Chapter 12 #3
I open my mouth to respond that it isn’t enough, but my phone buzzes in my pocket and interrupts me.
My chest pulls a little as I move to take it out.
The next few days are going to be achy and itchy, but it’s worth it.
The name ‘My Love’ reads across the screen in huge letters, and the sight instantly calms me. I can’t help but grin as I answer it.
“Hey, baby girl. How was work?”
She lets out a small sigh, and that tiny little noise tells me that something made her upset. My initial reaction is to grab my keys and speed off towards the barber shop, but I refrain for a small moment to hear her out.
“Hi, baby. It’s going okay. We’ve been pretty busy the past couple of hours or so.”
I pull my phone back and away from my face so I can check the time. She was supposed to leave work a few minutes ago to meet up with Serena, but she’s saying she’s still there?
“Are you about to leave the shop?” I ask her curiously.
“No,” she whines in the cutest way, and then huffs at herself. “Ser got called into the ER, so she can’t go now.” The disappointment in her voice pangs my chest. She’s been looking forward to this for a week.
It was nothing special. They were just going out to get ice cream, but when she really started craving it last night, she got even more eager.
I’ve never seen her face light up over the mention of a dessert like that.
Of course, I immediately got up and threw some clothes so I could run out and get my wife whatever she wanted.
But she insisted that she could wait until today, and that too much sugar was bad for the baby.
I get that. I really do, but my wife can have whatever she wants. And if that includes some sugared up frozen milk? Then that’s what she’ll get.
“Well, why don’t just you and Zeke go? You were really excited for that.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m going to stay at the shop a little longer.
The clients are still trickling in, and Zeke needs to be home to take his meds by then, anyway.
” Her voice gets a little louder at the end, and I immediately know why.
Obviously they’re not getting along after the talk about his medication this morning.
“I’m not taking that shit, Ash!” Zeke yells loud enough that I hear him through the speaker, and my head pounds.
He’s been lying about taking them this whole time and has been flushing them when we couldn’t see.
He does seem to be okay without them, but trying them out was a condition of the Psychiatry head at the hospital.
Plus, who knows what’s going through his head.
As much as I hate it, he feels like a ticking time bomb, and now that we know he’s been lying to us, I can’t trust him when he says he isn’t going to try and kill himself again.
“The hell you’re not! We talked about this!” Ashia actually yells back at him, and I’m so damn proud. I can’t help but smirk as my chest swells.
“Baby, am I on speaker?” I ask calmly so I don’t rile her up anymore that she already is. There’s a small click on her side of the line before she speaks again.
“You are now.”
“Zeke? You’re taking your medicine. I made sure they prescribed you the smallest amount, and Dr. Waldon said that if they affect you negatively, that we can try others.
Please, for your sister’s sake, take your fucking pills.
I’ll make it an order if I have to.” I look over at Carter and he’s just shaking his head as he types.
For the most part, Zeke hasn’t been a handful, but the lying explains why.
He was just placating us and hoping he could slip by without proper care.
His angry grunt rings through the phone, and then as a door shuts in the background, I hear another sigh from her. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Ashia says back, but she sounds more defeated than she did before. “I know he hates this, but I just want him to be okay.”
“He will be. I doubt that he doesn’t need them, but he does seem to be alright without them. I’ll have a serious talk with him. Okay?” I ask softly, and when I don’t hear a response, I know she’s not confident that it’ll work. I look at the time again. “How much longer are you going to be?”
“We’ll probably head home in an hour or so.”
I nod to myself and smirk, already mapping out the next couple of hours in my head.
“Okay, my love. I’m probably not going to beat you by much. I’ll see you when you get home. I love you.”
“I love you too. Bye, baby.”
I hang up the phone and reach for my shirt, not bothering to try and cover the tattoo again before I leave. I’ve got a race for some ice cream, and my limit is an hour. My pregnant wife wants sweetened, frozen milk, and I’ll be damned if she doesn’t get it after the day she’s had.
“You good if I head out?” I ask Carter, but we both know it’s not really a question.
“Yeah, all good. I’ll see you at the house.” He relaxes into his chair and looks back at his screens as I push off the desk. This may not be a life or death mission, but it’s definitely the most heartwarming one.