Chapter 25
Kateri
“Hey. How you feeling?” My mom’s voice was in my ear as I opened my eyes.
“Ma, she just woke up and she’ll probably go right back to sleep again. Just say I love you and I’ll see you next time you wake up.” Mike was talking shit on what I’m assuming is the other side of the room. His voice was too clear for him to have been on a speaker phone.
“Be quiet. I don’t want to upset my grandbaby.” Shifting my eyes towards her voice, I wanted to ask what was she talking about. How long had I been here and was I pregnant? Me and Cairo just spoke about it the day I was shot. Thinking about the shooting made me reminisce.
“Let me grab the bag out the car.” Cairo said to whoever was on the phone. I wanted to tell him the truth about who I was but the phone rang and caused a distraction.
“I’ll get it.”
“You’re not dressed.” Cairo reminded me of being naked. I threw on a pair of his boxers, a tank top and slippers.
“Better.” He shook his head laughing and said the keys were downstairs. Walking down the stairs, I smelled the food he brought and looked inside. I couldn’t wait to eat that when I finished bringing his bag in. I knew the chef cooked too but I’ll save that for tomorrow.
Opening the front door, I checked outside like I always did just to be sure no one was lurking.
Stepping outside, I went over to his car, popped the trunk and noticed a car sitting at the corner with headlights on.
Ignoring it because I’m not a resident over here so how would I know if the person lived on the street.
Closing the trunk, I heard what sounded like footsteps.
“Who’s there?” Standing there like a fool in a scary movie, I blew my breath and told myself to stop bugging.
“You’re gonna die Bitch.” The voice was unfamiliar and when I tried to see who and where the person was, I fell on the sidewalk leading to the door. Jumping up, I grabbed the bag that fell and two sharp pains were felt in my arm and leg. I swore my clumsy ass dislocated something.
“Cairo ain’t who you think he is.” Were the last words the person said as I slammed the door, locked it and ran upstairs.
The last thing I could remember was Cairo saying to come back to him.
It’s clear I’m back but why was my mother saying I’m pregnant.
Trying to sit up, she stopped me and pressed a button for the nurse.
“I guess she gonna try and pull the tube out her coochie.” Why did he say that?
Mike was really getting on my nerves and I hadn’t been awake longer than two minutes.
Not too long after the doctor came in to tell me, I was indeed shot twice and had a possible concussion.
Due to the pain, I woke up a few times in the last two weeks and asked for medicine which kept putting me back to sleep.
Cairo was the one who told them not to give me nothing else unless he said so. I loved how in control he was, then again I’m in pain now but too scared to ask for medicine. I’m not even sure they’d give it to me anyway if that was said.
“I can’t believe I’m going to be a grandmother. I’m so young…” Why was she even bringing that up again? For the last hour and a half I had to get tests and bloodwork done. The nurse just left out from removing the catheter and all my mother was thinking about is a baby that didn’t exist as of yet.
“Ma, you’re fifty which is the age of Nana’s.” Mike joked. My mom threw something at him.
“Why did you say that anyway?” My voice was raspy and dry.
“In Cairo’s words, you’re his baby mama.” Mike shrugged.
“That’s not what he said.” My mom rolled her eyes at Mike.
“He said, y’all had a beautiful night and he hoped his baby mama was ok.” My eyes went to Mike who was shaking his head and mouth the words, “She lying.” I knew that part was true. Cairo would never talk like that.
“I’m not pregnant and if it did happen, I would’ve told you already.” My mom rolled her eyes and pouted. Cairo was very specific about me being his kids’ mother and made sure to release inside me but could I be pregnant. Wouldn’t the shooting have made me lose it?
“How you mad she not pregnant? Ma, you gotta get your life together because Kateri not being a surrogate for you.” I almost peed on myself from laughing so hard.
“I’m going to have a smoke before I smack the shit out of both of you.” I couldn’t believe she was mad at me as if I’m the one who said it.
“On a serious note, I’m glad you’re ok Sis.” Mike took a seat next to me, kicked his shoes off and had me move over. It was painful yet I had no problem doing so.
“Do you know who shot you?” He asked a question I had no answer to. As I explained what happened the best I could, Cairo stepped in and my heart started to race. Not only was he sexy as fuck, he had a look of relief on his face.
