54| BIRTHDAYS & SECRETS

"Hey, babe! My boys!" Riley greeted enthusiastically as she pulled the door to her house open for Frema and the twins to enter. It was her daughter, Halsey's birthday that evening and the house was already full by the time they arrived.

"Hey, babes. Wow, we're really late, then." Frema observed and Riley laughed.

"Not really. Most people are just early." She replied, walking towards a set of chairs. The boys took their seats dutifully and then Riley whisked Frema away for some gossip in the kitchen, while they worked.

"Where's the birthday girl?" Frema asked when they got to the kitchen. Riley sighed.

"Sleeping." She responded, shaking her head as she did. Frema gasped and then burst out laughing immediately after.

"What?" She questioned and Riley began to laugh as well.

"I swear, I shouldn't have fed her so much before the party. We're literally just playing games with the kids first, to keep them entertained while we wait for the queen's wake." She reported.

"I can't relate." Frema started. "You know the boys could never sleep during any party, talk more of it being theirs. They've never. Not even on their first birthday. They're going to be party wreckers in the future, I'm so aware of it." She finished with a soft chuckle.

"And you're lucky. Halsey is hardly awake when it's noisey. I'm starting to think she does it to avoid the parties, you know she can be really quiet. And then, she hates taking pictures in public but steals my phone to make stupid vlogs behind my back." Riley recounted, smiling nonetheless. Frema did not recall her boys being picture freaks, even if she thought cameras really liked them.

"Drake and Josh are neutral about the picture thing. I guess." Frema said. Riley nodded in understanding, passing some gift packs to Frema for clipping.

"Frema, can I ask you something?" Riley asked after moments of silence. Frema nodded without looking up. Riley continued, "Okay, well, it's about Eron." Frema looked up now.

"What about him?" She asked.

"When were you going to tell me he had another kid?" Riley questioned calmly. Frema froze for the first few seconds.

"How did you know that?" She asked back, after she found the strength to speak. Just as Riley was about to answer, Riley's help, Ana, walked into the kitchen.

"Halsey's awake now, ma." She reported.

"Oh okay, thank you, Ana." Riley replied and Ana nodded, heading back out. She turned to Frema again. "We'll continue this talk after the party." She told her and then they left the kitchen.

The boys and Halsey were already together when their moms arrived. It caused Frema to smile even with the tension.

"Mommy, when would we be six?" Drake asked with a boyish pout.

"In three weeks. Three more weeks to go and you'd be joining Halsey at six." Frema informed them with a smile. Josh looked like he was in a business meeting, detached and uninterested as per usual. Frema did not miss how Halsey kept stealing glances at him and did not blame the girl, it was a fact; girls always went for the boys that wouldn't pay attention to them.

"Happy birthday, Halsey." Drake said, grinning widely. Halsey frowned.

"You said that six times already." She complained.

"Seventh time is the... What's that again?" He looked over at Josh for help, who rolled his eyes mildly.

"Charm?" He offered and Drake lighted up.

"Yes, charm! That's it." He spoke, patting his brother's head in commendation. Josh swatted his hand away.

"Josh hasn't wished me." Halsey alleged.

Frema turned to look at Josh, a scolding look on her face. He avoided her eyes.

"Sorry, happy birthday, Hallie." He told her, smiling almost shyly. Halsey smiled widely now.

"Thank you." She replied.

Riley and Frema exchanged glances then, both grinning from ear to ear.

"Okay, enough. Halsey, are those eye crusties? Take them out now. And where's your crown? Oh, geez. Let's go back inside." She pulled Halsey with her and Drake just looked on as they disappeared into one of the rooms.

"He likes her." Josh accused and Drake's mouth fell open.

"What, no!" Drake rebutted and Josh laughed.

"You don't? But you follow her around in school." He responded.

"Because she's my cousin and you can't like your cousins. Right, mommy?." Drake explained and Josh shrugged, but a small smirk was still evident on his face.

