"I understand Aiden and that's why you are my best friend because I know you will check me when needed. I know I was wrong and I feel like shit. I wasn't making any excuses, I was just telling y'all what happened."
This is why I know Lay is always safe with this crew. They always have her back, no matter who or what.
"Pops, I know you want to wait until later, and even though I don't want to wait; I will. Just tell me that Lay is okay and I'm good. I'll check on her tomorrow."
"Lani is getting some overdue rest. My uncles are with her. Right now you need to focus on your baby girl. We have been praying for healing and recovery. I don't know if you remember or not but RJ was born prematurely. We know how you are feeling right now. Just know that prayer works and changes things even in the darkest moments. No matter what we are here with you. We want you to know that."
Lela is like a sister to Lay and I know she hates how I treat her. For Lela to say that just broke a nigga down. I'm not going to cry in front of all these grown ass men.
"Thanks Lela it means a lot. I did forget about RJ going through his own struggles. Now that I'm facing the same with Asia, I just want to say that I'm sorry you had to go through it. Not knowing that Asia is going to be alright, is the worst feeling ever. You both have my respect because you had to be strong as hell."
Ry'lo speaks this time.
"Like she said brother, prayer. Lots of it and having family around that truly supported us and our little warrior. Without those two things we would have broken and crumbled into nothing. Keep your head up."
This is Layla's family. They have big hearts and are very supportive through anything worth supporting. This is just another reason why I am kicking my own ass. I don't deserve her or them as family.
"Kenneth, can I speak with you outside? Alone."
My mom stands up looking straight at me. My dad stands up as well as grabs her by her arm. Not rough or anything but firm.
"Brenda, it's not the time. Please. He's going through enough already. His child, that hasn't even been in this world for over five hours yet is having problems. Keisha is still in the danger zone. And he's also concerned about his wife. Enough is enough. We will deal with the rest later.
I've never asked you for anything, I've done everything to make you happy and it has never been enough. I've loved you more than this world can comprehend, to never get it back in return. All I'm asking for right now is that you give our son a chance to breathe before you drop more shit on him."
I want to know what the fuck is going on. I've never heard my dad plead with my mom like this before.
"Okay Rome, you're right. Kenneth, baby boy I need you to know that I do love you. With everything in me, it's just hard to show sometimes. It's not you, it's me. I'll be praying for both Keisha and Asia. I know she's beautiful. Everything will be okay, she's a fighter like her dad. I'm sorry about everything that happened today. There is one thing you need to know now rather than later though. I'll tell you because I'm sure no one else will until later. Layla is also in the hospital."
I look at my dad because this can't be true. What the hell has been going on today? Lord, please let her and my child be okay.
"She is in the hospital but she is fine. She hasn't been resting properly and her body is exhausted. The ER doctor gave her something so she can sleep. The baby wasn't affected at all. I swear to you she is fine, brother."
Ry'lo gives me an update. I know I really screwed everything up with her today. I need to see her.
"I need to go see her. I need to be there with her. What room is she in?"
Aiden is the one to speak up this time.
"We told you earlier that she's with the twins. Right now they are not happy with your choices. Let's just leave her for the rest of the night and I promise I will go with you first thing in the morning to see her."
"I don't need a fucking bodyguard Ace. I appreciate you for everything but I was grown enough to do all this shit to hurt her. I'm damn sure grown enough to face the twins on my own to make sure my wife and child are okay."
"Well I'm glad to hear that determination in your voice Ken. I know my baby cousin would be proud to hear it as well. But you need to listen to everyone, the time is not right. Kehlani is fine. The baby is fine. We are not hiding any information from you about her well-being. They are fine, she just needs rest.
Uncle Kino needs this time with his daughter. She's fine but when Kehlani passed out, his mind went straight back to when he found his wife. Everyone in this room can attest to that. I know you are worried about her but he needs his daughter and his brother right now. They'll be by her side until you are able to go later. Just give them some time together. Please. Besides, she's resting. You won't be able to talk to her."
She's in tears and it breaks my heart. I consider everyone in this room family and Lela is like a sister to me. I hate seeing any of the women in my life upset. Especially because of me.
"Come here Lela."
I walk towards her and open my arms. I embrace her when she walks in.
"I promise you that I love Layla. I do. I know that I don't show it because of my actions. I wish I could explain it but I can't. This is the first time I'm going to be fully honest with myself and everyone else. You may not believe me but what I'm going to say is the truth. I swear on my sweet baby girl that's upstairs.
I love Layla with everything in me and I never wanted to hurt her. I just love Key just as much. I know it's stupid but I love them both. It's always been an equal but it's just easier to fall into step with Key. I guess it's due to our history but it does not make my love for Lay come up short.
Lay is more independent and strong-willed than Key. I step up more for Key because she is the most vulnerable of the two. Trust me when I say I hurt myself more than I hurt Lay when I spoke to her like that today. I wanted to make things right and I wanted her to be able to celebrate our baby without all of the drama and memories of the past. When I couldn't find a solution for that and protect her from that pain, I just had my own breakdown and in the moment I let my emotions and frustrations get the best of me.
I hate that I can't be true to her and be the husband she always dreamed of. I try every day. There's a pull between both of them and it's a war every morning. Some mornings Lay's side wins but more mornings Key's side does. And that's simply because I see Layla as the stronger side between the two. I'll die before I let anything happen to Lay. It does not matter the circumstances because I know she's worth it, always has been and always will be.
When I thought Key was dying today, I realized just how much of an asshole I have been loving both women and just how unfair it's been to both. I swore that I would make things right somehow. I don't know what it entails but I want to do right by Lay and Key. I'll make it right, I promise. I just need to get everyone secure before I make any moves.
I never wanted to be the cause of Kino being in a place where he thought he was losing his child after losing the love of his life. I'll give them as much time as he needs. I'm sure he wants Lay with him and honestly I don't want to object to that. I can't be there for her to make sure she's being taken care of correctly. She deserves to be cared for properly and our baby. I can't do that full time so whatever he decides I'll agree. I just want to be able to spend some time with her before she leaves. I need to explain things to her myself. She does not need to hear it from anyone else."
They are all looking at me like I have grown a second head. Everyone is quiet until my dad speaks up.
"June, I'm so proud to call you my son. You have been being a bitch ass nigga for a while now and I was getting ready to disown your ass. You just redeemed yourself. You are finally becoming a man. The man that I raised a long time ago but you somehow lost sight of. That's the right decision. I'm glad you came to that conclusion on your own. I just knew I was going to have to watch the twins beat your ass. And I was. LaysChip needs just as much care as Keisha and Asia. She's carrying your child and she should not be under this amount of stress. Just like the doctors said with Keisha.
We all know you love Lay, hell we all knew you had something for Purple Kesh too. It's not news. That's the only reason you are still walking without having your ass handed to you. The twins would have knocked your ass off. This is real growth, finally hearing it out your mouth especially in front of her blood. I'm really proud of you."
Ry'lo and Aiden agree. Lela hugs me tighter and Tiff joins in. It isn't much but it's a start. I just hope they are this supportive when everything goes down. Someone is going to be hurt regardless. I thought I had a solid plan earlier but now my feelings are jumbled. I never want Layla to hurt like this. When they said she's here in the hospital I felt that same feeling like when I was losing Key. It wasn't as strong but it was there and I don't want to feel it again.