Chapter Houston
Houston
“Teaghan, what the hell happened?” I asked finally being escorted to Malone’s hospital room.
Today was the second scariest day of my life.
Teaghan didn’t give much information over the phone and I appreciated her reacting quickly and even thinking to call me.
But right now I needed answers, and I needed to be sure my son wasn’t dead or seriously injured.
“Houston, I only took my eye off him for a minute. I got a call and went to the back, and next thing I knew, I heard glass shattering,” she answered, barely breathing with tears on the brink of dropping.
I hugged her and shushed her as I stepped further into the room.
Malone was resting but he had bandages on his arm.
Coming closer I grabbed his tiny hand and said a prayer that he was alive, and it didn’t look serious. Teaghan came closer and sat beside me on the bed. I held his hand and she rubbed his head. I kissed his hand and heard the door open and shut.
Standing to my feet I greeted the doctor that had been taking care of Malone.
“Mr. McGraw, I’m Dr. Fender and I had the pleasure of taking care of Malone. He had to get twenty stitches, but I suspect he will make a full recovery. I do have some follow up questions. I understand she isn’t the mother correct?”
“Correct,” I answered looking back at a somber Teaghan.
“Ok do you mind if we speak outside or in private?”
“She’s a doctor, you can speak in front of her.”
“As you wish, so I understand that Malone was left alone with his doctor?”
“Well she’s my girlfriend and she said it was only for a second while she went to the back. I wasn’t there.”
“Ok sir, although accidents happen when a child comes in we have to alert child services. Someone will be in soon to speak with you and get a statement. I’m sure everything will be fine. Let me know if you need me further.”
“Child services has to be called for an accident that wasn’t bad?” I questioned looking back at Teaghan. She looked sick and troubled.
“Yes sir, this is different circumstances. You see had he not been left alone this may have been prevented. Of course, we can’t say for sure.
He is a young boy and things happen, however, this could have been fatal if the glass had cut other places on the arm or body.
It’s policy now and although I don’t agree it’s my job.
I hope you can understand,” she replied closing the door.
I looked up to the sky and smirked. This was another test that I wouldn’t pass.
Child services was about to rip my life apart over an accident.
I was sick of being tried and pushed to limits.
“Houston, please forgive me. I’ll take all the blame.
It was my fault,” she commented breaking the silence.
I looked at her and fought hard not to blame her or put this on her.
I know this wasn’t on purpose, but no accident was.
It was careless and all on me for leaving him with someone who didn’t have children.
“I need a minute,” I replied.
She stood and grabbed her things. I followed her to the door.
I didn’t want to be in this space with her.
Finally, we were getting somewhere. The walls were crumbling around our hearts and we were closer than ever to reaching our breakthrough.
“Tea, my bad man. This just has me on edge. I was careless by leaving him with you. This is on me.”
“Careless?” she asked, confused.
“Teaghan, you don’t have kids, so I don’t expect you to understand what I mean.”
She scoffed and stepped back. Before I could reach for her and try to make her understand my angle, Child Services and Leslie's parents were headed our way.
“Is this the bitch that hurt my grandchild?” Kim asked.
I shook my head because them showing up was the last thing I needed right now. It would be different if this was about Malone, but this was all about saying I told you so and proving to someone that they could do a better job than me.
“Excuse me, granny. Don’t ever disrespect me because I haven’t disrespected you,” Teaghan retorted with the how dare she look to her face. I couldn’t lie, Kim was being mad disrespectful. But I had bigger fish to fry. I couldn’t lose my son or allow the Phillips to take him from me.
“Tea, I’ll call you later. Thank you.”
“I’m Clarissa, and actually, I’ll need a statement from her before she leaves. So Ms. LeJune, help me understand what exactly happened.”
She looked at me, and I nodded my head, urging her to repeat the shit for the fiftieth time. I didn’t understand how many times she had to explain that it was an accident. Everyone was acting like shit didn’t happen.
“Houston had a job and needed a sitter. His grandparents had an engagement of some sort, and I offered to help him for a little while. We colored, ate pizza, and were just about to watch a movie, and then I got a phone call-”
“Was it an emergency, ma’am?”
