Dave

Bernice and I sat in the office of the adoption agency waiting for someone to come talk to us. She finally entered the room sitting across from us. She grabbed some papers looking up at us then smiled. "I didn't know you guys were expecting. Well, congratulations! Let me say that before we begin."

"Thank you," Bernice and I said in unison.

"Okay, first thing's first to know about the finalization of adopting Malachi. The hearing will be as scheduled on December 19th. Both of you will need to be present along with your adoption attorney. Malachi's maternal grandmother will also need to be present and Malachi. She has to relinquish her rights over to you guys because essentially she has legal guardianship over him after his mother's passing. You will then have the option to have his last name changed to yours because legally you are his parents. Some things to consider though...Since you guys are having more children I think you should, so he doesn't feel sort of left out as he gets older." She handed us a packet. "Any questions pertaining to that?"

"I do. Could we possibly change his middle name to his last name then have him take my last name? If that makes since. Like, right now his name is Malachi David Carter." Malik and I were so close he made Malachi's middle name my name. "Could we change it to Malachi Carter Brewster? I don't want to just get rid of his father's name."

"Of course! You can name him whatever you want actually. Just tell them the day of. Next thing is the topic of adoption with the child. Of course he's too young to know what's going on now. As he gets older he might begin to call you mommy and daddy. Let him. Of course we don't want him to forget about his parents. As he grows up still tell him about his parents. But if he ever calls either of you that simply let him. In his eyes you are his parents."

"But won't that confuse him? Letting him call us mom and dad, but telling him about his real parents." Bernice said.

"As he gets older he'll understand. Growing up you guys will be the only thing he knows as parents. What does he call you guys now?"

"D and B or BB."

"Okay, that's fine because he's two. Once he's been in your household longer he'll shift into calling you mom and dad. He'll probably call Bernice mom first because he actually knew his mother. Since he never met his father he'll either have to be taught to say that or get it from somewhere. When he's older he'll understand you guys aren't his real parents. He'll have a hard time processing it. He might even stop calling you guys mom and dad, but by your first name's. Let him, so he can process this. Eventually he'll go back to calling you guys mom and dad. Just don't lie to him about his real parents, especially since they're deceased. You probably won't do that anyway because he's a relative. Other than that your trial is in a month, so good luck! It was great working with you guys!"

She stood up shaking our hands then we left. As we drove home I thought. "I hope as Malachi grows up he doesn't feel different from our other kids because he's not ours."

"He shouldn't as long as we treat him the same. It's crazy to think our first child will be adopted."

We both smiled, "That is, huh? Honestly I'm glad we're doing this. I have been from the beginning. I'm glad I'm going through it with you and doing this with you. It's one thing for him to be attached to me, but seeing how attached he is to you makes me really happy. I remember when you didn't like kids."

She laughed, "I just didn't like bad ass kids. There's a difference!"

I smacked my lips. "Remember when I worked at the summer camp and I got you a job there too? You got fired after two days because you hung a kid up on a backpack hook by his underwear, B!" I said laughing just thinking about it.

"He smacked my butt and called me toots! That's sexual assault! I still don't think I deserved to be fired. I should've sued."

"Well, that thing was sitting up nice in the khaki shorts you had to wear for our uniform!" I said licking my lips then laughing.

She pushed my arm. "You were looking at my butt back then?"

"Just because you were my best friend doesn't mean I didn't look. I should've acted gay so you'd let me touch it and get undressed in front of me."

"You really are a pervert!" She said laughing.

Bernice
Manhattan, NYC

As soon as we got to our condo building I saw Belinda waiting outside by her new car. When she saw us pull up and get out she walked towards us. "Hey," she said sheepishly. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"C'mon up," I said motioning for her to follow me. We went up to our condo while Dave left again to go get Malachi from Mrs. Janice's. Belinda sat down and I went to the kitchen. "Do you want anything? A snack? A drink?" I asked as I got myself a juice box. There Malachi's but I want one.

"Water is fine," I grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator going back to the living room. I handed it to her before I sat. "Thank you. I just came here to say sorry for what happened at your gender reveal party. I had no idea you were his ex. I swear I didn't."

"I know. I believe you. That day you said he was your boyfriend I should've said something. It's my fault. I just didn't want to ruin your happiness. I brought that all on myself. I thought when you brought him to the party I'd talk to you guys, but instead my anxiety decided to take over. Why would you know that?"

She shrugged looking down. "I'm just so confused. I don't know what to do or think. He won't talk to me. He thinks I set him up. He thinks I brought him there so your husband and his friends could jump him. Why would he think that?"

"Honestly because of me. I'm pretty sure Robb has lost a lot of trust in people and thinks they're always trying to do him wrong. That's my fault."

