Chapter 2

At this time of the night the whole city will be quiet doing whatever the night accommodated which certainly didn't include the war that was raging in a certain home that housed a young mother and her young child. Neither of them planned to have their otherwise peaceful night interrupted by a man they were better off without, Nova Matthews was very sure that they were better off without her baby daddy who decided that ten years was all that he needed before he waltzed into his daughter's life and demand things that no sane person should but Elijah has never been the sanest person out there.

"Nova I made a mistake alright and now I want to correct it", the man stated exasperatedly while throwing his arms around as if to insinuate that the young mother was being overdramatic.

"Elijah ten years. Nine years after the child you rejected from the start was born you decide to rewrite your mistake. You're too late for that, leave", she sneered as she tried to block off the pains of singlehandedly raising the ball of energy that was her child.

"What were you expecting Nova? For me to jump around happily? I had life plans and you know I had no room for liabilities and you still went ahead to get pregnant", the man retorted in the most condescending voice the dark haired woman had ever heard and her anger burned furiously. Her child was no liability, never has and never will be. Despite the fact that Jasmine was conceived at the wrong time, just when she was nineteen, that child was a blessing to her and she never looked at her any other way.

"You know I didn't have the time to deal with a child that will do nothing but require extra and.... ", Elijah continued his rant and not expecting the very purposeful hand that was aimed for his face and it was not until the palm connected perfectly with his face, sending a stinging feeling to his head and he could have sworn he heard white noise after the Christmas carols that just played on reverse in his head, remind him not to mess with a fighter again but his ego was deeply hurt and he sought clemency.

"You really shouldn't have done that", he advanced on her while rubbing his reddening cheek. Nova knew Elijah well from their two years relationship and one thing about him was that he was the Golden boy outside but she knew the beast he could be, he would do anything to preserve his reputation and when pushed, he would snap. She knew she could beat the shit out of him after years of rigorous training but she didn't want that scene for her daughter who had walked into the room.

"You should leave mister", Jasmine slipped in front of her mother while staring Elijah down, daring him to do anything and he just stared at her with a mixture of shock and disappointment. One look at Jasmine one would know she is not your regular girl. For a nine year old, she was tall and had a boyish appearance to her and if there was one thing Elijah loved so much, it's stereotypes. A girl has no business looking like a boy and vice versa and he would not be caught dead with a child that didn't act like their gender, that was the height of the disgrace that Jasmine was to him.

"Hey honey, I didn't know you were awake", he wore a fake smile and touched her shoulder which the young girl shrugged off immediately.

"Elijah just leave", Nova sighed and stared at him, knowing that Elijah will never make a scene before the child that he wanted to win over.

"I'll be back, you better know it", he gritted out and nodded at the young girl before stalking out of the house as if he owned it and could come and go at will.

The young girl turned to examine her mother who just stared at her with apprehension. She had always told her about her father and made the child understand that she was too good for him, she did all these because she felt that her daughter needed to be filled in on everything happening around her.

"Totally not worth it", Jasmine stated and dragged Nova to a sitting position where she threw her arms around her.

"We'll be fine without him mama"

Nova sighed tiredly and tried to fight back her tears, she knew her child needed a complete family but she couldn't bring herself to fall in love with anyone and risk having their lives turned upside down. She brought her closer and hugged her, relishing in the warmth of her daughter and the assurance that she was really there. Elijah came back wealthy and is ready to fight dirty, she had the financial and family support but she knew that her involvement in the gang could cost her her child and she was deeply afraid of that.

"You packed Jam?", She ruffled her hair as the girl tried to slap her hand away.

"Yeah. Clothes check, books check, toiletries check, inhalers check", she chirped and Nova admired her strength. Jasmine was never the child that would let her feelings drag her down and affect others but she knew that a part of the young child was pained that her father couldn't care.

"Okay honey, now go to bed we have an early trip", she shooed her to her room.

"Why can't we just travel this night Mama?"

"What's your obsession with night travels?"

"I just like it.....I guess. Night Mama, it's okay to dream of me", Jasmine winked at Nova who scoffed playfully and they both walked into their various rooms. The mother tossed and turned restlessly that night while many sceneries played in her head. Many what ifs went through her mind but she decided to put them aside and go home to her mother and stepfather the next morning and have a good family time for the weekend.

