Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Kross rushed inside the hospital, his head running rampant with thoughts of what to expect once he saw Aniyis.
He would have never thought his return home would be like this.
He had hoped to be met at the gates by Cassie’s open arms and Aniyis bursting in excitement to have his father home.
Yet here he was, rushing through the halls of the hospital to see his son fighting for his life.
At only six years old, Aniyis was dealt the worst set of cards.
Kross’ actions robbed him of a father during the early years of his life, and now, he had lost his mother completely.
Cassie was all Aniyis knew. She was the most amazing and patient mother.
Kross had no idea how he would fill the deep void Cassie left once Aniyis pulled through.
Kross followed Ezekiel to the pediatric intensive care unit. His heart was beating against his chest as they approached the front desk. He slightly pushed Ezekiel to the side so he could speak with the receptionist.
“Excuse me. I’m here for Aniyis Hunter,” he rattled out hastily.
The older woman’s emerald eyes peered over her glasses that were perched on her nose. “And you are?” she asked while typing away on the keyboard to pull up Aniyis’ information.
“His father.”
She lightly cleared her throat before pointing to the computer screen. “Says here that his father is Ezekiel Hunter.”
Kross snapped his head in the direction of his brother, not understanding why he was listed as Aniyis’ father. “My fault, bruh. They only let immediate family in to see him, and I had to see little homie,” he apologized to Kross. “Ma’am, I’m Aniyis’ uncle. This is his father,” he clarified for her.
The woman seemed hesitant; however, she didn’t have much of a reason to object, so she began making the corrections on Aniyis’ profile. “Can I have some ID please?” she requested.
A heavy breath flowed out of Kross as he reached into his pocket. “This all I got.” He extended his prison ID that had his picture, name and inmate number printed on it to her.
She glanced down at the ID, and her brows bumped together when she realized it was issued by FDC Miami. “I don’t know if I can take—” she attempted to let out, but he interjected.
“Ma’am, I just need to see my son. I just got out, and this the first place I stopped because I need to see how my son is doing. Just work with me,” he pleaded with her.
She let out a deep sigh before taking the ID from him and typing in his information. Seconds later, a visitor’s pass was printed for both Kross and Ezekiel. “He’s in room 4713.”
“Thank you,” Kross expressed his gratitude as he rushed in the direction of Aniyis’ room.
With haste, he navigated the halls before halting in front of room 4713.
Ezekiel could sense the apprehension that washed over him as he stood before the door.
He reached over and gave his shoulder a supportive squeeze, hoping to give him strength to be able to stomach what he was about to face.
Kross pushed the door open and headed inside the dimly lit room.
He could hear the monitors at work, beating repeatedly, indicating that Aniyis was still alive.
As he stepped further into the room, he felt a hand press against his chest, halting him from moving any further.
His eyes tore from Aniyis, who was laid out on the bed, and allowed them to trail down to Cassie’s mother, Joyce.
He could see the pain that webbed her puffy, red eyes.
She was an absolute wreck and was trying her best to hold it together for her grandson.
“When did you get out? Better yet, what are you doing here?” she gritted out, attempting to keep her voice low.
Taken aback by her question, Kross screwed his face up. “What you mean what I’m doing here? I’m his father.”
“What type of father are you? You left her while she was pregnant and was never around for Aniyis, and now, you walk in here after all her hard work is snatched away from her,” she scoffed, looking him up and down in disgust.
“You act like it was my fucking choice to leave my lady while she was pregnant with my kid. I did what I could for Cassie and Aniyis, and you know that. They never wanted for shit while I was away. I know I wasn’t your first choice for your daughter, but she chose me, and we had that little boy over there.
” He pointed to Aniyis. “I wasn’t there then, and I get it, but I’m fucking here now. ”
“My daughter is dead, and this shit has you written all over it, Kross.” Joyce remained firm in her stance as she cut her eyes at him, her pupils full of hatred.
“Mama Joyce—” Ezekiel maneuvered between them in hopes of deescalating the blow up that was waiting to happen “—he’s Aniyis’ father, and you need to respect that.
