Zenia’s POV

I had finally graduated from college. The journey was an unforgettable one. It was like holding in an enormous piece of shit which had made you constipated since the ending of high school.

Now finally, I was free from the assignments, the projects, examinations, lectures, rules, running to classes, making schedules and everything else that came with being a college student.

Mom and Jasmine were so thrilled when I walked down that aisle and received my achievements awards and certificates. I was thrilled for myself as well. My cheeks ached for the balance of that day, I was smiling so hard.

I was on the verge of officially creating and launching my very first clothing line which would be published in one of top magazines in the city. Bliss. Other clothing were also being sold at my boutique which was generously given to me by my sister’s boyfriend. He made that promise to me and he kept it.

~

“ZENIA!” I heard my name being yelled out. It echoed throughout the huge penthouse. I placed my digital notepad underneath my pillow and rolled out of bed.

“Hey.” I leaned against the wall in the living room as my sister settled down on the couch with her son.

“Hey. So how are you?”

“I’m good.” I walked over and took my nephew into my arms and planted a big kiss on both sides of his cheeks. He was such a handsome little boy with the cutest smile. He had dimples. I always looked forward to seeing his laughs and smiles.

“How is aunty’s baby?” I asked him with a baby voice. He gave me a smile and buried his face in the crook of my neck shyly.

“So I have a project for you,” Jasmine began.

“What project?” I asked her taking a seat next to her.

“A big one.” She threw on a bight smile.

“How big?”

“Very big.”

“Come on Jasmine, stop beating around the bush here. You know I’m a very busy woman.”

“I need you to make a dress for me.”

I scoffed.

A dress?

That’s what she was going on about?

A dress?

“A dress Jasmine? Like really?” I spoke my mind.

“You were supposed to ask me what kind of dress.”

I rolled my eyes at her but I had her to thank for everything. I never would have even gotten to the stage of entering and finishing college if it wasn’t for Jasmine.

You see, we grew up without a father and before I finished high school, mom got very ill with a lung condition. It had gotten so badly, she was frequently admitted to the hospital. Jasmine was the one who worked her butt off and put meals on the table, clothes on my back paid all the bills and put me through college so I could accomplish my dreams. I couldn’t of asked for a better big sister. I love her. And she supported my business since the thus beginning. She always purchased clothing, even though I told her I will give it to her for absolutely nothing.

But she would just tell me, ‘some of the best things don’t come freely.’

“What kind of dress?” I asked as I tickled my nephew’s tummy to make him laugh.

“A WEDDING DRESS!!” she squealed out and her squealing caught me by surprise.

“A what now?” My smile reached my eyes.

Is she saying what I think she’s saying?

She flashed a huge diamond ring on her engagement finger and I began squealing with happiness too.

“Y’all are engaged?” I wiped the happy tears away. I was so happy for her. She deserved every bit of happiness on this earth with the man she truly loved. They had been torn apart of over a year but they still found love for each other again as if a separation never happened.

“Congratulations sis.” I pulled her in for a hug.

“Con-sssition.” Jevan repeated in his way of saying ‘congratulations’.

We shared a small laugh. He was already learning words.

“Thank you baby,” His mother said to him as she playfully pulled his puffy cheeks.

Her phone rang and she answered it.

“Zen, do you mind watching Jevan for an hour or so for me please? I’m going down to HT to drop something off for his father,” she explained as she got off the phone.

“Sure. Not a problem.”

It was Saturday and I had decided to take a day off from the boutique and let my assistant run the store. I needed to catch up on some designs I had to sent for a client of mines.

“Thank you.” She got up and walked to the door. “And please be careful with your language around him!”

We waved her bye-bye.

I took Jevan back to my room, lay him down on my bed and went back to my digital notepad where I created and stored all my designs.

As I browsed through and tried to keep an eye out for Jevan as well, I accidentally deleted a design I had to get started on tomorrow.

“OH FUCK!!” I cursed aloud.

"Fuck! Fuck!” My nephew began to repeat what I just said.

“NO NO NO NO NO Jevan. Please don’t repeat that. Your mother would kill me if she hears you saying that.”

"Kill me. Kill me.” He repeated another phrase he shouldn’t.

I searched my brain to come up with something that would erased those words from his vocabulary.

“Let’s count.” I drew myself closer to him.

“One.”

“on.”

“Two.”

“Toe.”

“Three.”

“Free.”

We counted from one to three over and over and I sang him nursery rhymes. That ought to take his tiny mind off the words he shouldn’t have heard.

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Jasmine’s POV

I had gathered my small family around the dinner table. Jevan was placed in his baby seat between our chairs. I had cooked dinner for Evan and myself and prepared sweet potato tots and diced fruits for Jevan.

I fed Jevan while I ate from my plate as well. A conversation started between Evan and I and we were so caught up in it, Jevan’s hand accidentally knocked over his container of fruits when he attempted to feed himself.

“Oh fuck. Kill me,” he blurted out.

Mine and Evan’s eyes popped open and we looked at the small figure sitting between us.

“Did he just said what I think he said?” his father asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I nodded yes.

Evan threw back his head and started laughing but it wasn’t funny to me. Jevan was learning words and I always tell people to watch what they’re saying around him. It was very odd that he liked repeating only the foul languages from a complete statement.

On one occasion, I was on the phone with Zenia. She was telling me something very funny and I absentmindedly called her an ‘asshole’.

Jevan began repeating the word ′asshole′ but I quickly scolded him and he stopped saying it.

When Evan got home that evening, Jevan was sitting in the living room putting together a lego block castle. He had been doing that the entire evening while I was looking at television.

Evan came over to greet and kiss me as he usually does. His foot accidentally knocked over Jevan’s castle.

“Sorry son,” he apologized.

“Asshole,” Jevan responded.

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