A Rich Man's Baby by Daaimah S. Poole

up the steps to her third-floor apartment. I stood behind her so she wouldn’t fall, and Kierra carried her pocketbook. She staggered over to the couch, thanked me, and asked me for her purse.
    â€œWell, I hope you feel better. And I hope what you have isn’t contagious. I had to call out from work today, and I don’t want to call out again,” I joked, handing her purse to her.
    â€œNo, the procedure I had is not contagious, trust me,” she said in a halfway laugh.
    I caught on immediately and walked toward her door. She tried to get up and hand me forty dollars. I told her to keep it and gave her my number to call me if she needed anything. I closed her door and held Kierra’s hand as we walked back down the steps.
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    The next day, I was mean to Jeremy. I don’t even know what happened between him and Adrienne, but I knew more than likely it was his fault. And something about seeing her in all that pain made me really dislike him. They were dating for a little while, so it was probably his baby. And he was walking around the office all smiling. She wasn’t even my friend, but I felt allegiance to the sisterhood. I hated him right now just because he was a man. I hoped I never got pregnant again. As a matter of fact, I know I’m not getting pregnant again. I’m going to make an appointment to get my tubes tied.
    At lunch I called my insurance company to see if they covered getting my tubes tied. They informed me that I had to go to ob-gyn and get a referral. I couldn’t wait. I didn’t ever want to have another baby. I met the criteria, and I was one hundred percent sure I wanted it. I knew this lady down the street who was forty-five and she just had a surprise. Her son was in college, and now she had a newborn. That was not going to happen to me.
    Â 
    I went into my room and fell asleep on the bed. I woke up with thoughts of Adrienne.
    â€œAlexis, what is Chardae doing here? It is twelve-thirty.”
    â€œMom, can she stay here? Her mother kicked her out.”
    â€œWhat she do? What happened?”
    â€œHer mom was like ‘Be in the house by nine’ and she got home at eleven, and when she came in, her mom said, ‘Pack your stuff and leave.’”
    â€œGet me her mother’s number so I can call her.” I dialed Chardae’s mom.
    â€œHello, how you doing? This is Tanisha Butler. My daughter Alexis is a friend of Chardae.”
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œWell, I just wanted to let you know that Chardae is here and she is safe. If you want me to bring her home, I can.”
    â€œNo, don’t bring her home. I’m tired of her grown ass. She want to run the street, let her. I’m done. She just ain’t going to do that shit here.”
    And the call ended. I looked down at my phone. It was one in the morning, and I couldn’t believe she didn’t care where her daughter was.
    â€œAlexis, come here,” I said. “What else she doing besides coming in late?”
    â€œNothing really. She just be getting into it with her stepdad. He mean and her mom be listening to everything he say. And she just be saying it is not fair how her mom listen to him and not her.”
    â€œWell, she can stay here tonight, but after that she has to go home. Give her something to sleep in, and bring some sheets and a comforter to her. You still got to get ready for school.”
    I yelled downstairs to Chardae, “Tomorrow you going to have to go home, sweetie, okay?”
    â€œYes, thank you for letting me stay.”
    There would never be a day I’d put anything or any man before my child. That’s just crazy.

Chapter 15
Dionne
    W e occasionally double-dated with Terrance’s friend Darren and his wife, Jasmine. We were all going out to celebrate me taking the bar and our engagement. I was sure that I passed. Jasmine and I were friends only because of our men. She was very ghetto, petty, and always pricing your