Chapter 49
1002words
"I can't but he can," I said, pointing at Valdo with a cheeky smile.
"You're rich?" My mother asked Valdo.
"Very."
"I can't believe you look so good and you just had a baby!" I blushed and shook my head.
"I don't look good." I disagreed. I haven't felt pretty lately; where my body was concerned. I have a few stretch marks on my belly, and the baby fat still hasn't gone down yet.
My mother walked up to me and cupped my cheeks. "You don't look good, you look great. After I had you, my belly was twice the size of yours. It took a while to go down; I didn't have much time to exercise and take care of a baby at the same time. It didn't matter anyway; I was single. I didn't have anyone to impress." She smiled and whispered, "Have you guys put the cake in the oven?"
It took me a second to understand what she meant, and when I did, I laughed. "No. We haven't."
She nodded her head, "Okay, well. Has he tried to put the cake in the oven?"
I shook my head, "No. He hasn't even tried to bake a cake."
"Really?" she asked with raised brows.
I nod, "He's bought the ingredients."
She laughed, "Okay, you lost me at ingredients?"
"We've kissed."
"So first base?"
I nod, "Yep."
"Hmm...that's weird. How long have you guys been dating?"
"Only a few weeks. We started dating a few days after Jamaica was born." I answered, honestly. I know my mother wouldn't judge the situation until she knew the facts behind getting a relationship with a man a few days after giving birth to another man's child.
"So it hasn't been six weeks yet?"
I remembered clearly what Nurse Voila recommend to me before I left, "No, ma. It hasn't been six weeks yet. It doesn't matter anyway. Valdo isn't like that. He's not going to jump me as soon as he gets the chance. We've decided to take things slow."
She nodded, "I understand. He seems like a good guy. I can tell he really likes you. Do you really like him?"
"I do."
She chuckled, "Good because if you didn't, I'd be willing to shoot my shot." I laughed at her words. Valdo wasn't my mother's type. She preferred men who were n the rough side and older than her. She always had a thing for the bad guys, and Valdo is quite the opposite.
"But seriously. You look beautiful in that dress, and I'm sure you'd look beautiful without it. It takes super strength to push a child out of your vagina. If a man can't appreciate your "after-baby" body, then he just doesn't deserve you."
"I had a C-section." My body took the easier way out to some extent.
"It doesn't matter which one you had. Remember what I told you on your twelfth birthday?"
I remembered the day like it was yesterday. Everyone wore fancy clothes to school on their birthday except me. I cried for the entire bus ride home. When she saw my tears, she asked me what was wrong, and I told her that the other kids were making fun of me because I didn't get new clothes for my birthday. She bent down on her knees, and she said,
"Beauty is more than just appearances."
"Exactly. Beauty is your personality, how you interact with people." She smiled, "You're the most beautiful woman I know, inside and out. Stop worrying about how you look."
I looked down my dress and smiled. I did look good in yellow.
"That's the smile I want to see. Your man has been waiting for a while now."
She tugged my right hand and pulled me towards the bedroom door.
As my mother and I walked out of the bedroom. Valdo's attention shifted from Jamaica to us. "Wow. You girls look amazing. You look like sisters." My mother and I blushed at his kind words.
"You don't look so bad yourself." My mother muttered under her breath. Valdo chuckled.
"I try."
I rolled my eyes, "We both know you don't need to try.
He lifted his hands to his hair, "Do you think I wake up and my hair looks this good? No honey, I have to brush it and add gel to it."
"Okay, I understand the hair but look at your face. It's like gorgeous. I have to put on makeup just to look half as good as you."
He rolled his eyes, "You don't need makeup to look beautiful. You're naturally beautiful. Just like Aphrodite."
I blushed.
Did he just compare to me to a goddess? The most beautiful one at that.
"I'd love to sit, and you two compliment each other, but it's also six, and if we don't leave right now then we might not get a seat until eight." I nod, agreeing with my mother. "The Castle" is usually packed by six-thirty.
"I starving so the earlier, the better."
I gave him a thumbs up. "Okay. Let's go then!"
......
"Table for three please, along with a high seat for the baby." Valdo requested, but the hostess wasn't paying him much attention. Her attention was on me and the baby in my arms while shamelessly chewing on a blue gum. She smirked. I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly what she was thinking. Her name was Cara; she graduated Alton High two years ago. While she was there, she dedicated her days to make me miserable just because I was poor.
Based on her current job, she never got rich either.
"So the rumours are true?" she smirked then glance at my mother. "Like mother, like daughter, after all."
"You little piece of.."
I touched my mother's shoulders. "It's okay, ma." I looked at Cara, "Table for three and a baby seat."
"This isn't McDonald's; this is The Castle. You can't afford it here." Cara said with her lips pushed up.
