Chapter Wren
Wren
My phone rang, grasping my attention. For the last couple of hours, I was sitting online, looking at paint to see what color I wanted to paint my bookstore. Picking up my phone, I saw it was Liliana. Swiping the screen, I placed the phone to my ear. “Hey,” I answered.
“Wr-Wren, where’s Kairo?”
“He’s in the bathroom, taking a shower. Is there something wrong?”
“Can you go give him the phone?”
“Sure.”
Tossing the covers back, I got up from the bed and padded into the bathroom. “Bae?” I called out his name over the shower.
“Yeah?” he slid the glass door back and poked his head out.
“It’s your mama.” I placed the phone on speaker for him since he was still wet and I didn’t want him to mess my phone up. “You’re on speaker,” I told her.
“Kairo… it’s Wicked. He’s been stabbed. They aren’t sure if he’s gon’ make it. They’re taking him to the hospital.”
“Which one?”
“DCH.”
“I’m on the way.”
I ended the call for him, and he turned off the shower. “I’m so sorry. Do you want me to go with you?”
“You’re too fall along right now to be traveling like that. I need you to stay at the house. Call Aria and tell her to come over here with you.”
Aria. Shit.
I was gon’ have to do more than that… I was gon’ have to tell her that the guy she’s been secretly seeing just got stabbed and just might not make it. I’on want to be the one that has to break that type of news to her.
“Okay. I’ll call her.”
I left out the bathroom as he stepped out the shower and wrapped a towel around him. Going to my call log, I dialed Aria’s number and chewed on my thumbnail as I listened to the phone ring in my ear. Finally, she picked up. “Hey,” she answered.
“Were you busy?”
“Not really. Was just fixing Zion something for lunch.”
Cool. You got this Wren.
“Can you come over here and sit with me while Maniac runs out of town right quick? He said that he doesn’t want me to be alone.”
“Okay. I’ll be on my way after Zion finishes eating. Is there anything that I need to bring you?”
“I don’t need anything. I’ll see you when you get here,” I told her and ended the call.
I hadn’t told Maniac that Aria was seeing Wicked because I didn’t think it was my place to do so. If he wanted his brother to know that he was dealing with her, he’d tell her himself.
Maniac came out of the walk-in closet fully dressed with his phone illuminating his face. “Did she say that she was coming?” he looked up from his phone and asked.
“Yeah. She said that she’s on her way. You don’t have to worry about me. Go make sure that your brother is okay.”
Leaning down, he pecked me on the corner of the mouth.
I followed him downstairs and to the front door. He grabbed the doorknob and left out the door. I pushed it closed behind him and locked it. My feet paced a hole in the floor, waiting for Aria to get here so that I can deliver her the bad news.
Hugging myself, I said, “He’s gonna be alright.
The Saint-Merciers are strong. They’ve overcome a lot of stuff since I’ve been in the family.
” I had to convince myself of it, but I was gon’ be any good when it came to Aria.
The moment she walks through that door and knows that something is wrong with Wicked, she’s not gon’ want to sit here with me.
The doorbell rang and my heart dropped to my ass. I eased over to the door and peeked out the window next to it to see Aria standing there with Zion next to her. Sucking in a deep breath, I released it and pulled the door open.
“Hey, y’all,” I said and stepped out of the way so they can enter the house. Zion took off running upstairs. I already knew that he was probably heading for his bedroom. “I need to talk to you about something,” I told her as I shut the door.
“About what?” She removed her purse from her shoulder and rested it against the entry way table.
Taking her by the hand, I pulled her into the living room and said, “Sit.”
Her head slightly tilted as she stared up at me. “Wren?”
She eased down on the couch, and I sat alongside her, steadily holding her hand for comfort. “There’s no easy way for me to say this, so I’m just gon’ say it. Wicked has been stabbed. They rushed him to the hospital, and they don’t know if he’s gonna make it.”
She snatched her hand away from me and asked, “You’re playing with me, right?
” I slowly shook my head. Tears filled the brims of her eyes.
“No… this can’t be true. This has to be a joke.
” She rose from the sofa, covering her mouth with her hand.
“I finally start liking someone again and they try to take him away. What have I done to not deserve to be happy?”
Getting up, I stepped behind her, soothingly rubbing her back. “You haven’t done anything. This right here… it’s a part of their lifestyle. I’ve had scares when it came to Maniac too.”
“How am I supposed to live like this?” Her head whipped around in my direction. Tears streamed her cheeks, dripping off her chin. “Every day I have to worry about him dying. I can’t live like that, Wren.”
“I understand.”
“What if he dies?”
Grabbing her, I pulled her into an embrace. “Then we’ll deal with that. For now, let’s just pray that he makes it. Let’s not think negative.” I stood there, holding her for as long as she needed me to.
LATER THAT NIGHT
I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. The last I checked, I was laying on the sofa watching television. I must’ve dozed off.
Grabbing my phone, I wiped the salvia from the corner of my mouth.
When I saw it was Maniac, I struggled to pull myself up.
