29. Lawton
Lawton
The news from Corrine couldn’t have come at a better time. My baby had thrown herself into work and had been busting her ass trying to revamp the application.
According to her, she had missed out on too much stuff while dealing with that bullshit from her mama so when she decided to go back to work, she was up to her head with shit.
Every night when we retired to bed, she was coming up with new things for the kids at the youth center. The summer had breezed by and since the pool would be closing after Labor Day, she wanted to throw a huge party right before school started back.
Getting her to agree to pass that responsibility off to her team proved to be a hard task but after explaining how all of her focus needed to be on the school if she planned on being opened at the beginning of the year, she finally relented.
I, myself, along with my team had been busy. Shit with Preme, Drix, and Adele was still running smooth, and I had gotten reports from Drix that Josiah was still doing his thing. I had Poppa to thank for that.
I had finally gotten around to sitting down to have that conversation with Kovi about bringing Jrue home to Atlanta. After we devised a plan to make it happen, he assured me that before the season could get underway, he would have him in the infamous black and red jersey.
My day started at four o’clock this morning and as soon as Baker pulled the truck into the Talitha’s driveway, it was officially done.
“Aight Dutch. I’ll be here first thing in the morning,” Baker said as he held the door open for me.
“That’ll work. If anything changes, I’ll hit you up.”
“Be careful, Dutch.”
“Always.” I nodded.
Sticking my key in the door, I pushed it open and was immediately greeted with the smell of food and Faith Evans crooning through the Alexa Show.
Dropping my bag at the door, I slid my coat off and hung it up. Unsnapping the buttons on my shirt, I rolled my sleeves up to my elbows and loosened my tie.
“What you in here cooking?” I asked, sliding up behind her. She had shed her work clothes and had on a pair of black Adidas shorts and the matching sports bra. Her hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail that hung down past her shoulder blades.
When my hands wrapped around her waist, Talitha reared her head back and pursed her lips. “Smells good,” I said in between kisses.
“I’m cooking Gema’s favorite; red beans and rice. I’ve got some porkchops in the oven baking.”
“They’re bringing her back?”
“In the morning, so I’mma be late going into the youth center.”
“Take all the time you need love.”
“How was your day? And thank you for the food. Rossi helped himself to half of it.” She giggled. Grabbing her glass off the counter, she spun around in my arms and pushed me back so we wouldn’t be so close upon the stove.
Trailing my hands down her hips, I cupped her ass and pulled her into me. “Work was good. Chari was able to move a few things around for me to clear up my afternoon on tomorrow. I thought we would have to go get Gema.”
“Nope,” she popped. “My Mama is going to bring her. I was going to take her and Mrs. Jessie out for lunch… since you’ll be free, you’re welcome to join.” Nestling my head in her neck, I bit down on it. “Wouldn’t miss it.
“I invited Rossi and Marsha to the game on Sunday,” she breathed and cuffed the back of my head, holding me in place.
“You ready for that?”
Her shoulders shrugged against my chest.
“You must be. You invited them knowing I fully intended to introduce you as my lady to my people.”
“According to you, they already know who I am to you.”
“They do. But this will be the first time you’ve met.”
“They were going to find out eventually,” she countered.
Talitha wanted discretion. I never cared if they knew or didn’t know. I understood her reasoning, so I never pushed her. If us popping out as a couple in front of her friends was okay with her, then I had no reservations.
She was mine, I put my stamp on her back in New York, and I ain’t give a fuck about anyone knowing.
“How are you feeling about everything else?”
“Everything like what?”
“Gema coming home. Mrs. Jessie coming back on full time. You know all of those things. For the past few weeks, it’s been just us.
Now we’re going to have to figure out some sort of routine. No more jumping me when I hit the door or dirty sex on the couch.”
“Maybe not sex around the house in shared living spaces but in the room, there are no rules.”
“Says who?”
“Don’t play with me Harvey.”
“I love to play with you,” I jested.
“And you’re the one standing here talking about no sex. You’re the one that can’t hold out.”
“That my dear, would be you.”
“Law, before you, it had been years… I can abstain.”
“Let’s make a bet.”
“I’m down to take your money.” She laughed. “What’s the bet?”
“No sex for five days.”
“Starting when? Cause this morning you promised you would make up for leaving the bed so early.”
“Starting now. No sex, Talitha.”
“I don’t think I like this bet.” She pouted and folded her arms across her chest.
“Lucky for you, I’m not trying to abstain.”
