Chapter 15
Fifteen
For the first weekend in a while, Nhuri was in the house.
Jazmyn was trying to make plans and hit the city since it was warming up outside, but Nhuri just wanted to chill inside.
After realizing how tiring it’d be to keep her bartending job, she ended up quitting.
Thankfully, she had connections with the owner, and if she ever needed to come back to work or take on a gig, she could.
Nhuri didn’t see that happening any time soon and was honestly grateful.
The void of uncertainty in her life was somewhat nonexistent now.
And right now, she was stretched across her couch with a Netflix series on pause because Natalia had called.
“Wait. Slow down. He said what?” Nhuri asked Natalia.
She called her so upset that Nhuri thought she would have to make a trip to her house. Though she was still dressed in pajamas and lounging around, Nhuri would gladly leave to see about her niece and sister.
Natalia sucked her teeth. “Raheem accepted a job out of state, so he’s moving. He asked if he could get Raniya every other month.”
“For the entire month?” Nhuri questioned with wide eyes.
“Yes! Is he crazy or stupid?”
Nhuri’s sputtered laughter came out of nowhere.
She didn’t mean to laugh, but when Natalia got serious like this and started talking crazy, it was the funniest thing to her.
Not much could rattle her sister’s nerves, but playing with her child would get her out of character every time.
The thing was, she was so serious about Raheem being crazy or stupid, and that’s what made her question funnier.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. Maybe he meant for a week out of every other month,” Nhuri said, trying to calm her down.
“No. I know exactly what he said because I made him repeat himself. He wants her for an entire month, Nhuri. No. Hell no. What am I supposed to do without my baby for that long?”
Natalia was losing it, and Nhuri knew it was for a good reason. Raniya hadn’t been away from her for more than a few days since birth. Raheem wasn’t a bad father by far, and Raniya loved him to death, but sending her baby across the world for a month had Natalia panicking at the thought.
“Hey,” Nhuri said softly. “First, I’ma need you to calm down.”
Natalia audibly inhaled and exhaled. “Okay.”
“Next, think about what he’s really asking you. Raheem is a good father. You and I both know that. Him getting Niy for one or two months during the summer is feasible, considering there are twelve months in a year.”
“I know how many damn months are in a year,” Natalia scoffed.
Nhuri snickered. “Well, act like it. Are you scared she’d get down there and act out?”
“No. Not really. Niy is a good kid. I just . . .” She paused, and Nhuri felt the weight of her words before she mumbled them. “I guess I’m scared of something happening to her, and I’m not there to protect her or vice versa.”
Nhuri swallowed the lump in her throat. Those were the same emotions she felt when Natalia first revealed that she had lupus.
All she had were scary, negative thoughts until Natalia reassured her that everything would be okay.
Now, Nhuri knew it was her turn to make her sister feel at peace with whatever she decided to do.
“You always tell me that I can’t live in fear.
That if I want something, go after it. Sending her across the country will be scary for everyone, but imagine the experiences she’ll miss out on if she doesn’t go.
The memories she’ll make with her daddy.
You have her full time now, and he gets her on the weekends and some days during the week, but I know you sometimes wish things were how they used to be a few years ago.
And that’s okay. You can still want and have that, but what’re you willing to sacrifice? ”
Natalia never talked much about her breakup with Raheem anymore.
It happened right before she told him she was sick, and by then, Natalia decided that maybe they were better off apart.
Her earlier stages were the roughest, and Raheem tried reclaiming his role as her man, but Natalia shut him down.
In her eyes, learning about her health condition shouldn’t have prompted him to want to be with her.
She was in a new relationship now and loved Malik but sometimes wondered what her life would’ve looked like had she taken Raheem back.
Going through changes was scary. Natalia had been through enough of them in the last four years to know that.
Every day, it felt like she was up against a new one, but Nhuri’s words centered her.
She didn’t operate in the spirit of fear.
She moved like God was in control because he is and will always be.
“You’re right,” Natalia sighed. “I don’t want the relationship with him back; just how we worked together so well for our child, you know? He was here, and I didn’t have to worry about what she was doing, eating, watching on her iPad, any of that.”
“And you still don’t. His parenting skills didn’t change because y’all aren’t together. I mean, unless there’s something you haven’t told me.”
“No, they haven’t,” Natalia confirmed. “I’m just being emotional.”
