Page 14 of Pieces of Us

Nehemiah

T hree Days Later…

“Simon says touch your nose.”

Kaylee touched her nose.

“Simon says touch your eyes.”

She touched her eyes.

“Raise your arms.”

She raised her arms, and I tickled her as she erupted in a fit of giggles.

“Simon didn’t say it.”

Her mother sat off to the side smiling while shaking her head.

Kera Moring was the celebrity wife of the infamous Kamil “K Millz” Moring .

It wasn’t often that I got celebrity clients, but I’d been caring for their children since their twins were newborns.

Kaylee was their latest addition, and she was the cutest thing.

“Everything looks good, Mom. Her arm has healed nicely, and it doesn’t seem as if there are any complaints of pain, so she’s good to go.”

“Thank you so much. I swear if I didn’t love her father, I’d kill him. He lets our children do whatever they want when mommy’s away.”

I chuckled. “I’m going to act like I didn’t hear that.”

She smiled. “Please do. Besides, isn’t there like a confidentiality clause you have to abide by?”

“It stays off the record, Mrs. Moring.”

“Then you’re alright with me.” She winked and I laughed.

“I’ll see you all in two months.”

“Thanks. Say bye to Doctor Newson, Kaylee.”

“Bye, Doctor Newsome! Simon says open the door!”

I chuckled and pinched her cheek. “Bye, Doctor Kaylee.”

I opened the door and walked out. My pager went off, alerting me that I had another patient to tend to. I was glad my office closed early on the weekends. I was bone tired after turning up with Loon’s ass last night to celebrate my divorce.

I didn’t intend to stay out so late, but Loon ended up calling Ruger, who then called his brother and their entire biker crew showed up. Needless to say, we partied. I crashed around 1:00 a.m., woke back up around five thirty to sober up, then made it to my practice by 7:00 a.m.

I was still tired, but I was happy we were closing in another two hours.

I looked at the room number on my pager and headed to room six. Picking up the chart outside the door, I saw this was a new patient. I quickly read over it before putting on my mask and entering the room.

“Good morning, Ms. Megan. I’m Doctor New—”

My words cut, feet halted, and heart stilled.

When she lifted her head to look at me, she shot to her feet, and I could tell her heart stilled as well.

She looked scared, confused, and sad. For a long moment, we both said nothing.

Our eyes were the only things conveying everything we wanted to say out loud.

I couldn’t believe this. After countless dreams, endless days, and nights of searching, Morgan Prescott was sitting in my practice with a teenager who looked all too familiar.

Chelsea said she had a three year old. This girl is thirteen, not three!

I didn’t expect her to have a kid…well, kids with anyone other than me.

“Oh my God,” she voiced. “Nehemiah…It—How are you?” she asked.

I shook from my thoughts, finally able to acknowledge the love of my life.

“I’ve been decent. What about you?”

“I’ve been well.”

I nodded, roving my eyes over her frame. Morgan had always been thick, but she was stacked now. Her once long hair was now cut just above her shoulders. Those dreamy eyes were still bright, and her lips were still pink and plump. The diamonds in her ears had to cost a fortune.

“Who do we have here?”

“T-this is…my daughter Megan.”

Baby girl looked at me with those same dreamy eyes as her mother, but hers were the same color as…

“I’m sorry…Can I speak with you outside for a moment?”

“I—She caught a bug. I just want to make sure she’s okay and get her some medication.”

She was stalling. Why?

“It’ll only take a second.”

“I’ll be fine, Mommy. Go.”

Morgan hesitated a bit before she followed me out of the room. I led her down to my office a few doors down then closed the door behind her as soon as she walked in.

“Hemi—”

Before she could finish her sentence, I pulled her into my chest and held onto her tightly. My fingers nestled in her mass of hair to massage her scalp. Fuck, I missed this. I missed her in my arms. I missed kissing her plump lips. I just fucking missed her period.

But there was one thing I had to know…

“Tell me you wouldn’t do that shit to me, Mo Boogie. I need to hear you tell me that’s not my fucking kid sitting in that room.”

Morgan’s arms came around me in a tight hold as I felt her body quiver against me, confirming what my heart already knew.

This couldn’t be real. This had to be a dream. I pulled her back some as I gently took her by the chin, staring into those sad, dreamy, tear-filled eyes.

“Tell me, baby.”

Her eyes fell away before they closed, and she nodded. I stepped away from her, going to my window and staring out of it.

“I-I d-didn’t have a ch-choice.”

What did she mean she didn’t have a choice?

“You never did. We never did. Everything that could possibly come against us did. I loved you more than anything. We connected in a way that even after almost fourteen years of being without you, followed me into my adulthood.”

“I never stopped loving you either, Hemi.”

I turned to face her.

“Then why would you not contact me after finding out you had my seed? What am I supposed to do with this information, Mo? Does she even know I’m her father? Did you at least give her that since you couldn’t give it to me?”

“I couldn’t. After I found out, my father cast me away from the outside world. I was homeschooled for a year. After I had her, I started college. He made me believe that it was a good idea to keep her identity a secret—”

“He had that much influence over you? The Morgan I knew would have never kept information of this magnitude away from me.”

“I was afraid, Hemi. He said that he would get you and your family locked up if I told you. I didn’t want that for you.”

“Fuck your daddy, Mo. Disrespectfully. I don’t give a fuck what he told you.

He didn’t have concrete proof that my father was doing anything, even though that bum used to work for him.

My father moves discreetly. It’s why he was able to do what he does for so long.

He hung that shit over your head, making you believe that’s what he would have done, and that bum didn’t know shit.

