Chapter 4~*

~*Three Years Later*~

“Issabell!” Aaliyah yelled and shook her head and sighed. Issabell was only four but a handful. She loved to get into everything and was just over excited all the time. She was so much like her mother but at the same time she had so many things that her father had. “Issabell Diana Haughton get down here now!” She yelled and watched the four year old come up to her.

“Yes?” She said and smiled at her mother. “Oh and please don’t call me by my whole name.” She said and watched her mother smile.

“Ok but if you would have answered the first time I wouldn’t have had to say Issabell….”

“I’m not listening.” Issabell said and covered her ears, “Lalalalalalala!”

“Ok I get it.” Aaliyah said and laughed, “Abby’s mom called to see if you wanted to go swimming with them.”

“What did you say?” Issabell said and looked at her mother. “Did you say yes, because I want to go!” She said and smiled.

“Yes I did tell her that you wanted to go so she’ll be over here in about ten minutes so go get ready, k?” She said and laughed as Issabell skipped down the hall. “Izzy one thing,” She said and watched her daughter turn around.

“What?” She said and studied her mothers face and saw a smile come over her face.

“Be good ok.” She said and laughed and watched the young girl nod and walk upstairs.

After that night at the beach in Miami she hadn’t talked or seen Justin. She was serious about keeping him away from their child, so she didn’t want to leave Florida completely so she just moved to Tampa. He practically called their daughter a mistake so she made sure that he hadn’t seen her. Issabell had her last name because she didn’t really want her to have his last name. Over the years not once has Issabell asked about her father and so she never brought it up.

“Mommy, I’m leaving, Abby’s here.” Issabell said and smiled at her mother and ran out the door and waved to her mom before leaving.

~* The Next day around 11:20 A.M.*~

“Mom, me and Issabell are going to get out of here, we’ll stop by later.” She yelled and closed the door behind them. She was happy to be back in New York for awhile and actually was glad she still had her apartment here.

Leaving the house another quarter to five
Slipped on my boots and I'm ready to ride
And I feel so high, I feel so alive

Let down my hair, feel the wind on my skin (wind on my skin)
Crossing the water where my new life begins
And I close my eyes and take it all in

“Mommy I have a question.” Issabell said and looked up at her mother.

“Ok what is it Izzy?” She asked and looked up at her .

I don't need nobody trying to make me over (make me over)
I just wanna live simple and free
I just wanna get away
Save it, all your bullshit, for another day
I'm the only one who can rescue me from me

“Can we go to Toy’s R’ Us today?” She asked and batted her eyes at her.

She could never really say no to her. Issabell was like her life. She was her daughter and nobody had the smile she had except for herself. “Sure, why not.” She said and smiled at her daughter.

They were walking around the corner when she noticed two people she hadn’t noticed in nearly two years.

“Oh my god, Aaliyah.” Christina said and held on to Justin’s hand. “How have you been we haven’t talked in so long.” She said and smiled at her.

“I’ve been really good.” She said and smiled and looked at Christina and glanced over to Justin who was looking at Issabell.

“Who’s this cutie?” Christina asked with a smile and looked at Issabell and then back up at Aaliyah.

“This is my daughter Issabell, Issabell this is Christina and Justin.” Aaliyah said with a little smile.

“Hi,” She said and smiled and held her mothers hand, “Your pretty.” She said to Christina and smiled.

“Well thank you, your very pretty yourself.” Christina said and smiled. “She’s so sweet.”

“So did you two end up getting married?”

“Yeah just this year,” Justin said and looked at her.

“That’s great!” She said and smiled, “So what are you two doing here in New York?” Aaliyah asked and picked up Issabell.

“We’re just in the city for work, what about you?” They asked and looked at her.

“I’m in the city to visit my mom and for work,” She said.

“We were on our way to lunch, why don’t you come and we can talk more.” Christina said and smiled.

“I don’t know, I don’t want to impose.” She said and looked at them.

“You won’t be,” Justin said and looked at her and wanted to ask her so many questions. He knew that Issabell was his daughter. Issabell was beautiful just like her mother and as far as he could see so full of life.

“Alright but I need to Get Issabell to my brothers house first he lives down this street.” She said and looked at Issabell, “So why don’t I meet you two at Starbucks in about 15 minutes?” She said and picked up Issabell.

“Ok we’ll see you then.” Christina said with a smile and looked at Issabell, “It was nice to meet you Issabell, I hope to see you more.” She said and smiled.

Issabell smiled, “Bye!”

~*15 mins. Later*~

“So how has everything been at work?” Christina asked and looked over at Aaliyah.

“Great actually, I only have to go in to the studio a few times a week, and that works out for me because I can keeping doing what I love and raise my daughter without having to get a nanny.” She said and ran her fingers through her hair.

“So how old is Issabell?” Justin asked and raised and eyebrow.

“She’s four.” She said and smiled.

“She’s so sweet one day I want a daughter just like her but lately I just don’t have the time, Me and Justin just have been so busy lately so we really don’t have the time.”

“Yeah I know the feeling, When Issabell was born I took off maybe about a year before I was ready to come back, but I see that it was a good thing now.” Aaliyah said and shrugged, “I’ve never had the heart to say what I really wanted to but after having this child it seems like anything goes.”

“So what have you been up to lately, It’s been a long time since the last time I saw you.” Justin said and watched her look up and lock eyes with him.

“Nothing really, I’ve been trying to keep up with Izzy and doing final touches on my music. I got a call last week from MTV, they asked me if I would co-host Spring Break this year, Of course I told them I had to think about it, which I did and called back and told them I would do it. And I took a few chances with my image and I’m surprised I still have the good girl image.” She said and laughed.

“You make being a mother and handling your career like it’s easy.” Christina said.

“Well it’s not easy but after like 4 years of screaming and yelling you kind of get used to it.” She said and shrugged, “Also with my job, I’ve been around since I was fourteen and so I guess it seems easier as the years pass.”

“Don’t you ever wish you could just like stop everything and re-do some of the choices you’ve made?” Justin asked and wondered what she would say.

“Only one choice I made would I change.” She said and looked up at Christina and Justin.

“Well what is it? Don’t keep us hanging.” Christina said and smiled.

“Ok , I would have never told my friends that I were pregnant which lead to them making me confess to Issabell’s father who didn’t understand what I was going through and just wanted to put me down.” She said and made eye contact with Justin before looking back at Christina.

“Wow did he really give you a hard time?” She asked and looked back at her.

“More than anyone will ever know, I have never hated someone as much as I’ve hated him, and my mother always tells me that hate is a strong word but I just really hated him then and there, now I still hold a grudge against him but I still love him as the man he used to be.”

Justin hated having to listen to this. He didn’t know that she felt this way about him. He was surprised she didn’t want to grab his throat and murder him at the time.

“What if he didn’t know he was hurting you that much. Maybe that would have never happened if you would have told him from the get go.” Justin said and saw the look on Christina’s face.

“No man has the right to treat a woman as bad as her ex treated her.” Christina said and looked back at Justin. “So do you know what’s going on with him now?”

“Well, he recently got married.” She said, “The woman he married is the same woman I found out he was cheating on me with.” She shrugged, “Now I don’t hold anything against this woman because she’s so kind, and she never knew what happened between me and him, or that he was dating me at the time.”

“Are you serious?” Christina said and watched her nod her head, “What man would do that, and she has no idea that all of this happened in his past.” Christina looked at Aaliyah, “So does he know about Issabell?”

“Yeah he’s known since the day she was born, but not once has he called to see how she was or if she was happy.” Aaliyah laughed a little, “Sometimes I wonder if he ever cared about me.”