“Awww, sis. I know you are. How about this? You ask Niy what she wants to do and then go from there. Ultimately, it’s up to her, even though y’all are the adults.”
Natalia planned to do that anyway but was glad for her sister’s input.
Parenting was hard, and sometimes, Natalia cried at the thought of not having her parents there to help her, but she was so grateful for her small community.
They were few in number but strong, and they had unwavering love for her and Raniya.
“I will. She’s going to be so hyped and have a million questions,” Natalia said.
Nhuri chuckled. “You already know she is. Do whatever is on your heart and go with your gut.”
“Like always,” she sighed. “Enough about me, though. How was your week? We only saw you one time.”
Nhuri sat up on the couch and tossed the cover off her legs. “It was long.”
“I bet,” Natalia replied teasingly. “You officially survived your first week. How do you feel?”
Nhuri’s lips curved slightly as she glanced up at the ceiling. “Honestly? Not bad. It wasn’t what I expected, though.”
“Meaning?”
“I don’t know. I thought I’d be running around all day or stressed out, but it wasn’t like that.” She exhaled, lowering her head. “It’s structured but not overbearing. Shyriq is particular, but I can respect it.”
“Hmm.”
Nhuri rolled her eyes at the sound. “Here we go.”
“I didn’t even say anything.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Natalia chuckled. “I’m just making sure you remember what I told you.”
Nhuri sighed. “Yes. Keep it professional.”
“And?”
Nhuri pressed her lips together, already knowing where this was going.
“And don’t put all my eggs in one basket.”
“Exactly.”
Nhuri shook her head. “You really think I’d do that?”
“I think you’re intrigued by him.”
Nhuri sat up a little. “And?”
“And you need to be careful.” Natalia’s voice was calm but firm. “You just got this job, Ri. You don’t need unnecessary stress or drama in your life, especially not at work.”
Nhuri sighed, tucking her feet beneath her. “I hear you.”
“But are you listening?”
“I am,” she admitted, but a part of her still wanted to push back. “I’m not na?ve. I know how to keep things separate.”
Natalia let out a knowing hum. “And yet, you’re already calling him ‘particular’ like you admire it.”
Nhuri groaned. “Please, don’t start.”
“I’m just saying.”
Nhuri sighed, rubbing her forehead. “It’s not even like that. We had lunch, that’s all.”
Natalia paused. “Lunch?”
Nhuri could already hear the judgment in her sister’s tone. “It was nothing.”
Natalia scoffed. “Girl, you went to lunch with your boss during your first week? That’s not nothing.”
Nhuri frowned. “It wasn’t a date, Nat. He just wanted to talk.”
Natalia sighed. “Look, all I’m saying is, don’t make things more complicated than they need to be.”
Nhuri heard her, and she was really trying not to, but Shyriq didn’t make it any better.
They had lunch again, but in his office after a quick meeting, and he didn’t discuss work.
The lines had already been crossed, blurred, and flipped.
Nhuri felt like it was too late to turn back.
And she wasn’t wrong. Before she could respond to Natalia, her doorbell rang.
“Hold on,” she said, pushing off the couch.
She reached the door and peeked out of the peephole before pulling it open. A deliveryman stood on the other side holding a large, elegantly wrapped basket.
“Hi. Can I help you?” Nhuri asked.
“Yes. I have a delivery for Ms. Coleman,” he said.
Nhuri blinked. “That’s me.”
He handed over the package, along with a second bag that Nhuri immediately recognized as a designer brand. Her face screwed up as the man checked a few things off on his device.
“Have a good day,” he said before walking off.
Nhuri stepped back inside, lightly kicking the door shut with her foot. She placed the bag down and locked the door before carrying it and the basket to the couch.
“Who was that?” Natalia asked.
Nhuri stared down at the packages with her heart thudding. “I . . . just got a delivery.”
“From who?”
“I’m not sure.”
Nhuri wasn’t sure if the gift was from her ex or someone else.
She didn’t know why Dru was the first person to enter her mind, but he was the only option, considering he’d been her last real relationship.
But that didn’t explain how he’d gotten her address.
Instead of torturing herself more, she plucked the attached card from the clear pin.
Congratulations on your first week. Looking forward to what’s ahead. Enjoy your gifts.
—Shyriq
Nhuri’s stomach did a small flip seeing his name. This man got something delivered to my house.
Natalia’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “Well? Who is it from?”
Nhuri cleared her throat. “It’s from Shyriq.”