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  “Yes, I do understand you but she has caused enough damage. It’s time for her to be laid to rest.”

  “That can happen as long as your grandfather is alive. He would be devastated if he found out that any of us had something to do with her death. Unlike the rest of us, he does love her and would never forgive us for taking her out.”

  “This is the first time that I wish grandfather would pass away then.”

  “Aaliyah!” I screamed her name out so loud, I had to put my head down. Once everybody stopped looking in our direction I continued talking but in a much quieter tone. “What has gotten into you? I’ve never seen this side of you before.”

  “I apologize. Remembering everything she put our family through made me snap.”

  “Are you sure that’s all it is?”

  “Yes. Seeing Maya come in with that smug look on her face, it brought back memories of all the havoc she’s caused to our family. Going as far back to when she kidnapped me as a baby but has never been punished for it then add that with grandfather’s condition, the stress got to me.”

  “Sometimes I forget you’re so aware of everything she’s put this family through. I should’ve done more to protect you,” I said, hugging my daughter.

  “Don’t blame yourself. You were a victim of her deceit just like everyone else. If only grandfather would realize that she’s poison.”

  If my Father did make a full recovery I hoped for the same thing. Everything Aaliyah said about Maya was true although I never realized until today that her hatred for Maya ran so deep. I too despised her but I resigned myself to not make any decisions on whether Maya would live or die until I found out my Father’s fate. Then and only then would a decision be made.

  When Aaliyah and I arrived at my apartment on Fifth Avenue and 102nd Street, I couldn’t help but notice a black tinted SVU parked directly across the street. I think the SUV stood out so much because the tint was dark to a point that you weren’t able to see who was inside. Due to my line of work it made me uneasy.

  “I meant to ask you, how do you like staying in the city compared to living in New Jersey?”

  “I still stay at the house in Jersey frequently especially when Xavier comes to visit. But running Quentin’s business and working with Genesis so closely it made sense to get a place in the city. I do like it though and it’s very convenient.”

  “You picked a great location and the views of Central Park are amazing.”

  “Yeah they are,” I responded halfway listening to Aaliyah while watching the SUV across the street.

  “Mom, is everything okay? You seem to be distracted.” Ignoring Aaliyah’s question I began reaching in my purse to retrieve my gun as I noticed the backdoor to the SUV opening.

  “Aaliyah, take my keys and go inside. Call Genesis and let him know there might be a problem and wait for me.”

  “I’m not leaving you out here by yourself. Is that a gun I see in your purse.are you in some type of danger?”

  “Go inside,” I demanded in a low voice, not wanting to alert whoever was in the SUV that I was preparing for battle.

  “If you have another gun then give it to me.” I had to do a double take to make sure I heard Aaliyah correctly. “Do you have another gun? We can take down whoever that is together.” Before I could drill Aaliyah about when in the hell she started shooting guns I heard a car door slam which made me divert my attention away from my daughter and back across the street. “Daddy, it’s daddy!” Aaliyah beamed, running across the street to greet her Father.

  “What is Supreme doing here?” I asked myself out loud, while putting my gun back in my purse. I didn’t have long to figure out the answer because nervousness took over me. I had talked to Supreme several times on the phone, mainly about the kids but I hadn’t seen him in months. For the last few times Xavier came to visit his Grandparent’s brought him to the house. I figured that’s who he was with since he wasn’t with Supreme.

  “Precious, how are you holding up? Aaliyah told me about your father.”

  “I called daddy yesterday when I was on my way to the airport. I was concerned about you but I had no idea he was going to come,” Aaliyah smiled, visibly excited that he did.

  “I wanted to check up on you. I know you had gotten closer to Quentin in the last couple years so

  you must be going through a tough time.”

  “Thank you for your concern. Xavier didn’t come with you?”

  “No he’s in LA with my parents. They were visiting and I didn’t want him to miss school. Plus, I wasn’t ready to tell Xavier that his grandfather had taken a turn for the worse. I wanted to wait and find out what was going on first before I upset him.”

  “I think that was the right choice. Come on lets go inside. I think we’ve been talking on the street corner long enough.”

  “How long have you been living in the Museum Mile building?”

  “Isn’t it beautiful, daddy? It almost makes me want to get a place here.”

  “If that means you would move back to New York I would get it for you.”

  “I know you would, mother, but for now I’m good in Miami. You’ll be the first I tell though if I change my mind.”

  “To answer your question, Supreme, I’ve been here for about six months now. I just wanted to have a place in the city too for convenience.”

  “It makes sense.”

  “Come over here and look at the incredible Central Park views,” Aaliyah boasted, taking her dad’s hand and leading him over to the impressive windows when we walked into the apartment.

  Having Supreme here and seeing him with

  Aaliyah brought me this nostalgic feeling. For the first time in so long I felt like we were a family again and a glimmer of hope ensued me. Was there even a slight chance that Supreme and I could live as husband and wife again? If there were, I would do anything possible to make it come true.

  “Aaliyah didn’t exaggerate, this view really is incredible,” Supreme said, when I walked near them.

