Chapter 2 #2
I got dressed and quickly made my way back out of the door.
It felt like I was slightly panicking. That feeling was weird.
I was never nervous. When I got to my parents’ house and didn’t see a vehicle I didn’t recognize, I took a deep breath, grateful I’d made it back to her before they got here.
I didn’t know who all was coming, but I would be sitting by Maui’s side when they got here.
I made my way to the back door and could hear music playing.
My mama loved Teyana Taylor. She kind of looked like her, except she had more meat on her bones.
My mama looked better than Teyana. She was a gorgeous, chocolate woman.
She was probably a mix between her and Gabrielle Union.
I used to tell my dad all the time that he was lucky Mama wanted his ugly ass.
He would laugh and shove me in the head every time I said it.
I walked into the house, and Mama smiled at me. She was in the kitchen, as usual. She loved cooking and baking. Maui was seated at the island, watching her cook. After hugging my mama, I made my way to her. I leaned over and kissed her lips as my mama said, “Mythic, what happened to your head?”
My hand instinctively went to it as I frowned. “Nothing for you to worry about, Ma. I’m alright.”
Maui stood and walked behind me. “Mythic, you need to go to the hospital. You may need stitches. I can see blood coming through the bandage.”
I pulled the bandages from my pocket and went to the bathroom as Maui followed me. When I took the bandage off, she gasped.
“Mythic—”
“It’s fine. I can promise you he looks a lot worse.”
She swallowed hard and lowered her head while I changed the bandage.
Opening the medicine cabinet, I took the bottle of Advil from it and popped four into my mouth, chewing those muthafuckas.
My head was pounding. When I turned back to her, she lowered her head. “My parents and Remy are on their way.”
Remy was her youngest brother. He was still in grade school. “That’s it?”
“He said he was trying to get the twins to come, but they were busy at the clinic. Carter and Red may be able to get them out here later.”
“Well, I didn’t plan to be over here all night.”
She lifted her head and stared at me, causing my core to soften. I took a deep breath as she stepped closer to me. “You don’t have anything to worry about, Mythic. I’m not going anywhere.”
I nodded, then grabbed her hand, leading her back to the kitchen.
She understood me so well. I just wished I could trust her words.
I couldn’t be around those twins though.
I’d mess around and forget they were women and fuck one of them up.
Just the way Bali looked at me made me flip my razor blade in my mouth.
That girl danced on all my nerves without saying a word.
When we sat, Mama turned to me, and said, “Are you gonna go to the hospital?”
“Later.”
She slowly shook her head, knowing she would be wasting her breath to say anything more.
I did what the fuck I wanted to do. I wasn’t easily persuaded at all.
I grabbed Maui’s hand and kissed it, then just stared at it.
This woman was about to be the mother of my child.
I wanted to tell everybody, but she wanted to keep it under wraps for right now.
I didn’t understand why. What was done was done.
I glanced at her, and it was like she knew what I wanted to say. She turned her attention to my mama, and asked, “Can we tell you something?”
My mama frowned slightly as she turned to us. She wiped her hands on a towel and sat across from us. “Yeah, of course.”
Maui glanced at me, so I said, “Maui’s pregnant.”
My mama rolled her eyes. “Chile, I already knew that shit.”
My eyebrows lifted, and Maui’s eyes widened as she continued. “Your dad and I were talking about it about a week ago. I have to assume your family doesn’t know, Maui. Did you plan to tell them when they got here?”
“No. I can’t tell them today. Tensions are already high. I need to let things settle down for a minute first.”
My mama nodded and went back to the stove. I stood and went next to her to see what she was cooking. When I saw the greens and sausage, I frowned. “Is that some type of greens stew?”
She smiled. “It’s a collard greens gumbo. I saw it on TikTok, and it looked so good. I had to try it. It’s almost ready. You wanna taste the juice?”
“Yeah. I’m curious.”
She giggled and got a spoon to dip some out.
She blew it to cool it off and brought it to my mouth like she used to do when I was a kid.
I sipped it off the spoon and closed my eyes, concentrating on the flavors.
When I opened my eyes, I frowned at her.
“Damn, Mama. That’s good. I don’t know why I expected anything less. ”
She smiled big. “Thank you, baby.”
When I heard a car door close, I knew it was probably my dad.
Had it been the Hendersons, it would have been more than one door to close.
Sure enough, he walked in and went straight to my mama, kissing her softly on the lips.
He swatted her on her rear end as I turned my lip up, then he came to me and slapped my outstretched hand.
“Fix yo’ face. That’s my cake, in my house. I can smack it if I want to.”
I shook my head as he hugged Maui. When he released her, he said, “So the Hendersons are about ten minutes away. Mythic—”
“I’m cool, man. I’ve always been cool in their presence. I just don’t take fuck shit. Is he coming too?”
“Yeah, man.”
I slowly shook my head. I didn’t know why the fuck this nigga wanted to fuck with me. “If he cool, then I’ll be cool too.”
I glanced at Maui, and I could tell she was nervous as hell.
I walked over to her and put my arms around her.
Her body trembled in my embrace, and that only made my anger rise.
The last thing I wanted her to be in my embrace was nervous or scared.
I wanted my arms to make everything alright.
That shit would be impossible as long as Seven was fucking with me.
Restraining myself had been hard as fuck.
He was already on his last fucking strike.
I typically didn’t give strikes. A nigga was one and done around me.
“I’m gon’ chill, baby. I promise. I’ll walk away after speaking to your people. Okay?”
She looked up at me and nodded. “I hate this shit, Mythic. I just want us to all get along. I want Seven to act like he got some damn sense.”
I knew she was upset. She was cursing, and my angel normally didn’t do that unless we were fucking. I put my hand to her belly and gently rubbed it in a soothing manner. “Shh. It’s gon’ be okay. Don’t stress yourself out, baby.”
I could see my dad staring at us, his eyes slightly widened. He glanced at my mama and she nodded, answering his silent question. When I pulled away from Maui, he said, “Lemme holla at’chu.”
I followed him to the front room, and he turned to me. “She’s pregnant?”
I lowered my head for a moment, then stared into his eyes and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
I knew now wasn’t the time to be on no bullshit. Legend Semien had had enough of my bullshit. Arguing with him or even getting loud would stress Maui out. She was under enough stress already.
He slid his hand down the top of his head. “Do her parents know?”
“No, sir. We just told Mama a few minutes ago. Dad, I umm—”
He held his hand up, and he paced for a moment. When he looked back at me, he had a slight frown on his face. “What about this other kid? Do you plan to be involved in his life?”
“I do. I plan to talk to Vanessa tomorrow to work something out. I really am trying to get myself together. I know you don’t believe me, but—”
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, Mythic.
The problem is that I know you aren’t doing this for yourself.
You just fine being out in the streets fucking shit up.
What happens if you get yourself together and things don’t work out with Maui?
Huh? What’s gon’ happen then? You’ll be right back out there, doing what you’ve always done.
I want you to get yourself together for you, not for her. You understand what I’m saying?”
I nodded as I slid my hands in my pocket.
Maui was my heart. Whether he believed it or not, she and I would work, because I wouldn’t settle for anything else.
Maui Henderson was mine and only mine. When I heard car doors close, I knew shit was about to get tense.
I slightly rolled my eyes as my dad said, “Chill.”
“I’m cool.”
I followed him back toward the kitchen but hooked a right to the family room and flopped on the couch while Maui stared at me. She had better be praying I didn’t have to fuck her brother up.