40. Blessing
MONTHS LATER…
“Relax your shoulders…there you go.” I guided my patient, Maurice Brass, a baseball player from the Oasis Cove Wolverines.
He was injured a few days ago and was referred to me by a former patient.
I stepped away from him and watched him repeat the steps.
I couldn’t help but admire my space—Blessed Hands Sports Medicine.
Everything I went through was worth it. My business was thriving, and I was happy—genuinely happy. This shit was mine.
A small smile tugged at my lips. “Good job, Maurice. You should be good to return after a few more sessions.”
“I appreciate you, Ms. Carter.” He smirked, licking his full lips.
I shook my head and placed a hand on my protruding belly. “That’s Mrs. Simmons to you.” I joked. Even though Saint and I weren’t married yet, I told most people we were. “I’ll see you in a few days. Ice that shoulder and use some cream before bed tonight.”
Once he left, the room fell quiet for a moment. A sense of peace covered me—the peace I used to pray for. If anybody told me I’d be where I am now a year ago, I wouldn’t believe them.
“Well damn, look at you.” Chanel’s voice said from behind me.
I turned to see her leaning against the doorway, arms folded, a proud smile on her face. Her energy wasn’t what it used to be, but it wasn’t broken either. Just different. Healed. Softer. Better than she was months ago. Her salon was across the street from here, and business was blooming.
“Owner, CEO, boss lady,” She teased and walked over to me. “You’re getting bigger every time I see you. Hey, twins!” She leaned down and rubbed my stomach, causing the girls to kick.
Twin girls. Finding out that two more girls were joining the family was crazy.
I assumed they were boys, but God had better plans.
Angel and Sincere. I was a few days away from my eighth month, and I was ready for it to be over.
Today started my last week of work until the twins are at least six months old.
I’d still be running things behind the scenes, but I was handing all my other clients off to Jaslyn, my senior physical therapist.
“Girl, stopppp. You have the same titles as me.”
She did. And I was so proud of her. She was still grieving—we all were, but Dru’s death wasn’t in vain. His music had been released, and Saint gave all the royalties to Chanel. The money didn’t replace Dru, but she was taken care of in his absence.
“We still on for later?” She asked.
I nodded, “Yeah. The girls only have a few days left before they go off to college. I need every moment with them.”
Her smile softened. “You ready for that?”
“No,” I answered honestly, my voice cracking. “Not even a little bit.”
“Maaa!” Sage’s tiny voice squealed as I walked into our new home.
The house was perfect. Everything we wanted and needed.
Saint was following behind her, his gym bag slung over his shoulder.
His fitted t-shirt clung to his chest. I bit my lip, eyeing how good he looked.
The pregnancy had my hormones going crazy.
“Wassup, baby. How was work?” He asked, placing a kiss on my lips. He leaned down and lifted my scrub shirt, peppering kisses all over my belly. I giggled, running a hand across his head.
“Work was good. I’m tired, though. You headed in for conditioning?” I asked
He sighed and nodded. Saint had been doing better.
He started seeing a therapist a couple of weeks ago to help with the guilt he couldn’t let go of.
The rec center was open and thriving. There was a huge memorial mural for Dru on the side of the building.
Saint had built great relationships with a lot of the kids that came in.
“Yeah, I shouldn’t be gone for more than two hours.
Dinner is in the crockpot. Journey is in her room if you need anything.
I love y’all.” He kissed me again and kissed Sage’s forehead before leaving.
The football season hadn’t started yet, but I wasn’t looking forward to the days when he wasn’t home all the time.
One of my biggest fears of getting pregnant again was feeling alone.
I knew I had an amazing support system when he wasn’t around, but that didn’t stop me from wanting my man to be here with me.
Our wedding was slowly approaching, and I prayed these girls would stay put until after.
Later that night, I found myself outside of Journey’s door.
Suitcases sat open on the floor. Clothes were scattered everywhere.
My eyes watered. My little sister was going off to college.
Time had flown by too fast, and the thought of my sister being hours away from me caused a pang in my chest. My parents deserved to witness this.