  “Yeah, it was one of the main reasons I decided to get the place, that and the beautiful master bedroom layout.”

  “Mom, you should give dad a tour of the place. I would do it but I have to head out.”

  “You are coming back?”

  “Don’t be silly, of course I’m coming back. But call me if you need me,” Aaliyah grinned, grabbing her purse and cell phone. “Dad, how long are you going to be here?”

  “For a few days.”

  “Great, I’ll be back.” Aaliyah gave Supreme and I a kiss on the cheek and seemed to disappear in an instant.

  “It’s hard to believe that’s the same little girl that wouldn’t go to sleep unless I read her favorite bedtime story over and over again. Now she’s walking out the door like the world is hers and she doesn’t need anybody else in it,” Supreme sighed, as if he wished he could go back in time.

  “I know what you mean. Aaliyah will always be my baby but a couple of times today she reminded me that she is no longer my little girl.”

  “What happened?”

  “Just her reaction to a few things, she’s become so headstrong.”

  “I wonder where she gets that from,” Supreme smirked.

  “I know and this might sound weird but she reminded me of the old Precious. You know the one from the Brooklyn projects which is strange since she doesn’t know anything about that life or who I was back then.”

  “That does sound weird. Aaliyah is nothing like that and not saying you were a bad person back then, but you were different then how you are now. When we first met, man, talk about a handful. I didn’t know how or if I would be able to calm you down.” “I wasn’t that bad…Yes I was,” we both laughed. “Remember that time when we had been dating for a while but weren’t officially a couple. I was late to your concert and missed it, so I went to where you were having the after party. When I got there I found you talking to some girl and completely flipped out. I thought I was going to kill you and her.” “How
can I forget? That night we made love for the first time.”

  “I remember. I just knew we would be together forever. You truly are the love of my life.”

  “And you are mine but we can’t go back, things

  change.”

  “You’re right they do but it isn’t too late for us to start a new chapter of our life. We can create new memories ones that are even more beautiful and we can do it together.”

  “Precious, I love you. Even after I found out about Lorenzo and I hated you for what you had done, I still loved you and I will always love you but it’s too late for us. Too much has happened.”

  “I don’t believe that’s true. What we share is deeper than just love. We’ve been through so much together and I don’t think we’ll ever be truly happy apart. Supreme, we can make this work.”

  “The thing is I don’t want to make it work. I want to move on with my life without you in it except when it comes to Aaliyah and Xavier.”

  “What about you being here now, checking up on me out of concern.”

  “I’ll always be concerned about you, you’re the mother of my children. Aaliyah didn’t ask me to come but when she called I could hear in her voice how worried she was for you. If my daughter is worried that makes me worried.”

  “So you only came to see me because of Aaliyah.” My voiced cracked and I turned away not wanting Supreme to see how crushed I was by his revelation.

  “I’m not trying to hurt you, Precious, I’m only being honest. It’s time for you to let go and accept that we’re never getting back together. Our marriage is over.”

  My knees felt weak and for a second I thought they were going to give out. Supreme had dealt a blow to my heart that I wasn’t sure I would recover from. But as shattered as my insides felt, I managed to yank out some strength from within. I walked over to my desk, pulled out a pen and then faced the open window, taking in the view that brought me so much peace. I thought of a quote that I tried to live my life by: God give me strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. With those powerful words engulfing my heart, my soul and my mind, I did the right thing. I signed the divorce papers.

  “I would never want you to be tied to me when you’re ready to be free. So here you go,” I said, handing Supreme the signed divorce papers. “I’m giving you your freedom but in my heart a part of us will always be husband and wife. Goodbye, Supreme.”

  Aaliyh

  When I left my Mother’s place, not only did I need some fresh air but I also needed time alone to place an important phone call. I had already done so and I was waiting for them to call me back. In the meantime, it gave me a moment to reflect back on my encounter with Maya. I was furious that she knew I was in Miami which only meant she had been tracking my whereabouts. I didn’t believe for one second that she so happened to see me out there a few weeks ago and the thought of her stalking my moves had my blood boiling. It took everything for me not to smack her all upside her head in my Grandfather’s hospital room, but out of respect for him I held back.

  I could tell my Mother was dumbfounded by my spit fire demeanor towards Maya but she had no idea that crazy sister of hers had set me up to be killed. Maya hired Peaches, somebody I thought was a friend to do her dirty work and it almost worked.

  As much as I wanted to share that information with my Mother I couldn’t. It would open up too many questions I had no desire to answer. I wasn’t ready for my Mother or any of my family to learn about my other life as a drug Queen Pin. They would never accept my decision to enter the world of distributing drugs and I couldn’t blame them. What parent would want their child to follow a path of crime that normally ended with either jail or death? But of course being who I am, I was determined to be the exception to the rule and beat those odds. Before I could delve deeper into my visions of being the Head Bitch In Charge, the call I had been waiting for came through.

  “What up, Clap! I have something very important I need you to put in the works immediately.”

  “No problem. That’s what I’m here for. Do I need to call Dale for the details?”

