Page 28 of Beyond The Stars

“You know he won’t be there if it’s his, Qamar. We talked about this.” She sucked on her teeth as her heart started to chip. Qamar was too nice to give her an even break. The way he minced his words and still looked out only allowed for small piece of her heart to break when he reminded her of the ugly truth.

“We talked about it but it is still very much some real ass shit that could change at any given time. My people don’t even know and as far as I’m concerned, they won’t. Because of that, I can’t see us being more than what we are… more than what we were.”

His brows dipped when he heard her sniffle.

“Okay, I won’t bother you anymore,” she spoke through tiny abrupt intakes of breath. “I just?—”

“Stop doing that shit, Janay!” Qamar fussed, annoyed with her antics. “I ain’t did wrong by you so don’t try to make it seem that way. Ain’t you well taken care of? Don’t she got everything she need and she ain’t even here yet? Like, come on, I’m doing my best.”

“She got everything but a father!” Janay hollered. Pregnancy hormones had her sad one second before fire was coming out of her mouth the next. “I’m here in Jade City preparing for the arrival of this baby and you’re still in Lynn Beach living your best life. But she got everything she needs,” she mocked him. “Nigga, she needs you.”

“She ain’t here yet!” Qamar based. “You want me! That’s all this shit is about. But I will tell you this, if you try to use my baby as a pawn, I promise you it will all blow up in your fuckin’ face.” He hung up on her, pissed that she was even able to get him out of his good mood.

His eyes closed as he rested his head on the entryway into his closet. Without hesitation, he dialed her back.

“What nigga?!” Janay answered angrily.

“Look, I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Leave it to her to not take accountability for the way the conversation went. In her mind, she was right, and he was wrong. It was something he foresaw being an issue when it came to their daughter.

Qamar massaged the temples of his head. “I ain’t sorry for what I said but how I said it. You the mother of my daughter. I can’t talk to you like that, so I’m sorry.”

Janay’s heart fluttered. “Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Call me if you need me,” he said before hanging up for, hopefully the final time.

The back and forth with Janay put him behind schedule which meant he needed to break the speeding laws to get to the private airport. After he slipped his clothes on, he rushed out the door, hoping to still make it to his destination on time. Thoughts of Siasia and Noodle occupied his mind while he swerved in and out of traffic, listening to Devin Port. He rapped the lyrics while tapping out the beat on the steering wheel with his fingers.

He eased his car into a parking space just as his baby girl walked down the airplane’s step. Lynn Beach was bright and beautiful on that day like the sun knew it needed to shine brighter for his baby girl. He pushed the door open to go meet her.

“Daddy!” Esmeray yelled, her little legs taking off towards him.

Her mother, Malaysia, yelled out, “Stop running!”

“She good.” Qamar laughed, bending down to catch his little lady. “I missed you, Es.”

“Then, why you ain’t come home?” her little self sassed. She was a pure firecracker.

“You know I got school and stuff, Es,” he tried to reason with his four-year-old mother. “But you here now.”

“Mhm.” Esmeray pursed her lips. “What you gonna take me to?” she asked, still in his arms, letting him know she wanted to be picked up.

Malaysia made her way to them with a man following to load their luggage in the car. “Hey, baby daddy,” she jested with him giving him a side hug. “Janay had that baby?”

“Like you care.” He huffed.

“I do. She gone be Es’s little sister. You know I ain’t on that bullshit she try to be on.”

It was true. Malaysia was over the phase of being a bitter baby mama. She loved Qamar. Always would but their relationship was strictly platonic. It was hard for people to believe because he was fine, and she was attractive. To the outside world they had to still double back every now and then. That was the furthest from the truth. She wished him the best and he did the same for her. He would always take care of her though.

Not wanting to entertain negative conversations about Janay, Qamar changed the subject. “Y’all hungry?”

“Yes!” Esmeray bounced in his arms.

“If she said yes, it don’t even matter what I say. Let’s go.” Malaysia rolled her head. “I see you in the truck today,” she commented on him ditching his Corvette.

“Shit all this stuff y’all be bringing won’t fit in my baby. Why Es got two bags like she ain’t got clothes here?” he asked Malysia.

---