Bernice
A Couple of Days Later

I was laying in the bed with Dave as he watched tv. I wasn't really watching. Dave always watched those stupid shows like American Dad, The Cleveland Show, and Family Guy. My phone started ringing playing Step Daddy by Hitman Sammy Sam. I did it as a joke, but never changed it. I rapped along to the words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t194dayW26w

Dave laughed saying, "You're trifling for that!" I chuckled again hitting answer then putting it to my ear as I sat up.

"Hey, TomTom!" He did a light chuckle then sighed. I wouldn't say I'm close to my step father, but we're cool now. He made it an effort to keep me up to date about my mother even when I didn't care. He would even check on me every so often. "What's wrong?"

"I have some bad news...Benita, your mother-" he stopped. I was growing impatient. He cleared his throat then finally said, "She passed away this morning. I would've called sooner but...I wanted to tell you to come because they knew it was getting close, so you could have one last moment, but she said no. I wanted to respect her wishes. I'm sorry, Bernice."

Really everything he said went in one ear then out the other. I was just trying to process it all. "I don't understand. I thought she was getting better, Thomas."

"We thought so too. Then a couple of days ago it just got really bad and that was it." I could hear his voice get shaky. "Um, I'm arranging the funeral, so don't worry. I'm looking around maybe this Sunday if that's fine with you..." It was currently Monday.

"Um, I'm fine with whatever you decide. Just let me know if you need anything, like money. I can help."

"Thank you for the offer, but I think I'll be okay with money. I'll talk to you later. Take care, Bernice."

"Yeah, you too." I hung up just sitting there. I couldn't tell if I was sad or not. For pretty much my whole childhood I wished she would kick rocks now she actually has and it happens right after me and her get on good terms. I felt Dave touch my shoulder to get my attention.

"Why are you crying? What happened?" He asked as I looked at him.

"Huh?" I said touching my face. Sure enough it was a little bit wet. It was literally only two tears. "That was my mom's husband. She died."

"Are you serious? I'm so sorry, babe."

"It's okay. I'm okay."

"Are you sure? You don't have to pretend. I know you guys had a bad relationship, but-"

I cut him off. "Dave, am I bad person for not feeling bad? This is my mother we're talking about. Somebody who birthed me. She sacrificed a lot for me and..." I paused, "It doesn't effect me. The only thing I'm sad about is that she would never get to see our babies, but that's it. Nothing else."

He pulled me to him. I laid my head on his chest as he rubbed my back. "I understand why you would feel that way. I think you still had an underlying resentment towards her and I don't blame you. Your mother did some things right and a lot of wrong. There's no right or wrong way to feel or even grieve. If and when you ever wanna cry about it just let it out. Don't hold it in."

I nodded my head. "I always used to wonder why on investigation shows they would say someone must be guilty because they didn't act like they were grieving. So stupid. Everybody's different. Just because when they come out of the house and act normal doesn't mean they don't cry behind closed doors."

"That's relevant and true, but so random." He chuckled.

"I said that because I want to watch Snapped. Can I have the remote? It's my turn!"

He laughed, "You are really something else! You can watch anything, BUT Snapped. All that does is give you ideas of what not to do when you want to murder me."

I laughed, "You might be right, you might be wrong. I wouldn't kill you myself anyway. I'd hire somebody, now give me the remote!" I reached for it, but he held it in the air. I rolled on top of him snatching the remote from his grips.

"Did you just Ninja roll on top of me with your fat ass?! I couldn't breathe under all that weight, damn!" He clutched onto his chest trying to catch his breath. I bust out laughing.

"You're so mean! I'm fat because there's three of me," I said pouting.

"I'm just kidding. You're not fat...yet. Right now you're a little fluffy."

"I know I'm not fat. The doctor said I'm actually really small to be carrying twins. I'm still fine, so it don't matter!" I said getting on all fours twerking. He laughed hitting my butt getting up from the bed.

"You're a mess. I need to get ready to head to the studio. Are you gonna be okay by yourself?"

"Yeah, Dave. Why wouldn't I be?" He looked at me. I sighed, "I'm fine, seriously. I'll call Brittany or Toya to come over."

"Are you sureee?" I rolled my eyes. If I said it once that's what I meant and he knows that.

"I said I'm fine! Go work! If you don't make music then you don't get booked for shows. You don't get booked, no money. We need money..." I pointed to my stomach, "Daddy! Now go!"

He laughed coming over kissing my forehead, my lips, then my stomach. "I love you. I'll be back by midnight."

"I love you too." He grabbed his phone then left.

Dave
NYC, Studio

I walked into the studio expecting to only see Buddha because that's usually the only person I have with me. I didn't need an engineer or a group of people. I just needed my producer, paper and a pen. Instead I saw Buddha, Mack Wilds, and Trey Songz. I haven't seen Trey in a year and a half. Anytime his team would ask me to come perform with him I would turn it down. Essentially I was turning down money, but I had no more respect for him. I sighed putting my MCM backpack on the table taking my MacBook out. "I know he see us," I could hear Mack say. "Wassup, Dave!" I looked in their direction.

"Wassup," I said dryly. I turned towards Buddha, "You got that beat you played me the other day? I wanna write to it." He nodded his head up and down. "Y'all staying or leaving?" I asked turning towards Mack and Trey.

"Damn, it's like that now?" Mack said.

"It's like that towards the person you decided to bring with you. I don't fuck with him."

"I'm right here. You can address me," Trey piped up.

"Mack, tell Trey I said I address who the fuck I want. Tell him and his fucked up eyebrows to leave my studio session." I think Bernice's pettiness is rubbing off on me. I could hear Buddha snickering. He covered it up by clearing his throat.

