FINDING AZURE

T H I R T Y - O N E / MEANT TO BE

"Azi, are you sure you want to stay here?"

Lacey asked her daughter as the two pulled up to Nico's apartment. Just as Azure promised Nico, she had returned with the rest of her clothes for the summer and some for the fall as he assured her he wanted to be there every step of her pregnancy.

While Lacey loved her daughter and was supportive, she was a little weary about her moving with a man she hadn't even known for six months, especially after being with a different man for four years.

Love could be hard when it was back to back, and some women got so caught up in it that they couldn't even find themselves. She didn't want Azure to be the same; Her hopeless romantic ways causing her to be easily swept off her feet.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Azure nodded, a smile painting itself on her face when she spotted Nico coming out of his apartment. He put the stopper down on his screen door, preparing to haul all of Azure's things back in.

Lacey followed Azure's vision to see the handsome young man strolling towards her car.

"How you doin Ms. Lacey?" He flashed his smile and greeted her like he knew her, "She give you any trouble?"

"Boy." Azure began, playfully rolling her eyes.

"Azure? Trouble?" Lacey looked at her daughter, "Usually I would say no, however you seem to be bringing another side out of her."

"A good side, right?" Azure smiled, forcing her mom to be nice.

"A ... different side." Her mom laughed nervously.

Nico caught the exchange between the two, and decided to speed things up.

"I can grab her things, if ya'll want to head up. My pops should be on his way." he informed them while heading to the trunk.

Azure couldn't help but laugh at his anticipation to get her settled back in at his, while her mom was spending time trying to figure out this young man.

Something about him definitely reigned familiar, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. She decided to ignore it, just popping her trunk and leaving it open as her and Azure made their way into Nico's apartment.

She was pleased to see it nicely furnished and clean, even smelling of a freshly lit candle and pinesol as if he'd just finished mopping. Nico even left horderves on the counter along with glasses of wine, and Lacey had to definitely take a second glance then. She could've swore her daughter told her this man was twenty one, whereas his apartment screamed thirty five and up.

"Azure, how old is this man?" She asked, not hesitating to pick up one of the wine glasses.

Azure smirked, knowing her mom was impressed.

"What do you mean?" She gave her a knowing look, "I told you he was my age."

"Mhhh." was all Lacey could say.

She took a seat next to her daughter on the couch, as Nico continued to haul all of the items in by himself. Once he was done, he headed back to his room to change out of his sweaty gear, next meeting Azure and her mom back into the living room.

"So, I know you have been anticipating meeting me" Nico smiled at the older lady. Lacey had to be around her early 40's - miraculously still looking to be in her twenties. She was the spitting image of her daughter with her long natural hair and timeless beauty. Seeing her, Nico wouldn't mind if Azure aged like that.

She was sure the young man wasn't flirting with her, but Nico just had a natural way of starring people in their souls and making them feel uncomfortable in a good way.