"What do you mean?"

"Me and Robb dated for four years. We were both young going through our own issues. I was in Florida on my own going to college. I started stripping to support myself then later on him. Then our mother found out and we stopped speaking. Robb was selling drugs and making music. He had his issues with his father then his mother kept getting sick. This was before they knew it was cancer. All we had was each other. He got really depressed and started using various drugs. We were BOTH physically and mentally abusive to each other." For the first time I admitted it. I was in denial for awhile, but it's time to take responsibility.

"Instead of just leaving him I decided to set him up to be killed. That didn't work, so I got him arrested. Robb doesn't have any trust in a woman. He'd be a fool to after that and that's my fault. Any situation he's walking into with somebody else that results in something happening to him is going to look like a set up."

"Wow!" She said looking shocked, "It all makes sense now. Me and him have been dealing with each other for almost a year and he's just now making me his girl. He just kept talking about how terrible his last relationship was and I thought it was an excuse. Now I REALLY don't know what to think."

"All I'm going to say is don't make decisions based on what I told you. Just because our relationship went that way doesn't mean yours with him will. If you want to be with him be with him."

"That won't be weird because you dated him?"

"Not at all! You don't owe me any loyalty with that. You knew him before me and you didn't know we dated. Do what feels right, boo."

"Okay, thank you. You really are the big sister I've always wanted," she laughed while getting up. We hugged then I showed her to the door. She stopped before leaving smacking her forehead. "I've been giving this dude money for his mom and he just ended it like that."

"How much?"

"The money you gave me for school," she said looking down.

"$20,000 Belinda?!"

"I know, but I ended up getting a scholarship for next semester. I just wanted to help him because he has always helped me. Should I ask for it back? I'll get it back and give it back to you."

"You can't be an Indian giver, Belinda. You just gotta charge it to the game as a nice deed. Hell, we can both file it on our taxes. Honestly, I feel like I owe him that much for what I've done to him. Let him keep it and help his mother."

"I guess you're right. Bye, Bernice. I love you!" She said quickly hugging me.

I smiled saying, "I love you too, BUT-" I said stopping her. "Belinda, next time I give you money I intend for you to use it for what I gave it to you for. That was a lot of money. Don't do it again!"

Deep down I was mad about the money, but it's just money. I cost that man a year of his life and turned him into a murderer. That's something he had to live with for the rest of his life. When people are wrongfully accused the government usually pays them back with money, so that's basically what I'm doing for him.

She nodded her head saying, "Okay. I'm sorry. It won't happen again." I gave her a head nod then she left.

Robb
Brooklyn, NYC

I threw clothes in a bag when I heard knocking at my front door. I sighed going towards the door wondering who it was. Nobody called or texted me saying they were coming over. I looked in the peephole seeing it was Belinda. I breathed out deeply rubbing my face with my hand. I leaned up against the wall debating if I should open it. She knocked again this time saying, "I know you're here! Your car is parked outside!" I sucked my teeth opening the door remembering she has a key. When I opened it I could see she was looking in her purse for it. "Exactly, you know better!" She said walking in.

"What are you doing here, Belinda?"

"To talk. I've given you enough space to think. You lucky I didn't come in slapping the shit out of you for leaving me that day!"

"You're not gonna slap shit. What do you want to talk about, Belle? I need to be packing. I really don't got shit to say to your ass. I haven't trusted anybody since I was a jit and I halfway trusted you, but turns out you're just like all these mutha fucka's!" I said waving her off.

"Do you really think I would do that to you?! As down as I've been for you from the beginning even when you didn't give a shit about me! Do you really?! I've known Bernice all of a fucking month, so how would I know you're her ex! This is why I'm done because the trust just isn't here." She said walking back towards the door.

"Yo ass gookin real hard right now! I think that day I left your ass in the street I was done, so you ain't sayin nothin." I said following behind her. I grabbed her arm making her turn around. "Look at my fucking face! This is what happened when they jumped me. Look in my face and tell me you didn't set that shit up! Tell me you didn't plan that with her and her nigga to get back at me. Say it!"

She turned her head up at me, "I didn't! You think I wanna see you get hurt? I punched a dude so he would get off of you. How stupid would I be to give you 20 racks then turn around and have you jumped? I would've never given you that money if that was the case." My scowl softened a bit because that's true. She looked down at my hand gripping her arm shaking me off. "Get your hands off me! I talked to Bernice."

"What the fuck does that mean? What? You think I'ma hit you?"

She leaned against the wall crossing her arms. "Maybe," she said shrugging. I leaned my hand against the wall standing in front of her.

"I would never put my hands on you."

