“I don’t know, Messiah. We aren’t really the same as we used to be. He couldn’t even look at me after I told him I was pregnant by you. He’s just now speaking to me again. I don’t know what me moving there would mean, but damn, I don’t want to be by myself forever.”

“You ain’t by yourself,” Messiah muttered.

Bleu half smiled because she knew he believed that to be true.

“I swear sometimes it feel like I should just…” Messiah stopped speaking and shook his head.

“You should just what?” she asked.

“You the only one seem to appreciate the fact that a nigga back,” Messiah said. “Everything around me changed, B, but you’re the same. You tryna move all the way to fucking Cali? Can’t see that. Can’t see me letting that happen at all, B.”

“Why?” Bleu asked. “What am I missing here? You’ve got your life, Messiah. You have your plans, you know what you came back for. You want Ethic and Mo, and that’s an entire family for you. It’s just me and Saviour over here. What are we around for? There is nothing keeping me here.”

Messiah stood and hitched up his pants, looking off as he rubbed his fingers in irritation. Thumb to middle finger, they circled.

“Leave then, B. If that’s how you feel, pack ya’ shit and dip,” Messiah said.

“Why are you mad?” she asked as she stood too. “Everything isn’t about what you need. I need things. Saviour needs things.”

Messiah pulled a wad of money from his back pocket and began flicking through the bills. “What you need, B? Huh?” he asked, tossing hundred-dollar bills at her. “That enough?” He kept peeling off money. Bleu slapped the entire roll out of his hands. He didn’t even bother to pick it up.

“I will hurt you, Messiah,” Bleu sneered. “Throwing money at me like you’re crazy.”

“I am crazy, mu’fucka, so stop playing with me. Cali ain’t the play.” He moved through her home and headed to the kitchen. She followed him and stood in the doorway as he helped himself to the orange juice, tilting the half-gallon carton to his mouth like he had purchased it.

“Saviour needs a father, you asshole,” Bleu said. “You gon’ be that? You gon’ do that, Messiah?”

“I’ll be whatever the fuck he need me to be!” Messiah barked. He didn’t know shit about fathering a human being, but shit, if that was what her friendship required, he would try. He had tried to be something to her son, he didn’t know what—neither did she—but somehow he had become a staple for Saviour.

“And what about me?” Bleu shouted. She didn’t even mean to. It just flew out of her mouth, her emotions overriding intellect because Messiah was driving her crazy.