But Who's Counting?

Chapter Fourteen

The next night, as promised, Alexander let me return home. As soon as I got home, I cleaned up the mess while smiling about my day.

Alexander has been extra sweet today, even staying home and hanging out with me. Maya still hadn't came home today but all day Alexander and I talked and we even went baby shopping for a few hours.

Alexander spent almost a thousand dollars on one baby, completely forgetting about the other one. We laughed it off before deciding to call it a day. Then, we went out and ate Chinese food in the car.

We joked around, stealing bits of each other's food. I had my egg roll on the console one second and when I looked back, it was gone. My eyes ended up wandering to Alexander. He had just finished biting it before looking at me in amusement. He joked about it before giving me his egg roll because — come on,— you don't mess with a pregnant woman's food.

After we finished eating, he drove me back to my place and told me to call him when I got inside my apartment.

As soon as I pressed the call button for his name, he picked up. Then, we only continued to talk. Just from last night, our relationship improved. As if God decided he had enough of this on and off relationship we had going on, he made us practically bestfriends.

Alexander continued to conversation and joke with me until he said he arrived at his brothers house to pick Maya up and would most likely call me later. Then he said that if he didn't get a chance to call me back that he hoped we sleep well and to call him in the morning. So we hung up, one of us with a very wide smile on her face.

I finished cleaning and decided to call my brother, Quincy. I hadn't spoken to him in almost a couple of months — okay, maybe only three weeks but it feels odd going from talking to someone everyday to just every once in a while.

My older brother answered almost immediately, his frantic voice on the line.

"Did mom tell you?" He asked, almost immediately. I frowned, my eyebrows furrowing as I began to worry.

"Tell me what?" I asked, hearing him move around. He stayed silent, silently arguing with someone on his side of the line. I started to anxiously bite my lip.

Quincy Matthews was never someone to be nervous. He was always upfront, blunt, and honest with you. He always said what was on his mind, when it was on his mind. It didn't matter how rude it was, he would say it. He lived by the quote: 'Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.'

And Quincy Matthews always had to something to say. Now, of course, in some situations he knew when to be quiet but very rarely did he actually. If he was dealing with a grown up, he would say it, but he knew how to cool it when it came to younger people — like me. Although we were only separated by two, almost three years, he treated me as if I was a 13 year old girl.

Which is why when he asked if my mother had 'told me' I became worried. Told me what?

Had our aunt gone missing again? Or, worst, died? 

Was our mother sick?

God forbid.

However, when Quincy said what he said next, I nearly had a stroke. I held he phone away, glancing at it.

Was I still talking to Quincy Matthews? My brother, Quincy?

"Run that back." I demanded, clutching the phone against my ear as he muttered those three words again.

"I'm getting married." He said. As soon as he repeated it, I immediately switched the call to a FaceTime call. He immediately answered and I was staring back at his face.

He had his face into the phone, so all I could see was his brown and tight curly hair that stuck out from under his hat along with his dull brown eyes and his bright white teeth. His left dimple stuck out as he gave me a nervous smile. I'm sure I definitely looked like a mess compared to my brother.

If we stood side by side, you would think we were twins. Only difference is my brother is tall, taller than me. He's also muscular and the only muscles I have is my tongue. We both gained our mothers features, for the most part. If we stood next to my mother, you would see where we got the obvious brown eyes and noses from. If we stood next to our father, you would see where we got our curly hair from and our height. My mother is only about 5'4 and my father is 6'4.. I know.

"I didn't even know you were in a relationship." I frowned, watching as he smiled, genuinely, before speaking.

"I didn't want you to know, not yet."

I adjusted the camera, helping him see my face even more as I made an astonished looked. He took a FaceTime photo of me as we shared a laugh.

"Are you really? I'm hap-"

"Woah!" Quincy said, suddenly. Before, he was sitting but now he was running. I saw the background of our mothers house flying past him as he clutched the phone.

"What's wrong?" I asked, staring at the screen. He stopped running and I heard a door shut.

"Sophia, what is going on?" He was angry now.

"What do you mean?" I pouted, confused. He grunted before telling me to put the camera back to how I had it before. I adjusted it, so he could see my face and whatever was behind me.

"Yo-... you stopped exercising? You look like you've gained 100 pounds since I last FaceTimed you." He exaggerated but I still frowned.

"Quincy!" I exclaimed as he continued to stare me down. He glanced behind the camera, his thinking cap came on. I frowned as I stared my body down. Did I look fat?

I had been exercising regularly and the only reason I haven't recently was because I was pregnant.

Oh.

Fuck.

Shit.

Realization must have snuck in me the same time it did as it did Quincy. I bit my lip as he gasped before staring at me once again.

"You're pregnant? Not even freshly pregnant... like at least four months pregnant. It's either that or you've been eating a hell of a lot more Chick-fil-A. I told you about that stuff. You need healthy shit." He said, ready to scold me on my Chick-fil-A indulges but instead I returned the nervous smile he gave me earlier.