"He knows my eyebrows are like this because of scars. Why he gotta go there? With that Helga from Hey, Arnold! unibrow!" Trey said quietly to Mack. I took my notebook out throwing it on the table then sitting down.

"Just be the bigger person." Mack 'whispered' back. These niggas can't whisper for shit.

"Congratulations on getting married to Bernice." I looked up from my laptop looking at him. I was trying to figure out if he was trying to be funny or not. He had a smile plastered on his face.

"Thank you. I sent you an invite, but I guess the mailman fucked up along the way." I said sarcastically.

"It's coo, it's coo. I really just wanna know why Mack was a groomsmen over me. I mean, I've been knowing you longer bro!"

"I think behavior in a friendship means more than time. My real friends were groomsmen. Ya know? Buddha, Mack, Zeek and Wayno. Why would I pick someone who down talked my wife in the media any chance he got?"

"I apologized about that. I don't know if it ever got back to you or Bernice, but I did."

"If it wasn't personally made to me or her I don't really care. You have both of our numbers."

"Well, I'm sorry. I was just being emotional and in my feelings. I was hurt. We went from being brothers to beefing. All because of a female. Like c'mon, it's silly!"

"Who was beefing? I wasn't. I never cared. I minded my business you guy's entire relationship. Where I messed up was telling you you could pursue her in the first place knowing I had feelings for her. But I wasn't trying to be selfish knowing I didn't want to be with her at the time. Then you made it worse by running off at the mouth! Do you really think I would tell you you can have a chick only to be fucking her behind your back? That shows what you really thought about me as a person because I would never do that to you! I can't help that me and Bernice ended up together in the end."

"Look, I'm sorry. I know you wouldn't. I just wanna be friends again. Like damn, I miss you nigga! No homo, pause, all'at because I know how y'all try to play me!" I cracked laughing a bit. "Friends?"

"Fine, mutha fucka! Since you decided to be all courageous and shit and have a face to face." We got up dapping each other. I made sure to punch him in his arm for that comment about my eyebrows.

"Finally, damn! Had me choosing when ever you both would invite me out to stuff at the same time." Mack said.

"Who would you choose? And don't lie!" I asked curiously.

"Depends on if there's going to be food, liquor, and women. You automatically get crossed out for women, Mr. Married. Trey gets crossed out for food because he don't like to feed people. Dave got the Hennessey hook up. Sooo...Dave."

I laughed shaking my head. "I feel used. I'm not a restaurant for free food and drinks."

"Eh, you kinda are!" Buddha said agreeing. I'm not gonna lie I missed the old crew as a whole.

Bernice
Sunday, 11:46am

I held onto Dave's hand as they lowered my mother's Cherry Wood casket into the ground. I held onto the used tissue and the program in my other hand. It didn't feel real that she actually passed away until today. I broke down when they opened the casket. That's always been my least favorite part of funerals. I told Dave if I die before him he better not have them open my casket. I don't care if I still look good or not. My mother was only 44 years old. Shit, is crazy. It was sickening to see how many family members showed up as well. Where were all of these mother fucker's at when it was just us two struggling? My 'grandparents' came too. They haven't seen or spoken to my mother since she was pregnant with me. They tried to talk to me, but I just pretended I didn't hear them and kept walking.

"I'm gonna go to the car and change shoes," I said to Dave. He nodded and I walked off going to the funeral limo. I went to the backseat taking off my patent leather Louboutin pigalle's putting the pair of flats on that I brought. I got out walking towards everybody else when a man and woman were coming towards me. I didn't like how they were rolling up on me. The closer they got I realized the guy looked just like my dad and the woman looked just like my mom. She had her curvy shape and all.

"Are you Bernice?" The young woman asked.

"Yes. Who are y'all?"

They both looked at each other then he said, "We're you're brother and sister."

"Yeah right! Today's not the day to fuck with my emotions. Get out of my face!" I said trying to push passed them. I felt a hand grab my arm. I looked down then up at the chick. She's got a nerve.

"Look at the fucking program!" She said pointing to it in my hand. I never even opened it to be honest. I opened it reading the paragraph. Benita survives a husband, daughter, Bernice, step-daughter, Ashley, and son, Benito.

"This only says one name though? Why isn't your name in here?" I said to the girl.

"She tries to act like I don't exist, but I'm clearly here. We don't gotta reason to lie to your ass! Especially when the person we come from ain't shit! We don't want money or nothing. We just want you to know because she's been trying to keep us apart." I looked between the two of them. She sounded sincere. On top of the fact we definitely had the same attitude that I'm pretty sure came from my mother. "I'm Belinda," her scowl turned into a smile. I looked her up and down. She was pretty.

"Okay, Belinda. What's your name?" I said turning to the man. I was so confused right now.

"Safaree."

"No, seriously. What's your name?"

He chuckled, "That is my name."

"Like the place that has giraffes, elephants and shit?"

He laughed, "Yeah, you could say that. That's the name my adopted parents gave me. You can call me that or my birth name, Benito."

I nodded my head trying to process everything. Like, who's their dad? Where have they been? The list goes on. "I know this is a lot to take in and right now isn't the time to talk about it. Maybe we could meet up tomorrow after the last will and testament reading."

"Okay, that's fine. I'll see you guys tomorrow." I rushed off going back by Dave.

"Who were you talking to?" He asked.

"My brother and sister."

He looked at me confused, "Word?"

"Supposedly. We're going to talk tomorrow. I have so many questions."

"I would too. They came out of nowhere." Exactly, I thought grabbing onto his hand. We went back to the limo that took us to the church where we're going to eat. I really just wanted to go home now.

Idc, idc Safaree is fine to me😍 Should Bernice be sad about her mother passing? Should Dave have forgiven Trey? Brother & sister, hmm. Comment / Vote🌹✨