Chapter 23 Xai #2
I’m still in shock. She’s having my baby!
The minute the nurse leaves to grab a wheelchair for Adora, I lean in and lovingly kiss her. When I release her soft lips, I move my lips to her stomach and plant a kiss.
“You didn’t know?” I ask.
“No. Not at all.”
“What about your period? You didn’t miss it or some shit?
“I mean…I’m a few weeks late, but for me, that’s normal. Why? Are you mad?”
“Mad? Love, hell no. You’re having my baby.
Mad is the last thing I’m feeling. The woman I love with everything in me is carrying our baby.
I’m the happiest man alive.” I kiss her lips again.
“You know I got you, right? You and all three of our babies. And just know I’m going to do whatever I have to erase any doubts you might have because of—”
“Don’t,” she says, stopping me. “We’re having a baby, I’m stuck with you now,” she teases, then smiles. “Xai, baby, you don’t have to mention it. Just don’t keep anything else from me again.”
“Never again, love,” I tell her.
The door opens and the nurse pushes the wheelchair in. I assist him with getting Adora in then I scoop up the girls. After placing her discharge folder on her lap, he pushes Adora out of the room and we follow.
“Xai, I can cook.” Adora sighs and I ignore her.
I just continue to walk to the kitchen and grab water for her vitamin.
“Xai, you heard all the doctors. I’m good.
My stitches are out. This stupid boot can come off next week and the babies’ heartbeats are strong.
I’m going back to work Monday and you can stop hovering. ”
“You don’t like my hovering?” I ask as I place my hands on the arms of her chair and actually hover over her pretty ass.
“I do but you can stop. I need to do things while I can. Once these little girls—”
“Boys,” I correct.
“Once these little boys start growing and I can’t see my feet or walk, then I’ll sit down. Until then, I’m going to do everything I can.”
“And you can, maybe, but not tonight. We have to celebrate and tell them. We’re going to dinner. Pick the spot.”
It’s been three weeks since she left the hospital and we’d just spent the entire morning with doctors.
After getting her stitches removed and her ankle examined at the hospital, we went to our first appointment with the OB.
I learned so much in our first visit and the doctor answered all of my questions.
I had a few before we got there, but after we heard two heartbeats and learned we’re having twins, I had a million more.
I’m not trying to have her doing too much, stressing herself out, or stressing my babies.
Anything she needs, I got her. I’ve been here with her and the girls since she was discharged.
Thankfully, she didn’t have a concussion, but she did have a sprained ankle and I couldn’t have her walking around too much, even with the boot.
I’ve been here, taking the girls to school and picking them up, and doing whatever Adora not only needs but whatever she wants.
“Taste of Italy,” she finally says. “Let’s go there; it’s their favorite.”
“Was that so hard?” I ask before kissing her.
“No.” After placing her hands on the sides of my face, she pulls me back to her lips for another kiss. “Are you scared?” The concern in her voice is loud.
“Of what, love?” I ask.
“This,” she says, then drops her hands from my face. She places them on her stomach then adds, “Them. All of this. Us. Aren’t you worried something’s going to happen?”
“No. I’m not and you shouldn’t either. It’s me and you. As long as you got me, love, I won’t let anything happen,” I assure her.
“You promise because I can’t have anything,” she begins, but I interrupt her by pecking her lips.
“We’re in a good place. We’re having twins. We’re together and nothing is gonna go wrong. I promise you that. Don’t worry about anything.”
“Okay. Okay,” she says while nodding. “Let me pee and fix myself up so we can get them.” When I hold my hand out, she accepts and I help her up. She latches her arms around my neck, then stares up at me. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I tell her before she walks down the hall.
My cell vibrates, pulling me from watching my heart limp to her room.
When I scoop it from the end table, I see it’s Terrance on his burner.
After a few calls, he was able to connect with two people at Diamond Falls Correctional, Omar and Derey.
Omar was one of the first runners to work for me.
He glowed up in the game and had his own shit before narcotics got him.
