32. Téa
THIRTY-TWO
téa
Mylo and I stood outside of his mother’s home, and it was taking everything in me not to bolt away and hide.
I’d told Mylo I would rather meet his mother after I’d given birth so I wouldn’t give off a bad impression, but he insisted that we do it now. In his eyes, he would be Zaria’s father when she got here, and therefore, it was best his mother became privy to this information sooner than later.
“My baby!” A beautiful brown-skinned woman answered the door. Her sweet perfume wafted out, engulfing the porch as she tugged on Mylo’s big ass to embrace him.
“What’s up, Ma?” Mylo queried, smiling brighter than I’d ever seen him. In return, it made me simper as well.
“And you must be Téa.” She beamed, reaching to hug me as much as she could with this big ass belly between us.
I expected her to have a little bit of an attitude or an air of apprehension—rightfully so—but she was being normal and . . . nice.
“Yes. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Powell.” I simpered, stepping into the cozy single-family home.
The living room was decorated with pictures of Mylo, his father, and some of them all together. All the pictures of his dad were old, though, which I expected since Mylo told me he’d died when he was a child.
“Dana is just fine,” she told me, shutting and locking the door as Mylo helped me sit down on the brown couch.
The house had a very homely vibe, and I already knew I would like being here, God willing.
“Nice to meet you, Dana,” I corrected.
“Would you like any tea or snacks, Téa?” she inquired.
“Just some juice, please, if you have it.” I nodded.
“Okay. Go get the woman some juice and pour me some iced tea.” She bossed her son around before taking a seat next to me.
Mylo froze, confused for a second, but then got up to do as his mother had told him to.
“I love your house. It’s so lived in, but I mean that in a good way,” I complimented.
“I know you do.” She smiled softly, but I could tell she was studying me as she remained silent for a beat. “When are you due, Téa?”
“I have one more month, and then she will be here. We’re—I’m gonna name her Zaria.” I caught myself.
“That’s a beautiful name. What made you choose it?” She simpered as Mylo emerged from the kitchen with our drinks. “The bathroom sink is leaking. Fix that for your mother while I get to know your girlfriend, Mylo.”
“Ma, I can do that later,” he argued.
“It’s fine, Mylo.” I simpered. He stared into my eyes, trying to speak to me telepathically as if to say it wasn’t necessary, but I just shook my head.
Mylo conceded, going into the small closet nearby to pull out a big ass toolbox before heading into the back of the home.
Sipping my juice, I said, “I got the name because her biological father’s name is Zaire.”
“Oh, right. I didn’t even make the connection.” She drank some of her iced tea.
“Mylo told you that part?”
“He did. He didn’t give me every detail, but he explained that he’d met a woman that he was serious about, she was pregnant, and that it was by Rah’s younger brother who had passed.”
“Oh.” I sort of relaxed knowing she knew all the gritty details I was scared of being judged on. “I want you to know I didn’t seek Mylo out, nor am I trying to take advantage of him, Dana.”
“I know. Mylo is not the type of man who can be taken advantage of. He is a lot like his father, despite losing him at such a young age. I wished he could’ve grown up with his dad because he needed that guidance.
He fell into the streets without it, but he still turned out okay because he’s good at his core. ” She smiled.
“He is. He’s not obligated to be around or help me, but it seems like he really wants to.” After drinking more of my juice, I asked, “This doesn’t bother you?”
She looked off briefly, then said, “No, it doesn’t, because all children deserve fathers, so that little girl is lucky that she is still getting one even though hers has passed on. However, when Mylo told me, I did want to meet you just to feel you out.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think you’re a nice girl but just maybe a little misguided, a lot like Mylo. Good down to the core but just have made some mistakes and need to learn some things.”
Damn. She could read people really well.
“Wow. Yeah, that is me.”
“Are your parents around?”
“Dad died freshman year of high school, and my mom and I are estranged, have been for years,” I admitted.
Dana nodded as if she’d figured as much.
“Well, Téa, being a mother is hard work, but it is even harder when you don’t have your own mother around to help you or give advice, not unsolicited.”
