My Convict

2-Moving On

Brandy

5 years later

After the night with Elijah, I woke up from my sleep with no sign of him around. Even the dead bodies, were nowhere to be found. When it came time for me to leave the club, everyone looked at me like I was insane, kind of like they knew something I didn't. Shanelle didn't even talk to me, she acted like she didn't even know me.

It was awkward, to say the least, but then a few weeks later, there was something delivered to my front door. It was money, a whole lot of it.

5.2 billion dollars to be exact.

It was creepy, but I didn't question it. Money doesn't just pop out of the middle of nowhere for everyone. So I took the money and left town, doing what my mother told me to do. Starting over, to straighten up my life. Moving to Atlanta, I'm now working at a hair salon, in which I own. Providing for me and my son, Elliot James Robinson.

EJ for short.

Turns out, my uterus actually does work. A month after Elijah and I had that moment in the club, I found out that I was pregnant with Elliot. Being pregnant and alone wasn't exactly easy, but it all worked out in the end. I made him a trust fund, making sure to put half of the money in it for him. With the rest of the money, I brought a house (nothing too big), and two cars. With what was left, I bought some stocks.

Elliot is a handful and looks so much like his father. He was first diagnosed with autism when he was two years old. Since his birth, I struggled to get him to eat. He was very thin, so child services sent someone to weigh him weekly. All he did was sleep and then as he got older, it was impossible to get him to go to sleep. Eventually, I learned that Elliot has autism.

Elliot is now five years old and he is currently getting ready for his first time going to daycare. He's not exactly excited about going, but the doctor says it's good for him to be around kids that share the same disability as him.

He doesn't really like to talk much, but we've been working on it. Sign language is one way we communicate. He doesn't like any hot food, nor cold. Food has to be the right temperature or he won't eat at all. He likes everything organized and hates when people touch him. Well everyone but me.

"Baby, it's time to go." I sign to Elliot. He's reading the book, "No flying in the house." Which right now is his favorite. The book is advanced for his age, which is surprising to some but not to me. When he was a baby he loved when I read to him, so I knew when he grasped the concept of reading he'd be great at it.

Elliot puts his head down further in his book and pretends to not hear me. After a few seconds, he looks up a little and frowns when he sees me standing at the door. "Okay." He signs, getting off his bed. He puts on his shoes and starts fidgeting with his fingers.

"Come on bud, you're gonna do great," I say to him, grabbing his hands. "Everyone is going to love you." We walk out of the house and I lock the door, before helping him into the car. Starting up my black 2018 Range Rover, I ease onto to the road, making sure to do the correct speed limit. Checking the time on the stereo, it's a quarter past eight meaning I was going to be late to work. Looking at my wing mirror, Elliot is still fidgeting with his fingers. "Elliot baby what's your name mean?"

He stops fidgeting with his fingers and lightly bites down on his lip. "Jehovah is God." He says lowly.

"And why did I name you that?"

Elliot looks at me through the mirror. "So I'd be an example of what God's blessing look like."

I nod my head. "Exactly baby. So don't be nervous, they're gonna worship the ground you walk on." The fact that Elliot is going to daycare scares me. We've always been around each other, since the day he was born and now I have to let him go. Some part of me wanted to keep him with me forever.

Letting him go off to college is going to be hard

Arriving at Elliot's daycare, we get out the car and walk to one of the school officials, who was waiting for us outside. "Hi Mrs.Quinn my name is Kaylee and I'll be the one taking Elliot inside today." She says, shaking my hand. She looks down at Elliot and waves, causing Elliot to hide behind me.

"I'm sorry about that, he's shy." Looking down at Elliot, I sign. "You're scared I get that, but you're gonna have to face your fears someday. Fear is something that only holds you back and what have I told you about that?"

"Being held back isn't an option." He signs to me.

"Correct. Now go with Ms.Kaylee and show me what you're made of."

"Okay." Elliot signs and kisses my cheek. He and Kaylee walk inside together, leaving me to myself. Walking back to my car, I drive off to the salon. Traffic rounds it's way down the road, causing extreme havoc. Atlanta is a beautiful city, but the traffic is crazy. My cell phone rings, causing me to sigh in frustration. "Hello?" I ask, answering the phone.

"Brandy where the hell are you?" Yells, Savannah through the phone. Not this b***h. "Brandy your client has been waiting here for over thirty minutes."

"There's traffic where I'm at, but I'll be there," I say, pressing on the gas lightly to move up. "Have Mia take over my client."

Savannah scoffs over the phone. "I can do it." She suggests.

"No!" I quickly say. Savannah can't do hair for anything. All she's good at is annoying the f**k out of me. I don't know why I haven't fired her yet. "Just tell Mia to do it Savannah." Honking my horn at the Nissan that tries to jump in front of me, I roll my window down and stick my middle finger at the driver. "Get off the road b***h, you can't drive!"

Savannah clears her throat. She's still on my line? "I'll see you when you get here." She hangs up the phone. The light turns red again and I groan. This was going to give me road rage.