Aria was knocked out on the other side of the sectional with her phone in her hand.
Swiping the screen, I placed the phone to my ear.
“Is he okay?” I wasted no time asking him.
“Yeah, he gon’ make it.”
I released my breath and replied, “Thank God.”
“When are you coming back home?”
“Probably later tonight. You good though?” Soon as he asked that, I felt a gush of fluid release. My mouth dropped to my lap.
“I think my water just broke.”
“What!” Aria jumped up. She stood to her feet and stumbled as she ran over toward me.
“Did you just say what I think you said?” Maniac questioned me.
“Uh, yes. I think my water just broke.”
“What the fuck, man.” I stuck my hand out in Aria’s direction, and she helped me up from the sofa. Damn sure where I’d been sitting was a wet spot underneath me.
“It broke, Maniac.” My heart palpitated. Never in a million years did I think that I’d be having my baby without him being there. He was over two hours away. There’s no way he’d make it back to me in time before the baby comes out.
“We gotta get you to the hospital,” Aria said and helped me out the family room. “Zion!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, but I don’t think he heard her. “Where’s your bag?”
“In the closet by the door,” I answered her just as a contraction hit me. It kinda felt like the Braxton hicks but it held a bit longer.
“I’m gonna grab Zion.” Aria took the stairs two at a time, and I turned my attention back to Maniac who was panicking on the other end of the phone.
“She’s in labor!” I heard him yell.
“Bae, calm down before you make me start overreacting. He should’ve been the one who was trying to keep me calm in this situation, not the other way around.
“I gotta go. I’ll be there.” The line went dead, and I pulled the phone from my ear and just stared at it. I can’t even believe that he’d got off the phone with me like that. The least he could’ve done was stayed on the phone to make sure I made it to the hospital.
“We’re coming!” Aria yelled as she ran to the staircase with Zion in her arms. His head rested against her shoulder. He’d gone up there and fallen asleep.
I unlocked the door and stepped out onto the porch.
By the time I made it to the truck, Aria was right behind me.
She placed Zion in his booster seat and then ran back into the house to grab the baby car seat and the bag.
She could’ve left the seat and Maniac could’ve brought it up to the hospital later.
I know that once I have the baby, I was gon’ be stuck there for a few days.
I climbed into the passenger seat and shut the door. Aria got into the driver seat and pulled off before she even put her seat belt on. She zoomed in and out of traffic, trying her best to make it to the hospital in time.
“Ahh,” I groaned, rubbing my stomach.
“Did you call and let them know that you’re on the way?”
“Shit.” The thought had slipped my mind. Unlocking my phone, I dialed my OBGYN’s office and got the after-hours line. After telling the machine my information, I was transferred. “Hey, my water just broke. I’m on my way to Baptist East. Can you let my doctor know?”
“Who’s your doctor?”
“Dr. Barnett.”
“I’ll let the doctor that’s on call that you’re on your way in.”
“Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that my doctor isn’t gon’ deliver my baby?” My eyes shot in Aria’s direction.
“She’s not on call tonight. There’s a Dr. Jacobs. When you get to the hospital, go straight to labor and delivery. They’ll be expecting you.”
My lungs tightened. Not only will my man not be there, but my doctor won’t be either. I’m gonna die.
I ended the call and called Uncle Trayvon. At least I’ll be able to have him in the room with me other than Aria. “Yeah?” he answered the phone.
“It’s time,” was the only thing I managed to get out before another contraction hit me.
“Are you serious?”
“I’m on my way to the hospital right now.”
“Okay. On the way.” I ended the call and looked up, we were pulling into the parking lot of the hospital. I’m not sure how fast Aria was driving to get me here, but we made it here safely.
Sliding the truck in park, she jumped out and ran around to my side.
She opened the door for me and then grabbed Zion from the back seat.
We entered the building through the emergency entrance and the security immediately met me with a wheelchair.
He opened the door, and a nurse ran over to me.
“I’ll take her from here,” she said and wheeled me toward the elevator.
We got up to labor and delivery and I was taken straight into a room. Another nurse came in with a clipboard while the other one helped me from the chair. “We need you to change out of your clothes.”
Aria covered Zion’s eyes while I stripped out of my clothes and got into the hospital gown. I then climbed over into the bed and laid down.
“How far together are the contractions?” the nurse with the clipboard asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t counted them.”
“Do you know if you’re dilated?” I shook my head, and she went over to where the gloves were and pulled a pair out the box.
“I’m going to have to check you.” Popping on the gloves, she stepped to the right side of my bed and said, “Placing your feet together like this.” She grabbed my ankles and pressed the soles of my feet together.
“It might be a bit uncomfortable but try to be still for me.”
Lifting my gown, she slipped her fingers inside me. “You’re definitely dilated. Six centimeters. I need to see if the doctor has gotten here yet.”
“They aren’t here!” Aria eyes bucked as she stared at the doctor. “She’s about to have this baby. Y’all gon’ be delivering it.”
“I’ll be right back,” the nurse said and rushed out of the room.
“I’m calling Maniac.”