Page 5 of Their End Game

“I guess I’m going to be doing this mommy thing alone,” I whispered with my hand on my stomach with tears still flowing. I glared at the relationship status being single before I pressed the blue button that said unfriend and then block. Ja’vari and I were officially done.

6

Radiance:

Summer 2022

“I know, sweet pea. We’re almost there.” I tried to hush my one-year-old daughter, Ja’Lani, as we rode in the back of the Uber, headed to the MGM hotel in Las Vegas. This was Ja’Lani’s first trip that lasted longer than an hour. We’d gotten on a flight from Newport News, Virginia, this morning at five a.m., and it was now almost eight at night, and we still had a little bit before we made it to the hotel.

We were headed to Vegas because Santia was marrying the love of her life this weekend. Santia had met her soon-to-be husband less than a year ago, and it was love at first sight. He swept her off her feet, and she didn’t want to come down. I was happy for my friend, as she deserved all the happiness she was getting.

Though I’d told Ja’Lani we were almost there, my words meant nothing as she continued crying and kicking her chubby legs. She was over it, and I didn’t even blame her. Ja’Lani was born fifteen months ago on April third, and she was everything I could ever imagine. Once I’d gotten over my morning sicknesswith her, my pregnancy was smooth sailing, so much so I already missed it. I wasn’t ready to do it all over again just yet though.

When she was first born, she and I had a lot of crying nights and dragging mornings together. I knew nothing about being a mother, and she leaned on me as if I knew everything. Honestly, if it wasn’t for Santia and my parents, I would have checked out a long time ago. I was blessed for my support system.

Hearing the silence, I looked over at her as she yawned, and her little balled fist rubbed her sleepy eyes; she was going to sleep. My heart ached for her because she was everything, and I knew she would have had Ja’vari wrapped around her finger, and he would have loved her. Initially, I said I wasn’t going to tell Ja’vari for my own selfish reasons, but seeing her, I tried once more to reach out because he did deserve to know. One night, I unblocked Ja’vari with plans to just send him a picture with the words, “look what we made.” Unfortunately, when I unblocked him, I realized he, too, had blocked me, or he’d deactivated his page. I tried reaching out to his mom, but her page hadn’t been active since before we broke up. I tried reaching out to other family members I knew, but I either got no response, or their pages were dead as a doorknob.

“Mama.” Ja’Lani’s sweet voice reached my ears. I looked to her, smiling. She didn’t say many words, but the ones she did always melted my already melting heart. I smiled as she stuck her little thumb in her mouth and twirled the curls on one of her pigtails with the others. That was a soothing method for her. I may have been biased, but Ja’Lani was beautiful and resembled one of those baby models. She took after me with her natural red hair and almond-shaped eyes. Everything else, down to her dark complexation, was all Ja’vari. She didn’t know him now, but I did hope that, one day, somehow, they were able to know how dope the other was.

“Are we here?” I stupidly asked once the car stopped. Of course, we were there. The huge lit up sign that read MGM indicated so.

“Yes, ma’am, we are,” the patient Uber driver said, looking at me through the rearview.

I offered him a smile, preparing to call Santia to ask her to come down to help me. All of her guests were staying at the MGM since the wedding was also being held here; it was easier to do. Just as I was about to press send on my recent call to connect with Santia, there was a knock on the window that scared me, causing me to squeal and wake Ja’Lani. “Shit!” I placed my hand over my heart like it would stop the increase of my heart beating. Santia was at the window with a wide smile and was damn near jumping out of her skin. “Santia, really?” I relaxed, knowing it was her.

“I’m so sorry, sweet girl.” Santia spoke softly once the door was unlocked, and she opened it, raining kisses on Ja’Lani and simultaneously undoing the straps to her car seat to take her out.

Stepping out of the car, I giggled, watching Santia interact with Ja’Lani, soothing her while continuing to give her many kisses. I remembered a time when I was the one that was greeted first, but now, anyone that knew about Ja’Lani always worried, asked, or interacted with her first. I was now treated like the butt end of the bread. “Umm, hello! Remember me, the maker of the baby that you have replaced me with?” I laughed, rounding the car where they were.

“Oh.” Santia looked my way, stopping her movement just long enough to give a half smile and wave before giving her attention back to Ja’Lani. “I kid, I kid.” She laughed, adjusting Ja’Lani to one side before we embraced with her free one. “I missed you, friend.” She held me tightly.

“I missed you more, friend.” Almost a month after Santia got engaged, she moved with her fiancé to Arizona, as her fiancéwas in the Air Force. When Santia moved, I thought about how she didn’t hesitate to move, and she barely knew the guy, when I hadn’t done it for Ja’vari. To my defense, Arizona was still the States and wouldn’t stop any career moves for Santia.

“Good evening, Ms. Marshall,” a tall, older gentleman greeted, standing off to the side.

Hearing him call my name, as if he had been previously introduced to me, put me on alert. “How do you know my name?”

Stepping closer, he tipped his hat, placing it over his chest. “My apologies. I hope I didn’t frighten you. My name is Gregory Daniels, and I will be your concierge. Ms. Sanders informed us of your arrival. Do you have any bags you would like me to retrieve?”

I relaxed. “Yes, sir. They’re in the trunk, and my baby’s car seat is in the back seat.” I pointed. On cue, the Uber driver popped the trunk.

“Yes, ma’am. I shall retrieve them. If you would like to step inside for your room assignment, you may. I will bring your belongings to your room.”

“Come on, girl,” Santia instructed, damn near dragging me toward the inside of the hotel. I was in Vegas for eight days, and tonight was just the start. My best friend was getting married, so I knew these days were about to be everything before Santia went from Ms. to Mrs.

“Are your parents coming down?”Santia asked as we stood in the lobby, waiting for our names to be called. We were about to have dinner at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, which was located in the hotel.

Santia was a second daughter to my parents, so it was a given they were attending the wedding, but they came in early so I could enjoy the festivities, and they would watch Ja’Lani. “Girl, you know Eleanor and Henry both done showered, in their pajamas, in bed, while Mama reads and Daddy snoring.”

Santia giggled. “You’re right.”

Both my parents were early birds and in bed by eight on a good night. Anything after that, they’d say they were party animals. You would have assumed they were much older than their early fifties. “Girl, you and I both know the only way they’re staying up late is if they have Ja’Lani, and even then, they putting her to bed early,” I said, adjusting Ja’Lani on my lap since she was twisting and turning. Technically, Ja’Lani was supposed to be with them now, but I brought her along since they’d have her all the other days. Ja’Lani’s nap earlier had her wide awoke. “Where are your parents and Carlo?”

“Mommy and Daddy are late getting dressed, per usual, and Carlo just texted and said he was on the elevator. Isn’t it funny how our parents are seriously night and day?”

I heard Santia’s question—well, heard her speaking but not the actual words, since I’d heard a voice that I knew and would never forget even if I tried. Not wanting to be noticed, I canvased the lobby slowly. I couldn’t hear the voice anymore, but I knew what I heard. “Uh, girl, you hear me?” I felt the nudge of Santia, causing me to focus where she was standing, and I noticed her parents, Carlo, and even Ja’Lani were looking my way.

“Yeah?” I nervously laughed.

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