Sighing, I turn on the radio, instantly cringing at the song that was playing. All this kid kept saying was Gucci Gang, like how is that even considered rap. Shaking my head, I change the station and Work comes on. My fist balls up. The radio has been playing this song non-stop. Like I get it, Rihanna hasn't released an album in a while but there's plenty of other songs by her that they can play.

After about thirty minutes, traffic starts to clear up. I make it to the salon after ten minutes. Walking inside my shop, it's full of customers. "Well damn," I mumble. Setting my stuff down, I pick up my comb. "Who's been waiting for the longest?"

Savannah points to a woman at the end. "That lady over there." She says, restocking the conditioner. When she's done, she turns on the tv for us to watch.

I motion for the lady to come, to sit on the chair and she does. "What style are you getting today?"

The woman clears her throat before speaking and takes off her cap. "A quick sew-in." She replies. I nod, unbraiding the big twists she had in her head.

"Oh, the boss lady finally appears." A deep voice says, coming out the back of the employee section. "I've been waiting hours to get my hair braided.

I smirk at Tyson, playfully rolling my eyes. Tyson was the funniest guy I've ever met. He was the first person I met when I moved to Atlanta. We're close friends. The ladies drool over him as he walks towards me. "Boy nobody wants to braid that bird's nest of yours."

Tyson smiles big, showing off his pearly white teeth. He's everything you can imagine in a black man. Tall, dark skin, clean and last but not least, he has dimples. "Quit playing, you know this hair came from the Brazilian Gods." Did I mention he had style? The ladies laugh at his joke, and so do I.

Whenever Tyson comes over the shop, he sure as hell gonna have you laughing your ass off. I scoff, parting the ladies hair. "More like Synthetic." Everyone burst out laughing.

Tyson playfully glares at me, taking a seat. "Oh, she got jokes." He says talking to the customers. "That's only cause Y'all around, Brandy is actually lame as hell."

My eyes roll to the back of my head. "Tyson what's your fine ass doing here?" Michelle, one of my workers ask. Besides Mia, Michelle was on fire when it came down to doing hair. She'd work with a mess and the result would be something out of this world. "Don't you gotta girlfriend at home or whatever."

Tyson chuckles. "I'm here to get my hair braided woman." He points to his hair. "Don't you see this mess on my head."

My ears perk up at that. "I thought you said, you had Brazilian hair. Brazilian hair doesn't get messed up."

Everyone chuckles and Tyson sticks his tongue at me. "You always coming in here to get your hair braided," Mia states, finishing up with a customer. "Don't ya girl know how to do hair."

Tyson licks his lips, pointing at the television. "Oh look, Maury is on." I couldn't help but laugh. Tysons girlfriend knows nothing about doing hair. She wasn't even girlfriend material. She's a sweet girl though. "Ladies, if you think your man cheating, you really finna bring him to Maury?"

"Hell yeah." One of my customers says, looking up from her phone. "Its the best way to embarrasses his ass."

Savannah shakes her head, putting the broom down. "Nah, I have to disagree on that." She admits. "It only makes people who have the same shade of skin as us a stereotype. Plus what if you bring your man on the show and he ain't even cheating. You embarrassing your damn self."

Michelle steps into the conversation, but not before calling the next customer. "Bullshit." She curses. I shake my head, she can't stop cursing for anything in this world. "They finna make people of color a stereotype no matter what we do. And at least the people who are going on Maury is getting paid to be embarrassed."

Linda, the lady who's hair I'm doing scoffs. "They only getting paid fifty dollars, that's not even a lot to be getting embarrassed for."

"Mmh, money is money," I say, voicing my opinion. "It doesn't matter how much it is, as long as you getting paid then so be it."

"True that," Tyson says, agreeing with me. They soon fall into a conversation about something and I tone them out. My mind drifts off to something else as I begin sewing in the weave.

I had about fours left until it was time to pick Elliot. Knowing him he'd probably want some fruit snacks, so it's best that I take him to the store once he's picked up. He also has a sleep study coming up, so it's best I buy him some new PJ's as well. My face turns into a frown, seeing something on T.V that catches my attention. "Hey Savannah, can you turn the volume up on the T.V?"

She nods. "Sure thing."

"Yes Tim, you heard it correctly. It seems that one prisoner has escaped out of Sean Creek's maximum prison. According to investigators on scene, Elijah Nick Müller was being transferred from one cell to another, when he snapped and stabbed a guard in the neck. Müller then proceeded to make it to the morgue, then escaped, pretending to be a corpse. Everything is still being investigated, but as of now, Müller is considered dangerous, therefore if you see him do not make contact. Call 9-1-1. Here is a picture of how Müller looks like."

My eyes widen. "Holy s**t!" I gasp, causing all eyes to turn to me. My mouth goes dry.

Elliot's father is on television.

My crazy one night stand to be exact.

This has to be a joke.

"You alright girl?" Mia asks tapping me.

I clear my throat. "Yeah, I'm good." Lies! I'm freaking out!

What the hell am I gonna do?!