The travel the next day involved banters and jokes between the mother and the child and that sprirt carried on when they got to their destination. That was one of the things the raven haired woman could brag of being blessed. A mother who also had her at a young age of fourteen, a stepfather who loves them regardless, her daughter who she counts as her biggest blessing in life and also her mother's best friend aunty Melinda, a woman she could call her other mother. Having her was not easy for her mother who was just a young teenager then but with family support and Melinda who chose to go to the same school with the then young mother and raise the child together, Nova's mother pulled through. Nova had the same support when she got pregnant with Jasmine but she decided to live five hours away from home and find her purpose in life. Her decision not to further her education was of course met with frowns by her family who was ready to support her in any way that they could but she decided it was not her scene. When she met Jase, the leader of the gang she belonged in and learnt how to fight and hold guns, she knew she found it at that point. The thrill of fighting or holding a gun, especially a sniper and the knowledge that she was a clean shot always brought her to cloud nine but she decided to own a little breakfast inn where she and her child could live a normal life. She dialed Juan, an orphaned young man in his late teens who left the state home in search of greener pastures and ended on her door steps and just loved helping around the inn so she employed him.

"Hey, Juan how are you holding up?".

It was the first time she had left the inn in his care so she could imagine what a nervous wreck he would be but she knew he had it in him.

"I'm such a mess right now", he giggled nervously into the phone ad she smiled.

"You'll be fine Juan. Just be calm and everything will be fine"

She talked to him for a few more minutes before hanging up and going to find her parents and kid one the backyard.

"She's grown too much already", Gracie Matthews cooed at the sight of Jasmine and Ben, her husband playing with the family golden retriever.

"Yeah and it kills me that she doesn't have a complete family", she sighed and her mother shot her a look. Knowing her child she knew that she wouldn't just bring that up without having a reason.

"What's the matter dear?"

"Elijah", Nova mumbled angrily.

"What about him?"

"He showed up at the house today. Apparently he wants to be in her life now"

Gracie kept quiet and stared at her grandchild and the memory of how her daughter struggled to raise the girl alone and is still struggling as a single mother didn't sit well with her but she was the kind of mother that always wanted hear her daughter's thoughts before saying anything.

"What do you want to do?"

"I'm confused mama. I know Jam needs a father but at the same time I cannot allow him into her life when he is a flight risk"

Gracie hummed and looked at her child.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Every decision you make will affect Jam. As much as you think she needs a father figure do you think you can have him back in your life? How will his return affect your mental health? As much as she needs him, she needs you more and she doesn't need you to be unavailable. Your energy will always rub off on her"

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while until Gracie broke it.

"How are you?"

Nova found out about three years ago that she was diabetic and that information didn't sit well with her. Thoughts of diabetic complications and how it could shorten her life and affect her daughter's did a number on her and made the first year impossible and the fact that her blood sugar was everywhere didn't help but over the months, she had gotten better.

"I'm in a good place now I guess. Feeding healthy and doing everything necessary not to give her a scare", she chuckled sadly.

"You are a great mother honey, you should know that"

Nova was about to reply when Jasmine ran around their chairs with Ben chasing her for a while before they calmed down.

"Gramps said Mickey is coming over for lunch on Sunday. I've got really cool stuff to show him", Jasmine mentioned happily and Gracie lit up at the mention of her best friend's child coming over, which equally meant that Melinda was coming over.

"She's coming with that cousin of hers this time", she stated sadly.

"The one she always talks about?", Nova asked to clarify and her mother nodded at that.

They talked about everything they could think of and later in the night Nova would retire and think about her loveless life.

At some point she knows that Jasmine needed someone else besides her and as she pondered over what her mother said she couldn't help but realize that the woman was right. Elijah was a very unwelcome person in her life, sure there was a time she loved him so much and thought he felt the same way about her. He had always being a manipulative lover but as the saying goes, love covers all. Hell broke loose when she got pregnant with Jasmine and she saw the devil that he was. Being a single expecting mother brought so many thoughts to her, her mother had her at fourteen and she knew that the older woman would understand but she was never ready to take that path. She did at last and is enjoying every bit of it.