Chapter 5
Aaliyah pulled her hand away.
"What did you say?"
Her voice was barely audible.
I stared at her.
"Aaliyah, please."
Mom crossed her arms.
"Go ahead, Jordan. Tell her."
Dad looked toward me.
His expression was serious.
I took a breath.
"Last month, I told Mom I was overwhelmed."
Aaliyah's eyes filled.
"Overwhelmed by what?"
I swallowed.
"School. Work. Everything."
Mom gave a bitter laugh.
"That's not what you said."
I turned.
"Mom, stop twisting it."
She looked offended.
"Excuse me?"
I faced Aaliyah again.
"I said I was scared about our future."
Her lips trembled.
"Because of me?"
My chest tightened.
"No."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
I looked down.
"Because I didn't want you to think I was doubting us."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"But you were."
I swallowed.
"Sometimes."
The room went silent.
I forced myself to continue.
"I love you, Aaliyah."
She looked at me.
"But I was scared about money. About school. About whether I'd be good enough."
My voice cracked.
"I didn't know how to say that without hurting you."
Aaliyah covered her face.
I moved closer.
"I'm sorry."
She shook her head.
"Jordan, you should have told me."
"I know."
Dad spoke quietly.
"That's something you two need to work through honestly."
I nodded.
Mom looked furious.
"Marcus, don't encourage this."
He turned.
"I'm encouraging honesty."
She scoffed.
"Honesty? Fine."
Then she pointed at Aaliyah.
"Ask her why her mother wants her out of the house."
My stomach tightened.
Aaliyah looked horrified.
Dad stepped forward.
"Denise."
Mom continued.
"Maybe Patricia knows something we don't."
Aaliyah began crying harder.
I felt anger rise.
"Stop!"
Mom stared at me.
I had never shouted at her like that.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then I spoke again.
"Stop using everything we tell you against us."
Her expression changed.
I continued.
"You asked me how I felt last month."
My voice cracked.
"I trusted you."
Mom looked away.
"And now you're using it to hurt Aaliyah."
She folded her arms.
"You're being dramatic."
I shook my head.
"No."
Dad stepped beside me.
"Jordan's right."
Mom stared at him.
"Of course."
Her voice became cold.
"Everyone is against me."
Then she walked out.
The bedroom door slammed upstairs.
The kitchen became silent.
Aaliyah was crying.
I looked at her.
"I'm sorry."
She shook her head.
"I need some space."
My chest tightened.
"Okay."
She walked toward the guest room.
I wanted to follow.
But Dad stopped me gently.
"Let her breathe."
I nodded.
For a moment, I felt like everything was falling apart.
Then Dad pulled out a chair.
"Sit."
I sat.
He looked at me.
"Jordan, we need to talk about responsibility."
I lowered my eyes.
"I know."
He shook his head.
"Not the way your mother means it."
I looked up.
He continued.
"Responsibility isn't pretending you're never scared."
I swallowed.
"It's being honest about what you can and cannot do."
I nodded slowly.
Dad leaned forward.
"When your mother became pregnant with you, I was twenty-eight."
I stared.
"I know."
He smiled sadly.
"People think I had everything figured out because I was older."
I nodded.
He shook his head.
"I didn't."
His voice softened.
"I was terrified."
I looked surprised.
"You?"
He laughed quietly.
"Me."
He continued.
"I had a job, but it wasn't stable. We lived in a small apartment. I worried every night about money."
I swallowed.
"What did you do?"
He smiled sadly.
"I worked hard. Asked for help. Made mistakes. Learned."
I nodded.
Then he looked directly at me.
"But the biggest mistake I made was pretending I didn't need anyone."
My eyes filled.
He continued.
"I don't want you repeating that."
I swallowed.
"Okay."
Dad leaned back.
"You're going to need a budget."
I nodded.
"A plan for school."
"Okay."
"And honest conversations with Aaliyah."
My throat tightened.
"I know."
He smiled gently.
"Good."
Then he asked something that surprised me.
"What does Aaliyah want?"
I hesitated.
"She wants to finish nursing school."
Dad nodded.
"And what else?"
I looked down.
"I don't know."
His expression softened.
"Then ask her."
I swallowed.
Because I realized I'd been so focused on becoming a provider that I hadn't asked enough about her fears.
Later that evening, I knocked on the guest-room door.
"Aaliyah?"
No answer.
I waited.
Then her voice came from inside.
"Come in."
I opened the door slowly.
She was sitting on the bed.
Her face was swollen from crying.
I felt sick.
"Can I sit?"
She nodded.
I sat beside her.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
Then I whispered, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was scared."
She looked at me.
"I was scared too."
I nodded.
"I know."
She shook her head.
"No, Jordan. I don't think you do."
My chest tightened.
I looked at her.
She continued.
"I'm scared about my body changing."
Her voice broke.
"I'm scared about school."
I swallowed.
"I'm scared about losing my mom."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"And I'm scared that one day you'll look at me and wish none of this happened."
My heart broke.
I took her hand.
"Aaliyah, I can't promise we'll never struggle."
She nodded.
"But I can promise I'll keep telling you the truth."
Her eyes filled.
I continued.
"And I want to hear what you need."
She looked down.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then whispered, "I need you to stop trying to solve everything alone."
I nodded.
"Okay."
"And I need you to understand that this is happening to my body."
My throat tightened.
"You're right."
She looked up.
"I want us to make decisions together."
I squeezed her hand.
"Together."
For the first time that day, she smiled.
A small smile.
But it meant everything.
Then she whispered, "There's something I want to ask you."
I nodded.
"Anything."
She took a breath.
"If we have this baby..."
My heart pounded.
She continued.
"Will you still want to marry me someday?"
I went completely still.
May you like
Because marriage had been on my mind for weeks.
But I hadn't known whether she wanted the same future.
