Page 51 of The Price of My Sins

“Good. If he keeps fucking with you, tell him your big brother is going to choke his ass.”

“Yes!” She flung her arms around me, and that shit felt weird but good. I had a sister. The shit was crazy to even fathom in my mind.

“Well!” My grandma smiled as she stood from her seat. “Let’s eat!”

As everyone walked into the kitchen, my mother stayed back. I already knew what was coming.

“Boris… I really am sorry. I love you, son. And I am going to do everything in my power to get what we had back to how it used to be.” She grabbed my face, pulled me down, and kissed me on the cheek.

“Ma, ain’t shit change. I’m gonna always love you. But check it. What’s good? Are you tryna get that old thing back?” I raised an eyebrow and nodded toward the kitchen, talking about Charles.

She dropped her head, trying to hide her blush. “Charles was my first love—the first man to show me what love was. He asked me out on a date. Does that bother you?”

“Nah. I just hope that nigga know how I’m coming behind my mama. Father or not, I’ll shoot his ass. No pun intended.” I shrugged my shoulders.

“Boy, let’s go on in here! And I made my daughter-in-law a plate, so you are not staying long. You need to be home in time to feed her and my grandbaby.”

“You ain’t gotta tell me twice. She texted me on my way here… talking about, “Don’t forget my plate, Bo.”” I mocked Olivia. “I swear… my baby greedy as fuck. Don’t tell her I said that.” I chuckled.

“I won’t,” she laughed. “But listen, I do need to ask you a favor.”

I already knew I was about to get roped into something.

“I need you to drive me upstate next week,” she said, smoothing out the folds in her skirt like she was trying to make the request sound casual. “I want to go visit my friend Tiny. She was my cellmate… we did time together.”

“What kind of name is, Tiny?”

“Boy hush!” She slapped me on my chest and laughed. “Tiny and I, we held each other down when the walls felt like they were closing in. You don’t come across loyalty like that often. Not inside, not out here either. I just want to make sure she’s doing okay. Hell, I owe her more than that. She helped keep me sane in a place built to break you. You don’t forget folks like that.”

“Okay. I got you.” I kissed her on her forehead.

As we all ate together as a family full of holes and second chances, trying to figure out what healing looked like when the truth finally came to light, I was grateful for all that had occurred—the good, bad, and ugly.

Six months later

Today was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life. Lexi and Denim were throwing me a gender reveal. But instead of being excited like everybody else, I was sitting in front of my closet, feeling all types of frustration.

Nothing seemed to fit. Not one damn thing, and that pissed me off. It was as if my stomach blew up overnight. The new shirts I bought last month either are too tight, too short, or make me look like a busted can of biscuits.

Lately, all I’ve been doing is eating and sleeping. That’s if I wasn’t online looking for a building for my dance studio. It had always been my dream to open a space where girls like me could come and feel safe, where we could dance our pain out, sweat through heartbreak, and move like we had a purpose.

I quit dancing at the club the moment I found out that I was pregnant. It was time. I was getting bored with it anyway. But what surprised me was that Bo didn’t press me about going back after I had our baby. Never once had he looked down on me, nor had he made me feel any way about me being a stripper when he found out what I did for a living.

I loved that man. He is my knight in shining armor.

I stared at the pile of clothes on my bed, outfits I thought would work, just lying there, mocking me. Meanwhile, everybody was already at the venue, probably laughing, drinking, and waiting to pop balloons and scream “Team Boy” or “Team Girl” while I was up here having a hormonal breakdown.

I ran my hands over my belly, letting out a deep sigh. “You better be cute.” I giggled, talking to my unborn child. “’Cause you already got ya mama out here feeling like a stuffed turkey.”

I shuffled back to the mirror and caught my reflection. Eyes puffy from annoyance, edges sweating out from stress, belly big and bold like it had its own personality—my reflection was one of a hormonal first-time mom. I didn’t feel beautiful. I didn’t feel glowy. I felt huge.

As I attempted to find anything to wear, a knock came at the door.

“Liv, you good?” It was Lexi. “We are waiting on you!”

“Don’t play with me, Lexi!” I snapped, then groaned. “Sorry, boo. I’m coming.” I pouted.

“Aww! Boo, why the long face?”

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