I watched as she folded clothes into her suitcase with a solemn expression on her face.
“You okay?” I questioned softly.
She looked up at me and grinned. “I’m happy.. but I’m going to miss home.” Her watery eyes matched mine. I walked over to her and pulled her into a hug, my belly pressing against her.
“Home is always going to be here.”
“I know, Bless, but being away from my family feels wrong.”
“We’re one call away. Never hesitate to call us if anything is wrong. We’ll be there in a heartbeat. Just promise me you’ll be safe. Focus on school. These niggas will be here first. And please, don’t get pregnant. You have birth control and condoms. Use them.”
Journey laughed and plopped down on her bed. “Bless, you’re crazy. We’ve had this conversation a million times. I promise I’ll be safe. Serenity is my roommate. I’ll be fine.”
I left Journey to finish packing and went to search for Saint.
Sage was already in bed, sleeping like she worked a full-time job.
I found him on the patio, puffing on his favorite cigar.
Our cat, Baby, was snuggled next to him.
She was always up under him or Sage. He immediately put it out when he noticed me nearing him.
Like always, he pulled me into his lap, my back resting against his chest. Baby jumped up from her spot and ran inside the house.
I snickered. I guess I killed her mood. His gaze was locked out into the yard.
The water in the pool slowly moved with the slight breeze flowing throughout the backyard.
“Dru would’ve loved this,” I said softly.
Saint didn’t respond right away. His hands caressed my stomach, and he planted a kiss on my shoulder.
“Yeah,” He finally said. “He would’ve. Especially the Blackstone.
He wanted one so bad.” He chuckled. I knew thinking of him still hurt.
Shit, we all were still hurting. Some of us just did a better job hiding it.
Messiah was the best at hiding. He walked around every day like Dru’s death wasn’t hurting him. But I knew better. I knew he blamed himself just like I did. No matter how many times Saint assured me it wasn’t my fault, I still felt a twinge of guilt.
The house was silent. So quiet you could probably hear a pin drop. For the first time in a few days, there was no teenage laughter and suitcases scattered around the house. Journey and Serenity were gone. Off to start their journey into adulthood. My chest felt so tight.
“They’re going to be fine, Bless baby,” Saint said as he walked into the living room. I didn’t even hear the front door open.
“I know..” I mumbled. “That doesn’t stop me from missing them, though, Saint.”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t miss them, I just don’t want you getting yourself worked up. How are your ankles?” He asked, sitting next to me. He pulled my swollen feet into his lap and began massaging them.
“They’re okay. The swelling is going down.” I responded, rubbing my belly—my love-filled womb. “I remember when Journey first came to live with me. I was so scared.”
“Y’all did a good job raising her. Look how she turned out! She’s damn near perfect, and I hope our daughters are just like her.”
“We had no choice but to do a good job. We’re all she had.”
We sat in silence for a moment before I looked up at Saint. His eyes were already on mine.
“Come on,” I said, grabbing his hand. He stood to his feet and helped me up.
He gave me a questioning look but followed behind me out the patio doors.
The cool air kissed our skin as soon as we stepped outside.
I walked barefoot through the grass, past my garden, and past the pool until I reached the fence of our yard.
“Bless, why are we back here?” Saint finally asked.
I didn’t respond, just reached down and brushed the stone in front of the large oak tree. Something small but full of meaning.
The stone had a picture of Dru and Saint when they were kids, along with his name.
“I know Dru isn’t here physically, but I wanted a piece of him in our new home. Our kids will know their godfather.”
Saint pulled me back against his chest and repeatedly pecked my lips. I could taste his salty tears as he held me. “I love you so much, Blessing. Thank you.”
“I love you too.”
He crouched down and brushed his fingers across the stone, then kissed his fingers and pressed them against it, just like he did at the funeral. The heavy breeze blew past us. Like, Dru was actually out here with us. We both laughed, probably thinking the same thing.
“I can’t wait to marry you.” He said as he stood to his feet. Like I weighed nothing, Saint picked me up bridal style and carried me into the house. For the rest of the night, we made love until we both passed out from exhaustion.