“I know.” I nodded, fidgeting.
Moving my hair behind my shoulder and making me look up and over at her, Dana said, “I’m happy to be there for you whenever you feel you need it.”
“Really?” I had to quell the tears threatening to fall. Being pregnant had me extremely emotional and even more so on topics that already pained me.
“Yeah.” She bobbed her head. “I always wanted a daughter but was blessed with just one son. And, I feel that all women need mothers, especially during a time like this. Then maybe with a little help, love, and encouragement, you can bloom into the woman you’re meant to be. I can see it already.”
I could only nod, feeling a lone tear cascade down my face. Dana set her glass down and pulled me into a tight hug, her perfume the most comforting smell in this moment.
“You know you’re the first girl he’s brought around me since high school?”
“Really?” I pulled back but only slightly. Dana nodded, hiking her brow to tell me in no uncertain terms that that meant a lot.
“Ma. You made her cry?” I heard Mylo’s deep voice pepper the room, making me laugh as I sniffled.
“Shut up, boy.” Dana waved him off as she released me.
“Baby, you good?”
“I am. These are happy tears, not sad ones, Mylo. Calm down.” I giggled, feeling warm from the way Dana was smiling at me.
I couldn’t believe I had almost attempted to bail on meeting her. I could tell that running into Mylo again and then encountering his mother was nothing short of divine intervention.
The three of us talked for a little bit before Dana convinced Mylo to treat us to dinner at Eddie V’s, which I was excited for. During, Dana and I took over the conversation before eventually exchanging numbers. She offered for Mylo and me to spend the night, but he declined much to my chagrin.
“Seem like you fuck with my mama harder than me,” he jested as he drove down her street, the sun completely gone by this time.
“No. I think I like her as much as you though.”
“Damn. After one day? I had to work for months, and we at the same stage in yo’ fucking head?”
I guffawed at his logic.
“It’s a different feeling though. I never had a mother figure, well, one with sense, and I don’t know . . . She was just great.”
“She is.”
I stared out the window briefly. “She told me I’m the first girl you’ve introduced her to since high school.”
Mylo shrugged one shoulder.
“Moms is special to me. I honestly have never met a woman I wanted her to meet. Chick in high school only did because we went to prom together, and our families met up to take pictures of us.”
I snickered.
“That doesn’t even count, Mylo.”
“Exactly.” He took my hand in his as he whipped down the freeway. “You special, Téa. I been trying to tell you that shit since I met you.”
“You have.” I stared down at his large hand encasing mine. “So are you and your mother.” I kept my eyes on our fingers as they intertwined. “Are you sure you want to do this with me? I won’t be mad if you don’t. You still have to let me kick it with Ms. Dana though.”
Mylo chuckled almost inaudibly.
“I do.” He glanced over at me. “I don’t make decisions in haste, Téa.
Also, this is serious—being a father or father figure—and I wouldn’t place myself in that little girl’s life unless I planned to stay there.
I also wouldn’t sell you a fucking dream knowing your condition.
You may not agree or believe it, but you fragile right now, and it ain’t the time to play games. Rah even said the same shit.”
“He did? So he does have feelings?”
Mylo shot me a look for the dig I took at his homie.
“He does. But just know, Téa, I’m serious about you and her.” He removed his hand from mine to caress my bulging stomach.
Placing my hand atop his, I lay back into the seat, shutting my eyes and silently thanking God for enacting His plan and not simply going along with mine . . . whatever that shit was.
* * *
ABOUT A MONTH LATER . . .
“Okay, here comes another contraction, Téa. Push!” Dr. Farmer urged me on.
The pain seared through my pelvis as I gripped Mylo’s hand roughly, pushing with every muscle I had in my lower half. This was miserable, and I didn’t understand how women had more than one child, let alone four, five, and six. They must’ve been gluttons for fucking pain.
“Can’t we do a C-section?” I whimpered, breathing hard as Mylo did his best to affirm me. It wasn’t working though. The only affirmation I needed was a sock full of rocks to knock me the fuck out.