Frema nodded in affirmative, causing Drake to grin widely, but their conversation made her wonder if she'd have a lover boy amongst them, actually. Then, when Halsey returned with Riley, her mind drifted back to the promise of a discussion between herself and Riley. She was curious to know how Riley had found out about Titi, above anything, and she had a bad feeling about it already.

The party was over in no time. Gifts were received and given out, and soon it was time for everyone to leave. After the crowd had dispersed, Frema took her sleeping boys into a spare room upstairs and proceeded to meet Riley in her room for the ‘talk’ while Halsey watched TV. They both sat on the edge of the medium-sized bed with their legs dangling from the end of it, facing each other.

"Arsen got a call from one Kayla," Riley began as she passed a glass of fruit juice to her friend. Frema almost choked on the juice at that.

"What?" She interrupted, but Riley continued,

"Yeah, she needed his help.. I guess. She said you were getting in the way of her marriage with Eron and she needed Arsen to tell you to stay away. That she was with him first, and already has a child for him. According to her, he loves her so much and you're trying to break them. She threatened to kill herself if you don't leave him."

Frema was speechless after the explanation and she resorted to placing the glass of juice back on the table, to avoid an accident.

"Frema. I can't believe after all this, you still want to marry someone like Eron Castile. I mean, there are other fishes in the wide ass ocean! Come on, you're sexy as hell, that's a heavy plus on your side. Stop doing this, it's so disrespectful." Riley said, raising her voice now. Frema wanted to break down badly, but she could not risk looking insure in front of Riley. Not with something as important as her marriage to Eron.

"She's.. I.. Riley, I... I love him. I was even willing to be friends with Kayla and her child, for him, but they wouldn't let it happen. Eron and I were meant to be, I think. I can't imagine getting married to anyone else, if it's not him." Frema confessed and Riley shut her eyes, sighing loudly in exasperation. After a while, she brought the back of her left palm to her forehead to wipe off the imaginary beads of sweat that had gathered there.

"You're stressing me the fuck out, Frema. We're all saying no. Everyone of us can't be against your happiness, we're saying no for a reason." Riley spoke calmly and Frema shook her head no.

"I'm almost thirty, Riley. And at this age, I'm still a single mother and probably would be one for the rest of my life, if I do not marry Eron. How's that fair?" Frema asked her and Riley bit her lip in guilt as her friend's doe eyes zeroed in on her.

"So, you're marrying him so you wouldn't stay lonely? Is this what it is?" Riley questioned. Frema groaned.

"Bro, I just said I love him." She reminded Riley for the umpteenth time.

"Oh. Yeah." Riley replied lamely and then there was silence for the next few minutes. Then Riley exhaled sharply and placed her hand on her friend's arm.

"I don't know what I'm doing right now, but I think it's similar to how I've always been with you, everytime." She started and Frema chuckled lightly. Even without having any idea why Frema laughed, Riley followed suit, and soon they were laughing for minutes.

"Okay, okay, shut up now. What was that for?" Riley asked when she finally recovered from the laughter, catching her breath.

"Girl, you looked like you were about to start giving a whole speech." Frema accused and they laughed again, but recovered quicker than the first time.

"Well, I'm being serious. I need to sound serious, too. Now, shut up and listen." Riley replied, clearing her throat loudly. "I'll always support you, Frema. You know that, right?" She questioned.

"Of course." Frema agreed, patiently waiting for the next lines.

"Always. And that means I can't not support you now. Which means..." She trailed off. Frema rolled her eyes.

"Riley, stop with the dramatics." She begged.

"Yeah, well, if you really love Eron as you claim, then be with him. I'll support you on that, just like I support you on every other thing." Riley said finally and Frema smiled widely.

"What would I do without you, Riley?" Frema asked, before realizing she'd led herself into a trap. Riley didn't stop chanting about how perfect she was until the next hour.