"Surprise!" I said, shrugging nervously.

"Tell me you're lying." He begged. I gathered a straight face, deadpanning. "I'm lying. It's a food baby."

"Stand up." He said, as if he was here. I laughed nervously before propping my phone up and standing up.

"Damn! You're f*****g huge! You look like you swallowed three watermelon seeds. Not one, Sophia... three!"

"Yeah."

"You look how Aunt KeKe looked when she was pregnant with C-"

"I am! I am, Quincy." I said, almost crying. I didn't even think about this when I FaceTimed him and I definitely didn't want him to find out this way.

"You're having twins." He told me what I already knew. My frown almost touched the floor. Quincy was shaking his head at me. "Did you t-"

"I haven't told anyone, Quincy. You're the only person that knows."

"Does the children's father at least know?"

"Yes." I said, quickly. Alexander did know. Was he originally happy about it? That's another question.

"Are you guys married?" He asked as I sat back down. I adjusted the camera, once again, so he could see me. I gazed back into Quincy's dark brown eyes but the intensity in his stare, even over FaceTime, was enough to divert my gaze back to his light brown skin.

"No." I said, frowning at the though of it. Alexander and I? Sophia Parker? Nope, not today Satan. 

"Are you guys getting married?"

-

Alexander's POV

"Are you going to get married? Do you like her?" Maya questioned me as I drove.

"No, we aren't getting married." I frowned, looking at her through the rearview mirror.

"Then when are you getting married? Aunt Maddie said that when you get married, whoever you get married to will be my mom. But then Aunt Arabella said maybe my dad too because she's not sure about you. What does that mean?"

"She means like how Courtney has a Mom and another Mommy, except with Daddy's."

"So I'm going to have two daddy's?"

"No. You're going to have a mom and a dad."

"Then why did she say that? And when will I have a mom and a dad?"

"Just ignore Arabella. Soon though."

"Daddy, are we going to the apartment house or the big house?" She questioned again after a moment of silence. I involuntarily sighed before speaking.

"The apartment house."

"Why don't we go to the big house anymore?" She asked, looking at me in the rearview mirror. The music played softly since Maya and I had been having a conversation prior. The cold wind blew slightly, circulating in the car since Maya was the only one who had her window open. Mine were closed since I was slightly cold but Maya.. she must be warm-blooded, or whatever, because she always complained of being hot, even in cool temperatures.

"Because it's a lot of going back and forth." I replayed, shifting into another lane. Traffic was getting worst and if I wasn't home in the next ten minutes, I wouldn't be home in the next two hours.

"What?" She questioned, gripping her booster seat and leaning forward between my seat and the passenger seat.

"I don't always feel like being at that house and then coming back near the apartment since that's where Daycare and my job is." I explained, looking in the rearview mirror. She was still looking at me but had now put her hat on. I rolled my eyes, rolling up her window before switching on child lock so she couldn't get it down.

"Wait, Daddy! I said I wanted mine down!" She whined.

"You're cold, Maya." I stared, rolling my eyes. She coughed, partially serving my point, before snapping her fingers.

"But not a lot, only like, this much." She said, putting two finger so close together you could have mistaken them for touching.

"Can you just watch a movie or something?" I practically begged. After I dropped Sophia off at home, her home, I went to pick up Maya from my mothers house. I had originally dropped her off at my brothers house but my Mom likes to have family dinners so Maya ended up being over there. Immediately upon arrival, I was bombarded with questions since I, yet again, didn't show up to family dinner. My mother was slightly disappointed since I told her I just didn't feel like coming out. It was like I lied.. I just don't always have time to come over for dinner. She invited me for the next dinner and made me almost promise that Maya and I would come since we hadn't been to the last 10 meeting... yes, she was keeping count.

Anyways, Maya finally decided to come out her Aunts room after me had being there nearly thirty minutes. I let her play though, she was around adults too much and barely went out for 'play dates'. She came out with brand new suitcase and a bag full of toys — stuff I assume Anthony bought for her. She dragged it out before going back for another bag which, instead of being filled of toys, was filled with clothes. Then my family asked me questions, asking if there was a girl in my life. When I heard them ask me this, I felt so relieved. I was worried that Maya would say something about Sophia.

It's not that I don't want them to know about her it's just I don't want to introduce her to the family without us having a stable relationship.

"I want to talk." Maya voice interrupted my thoughts. Beginning to tap my fingers against the steering wheel, I spoke. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Our babies. What are their names?" She questioned. When I looked at her though the rearview mirror, she was playing with her hands.. a nervous habit she had.

"We aren't sure yet. Why? Did you have some in mind?"

"Marie. Or Maria. However you say it."

"Those are two different names sweetheart. What if they are boys?"

