Chapter 45
“I’ve been diagnosed with cancer,” I broke the news to Summer.
I knew the day they released me from the hospital, but it was supposed to be such a joyous time with the birth of my daughter that I didn’t want to dampen the mood.
This was the reason I was adamant about being with Summer.
They caught it early so hopefully, with a few rounds of radiation, I could be good.
“What…you got what?” The tears flowed from her face.
“Pancreatic cancer. We caught it early, though.”
Seeing Summer cry let me know she didn’t hate me as much as she put on.
“What am I supposed to do without you? What am I going to tell my daughter?”
“Damn, you act like a nigga finna die or some shit. Calm down, baby. My mama doesn’t even know, and I want to keep it that way unless shit goes to looking bad. I’m not going anywhere any time soon.”
I pulled her into me and let her cry in my chest. Shit, I had cried for days now trying to figure out how to tell her.
This was harder than her catching me cheating.
For four days I thought about how she was going to make it without me.
There was enough money for her and my mama but money wasn’t the issue.
It was my presence that was going to be missing.
“Come on, let me help you back in bed.” I picked Summer up and toted her upstairs to the bed.
“Can you lay in here with us tonight?” She asked as I pulled the cover over her.
“I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”
“Please.”
Not to make her uncomfortable, I didn’t completely strip down. I slipped out of my shirt and shoes and climbed in bed behind her. Summer reached out for me and pulled me closer to her.
“Law I can’t live without you. I’m so hurt by what you did but I can’t say that I don’t still love you. I don’t wish this on my worse enemy.”
“I’ll be fine. You just had a baby, get some rest.”
At the age of twenty-eight, I was in the hardest battle of my life. I had to beat this shit for my girls. Summer was afraid. Even when we had our disagreements, she knew she could always call on me and I would come running. I still wanted to be that for her.
The soft sounds of Summer snoring made me adjust her and pull the cover up over her.
I took the time to crawl out of bed and spend some time with my daughter.
I spent plenty of nights talking to her while she was still in her mother’s womb.
It was almost five in the morning and Reign was stirring like she was trying to wake up.
I picked her up and eased out of the room so Summer could sleep.
If she heard the baby make a small noise, she would be up trying to jump into action.
She was fed, burped and was now sleeping peacefully on my chest. I inhaled her hair and kissed on her fingers.
This was a love I never felt and I was enjoying it.
The next morning, I got up and showered, cooked Summer some breakfast and called my mama to come and sit with Summer while I got some work done. Summer woke up with a fever and I didn’t want to leave her but I had shit to do.
“My mama coming to keep an eye on you while I go get some money.”
“Do you really need to be out there like that?”
“Man, I’m not about to sit around this bitch like I’m about to die. I got my first appointment on Monday. In the meantime, I’m going to get this money. I want you to call me and let me know what your temperature is in an hour. If it’s still high I’m taking you back to the hospital.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m worried about you. What if you go around someone that is sick? Ain’t your immune system weak?”
“Summer, lay your ass down and rest. Like I said, call me in an hour.”
I know what it may look like but I had some shit to get off my chest when I pulled up to Pinkie’s house. This was my last time ever speaking to her and I needed to say what the fuck I felt. I could’ve done that if a big nigga with no shirt on didn’t answer the door.
“Aye where Pinkie at?”
“The bitch ran off. I guess her ass got what she deserved. Who the fuck are you anyway?”
“I’m just a nigga trying to get some shit straight before I lose everything.”
“Damn! Did she get you, too huh? I lost my wife and kids behind her ass, so I moved the fuck in and now she done left a nigga here. That bitch ain’t worth two squashed flies bruh.”
“If she comes back tell her Law looking for her.”
“I’ll make sure I do that my nigga.”
I’m glad the hoe ran off. Maybe she’ll stay away and I can move on without worrying about her popping up.
Who would’ve known she had a nigga staying with her?
That bitch was good. She got me out of dick and money; she was good at what she does.
Good riddance to that bitch. I pulled off from her house and headed to the gambling house.