The nurses and doctor giggled at my question as if that were a joke, before watching the monitor and coaching me to push through another contraction yet again. I did as best as I could, and when I heard uproarious cheers in response to my efforts, I pushed harder.
A burning sensation in my vagina caused me to cry out just as Dr. Farmer pulled my baby girl out, immediately placing her onto my chest. For a moment, I was in disbelief, staring down at her and tuning out everyone congratulating me. Even Mylo’s forehead kisses felt out of body.
Zaria cried loudly as I took her in, trying to see if I could detect who she looked like, but she was covered in too much mucus, looking like all babies did at this stage.
My head fell back in exhaustion as they lifted her off me for Mylo to cut the umbilical cord and then to weigh her and call the time of birth.
“Okay, just step back for me, Daddy,” the nurse instructed Mylo, and when he and I locked eyes, we exchanged smiles at what she’d called him.
I couldn’t lie; I sort of felt like it was a betrayal to Zaire and didn’t know how I would navigate this situation going forward.
I thought the birth was terrible, but as the nurse pressed on my stomach with all her might and weight, I wanted to swing on her ass. Eventually, she was done, getting all the after birth out and explaining to me that I needed to pee as soon as possible and as much as possible.
Once Zaria was cleaned, they asked what her name was, thankfully putting my last name on the board since that was protocol. After some time of me learning how to breastfeed and them running a few tests that all came back with positive results, Mylo had some food delivered to the room for me.
It was nice after hours of constant interruptions and tests to have some quiet time with just the three of us while Zaria slept soundly and he and I ate.
“What you think about me adopting her, Téa?” Mylo questioned, making me freeze as I bit into my buttery lobster tail.
He was seated right beside my bed, Zaria in her crib on the other side of me.
“I . . . I don’t know, to be honest. I kind of want her last name to remain Godfrey in honor of Zaire but—”
“That’s fine, Téa.” He frowned slightly as if he thought it was preposterous of me to think he’d take issue with that. “I think her last name should be Godfrey, but I also want to have some legal responsibility for her.”
“Said no man ever,” I joked, making us both chuckle subtly.
“Well, I ain’t exactly every nigga.”
“No. You’re not.” I surveyed him. “You’re special for sure. I would love for you to adopt her; we’d just have to let Rakim and Josias know of course.”
“Fuck Ayan, huh?” Mylo laughed.
Turning my lip up, I said, “I don’t even really know him like that, and I can tell he’s not as close to his brothers as they are with each other.”
“You def spot on with that.”
We finished our meal just as Zaria woke up, but Mylo told me to relax and that he would get her. I watched in awe as he cradled her, staring down at her as if she were his, and it made my heart swell ten damn sizes.
A knock sounded off just before a nurse entered saying, “You have some visitors. Is it okay to allow them in?”
Knowing it was Rakim, Daylin, Josias, and probably Kasia, I nodded.
Moments later, that exact foursome entered, and I smiled widely as a pregnant Daylin rushed to hug me. The others followed suit before focusing their eyes on my baby girl.
“Congratulations. How does it feel?” Daylin inquired.
“Surreal.” I watched the men coo over Zaria. “You’ll be here soon.”
“I know.” Daylin rubbed her belly.
I noticed Josias turn away from his brother and Mylo admiring Zaria, to make his way over to me, causing me to tense up some. Ever since I’d talked shit to him at my apartment, he’d been cordial, but I didn’t know what to expect from him.
“Congrats, Téa.” He smirked, dropping his eyes to the floor momentarily. “And as much as I ain’t wanna say this I have to thank you. You could’ve gotten rid of this little girl, but you didn’t.”
“You’re welcome,” I winked, making him smile at me for probably the first time ever.
He then flipped back around to get back to praise his new niece.
“I think he’s gonna be a great daddy.” Kasia came to stand by Daylin, jutting her chin out at Mylo.
“I think so too.” I watched him, and when we caught eyes, butterflies seized my stomach like they always did.
Thank you, God.