“Damn Kateri. That nigga got your blood pressure and heart rate going up. You don’t even do that for…” Before he could finish, Felix snatched him off the bed by his shirt and told him to go wait outside.
“Y’all have got to be the rudest people I’ve ever met in my life; especially you.” He pointed to Felix who shrugged and pushed him out the door.
“I need my shoes and…” Felix threw them and I heard Felix yell, “Ouch.”
“How you feeling?” Cairo sat next to me on the bed.”
“I’m ok now that you’re here.” He leaned down to kiss me and the butterflies were fluttering away in my stomach. Cairo had such an effect on me that no matter how many times I’m around him, it’s always like the first time.
“Ayo, I’m out.” Felix left us alone after hearing me say that. I instantly heard Mike asking why he came out and should’ve stayed inside the room with us. Once he yelled, “Ouch and stop putting your hands on me”, I knew Felix must’ve punched him or something. Cairo walked over to close the door.
“I’m happy as hell you’re ok.” His hand went to my head as he pulled me closer to deepen the kiss.
“I couldn’t leave this world and let all those women have you.” He chuckled.
“I’d probably never be with another woman after you if you didn’t make it.” I ran my hand down the side of his face.
“Did you tell my mom we were having a baby?” He started laughing.
“I told her we fucked like rabbits the night it happened so she should be prepared.” My mouth fell open because he would say something like that.
“Nah, she mentioned wanting grandkids and I told her that we’d start practicing for them soon.” At least he was a tad bit conservative when speaking to my mom.
“You want kids with me?” I didn’t even know why I started crying.
“As of right now, I wanna spend my life with you.” When he got on one knee next to the hospital bed and pulled out this gigantic ring, I started hyperventilating. He snatched the blood pressure cuff off my arm because it was getting tighter, making the heart monitor machine go off.
“Relax Kateri because if you die before we get married then I will be forced to find someone else.” He wiped my tears and grabbed some tissue for my nose. I really had the ugly cry with snot running and everything. Never in a million years did I think a man would propose to me.
“So, will you marry me?” He slid the ring on my finger before I could answer. I was about to be a married woman and to a powerful man. Wait! What if he tried to kill me for not agreeing with things he did? I had to ask him a question too.
“Why me, Cairo? There’s so many women…” He cut me off.
“All those women aren’t you and they don’t make me better.” Did he really say I made him better?
“You’re clumsy as hell, funny, you’re about your business and from day one you’ve always demanded respect from me and I love that shit about you.”
“You do?” I put my hand out to stare at the ring.
“I do because it lets me know I won’t be able to walk over you. You’ll be by my side, not behind me and no other bitch could ever take your place in here.” He placed my hand on his heart and I melted. All I wanted to do was go home and let him put a million more babies inside.
“I want eight kids, a Porsche truck and for you to always come home to me. If you can promise that, I’ll start planning the wedding right now.” He thought what I said was funny.
After all the time we’ve spent together, in my heart I knew no other man would be good enough for me. Marriage was always something I wanted to do as a kid and now that a man actually wanted a family with me and to make me his wife, hell yea I’m going through with it.
“As rich as I am, all you want is a truck.” Moving my legs over so he could get in bed with me, I laid my head on his chest.
“And you.”
“You really know how to pull strings at my heart.” I lifted my head to look at him.
“Where you been all my life?” I smiled and told him waiting for his ass to find me.
“Babe, I wanted to tell you something before the shooting.” I tried to finish and once again we were distracted because my mom, Mike, Felix and what seemed like a lot of his family coming in the room.
“Oh my goodness. You’re getting married.
” My mother almost broke my hand by how hard she snatched it to look at the ring.
Next, his mom came up and hugged me so tight Cairo had to move her away because he noticed the pain on my face.
You would think I wasn’t in a hospital by the way people were coming and going.
Over the next few hours, a few others came and it was like a damn party. I’m not going to lie, as much fun as it was and being extremely happy, I had to ask Cairo to have them leave in order to rest.
His mom wished grandkids on me by literally placing on her hand on my stomach and praying.
Mike went back and forth with all the guys until Cairo gave him a look.
I was shocked he listened but understood when he said the guys were about to do something bad to him.
I couldn’t even be mad because Mike was saying and doing too much.