  “Nope. You’ll be dealing directly with me on this and I don’t want you discussing it with Dale or anybody else. Of course you’ll be paid generously for your services and for your discretion.”

  “Say no more. Let me know what you need.” As I sat on the bench in Central Park, the serene sounds of the chirping birds, the cool wind breeze that calmed the sun and the aroma of fresh flowers filling the spring air couldn’t eliminate the darkness I was about to create.

  “You were already sleep when I got home and you didn’t come out your room until late today. Does that mean you and daddy had a makeup session?” I inquired as my Mom and I stood in the kitchen nibbling on some seedless grapes. “Come on, don’t be shy, you can tell me,” I pried, with a mischievous smile on my face.

  “I wish I could tell you we did but instead I signed the divorce papers and gave them to him.”

  “What!” I bawled, shocked by what she revealed. “But it seemed like old times yesterday before I left, what happened?”

  “I thought so too. I honestly had myself believing we were going to get back together.what a fool I turned out to be.”

  “You’re not a fool, daddy is just stubborn. I know you’ve made some mistakes but so has he. You’ve always forgiven him and I really thought after some time he would forgive you too. Men really are different than women I guess.”

  “And that is the lesson to be learned, when you decide to settle down and walk down the aisle. Men’s egos don’t allow them to be as forgiving as women. I pushed your father too far and now he wants a clean break so I gave it to him.”

  “I know that must’ve killed you inside.”

  “I’m not gonna lie to you, it did hurt. It was a pain I hadn’t felt in a very long time. I had a few glasses of wine, went to bed early and cried myself to sleep.”

  “You should’ve called me. I would’ve been here for you.”

  “I’m a grown woman and I had to get through this pain on my own. Always remember, Aaliyah, if it doesn’t break you it will make you stronger. I love your father and I always will but part of growing up and being mature is knowing when it’s time to let go. Now enough of feeling sorry for me! Get your purse we’re going to do some extreme therapy shopping. Which means, spend all the money you can buying new shit to help heal your broken heart.”

  “That’s the type of therapy I’m talkin’ ‘bout!” “I knew you would be game! Before we tear down every designer boutique in the city we have to make a quick stop to Genesis’s place to drop off this paperwork he needs.”

  “No problem lets go.” Going with my Mother to see Genesis worked out perfect. I had wanted to see Amir since I got here but felt awkward about calling him because I hadn’t figured out what I wanted to say. But hopefully he would be there and us seeing each other for the first time in a casual setting instead of a planned meeting will make both of us more comfortable. There was only one way to find out and I was looking forward to it.

  When we arrived at Genesis’s place a twinge of anticipation hit me. I knew I missed Amir, but stepping into their penthouse brought back so many great memories. Before we fell in love we were the best of friends. It also reminded me of that day that changed the course of all our lives. The argument I had with Amir while discussing our feelings for each other and Justina heard it all. I would have never thought that one conversation would’ve cost me over a year in jail, Sway’s death and eventually changed the course of my life, of wanting to be a happy go lucky college girl to relishing in a life of crime.

  “Aaliyah, it’s so good to see you again, first in Miami and now right here in my home. I had no idea you were in town.”

  “I came to be with my grandfather.”

  “I’m actually going to see Quentin later on today. I know the doctor is saying things aren’t looking good but don’t count your grandfather
out. He’s a warrior and since I’m a betting man, I’ma put my money on him to pull through.”

  “I hope you’re right,” I said hugging Genesis. In the middle of our embrace I spotted Lorenzo walk out and couldn’t help but notice the way my Mother’s eyes lit up. As much as she loved my Father she most

  definitely had genuine feelings for Lorenzo.

  “Hello, Precious and hi, Aaliyah.” We both spoke back to him at the same time. I remember having so much animosity towards Lorenzo because I blamed him for my parents breaking up but without even trying that disdain went away all on it’s own. Maybe because I had to admit to myself that my parent’s marriage was broken long before Lorenzo stepped in the picture, which is why the affair probably started in the first place.

  “Precious, if you don’t mind can I speak with you for a moment, in private?”

  “Sure.” My Mom followed Lorenzo to the back and my nosey self would’ve given anything to hear that conversation.

  “I know how you feel about Lorenzo, but he really is a good man.”

  “I’m over all of that. I have no room to judge anybody. My mother has the right to make her own decisions about her love life.”

  “That I wasn’t expecting you to say.” Genesis gave me the most peculiar look and I was tempted to laugh until my smile turned into a frown when Amir walked through the front door. He was holding hands with some girl. I think I had figured out the color of her toe nail polish to the shade of her lip- gloss all within a matter of seconds. That’s how thoroughly I critiqued her.

  “Aaliyah…” Amir said my name in an almost muted tone that faded off at the end. I refused to let my shock rattle me. I put on a million dollar smile and pranced right up to him and to the girl I assumed was his girlfriend and spoke.

  “Hi, Amir it’s good to see you.” Then I glanced over at the undeniable pretty girl he was holding hands with. “I’m Aaliyah, and you are?”

  “Latreese.”

  “Nice to meet you, Latreese.”