Page 101 of Set me Free

"Take your time, Beautiful," Creed said, almost like he knew exactly what I was thinking.

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Thanks, Langston. I love you."

‘Love you more baby.”

**Week 25**

Your baby is the size of an acorn squash this week. Baby is gaining more fat and looking more like a newborn. Hair color and texture is in place. His lungs are maturing and preparing for that first breath. You might feel the baby having hiccups.

It feltlike time was passing by so quickly and on week 25 of my pregnancy, I just wanted to have a good time for the holidays with my family. School was kicking my butt, my belly sometimes getting in the way of my maneuvers.

It was annoying seeing some of the other girls in the class giving me dirty looks for having the audacity to be in dance clothes with my belly sticking out. Still, I showed them better than I could tell them when I flawlessly executed what move the professor had taught or a difficult 8 count.

Again, I was tired. So, by the time Thanksgiving break rolled around, I was excited when I boarded the jet in Teterboro along with Ari. My mama had stopped by from Atlanta to get us and I was grateful for the comfort especially with how wide I felt.

“Look at my baby.” My mama said sitting across from me on the plane. “I can’t believe you’re having a baby Tootie. Has she kicked yet?”

“Yes. Creed calls almost every night to talk to her and she must like the sound of his voice because she’s always moving like crazy. Is it bad that I’m a little jealous.”

“No, I was.” She shrugged. “I knew you were a daddy’s girl because Lenox could step in a room and as soon as he startedspeaking, you were terrorizing my belly. Be prepared to be envious of her for the rest of your life.”

I stayed silent, only exchanging a glance with Ari, who was sitting next to me. Sienna and I still has some things to work out, but I was trying to be more receptive to her, tried to be more understanding. It wasn’t easy. Still, as an almost mom, I also knew what she felt like some times.

“You wanna feel her?” I asked my mama and she nodded. I made my way over to her, sitting down beside her. I grabbed her hand and placed it gently on top of my stomach in the last spot where Cree had kicked me. “You wanna know her name?”

Sienna looked up at me excitement in her eyes. She would be the first to know besides Ari, Egypt, and Averi. “Yes.”

“Cree Sienna Langston.” Her jaw dropped as tears welled in her eyes.

“Tootie, are you sure?”

“I’m sure. We have our issues Mommy, but at the end of the day you’ve been so much better these last few months stepping up to take care of me when I didn’t know how to take care of myself. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Being home felt good.

The entire family was thrilled about the baby—especially since it had been seventeen years since there was a newborn in the family.

“Guess I’mma be her and Gio favorite.” Sevyn said as I sat next to him the day before Thanksgiving, we were at my aunt and uncle’s house prepping for dinner as they were hosting. My daddy, Sevyn, Aidan, Uncle Leo and Poppi were all watching football when I decided to take a break.

"She’s gonna be so spoiled," Ari added.

"She already is," I laughed.

The love in the room was overwhelming. I knew my baby girl was going to have an amazing support system. Later that night as I laid in my childhood bedroom, the sound of my phone ringing interrupted my rewatch of The Walking Dead. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and saw Creed’s name flash across the screen.

“Hey Langston.”

“Hey Beautiful. How’s Cali?”

“It’s home.” I shrugged and the short silence that followed let me know he understood exactly what I meant. It was the same giddiness I had witnessed from him whenever we went to Dallas for his mother’s party. “How’s Milwaukee?”

“Cold as fuck.” He laughed. “But aye, I ain’t even call to talk to you. Put her on.”

“Nigga fuck you.” I chuckled placing him on speaker phone. “You’re on speaker.”

“Cree Cree, what’s up daddy’s baby.” As if on cue my stomach started to move, small indents showing where her little movements were. “I love you more than I love yo mama.”

---