“You are so full of shit.” She giggled. “You can go shower. By the time you’re done, the food will be ready.”
“Yeah, let me do that before you start some shit up in here.” Gripping her waist, I pushed her back.
“Nope. I cleaned this counter at least ten times. I will not mess it up.”
Placing a kiss on her lips, I silenced her. “I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
* * *
My shower lasted all of fifteen minutes before I was interrupted by my cellphone ringing. Noticing the call was coming from my brother, I hurriedly shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. “What’s up, Preme?”
“Dutch, you busy?” he rushed out.
“Ain’t to long got home. What’s wrong?”
“Mama got into a car accident. We’re at the hospital now waiting to see the doctor.”
“Is she okay?”
“Shattered her foot and she got a few scratches on her face.”
“Fuck,” I groused. “How that shit happen?”
“Some lil’ nigga ran the red light.”
“Damn. How is she though?”
“Pretty shook up but she’s fine. I ain’t want you to hear the shit from nobody else.”
“Yeah, man. I understand. Listen, keep me posted. If anything changes, call me. I’m in for the night but I could be there in a few hours if I need to.”
“Nawl, I think she good. If something changes, I’ll reach back out.”
“Aight. Say Preme, take care of her. I’ll be up there tomorrow.”
“You sure Dutch. I know you—”
“Regardless of how I feel ‘bout her, at the end of the day Sincere, she still my Mama.”
“I know. I wasn’t meaning it like that.”
“I know you wasn’t. I’m letting you know that I ain’t that heartless.”
“You got it, Dutch. When the doctor come in, I’ll shoot you a text.”
“Bet.”
Placing my hands down on the counter, I dropped my head. Shit could never just go right. Something always had to come up.
I kept my mama at a distance but at the end of the day she was still the woman responsible for bringing me into this world. My disdain for her wasn’t enough for me to want to see her hurt.
Now I was gon’ have to cancel all of my meetings tomorrow to head up to the Heights to make sure she good.
“That was the longest shower in history,” Talitha noted when I stepped back in the kitchen.
Leaning with my back against the counter, I stood stoic and watched her fix our plates. “I was on the phone with Sincere.”
She spun around and looked at me before going back to what she was doing. “Everything okay?”
“My Mama was in a car accident tonight.”
Sitting the plate down on the counter, she did a full spin and walked into me. “Oh my God, Lawton. Is she okay?”
“Shattered her foot and she’s banged up, but he said she’s good. I’mma have to skip out on lunch with you ladies tomorrow. I’ve gotta go home to check on her.”
“I can go with you,” she offered but I shook my head to decline.
“No, you gotta be here when Gema comes. I’m just going to make sure she’s okay. Once I check everything out, I’ll be back.”
“Harvey, this is your mother we’re talking about. It is human of you to feel something. You’ve been by my side the whole time I’ve been dealing with this shit with my Mama. Let me be there for you.”
“You being here right now is enough for me, love. I appreciate the offer though. But I want you here so you can welcome Gema back home.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes love. I’m sure.”
“I could pack you up a plate if you wanted to leave tonight.”
“Sincere got her. I’ll go check on her tomorrow and be back before it gets dark.”
“Law,” she sighed.
The way her eyes gazed at me, I knew she was about to try and convince me to leave now. I had to mentally prepare myself to be in my mother’s presence therefore I would take the rest of the night to get my mind right and go check on her tomorrow. “Drop it, Talitha. I promise I’m okay.”
“If you say you’re okay, I’ll let it go.”
“Where we eating at tonight?”
“Living room. I found a movie I want to watch.”
“I’ll set the tray tables up,” I mentioned before walking out of the kitchen. Hopefully she took the hint that I no longer wanted to talk about it and didn’t try to force the issue.
* * *
After dinner last night, I was no more settled than I was after my call with Preme. Instead of going to sleep, I took my frustrations out on Talitha’s pussy. After fucking her into a coma, I stayed up staring at the ceiling.
I hadn’t been face to face with my mother in years and if it wasn’t for her getting into an accident, it would be plenty more that passed by before we saw one another.
Before Talitha could wake up this morning, I was slipping out of the house. I knew she would be pissed that I left without telling her bye, so I wrote a note and left it on the fridge.
Baker picked me up before the sun had the chance to rise and by the time day broke, we were pulling up to the hospital.
Preme hit me up last night and told me they were keeping her overnight for observation and would discharge her around noon as long as everything checked out. Once I confirmed her room number with the receptionist, I walked down the hall toward her room.