Chapter 9 #3
I held my hand out and she gave me the phone.
“What's up?”
“What's up? Don't what's up me! Why my mama talking about we moving into one of y'all houses tomorrow?”
“Because you need somewhere to live.”
The phone got silent.
“Who the fuck told you I needed somewhere to live?”
“Your mama.”
“My mama don't even have your number!”
“She answered Kaizleigh's phone call.”
“Yeah, I was busy and Kaizleigh kept calling.”
“Okay.”
“Don't okay me!”
I had to pull the phone away from my ear.
Kaizleigh was already laughing.
“Nyrobi.”
“What?”
“You staying in a motel?”
“That's none of your business.”
“Your mama got all her medicine?”
The phone got silent again.
“Exactly.”
“Don't do that.”
“Do what?”
“Make me feel like I'm not taking care of my mama.”
My smile disappeared.
“I didn't say that.”
“You didn't have to.”
“Nah. Don't put that shit on me.”
Kaizleigh looked over. I couldn’t believe my wife hadn’t went off Nyrobi by now, that’s how I knew how bad she wanted her as our surrogate.
I stood and walked toward the windows.
“You take care of your mama. Anybody with eyes can see that.”
Nyrobi got quiet.
“But right now you need help,” I added.
“I didn't ask you for help.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you forcing it on me?”
“I'm not forcing shit.”
“You told my mama we moving tomorrow!”
“Because I have an empty house and you're paying for a motel while trying to buy medication.”
“I get paid tomorrow.”
“And then what?”
She didn't answer.
“You pay for another night…then another? Then your check gone before you can even figure out where you're moving?”
“Billion…”
“No. You don't gotta like how I found out. Be mad about that. But don't sit here and act like sleeping in a motel with your sick mama makes more sense than staying in a house that's sitting empty.”
Her voice was lower when she answered.
“I don't want y'all thinking I owe you.”
“You don't.”
“You say that now.”
“I'll say it tomorrow too.”
“What about my money?”
“What about it?”
“This coming out my two-fifty?”
“No.”
“Rent?”
“No.”
“Utilities?”
“We'll handle it.”
“See, that's too fucking much.”
“Why?”
“Because people don't just do shit like this for free.”
“Maybe the people you know don't.”
That shut her up.
I softened my voice.
“You carrying our child.”
“I'm not pregnant yet.”
“I know.”
“Then stop saying it like I am please!”
“Bet. You're preparing to go through a medical process for us. Better?”
She sighed.
“Barely.”
“I need you healthy. Kaizleigh needs you healthy. Your mama needs to be somewhere she can rest. And you need to stop worrying about where the fuck y'all sleeping long enough to focus on what you're about to put your body through.”
“I can figure it out.”
“I know you can.”
She got quiet again. That was probably the first thing I'd said all night that she hadn't expected.
“I know you can figure it out, Nyrobi. I'm saying you don't have to.”
I let that sit.
Finally she asked, “Where is the house?”
“Windermere.”
“Where the rich people live?”
Kaizleigh burst out laughing behind me.
I smiled.
“Regular people live there too.”
“Not my type of regular.”
“Probably not.”
“How many bedrooms?”
“Four.”
“Four?! It's me and my mama!”
“Then don't use the other two.”
“Why you gotta be a smartass?”
“Why you gotta ask questions with obvious answers?”
“See, this why I don't like you.”
“You liked me enough to sign that contract.”
“That was for your wife.”
Kaizleigh yelled from across the room, “And I love you for it!”
“I guess!” Nyrobi yelled.
“She can hear you.”
“I know!”
I laughed.
“So?”
Another long pause.
I waited.
“You sure this ain't coming out my money?”
“Positive.”
“And y'all not gonna be popping up whenever y'all feel like it?”
I looked at Kaizleigh.
She immediately mouthed, Don't look at me.
“No.”
“Kaizleigh either?”
“I'm standing right here!” my wife yelled.
Nyrobi laughed for the first time.
“Especially her.”
Kaizleigh rolled her eyes.
I shook my head.
“You'll have privacy.”
“And Mama can stay?”
“Nyrobi, the whole reason we're having this conversation is because your mama needs somewhere too.”
“Okay.”
I waited.
She sighed so hard I heard it through the phone.
“Okay.”
“You saying yes?”
“Don't make me say it twice.”
I smiled.
“Good.”
“But only until I get myself together.”
“Fine.”
“And I wanna pay something.”
“No.”
“Billion.”
“No.”
“Fifty dollars.”
“What the fuck is fifty dollars gonna do?”
“Make me feel better.”
“Buy groceries.”
She went quiet.
“Whatever.”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Not early.”
“Ten.”
“That's early.”
“Ten thirty.”
“Eleven.”
“Ten thirty.”
“Why the fuck are we negotiating a time?”
“Because you're difficult.”
“You called me!”
“And you still difficult.”
Kaizleigh was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.
Nyrobi sighed.
“Ten thirty.”
“Bet.”
“And tell your wife stop calling me five times.”
Kaizleigh snatched the phone from me.
“I was worried!”
“Girl, I'm alive.”
“I know now!”
I let them argue while I walked back toward my laptop.
The problem was handled.
Simple.
At least it felt simple then. Nyrobi needed somewhere to live. We had somewhere for her to live. So I moved her.