What happened to Cassie last night fucked everybody up, and we can only imagine the pain you’re in right now as her mother.
However, now is not the time to be at odds with each other.
We need to be a support system for ‘Niyis. That’s how Cassie would want it. ”
Kross was glad that Ezekiel stepped in when he did because he wasn’t in the right headspace to reason with Joyce.
They never had the best relationship, especially since Cassie was on the police’s radar more than ever once she started fucking with Kross.
He left a bad taste in Joyce’s mouth, and in this current situation with her daughter in the morgue and her grandson in a hospital bed fighting for his life, she seemed to be right about every bad thing she thought about Kross.
Ezekiel managed to get through to Joyce, and she walked away from Kross and took a seat near the window in the hospital room.
Slowly, Kross trudged over to Aniyis. The closer he got, the more he felt like his heart was about to tear out of his chest. Aniyis suffered from two gunshots to the chest. He was lucky to be alive, but the fight wasn’t over.
He was in a comatose state with tubes down his throat to support his breathing.
Kross felt his eyes scorch with tears as he reached down and stroked Aniyis’ cinnamon brown dreads.
His last visitation with his son was two months ago.
Everything was perfect then. Despite the circumstances, Aniyis still found light in each visitation with his father.
Their last visitation was filled with laughter and random conversations about his new interests.
Seeing him in this condition turned everything dark for Kross.
If Aniyis didn’t pull through, he would no longer have anything to live for.
“Can I have a minute with my son?”
Joyce had her face screwed up in a scowl, not wanting to budge. Kross craned his head up from Aniyis and eyed her with tears threatening to spill from his eyes. “Please,” he croaked out, unsure how much longer he could hold it together.
Joyce stood from her seat and followed Ezekiel out of the room to offer Kross some privacy with Aniyis. Once the door shut behind them, Kross craned down and sat a kiss onto Aniyis’ head.
“I’m sorry,” he weakly let out, defeated by his emotions. Salty tears wet his face as he gazed down at his baby boy. “I wish I was there for you and your mama. It should’ve been me, not y’all.”
Being Aniyis’ father was what kept him going all these years while he was locked up in prison. Knowing that he was going to get out and give his son everything he never had in life was all the encouragement he needed.
“I need you to pull through for me, man. We have so much life to live with each other. I’m out now, ‘Niyis. This what we been waiting on.” Kross took Aniyis’ small hand into his and gave it a light squeeze.
He no longer had the strength to hold it together.
It had been seven years of him being strong when he was broken.
With Cassie gone and the uncertainty of whether Aniyis would pull through weighing on him, he was destroyed.
Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably as he cradled Aniyis’ hand in his. He had no idea how he was supposed to move forward. Cassie was the glue that held everything together. Her being gone had everyone torn. His sobs sounded throughout the room as he implored God to make things right.
“I’m gonna get whoever did this to you and your mama, ‘Niyis. I put that on everything, baby boy,” he promised his son before sitting a kiss on his forehead.
He wiped the tears that stained his face and got himself together. He headed for the door, and once he swung it open to exit, he was met with Joyce and Ezekiel.
“We out,” he told his brother, completely ignoring the lethal side eye Joyce was serving him.
Before Ezekiel could offer him a response, Joyce cut right in. “And where do you think you’re going? Your son is in a hospital bed, and you’re leaving?”
“Joyce, now is not the fucking time! My son means everything to me, but so did your daughter! Let me handle this how I see fit!” he roared down at her, causing her heart to plummet to the pit of her stomach.
He never intended to come down on Joyce the way he did, but she was kicking him while he was down.
She was making it seem like Aniyis and Cassie weren’t a priority for him when in reality, they were all he cared about.
Kross felt the concerned stares from the hospital staff, who were taken aback by his outburst. With a million and one emotions brewing within, he took a deep breath.
Inhale.
Exhale.
“I lost the love of my life. I intended on marrying Cassie as soon as I got settled. My first day out, hearing that she’s not with me no more after spending seven years dreaming about the life we would live together.
.. I just need some time, Joyce. That cool with you?
” He lowered his voice, hoping he could get some sympathy from Cassie’s mother.