Page 71

I finally felt like I was getting back to myself.

My condo was coming together, and I had the pots rattling while my son played with his toys on the floor.

So far, I hadn’t heard one word from Lucky.

It was okay with me. I was at peace with it.

When he was ready to see his son, I was going to make sure I was available.

I was in the process of finding me another studio to cut hair in as well.

I had two that were close to my condo, but it was going to make it harder for people to get to me.

If they wanted me to cut their hair, they would have to travel to me.

Merci was going to watch Kani for me on the days she didn’t have to go to the doctor or some type of adoption meeting.

It was time for me to get back to the money.

If I worked it the right way, I’ll be back in a shop in no time.

The insurance money I made from my shop was sitting in my savings account.

I didn’t want to touch it. When the time was right and the right building came along, I was going to buy it cash and start from scratch.

I started promoting myself on Instagram again and was getting a good response from a few people.

All I needed was a faithful few to get my shit back popping.

I had been gone for months and that was bad for business.

That was never going to happen again. My phone started ringing from the security downstairs.

The only person knew I was her was Merci.

“Hi, I have someone down here by the name of Lucky. He’s not in your list and I have to ask permission to let him up.”

I rolled my eyes. “Let him up.”

I immediately sent a text to Merci’s ass.

That was the only way his ass found out.

She couldn’t hold water and it irritated me to no end.

My doorbell went off. It’s been about a week since I last saw him.

He hadn’t called or anything. If this was how he was going to be a father to his son I didn’t want or need him.

I wasn’t going to let him pop up when he wanted to.

“What are you doing here?”

“Coming to see my son and make sure you don’t need anything.”

“I don’t.”

“Man, move yo ass outta my way.”

Lucky made my ass itch when it came to him not getting his way. I was not about to play this game with him. He could spend all the time he wanted to with his son, away from my shit.

“I’ll pack him a bag so you can take him with you. I don’t want you in my shit.”

“I’m not going nowhere with him. It’s too hot out there for me to be out there with my son. If it’s a problem, then I won’t come until shit calms down.”

“He ain’t seen you in a week. I’m sure it wouldn’t matter.”

“Not arguing with you today. I got shit going on and I hope you would understand that.”

“Are you staying for dinner?” I ignored him and moved on.

“Hadn’t had your food in a minute I guess I can stay if you don’t mind.”

He ended up staying longer than I expected him to.

It was cool because I was able to get some stuff done while he spent time with Kani.

He was spoiled and if it wasn’t something that had his attention, he was under me all the time so I couldn’t get shit done.

I washed clothes, folded them up and cleaned my bathroom.

Lucky laid Kani down in his room and stood in my bedroom door.

“What you got planned for your birthday?”

“Nothing. Hopefully, I’ll be working by then.”

“Can I send you and Merci off? With the kids of course.”

“She shouldn’t be traveling this late in her pregnancy.”

“She already got that handled with the doctor.”

“Is that how you manage to find out where the fuck I lived?” I eyed him.

“Something like that. I need y’all to leave.

You say I don’t ever tell you shit so here it is.

I’m trying to kill my pops. I paid a bitch to help me get close to him and she ended up dead.

I’m assuming he killed her. He’s hiding like a fucking crackhead, and I don’t want you or my son out and about.

He’s going to come at you before he man up and face me.

I want you to take this.” He handed me a gun.

“Don’t be afraid to use it if you need to.

I’ll send Merci to pick y’all up and she knows where y’all going. Have fun and don’t think about me.”

I really wasn’t much in a birthday mood. Everything was nice but not hearing from Lucky or Perc was making me sick on my stomach. Merci tried her best not to think about it but I knew it was fucking with her too. We had plans to go to a carnival with the kids today, but Merci was sick.

“You want me to bring you anything? I can call for you some soup or something. You need to eat.”

“I think I’m going into labor.”

“Bitch you can’t do this shit right now. We got two damn kids with us and no babysitter.”

“I don’t feel good at all. I got this damn pain in my back and pressure in my pussy.”

“Merci, you got a few more weeks to go don’t do this here. We are in a foreign place.”

“I suggest you find someone to take us to a hospital or find a nurse bitch, because I’m telling you that I’m either in labor or it’s about to start.”

“Fuck! Okay, let me call someone.”

We were in the Dominic Republic. Most of the people didn’t speak English here.

I told Merci last night to lay off the damn spicy food, but she kept eating.

Now her ass was in bed possibly about to give birth.

On the outside I was calm but the inside I was falling apart.

I grabbed the phone to call the front desk, and the bitch immediately started speaking in Spanish.

“I’m going to run downstairs, and I’ll be right back. I have my phone so just call me if you need me.”

I got down to the lobby and asked a few tourists did they speak in Spanish so they could help me call for help.

I found one couple that was American and was able to speak for me.

The couple just so happens to be a nurse and a doctor.

That was all I needed. I let them follow me back to the room to check on Merci.

“What did she eat? The food and water is very contaminated and if you left from here and went somewhere else it’s a possibility that she ingested something shouldn’t have.”

“We did leave last night and eat at a new restaurant. She had some water with lemon and a spicy dish I believe it was fish and shrimp.”

Merci was sweating so bad that her gown was soaked but when the wife pulled the cover back, they discovered that her water had broke.

“Either we can try to get her to the nearest hospital which may or may not be safe or clean. The other option is we endure the labor here with her and then transfer her.”

“Will she make it? She looks bad and her stepdaughter is in the next room.”

“I have some things to get her hydrated, but I think she will be safer here being that we’re American.”

I watched my sister labor into the early hours of the morning.

She cried until she just couldn’t cry anymore.

It was going on the next morning and she finally pushing the baby out.

I owed this couple my life. Neither of them complained while she labored.

They did manage to get some help from the resort we stayed on.

They found a clean facility to take her to once the baby was born.

Right as the baby head started to peek. I called Perc.

“I didn’t want to bother y’all but she’s having the baby.”

“Ahh Nah! FaceTime.”

When Perc answered the FaceTime Merci pushed out a healthy little boy. He was screaming at the top of his lungs. I couldn’t help but cry as they cleaned him off. Now that I got a good look at him, he looked like my son.

“Put the camera closer.”

“If I put it any closer, I’ll have it in her pussy.”

“Merci! Is that my son?”

“She’s not doing good, Perc. We gotta go. She’s going into cardiac arrest,” I dropped the phone as the wife performed CPR.

“Don’t you do this Merci. I just got you back!” I cried.

“Can you take the baby and go to the next room? I’m going to call the ambulance. We got to get her some blood quick. As soon as they are here, I’ll let you back in. Right now, we need to get her stable.”

I backed up as he pushed me softly out of the room. My phone was ringing, my son was crying and so was my new nephew. What the fuck was I supposed to do now?