Chapter 12 #2
“I know you fucking lying!” Kabria snapped.
“Junior just wants to talk to you.” At the same time she said it, he tried brushing the back of his hand across my face, but I quickly slapped it away.
“Don’t be like that, baby.” He laughed trying to touch me again, but I drove my taser, that I’d discreetly pulled from my purse, into his stomach just as Kabria pulled out her gun.
“Diamond!” my sister shrieked, dropping down to coddle this man. She didn’t even care about her damn child this much. “Why would you do that?!” she shouted. “Go! Just go!"
"You are so pathetic, Gwendolyn.” I shook my head.
“I actually felt bad for you before, but now,” I shook my head.
“I actually think you deserve what you’re going through and whatever is coming.
Watching you care about this man and the drugs he deals you more than your damn child is sickening and proves that my niece is better off without you. ”
“I don’t care. Just go.” She shooed me, still holding onto the man.
“Gladly, but if you clean yourself up, which I hope you do, don’t come around us because it’s going to be too late, Gwen. On Mama and Daddy’s grave, it’s going to be too late.”
I’d made up my mind when I turned to leave that I was done begging my sister to get her shit together.
I didn’t have it in me to try and help her because now there was a little girl that needed me more than her mother did.
I was going to focus all of the time and energy I once had for Gwen on her daughter.
“Are you okay, bestie?” Kabria asked once we were rolling.
“No,” I sniffled, wiping the tears that I’d fought to hold back while I was dealing with my sister. “But I will be because I’m done with her, Kabria. I’m done.”
She kept one hand on the steering wheel while using the other to grab my hand.
“It may not feel like it, but it’s going to be okay, friend. I pray Gwen gets it together, but if she doesn’t, you have me. Whatever either of you need, you know I’ll be there.”
“I know.” I smiled through my tears. “Thank you for being there and thank you for letting me handle it.”
“Because you know I wanted to read her ass for filth,” she glanced my way and smiled. “But I know that’s your sister and it needed to be something you handled yourself. You don’t owe me a thank you, Dime. I’m going to always have your back.”
“I know, and I really appreciate you for that.”
The rest of the ride to my house was silent. I needed it. I was trying to clear my head and get back in a good space because I was about to be back home with my niece.
When I made it to Ms. Joyce’s place, Keona was wide awake watching T.V. It was so cute seeing her acting like she knew what was going on. Kabria and I sat and talked with Ms. Joyce for a few minutes before I packed the baby up and went back home.
Ms. Joyce had cooked, so she sent food home with us. It was just her at her place, so she said we gave her something to do. I didn’t have an appetite, so I put away the food she sent and planned to eat it tomorrow or later if I got hungry, but Kabria ate hers right away with her greedy ass.
She stayed for about an hour after that to make sure me and the baby were good, then left.
I went ahead and started getting Keona ready for a bath because she’d started to fight her sleep.
It was still pretty early in the evening, but I’d made up my mind when she went to bed I was going right behind her because I was truly ready for the day to be over.
As I was getting her bath ready, my phone rang. I took a peek at the screen and noticed that it was Makhai. I wasn’t going to answer initially because I’d really had a day but decided against that since he hadn’t done anything.
“Hey,” I answered after putting in an AirPod.
“What you on, baby?”
“Giving Keona a bath.” I smiled down at my niece. “We’re in for the day, so I’m going to get it out of the way.”
“Word, how’d shit go with your sister?” he asked, and my smile immediately faded.
“Not good,” I sighed heavily. “I don’t think she’s going to change.” I sadly admitted. “She was angry about me finding her.”
“Don’t nobody give a fuck about her ass being mad,” he replied. “I know that’s ya sister, so I won’t be disrespectful, but you’re the only one that reserves the right to feel a way right now.”
“I know.” I sighed again and lifted the baby to take her to her bath.
Surprisingly, to me anyway, she liked bath time. I knew that some babies hated it and getting their diapers changed, but Keona was really chill. She’d be up, looking around and even smiling sometimes as she got washed.
“Other than that, ya day been straight?”
I nodded as if he could see me. “It has. Ms. Joyce cooked so she sent food home with me and Kabria. I’m going to try to eat it when I get the baby down and after I shower. I didn’t really have an appetite after, you know…”
“Yeah, but you gotta eat, love. I need that ass to stay phat.”
“If my hands weren’t wet, I’d hang up on you.” I smiled.
“I’m knowing, so shoutout to baby girl and her bath time,” he chuckled. “But on some real shit, you knew that whatever the fuck happened today could potentially happen, so don’t get down about the shit or let it stress you. It is what it is.”
“I know, but that’s easier said than done,” I mumbled.
“On Lord, but my pops always told me you can’t fix what someone else broke by breaking yourself in the process.
So like I said, don’t sweat it. God got you and I got you, so everything gon’ be straight.
Get baby girl’s bath done, get yourself together, eat and enjoy the rest of your day.
Everything gon’ be straight. I promise.”
It was something about the way he said everything would be okay that made me believe him. Since leaving Gwen my chest had been tight and I felt heavy, but just hearing his voice and his words made everything feel lighter.
Maybe everything would be okay.
Not because the situation would no longer exist or because it made sense, but simply because he said it would.
We talked for a few more minutes before I let him get back to work since he was at the studio, then I finished up with Keona.
After her bath I gave her a warm bottle that did the trick and knocked her out.
I was going to take advantage of that time and get my own bath out of the way, but there was a knock at my door.
I fussed at myself as I walked down the hall because I had, yet again, forgotten to get a camera so I could see who was there before I answered.
By the time I opened my door, a man was walking away, but he’d left some kind of basket there.
Leaning down, I grabbed it with both hands because it was so large, then took it inside, using my foot to kick the door closed.
I placed it on the table before I hurried back to lock the front door then returned to the basket. It was wrapped in plastic, so I carefully ripped it open and immediately began to look for a card. It was on the other side, so I plucked it out and read it:
Since I can’t be there to take care of you right now, at least let me try like this.
Daddy Loc.
I couldn’t stop smiling as I read over the card a few times.
He was so ridiculous for having whoever sign his name as Daddy Loc, but I didn’t worry about it too much.
I began to look through the basket. There was a large, plush white robe, Dr. Teal’s bath salt and night wash, candles, some snacks, and a nice bottle of wine.
It was a comfort kit and had really warmed my heart because it was thoughtful.
I wanted nothing more than to take a long, hot relaxing bath after the day that I’d had, so I was going to do just that.
I removed the bottle of wine from the basket and poured myself a glass before going back to my room with it and the basket to start my bath. After adding the salt and night wash to my water, I called Makhai while the tub filled.
“You got your shit?” he asked as soon as the call connected.
“I did, and I really appreciate it. Thank you.” I smiled.
“It ain’t shit. Just something to make you relax since I can’t be there to do it.”
“My bath is running now,” I let him know. “I just wanted to call and thank you before I got in.”
“Shiddd, you should have FaceTimed me when you got in that bitch. That would have been the best thank you for real.”
I laughed. “I’m hanging up on you.”
“I knew that shit,” he chuckled. “Enjoy your night, baby. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Goodnight, Makhai.”
“Night, love.”