"How do I know that? You've done it to a female before."

"First of all you're a totally different person. I don't think you realize what kind of person Bernice used to be or who I used to be. She tries to play innocent and victim when she's just as guilty."

"I really don't care because I'm done." I put my other arm up on the wall so she couldn't leave. "Move, Richard."

"No. You're gonna end this because of the type of relationship I had with your sister?" She just turned her head the other direction. I sighed trying to think of something to say. "Look, I'm sorry I accused you of setting me up. I'm still working on my trust." She still didn't say anything. I turned her head towards me kissing her. She kissed back, but put her hands on my chest pushing me back.

"I'm not Bernice. We may have the same mother, the same last name, and half of the same blood, but I'm not her! Don't treat me like her. I've never done shit to you to make you not trust me."

"I know and I'm sorry," I said kissing her again. "I love you."

"You don't mean that shit."

"I don't say I love you to just anybody, not even my daddy, so believe what you want." I said walking off to my bedroom. She followed right behind.

She climbed onto the bed smiling. "Do you really?"

"That's what I said," I said throwing a shirt into my bag.

"Say it again!" I looked up at her to see her smiling with her tongue across her teeth. I chuckled shaking my head.

"I love you, Belinda Lorena Burgos."

"Awww!" She said doing some goofy girl shit. "I love you too, Richard."

"I'm so glad you ain't say my full name."

"I know you don't like it, so I decided to spare you. Why are you packing? Where are you going?"

"Florida. Gotta check on my mom." I thought for a second as I threw more clothes in there. I didn't care, so I was just throwing my clothes in the bag, but Belle was going behind me folding them up. "Actually, you wanna come with me? I want my mom to meet you."

"Really?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I want her to meet the girl that helped pay for some of her treatment."

She smiled, "Okay. I'll come with you!"

"Coo," I said looking up at her.

"Coo," she said mimicking me. "You know you're excited I'm coming with you."

"Nah, not really cuh!"

She grabbed me by the back of my neck pulling me towards her, "What I say about calling me cuh? I'm not your cuh!"

"You play too much!" I said trying to get from her grips with no use. "I gotta pack. Move, girl!"

"No! You owe me something."

I furrowed my brows, "Owe you what? I don't owe you nothing!"

She let go of my neck then I felt her unbuttoning and unzipping my pants as she kissed me. "You owe me that I'm sorry dick." She said laughing on my lips. You ever realize you got the perfect one? I realize that everyday with her even with the bullshit.

Dave

I sat at Wingstop across from Bernice as she tore up these wings. "What?" She said looking up at me licking each finger one by one.

I chuckled saying, "Nothing. Nothing at all." My phone started ringing so I picked it up off of the table to see Wayno was calling me. I answered it saying, "Wassup?"

"So, I just got done talking to Trey's manager and he wants to do a series of shows with you. These upcoming weeks."

"As long as I'm back in New York by December 19th that's fine."

"Aiight, it's a go. I'll tell Trey."

"Aiight, bye." I hung up placing my phone on the table. "That was Wayno. I got some shows lined up with Trey for a couple of weeks."

"That's cool," Bernice said nonchalantly.

"You don't feel a way about that, right?"

"No, I told you I'm cool. Even if you're his friend or not you can still make money off him. I'm all for making more money."

I chuckled, "Don't say off him. It makes me feel like a user. I'm making money with him."

She shrugged, "You know I don't care. If you wanna call it using, it is what it is. Call it what it is. Everybody does it in this industry."

"That's definitely true. A damn shame!"

"Only if you're always the one being used." She stopped talking going back to eating then stopped. "Hey, what ever happened to Cyn? She just disappeared after the Halloween thing."

"Deaded the friendship."

"Why?"

"Because she admitted she has feelings for me."

"I knew it! I always know. That woman intuition. I know when a bitch want my man. Why didn't you tell me?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"I forgot, to be honest. You probably just wanted to check her anyway," I said laughing.

"Hell yeah. That bottle probably didn't connect to her head, but my fist would." She paused, "I didn't mean that. No more violence. That's the old Bernice."

I laughed because she looked so depressed saying that. "I don't know any other Bernice besides I'm not the one Bernice!" I said snapping as I mimicked her. "I'ma miss her. Rest in peace to the homie!"

She laughed, "Rest in peace to bout that life, real as fuck, bust you in your shit, I'm from Spanish Harlem, B." We both tapped our wingstop cups in cheers then I poured a little on my empty plate.

I hope you guys can stop hating Robb & Belinda so you can see the dynamic of their relationship. Whether it's vs Dave & Bernice or what you know about Robb & Bernice's relationship. Comment / Vote🌹✨