And now, I have a thirteen-year-old daughter that I’m almost sure won’t be receptive to me. ”

My eyes traveled over her again, now spotting the ring that was mounted on her finger. I scoffed and chuckled.

“And you’re fucking married.”

“It’s complicated. Nehemiah, I’m so sorry. I should have never listened to my father. Everything he’s ever said to me is a lie. And me trying to follow the word of God on top of feeling guilty about fornicating before marriage…I just did whatever he asked me to do, and I’m so sorry for that.”

Her tears resurfaced as I walked back over to her, pulling her into my arms. She wrapped her arms around me, and I nuzzled my nose into her neck. We stood like that for almost a minute before I kissed her collarbone.

“I don’t know if I can continue the visit, Mo.

I’d be inclined to tell her who I am. I’ll have the other doctor on call check her out, but I will see her again…

very soon. So, you need to tell her about me because there is no way I can walk this Earth knowing I have a kid.

You’re going to be mad at me, but I don’t care.

As soon as I see your pops again, I’m beating the fuck out of that nigga. ”

“Ne—”

I held my hand up to stop her from speaking. I paged Doctor Simpson then opened the door for her to walk out. I didn’t give damn what she said. I was going to bust that nigga’s head in for what the fuck he did.

“I’ll expect a call by the end of week. If you don’t, I’m going to find you. You don’t want me to disturb your home, Mo, even though I’m going to disturb that shit anyway. Have a good day. Doctor Simpson will be in in a moment.”

She stared at me for a moment before her lips touched mine. I wanted to slip my tongue into her mouth, but we were in my place of business, so I chilled on the PDA.

“I promise to make it right.”

“You better.”

She nodded and left my office as I closed the door and released the tears I was holding in.

What the fuck?

“Huh?”

“Are you serious?”

“I knew something was off with her when I saw her.”

The plethora of reactions after telling my family what had occurred this afternoon rang around the room in sequence.

My father, Shanise, Shelby, Chelsea, and Loon all sat in my father’s sitting room.

I sat and nursed a glass of bourbon while I tried to wrap my head around the fact I had a thirteen year old.

The love of my life bore my seed, and I wasn’t there to watch her grow. She didn’t know me.

“Yeah…” My voice trailed off, head fell against the couch, and my eyes went to the high ceiling.

“So, what are you going to do?” my father asked.

“I’m going to get my daughter and my girl back. Then I’m going to beat the fuck out of Gio for all the years he stole from me.”

“I want in on that shit, brodie. I love me a good fight,” Loon said, cracking his knuckles.

“Lawrence, please stay out of this. Don’t co-sign the madness,” Shanise voiced.

Loon smiled at her. “I won’t if you agree to let me take you out.”

“Nigga, please.”

I shook my head and chuckled.

“Hemi, this is messed up. I never mistook Morgan to be so reckless,” Shelby countered.

“I’m positive her pops is to blame for all of this. However, once she left that hypocrite’s home, she should have tried to find me. She claims that he threatened to get Pops locked up if she told me, and she didn’t want that.”

“Clearly, I’m going to have to see about him.

He keeps making these idle threats and kept my granddaughter away from her father.

I may not be perfect and made some bad calls, but one thing I don’t play about is my fucking kids.

You ain’t gon’ have to see about that bitch nigga.

I think it’s high time we start going to church on Sundays.

We need to get reacquainted with the man of God,” my father spat.

“I agree, Pops. We need to lay some holy paws on ’im,” Loon countered.

“Why are you here?” Shanise asked.

“Because you’re here.” Amusement played on his face as he licked his lips and did the Birdman hand rub.

I laughed. “Loon, chill.”

“He’s so annoying,” Shanise grumbled.

“You like it,” Shelby jested.

Shanise flipped her the bird. Chelsea came and sat next to me, leaning her head on my shoulder and wrapping her arm around me.

She and I were the closest since we were closer in age.

I was close with BB too, but me and Chelsea’s bond was tighter.

There had been countless times I had to beat up her little boyfriends because they liked to play games with her.

At one point, one of them got handsy with her, and I almost put him in the hospital.

I didn’t play those types of games about my sisters.

My parents always taught me to protect them by any means.

Chels got her empath nature from our mom. It was like she knew I needed comforting after hearing the news. I honestly didn’t know what to do, but I was hoping to gain some type of clarity because I just couldn’t believe this was my life right now.

“Tell me what I should do, Sis.”

“I honestly don’t know, Hemi. This could either be a blessing or a curse. She’s a teenager. Prayerfully, she’s not a bad one. I’m assuming she’s not, though. Her mom was the sweetest when we used to hang out back in the day. Maybe this won’t be as bad as we think.”

“I don’t know, Chels. If her husband has been there since she was a baby, this could go left. He’s all she knows since Morgan never told her about Hemi,” Shanise mumbled.

I couldn’t listen to this anymore.

“I’m up. I have to get up early tomorrow.” I stood from the couch, and everyone did the same.

“We love you, Hemi. Whatever happens, just know that we got your back 100 percent,” Shelby affirmed.

“Thanks, baby sis. I love you too.” I gave them all a hug and stood in front of my pops.

“I guess you two were destined to be together one way or another.” He chuckled as I shook my head. “It’s a tough situation to be in, but you know we have your back. Bring my granddaughter home.”

“I’m going to try. Thanks, Pops.” I hugged him then Loon followed me out the door.

I didn’t know what fate lay ahead. Whatever it may have been, I prayed that it ended with Morgan and my daughter at my side.