"So now that you've blown all your money, you want me to pay your mistress off for you. Is that what you are asking me?"
"I just need you to get it under control for me, bro."
"What does control look like to you?"
"You know..." Saheed scoffed, "Don't act like you've never paid a girl off to get an abortion."
"La qaddar allah." (Translation: God forbid)
"We just have to pay her I! It's just that she's-- she's just asking for too much, you know?! She's being so greedy, you know?!"
"I don't." Dabir sighed. "I don't, Saheed. I don't understand why you did this."
Saheed shot up from where he was seated, frustrated. He felt like Dabir was looking down on him. "Why do you always look at me like that?! You think you're better than me!"
Mr. Ayad snapped, "Hey! Don't talk to my son like that! You MUST respect him!"
"Baba." Dabir called in a warning tone.
Saheed scowled. "Whatever man! It's always my son this, my son that,  I'm your son too! Why don't you treat me like that!?"
"Like what?! You spend all my money on women and drinks, and you think it is Dabir who has special treatment?! Have I ever scolded you? Have I lifted my hand against you?! You have had all that you've wanted since the womb! And what have I asked of you, Saheed, the only thing I've asked?!  All I asked was that you get married! Find a good woman! Have a family! I gave you my word that if you did that, I would never make you work a day in your life! But look now, look how you've disgraced the Ayad name! The one reasonable girl and you have destroyed the hope for your future with her!"
"I DON'T want to be married! You caused this! How come you never forced Dabir to find someone?!"
"Because Dabir—! Dabir is...I've never had to worry about Dabir." Mr. Ayad paused, the room falling silent. He tearfully looked at Dabir. "Dabir is different, he's always been able to look after himself."
Saheed sneered, "Yeah that's right. Precious Dabir...Your special little orphan boy."
"Saheed!"
"You favor him because you feel bad for him! It's not my fault his mom died and you married mine! I wish that when she died she took him with her!"
The room got fiery hot. Mr. Ayad couldn't even be angry at Saheed, he was too busy fearing for Saheed's life. Dabir never showed violent inclinations, but this was a moment Mr. Ayad feared that Dabir would beat the brakes off Saheed. 
On Dabir's maternal side of the family, the men were on average 6'5 and built solid. That trait did not skip Dabir. He towered over his family, especially Saheed. As a child Dabir learned early on that he could not get involved in the childish rough housing that other kids enjoyed, for fear of causing real harm. 
He walked over to Saheed who was filled with regret but too stubborn to do anything about it. Dabir put one of his hands on Saheed's shoulder, "I will let it go this time, and this time only. Let this be the last mention of my mother from your mouth."
-
Miles and miles away, Gracie was laughing it up with her mom and friends over a homemade Nigerian food. It was completely unbeknownst to her all of the drama and mayhem going on at the Ayad household. She snapped a picture of her food some time ago and sent it to Dabir. She checked her phone and was disappointed that there was still no response.
"You just can't get enough of him, can you?"
"Huh? What do you mean?!"
"We see you checking your phone! Saheed will text you when he gets a chance girl, dang!" Leni teased.
"Oh, ha, yeah." Gracie put her phone down, face now flushed. "So what's been new with y'all? It feels like it has been five-ever."
Becca swished around her wine and raised a mischievous eyebrow. "Did you hear about Alexis?"
"No? Is she okay?" Gracie worriedly asked.
"Is she okay...Yeah, she's okay! The girl is pregnant! And rumor is baby daddy is stacking, look." Becca opened up her social media feed and went to the top pic. It showed Alexis smiling ear to ear holding an early pregnancy ultrasound. 
"Aw, she looks so ha—..." Gracie paused. Her eyes landed on the earrings that Alexis wore in the picture. Gracie's eyes squinted at the sight. 
2 2 was immediately equaling 4.
They were the exact same ones that Saheed had gifted her. At the bottom of the post announcing her pregnancy, Alexis said
"Also, I want to give a MAJOR S/O to @lekkilandjewlers for helping me and bae with these beautiful custom earrings!"
Gracie went straight to @lekkilandjewelers page. She didn't even need to scroll before she saw all that she needed. At the top of the page was a picture the jeweler took with Saheed. The caption read:
"There's money and then there's money money! Had to hook up my boy @sayad with some of the finest Sapphires money can buy! It was so nice he had to buy it twice!"
"You okay?" Becca asked after seeing Gracie's face fall.
"One second y'all." Gracie put the phone down.
She then got up from the dining table and took off into her mom's bedroom. Her mom was watching tv in bed, the second she saw Gracie's face she sat straight up. "What happened? Omo mi, what is it?!"
"Mummy, he got someone pregnant. That fool cheated on me with Alexis!"