Derey is also from the Manor. He lost his little brother and I covered the costs of the services.
Both are on the same block as Adora’s ex.
After finding out Adora was pregnant when that nigga had his cousins jump her, my timeline for handling Rush got expedited. My people were in place but he was on lockdown. Last night, he was finally transferred back to his normal cell.
“What up, bruh?” I answer.
“It’s done,” he says. “Both arms and legs are in casts.”
“That nigga really deserved more,” I mumble.
Sending his cousins to fight the mother of his kids at her home, where his kids live, was some hoe-ass shit, a bitch nigga move.
He violated, without a doubt, and needed to be dealt with.
Doing that shit while she is carrying my seeds is a death wish.
The old me would have ended his life on the spot.
He’s lucky I’m a family man and businessman now; that gave him a pass.
He was left broken but breathing, this time.
If he doesn’t heed my warning though, his luck will run the fuck out.
“And he got my message?” I ask for confirmation.
“He fo’ sho’ knows that if anybody contacts her in any way, he won’t need any casts ever again,” he says, then ends the call.
“Who was that, baby?” Adora asks as she enters the living room.
“Terrance.”
“Everything alright at the shops?”
“Yeah. Everything’s good. He just handled something for me and was giving me an update.”
“A good one, I hope.”
“A great one but don’t you worry about that or anything else. Are you ready?” I ask and she nods.
After she grabs her purse from the couch, we leave the house and head to the school. I like to get there before three-thirty to beat this long ass line ,but we are a little late today because of her appointments. It’s a quarter to four by the time we reach the main entrance of the school.
“Hey, Mommie,” Romi says as soon as she’s in her seat.
“Hey, sweetie. How was your day?”
“Good. I got a gold star this week,” she announces proudly.
“I’m so proud of you. We’re going to put it on the fridge when we get home. What about you, Averi? How was your day?” Adora asks.
“I dropped my sandwich and yogurt at lunch. It got on my shoes,” Averi says.
“Oh no, baby. Did you tell your teacher?” Adora asks.
“She saw me,” she pouts.
“What did you eat?”
“Just my chips. The tray she gave me was nasty.”
“Well, we’re going to Taste of Italy. You can get the lasagna rolls you like,” Adora tells her.
“And lemon cookies?” Averi asks.
“Yes. We can all have the cookies. Okay?”
“Okay,” Averi says.
They continue to download their day as we head to the restaurant. When we arrive, I let them out in the front then find a space in the lot. Because we are having an early dinner, there’s no big ass crowd and they are seated in a booth when I make it inside.
“If I knew my last bourbon lemon drop would be my last one for a while, I would have had a double,” Adora teases after we place our drink orders with our server.
“I’ll stop drinking too,” I tell her.
“Baby, you don’t have to do that.”
“But I am. I’m not going to indulge if you can’t, besides,” I begin, then lean close to her ear. “I get drunk off your intoxicating pussy.”
“You betta stop. That’s how this happened,” she teases.
A few minutes later, our server returns with the drinks and bread for the table. Since Adora knows what the girls want, we place our food orders. The minute our server walks off, Adora smiles at me then nods. She’s ready to tell them.
“I have something really special to tell y’all,” she begins and grabs my hand under the table. “Our little family is growing and we’re adding to it.”
“Xai?” Averi asks, then shrugs. “We already know him, Mommie.”
“Not me, lil mama.”
“Xai is already with us. It’s someone, well, two new little people,” Adora explains. “There’s two little babies growing in my stomach right now and they are going to need their big sisters when they get here. I’m having a baby, well, two babies,” she says.
It takes a minute for them to process her words. I can see it all over their faces. I also see the moment it clicks because Averi’s mouth opens and Romi smiles.
“You’re having a baby?” Averi asks for confirmation.
“Two, twins,” Adora says. “You’re both going to be big sisters now.”
Averi and Romi start dancing in their seats at the news and Adora’s reaction to their excitement is everything. Adora is everything to me and losing her for those weeks nearly broke me down. I’ll never do anything to risk that and moments like this again.