Townhomes #4684

[Erina]

Home of Erina Kemp.

[Erina]

"It's freezing in here," she scowled as she closed the door of her townhome. There was a huge difference between Lafayette and Metropolis Cove, and it was the weather. At this time, it was probably still warm in Lousiana, but Erina had to bundle up like an eskimo whenever she walked outside.

She tossed her purse on the floor and slipped her heels off, tiptoeing to the A/C to put on the heater. It was always warm in her house--just the way she liked it.

"Five missed calls," she read off the screen of her iPhone, "New voicemail. It's probably Mama calling."

Of course, she'd heard about the breakup. Janine Kemp had probably heard the news right from the horse's mouth. Erina cursed and listened to the voicemail, pulling her ear away when things got too lewd.

"Erina...did that _____ break up with you?! I can't believe him...that ___! Don't you worry, baby; I'll set him straight. You don't need trash like him. Can you believe that he had the guts to tell me that y'all weren't 'gelling' anymore? 'Gelling?' What in the ___ does that even mean? Erina...let me call you back when I'm a little calmer. I love you, baby!"

Mothers. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

[Shavonne]

"It's too cold up here," Shavonne shivered, covered completely from head to toe. She wiggled her toes inside of her fuzzy socks and looked up at her cousin. "How do you survive?"

Erina laughed. "I just do. You get used to it after awhile." She crouched to look into the fridge. "What do you want to eat for dinner?"

Her younger cousin Shavonne had come from New Orleans to live with her for awhile. There had been some sort of falling out back home, so Aunt Nahla had begged Erina to take the young woman in.

"Let's go out," Shavonne's eyes shone at the very thought of dinner. "Or not...."

"No, we can," Erina straightened before closing the refrigerator door. "Just give me a second to get dressed, and then we can decide where to go."

[Erina]

As she perused her closet for something to wear, Erina let her mind drift. She thought about her family, her job, her friends, the guy she'd met...the smile on her face twisted into a frown. They'd had only a few encounters, so there'd been no exchange of numbers.

Erina sighed. Cam and Jenn were all alight with romance, and here she was, single still. She'd been the one fishing for a man that night, yet they'd walked away with their own catches.

"Maybe I need to stop looking for love and just let it find me," she said aloud. "That way, I'll just be surprised when it happens."

[Shavonne]

"Monogamy is pain, Erina," Shavonne said from the door. "You know what men do? They just chill. They're not tryna fall in love or anything silly like that because they want casual relationships.That's why you meet so few men who've been burnt by the hot flame of love."

She shrugged and jumped onto her cousin's bed. "It's a fact of life. Women get hurt more often because they, like you, want love."

[Erina]

Erina opened her mouth to protest but found herself turning back to her closet instead. Shavonne had been in more relationships than she had although she was only twenty. "Maybe you're right," she murmured, reaching for an olive green cardigan."So, are you in the mood for Mediterranean? There's a really nice restaurant in Town Center."

"Never had it before, but you know I'm down for pretty much anything edible," Shavonne grinned a toothy smile. "Hurry, please. I'm starved."

[Shavonne]

Once the two were dressed, they head straight for Our Mediterranean Vineyard.

[Shavonne]

"Erina. You think I'm kidding--I'm not. I want a blasian nephew or niece," Shavonne spoke seriously. "Like, no jokes. Can you imagine how beautiful that baby would be once it grew up?!"

Erina rolled her eyes. "Okay, Shavonne. Whatever you want."

Once Shavonne had gotten home, Erina had immediately showed her the booklet, and together, they started the process of choosing a donor.

"Okay, okay...what about this one? It says he enjoys salsa dancing and cooking. He can sing, too!" Shavonne pointed excitedly. "Oh, wait. He's five six. Never mind."

[Erina]

Laughing, Erina stood by the full length mirror in the living room. She lifted her shirt and tried to poke out her stomach, attempting to imagine herself pregnant. "I'm gonna be a hot pregnant lady," she winked, patting her stomach fondly."

"Yeah...well, you must be practicing already, 'cause I see a little baby wait, Shavonne tossed from the couch. "Did you already get inseminated?" Her smart remarks were rewarded with a particular finger. "Ouch. Better get that outta your system before my little niece comes. I don't want her to be bad like her mama."

Erina looked over her shoulder. "And how do you know the baby's going to be a girl?"

"Look at our family. Every first child is a girl, Erina. This girl ain't gonna break the rules."