"Then, Elijah and Justin. But I really want sisters. I don't like boys, only girls." She said, to which I began to feign hurt. I poured and quickly looked back towards her, catching her green sleepy eyes.

"What about Daddy?" I said before lookin back onto the road. I stopped at a traffic light.

"Mommy said you're not a boy, you're a man. Even though that's the same thing." She said, very tiredly.

"Mommy?" I accidentally questioned, although I knew who she was talking about.

"Sophia. Sorry. I keep calling her mommy." She apologized before yawning.

"It's okay." I said, pressing my foot on the gas as the light turned green. I turned at the corner and pulled into the parking garage for our building. I slide into one of my designated spots and turned around, smiling softly at my daughter.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?" I said, grabbing my keys and phone. I turned around in my seat again.

"I love love Sophia." She smiles softly and rubbed her eyes. I knew she was on the verge of falling asleep so I undid my seatbelt, mumbling to myself.

"Then why don't you marry her?" Maya said, undoing her own seat belt.

"Because you don't always marry people."

"But I love her so why not? I want her to be my mommy."

"Maya, get out." I laugh, unbuckling my seatbelt and taking the keys out of the ignition. I grabbed my phone, quietly thanking the heavens above that I was able to avoid the New York traffic.

I really didn't want to have another Mommy talk with Maya because they always resulted the same.

Maya ending up sad or upset.

I slid out the car before helping Maya do the same. I lock the car and grab my daughters hand.

"Why can't Sophia be my mommy?" She questioned as we walked towards the building. She hit the ring button as we awaited the elevator to take us to the lobby.

"Why do you want her to be your mommy?" I curiously asked. I heard Maya sign dreamily before she replied.

"Because then me and our babies can have a mommy together and because she's nice and all the kids at daycare like her. Remember how she made brownies for our party?" I did not but I allowed her to continue, "All of the kids said that she was so nice she wanted them to be my mom! I told them that she was because I didn't know what to say! Sophia also likes princess movies and she only makes me get in a little trouble and not a lot. She plays with my toys with me, she cooks me food. I like it when she makes me sandwiches like from Subway or the bodega but on regular bread for PB&J! I love Sophia, don't you Daddy?" She squealed out, obviously happy. She was pushing me into the elevator now while attempting to look at me.

Not mowing what to say, I shrugged with a smile before saying I was tired.

"I'm tired too. Uncle Tony let me stay up all night with him. We went swimming and then we played with Spider-Man. That's who Uncle Tony named his puppy after! Remember how we saw the cartoon Spider-Man? The one with Miles Morales? That's the one he named his puppy after. But then Uncle Tony told me I had to leave Spider-Man alone before I needed to use my Epipen because my hands started swelling. So then we went back into the pool and Uncle Drew had came over and we went shopping. I got new clothes, most Nike ones because remember when I said I wanted white huaraches but you got me beige huaraches? I'm not dumb, Daddy." She ranted all the way to the second elevator which would take us to our home.

We stepped inside and I pressed my key up against the monitor as Maya began to speak again. Rubbing my tired eyes, I listened.

"I got white huaraches and clothes to go with them. We all got matching outfit. So did you. When we went to the Crocs store, I got black Crocs, like the ones Sophia have. Then I got things that you put on the crocs that say my name. It spells out A-m-a-y-a. Cool, right? Uncle Tony got you Crocs too. He said he knows what size you wear because he wears the same size. That's why he doesn't buy any new shoes. Like you know those black and white shoes you got? They came in the mail after Christmas. They have a little teeny, tiny, weeny piece of blue on it?" She asked and I furrowed my brows as we passed the third floor.

I glanced down at her, thinking of shoes I got in the mail.

"The concords?" I questioned. I remember buying them, now that she had mentioned it, but I don't remember wearing them.

"Yeah! He had those on!" She said, yawning.

"Asshole." I mumbled. I didn't even have a chance to wear them.

How the hell did he even get them?

"I know right. Daddy?"

"Yes, Amaya."

"Can you hold me? I'm tired." She said. I looked down, seeing her droopy bloodshot eyes. She really was trying to stay awake by the looks of it. Maya rubbed her eyes before putting her hands up, motioning for me to grab her. I bent down, sweeping her up. She clung to my neck and wrapped her legs around my upper stomach.

The elevator finally stopped and I carried her through our small alway before unlocking and entering my home. The warm heat welcomed us as I immediately began to walk towards Maya's room. She began to talk.

"Can we just sleep in your room?"

"If you quickly put your pajamas on." I bargain with her before setting her down. She entered her room and exits in almost record time, returning with her plain grey footie onesie and a water bottle. Immediately I pick her up and head towards my room, where I also change into pajamas.

She sits on the bed, putting her hair into a bun on the top of her head. Maya takes a sip of her water before putting on my left night stand and laying down under the covers. I run a hand through my hair, that hadn't been combed at all today, and sigh. I lay down in bed next to my daughter, falling asleep almost instantly with her head on my chest.