“No, it wasn’t. I originally assumed it was Houston checking in, but it was a friend calling to uhm clarify something.
I went to the back of my home, which isn’t far from the living room, to grab a blanket.
I may have been gone for five minutes, and then I heard a noise in the front.
I came and found Malone. I am a doctor, so I wrapped his arm and brought him here.
It’s totally my fault. I shouldn’t have left Malone alone for a second, let alone for a few minutes. Don’t penalize Houston.”
“Now you hesitated when you said who was calling. Would you mind if we called the person you were on the phone with to clarify the timeline?” the child services worker asked. They were going too far, and I was sure it was just Missy calling to be nosey.
“I don’t see the need, but sure, I was on the phone with Bobby Harlow; you can confirm with him,” she answered.
“Wait you were on the phone with another damn man when my son got hurt?” The revelation stunned me and changed everything for me.
So there was another man who was able to take her focus from what she knew was my prized possession, my heaven on earth?
That didn’t sit right with me, and had my original assessment skewed.
“Houston, we want custody. Malone deserves a stable home. We can give him that. You can come by whenever you want,” Leslie's father said. Smoke was coming from my ears, and I felt the agitation I had been holding in for years bubbling over.
Yoking him up by his tie, I slammed his body into the nearby wall.
Nose to nose, I stared in his eyes, challenging him to say some dumb shit like that again.
No one was taking Malone from me until I said so.
For three years, it was me holding it down and going out of my way to do what was best for Malone.
I failed, I got bruised, but still, I did it without complaining or giving up my responsibility.
“Don’t you ever say no bullshit like that to me.
That’s my fucking son, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
I won’t be signing up to visit my own flesh and blood.
Stop trying me and disrespecting me. When Leslie died, I tucked in my fucking fears and tears to give that boy in there a life she would want.
And let me tell you it wasn’t with you idiots.
She could barely stand y’all, and you want me to just hand you over the last piece of her I have.
Think again,” I said through gritted teeth.
My patience had been tried for the last fucking time, and for once, I felt lighter.
I didn’t have to hide my feelings or thoughts.
Malone was my fucking right hand, and there was no way anyone would ever take him from me without taking me with him.
“You see, he’s violent, and we are concerned for our grandson.” Before I knew it, I knocked Mr. Phillips out cold. Luckily for his bitch ass, he was in a hospital, and they could see about him quickly.
“Houston, what the hell are you doing?” Teaghan asked, grabbing my arm. I looked her in the eye and felt disgusted. Not only was Malone in this bitch, but it was because she was entertaining another nigga while he was left in the front. I shook my head.
“Teaghan, I’m good on you. This is your fault.
And I can’t believe I left my son in your care.
The socialite, the governor's daughter. I’m hard to love and you’re hard to trust. Leave!
” I barked. She jumped, and it didn’t faze me.
Right now, it was fuck everyone that stood between Malone and me. Teaghan was a liability.
“You don’t mean that. I know you are upset, but trust me, it wasn’t like that.”
“But it was important enough to leave my son by himself? Explain what Bobby was talking about that required you to leave my child, whom I trusted you with, unattended?
“Not right now. You are only adding fuel to the fire right now. Look around you, you are in a hospital, out of control,” she preached in a hushed tone. Clarissa was staring and writing shit on her paper, and the tears started to roll. I was weak; this was shit I was supposed to address long ago.
“Teaghan, right now, isn’t a good time for me. Once all this is sorted out, maybe we can try or talk, but right now I need to get in there with my son,” I said, kissing her cheek and walking back in the room.
The thought of losing Malone assaulted my mind, had my heart racing and my emotions on a rollercoaster.
The thought of it being on Teaghan or on me took it even further.
Right now, I was no good for Teaghan. My stress wasn’t her stress.
My issues with grief weren’t hers, and it wasn’t fair that she was getting the shitty end of the stick.
I would lay us to rest peacefully knowing I gave it a shot.
A relationship just wasn’t for me right now, and I had to accept the shit and focus on what was important. Protecting my legacy.