Page 14 of Stolen Moments with a Bad Boy

Thirteen

E rie

Wherever I was, I didn’t want to leave. The butterflies and flowers were so colorful and lively. The blue sky and clouds looked so unrealistic. There were harmonious sounds that called out to me.

The blue skies and clouds moved in sync, displaying breathtaking memories of my life.

I tore my eyes from the skies and walked through the field of blooming flowers as I swept my hands past the honeybees.

They worked so diligently. My spirit felt so free and at peace.

I twirled around in the flowers until I collapsed on them.

I swung my arms and legs as if I made a snowman out of flowers.

My childish actions made me giggle. Out of nowhere, David Ruffin’s “My Whole World Ended” played loudly, yet there wasn’t a speaker or radio in sight.

Swiftly, I sat up and looked around. Immediately, my surroundings changed, and I stood outside my Gigi’s house.

“You gonna wait for me to invite you in, or you gonna come in on yo’ own, child?” Gigi queried in her usual sweet yet raspy voice.

Without hesitation, I raced up the stairs and ran into her arms. I hugged her tightly.

“Gigi, please tell me I’m not dreaming. I don’t wanna wake up if you’re not going to be there.” I cried.

“Hush, child. Yo’ old Gigi won’t be going anywhere but here,” she expressed, guiding me to sit at her kitchen table.

She walked over and grabbed a bowl of potatoes with two knives. Gigi handed me a knife. I dug in and grabbed a potato and started peeling it.

“First, let me say how proud I am of you, Erie baby.”

I smiled. I hadn’t heard that nickname since she passed away. Chills danced along my skin. It felt so good to see her again.

“You gave me a promise, and you followed through with it, honey, but it’s time for you to let me go and live your life. Gigi done lived her life.” She reached for another potato.

I grabbed another one too.

“Gigi, I got a fella.” I smiled broadly at my admittance.

“Oh, I know, and he fine as hell too.”

We giggled like schoolgirls. “Sweet Pea, you’ve blessed that man in more ways than one. He needs you. Gigi is fine here,” she said, nodding her head to Nat King Cole’s “Fascination.”

“They don’t make music like this anymore, Gigi.” I smirked, peeling another potato.

“No, they don’t, sugar, but stop changing the subject.” She tapped her feet to the music.

When I reached for another potato, they were all gone, and I looked at her.

“Time is up, my precious.” She walked over to me and placed her delicate hands on my stomach. “They need you, sugar.”

“They, Gigi? Like, it’s more than one?” I quizzed in amazement.

“Try more than two.” She giggled.

“Three! Oh no. Gigi, I can’t do this without you.” I cried.

“Sweet girl, you got more help than you know. Now, it’s time for me to go. I got to make sure your grandpa ain’t got into nothing up here.” She laughed.

“Gigi, please don’t leave me,” I begged her.

“We will meet again, sweet girl, but not anytime soon. Take care of my babies. I’ll always be watching over you all.”

A gentle breeze sailed by, and I closed my eyes.

Present Day

When I opened my eyes, The Temptations played softly. There was an old record player crooning out the bluesy tunes. It belonged to Gigi. I had it stored in my apartment. How did it get here? Where was I? The whirring from the machines seemed like the background music.

I looked around until my eyes landed on my handsome man.

Janeiro’s shoulder was pressed against the wall.

His brows were furrowed tightly like something heavy weighed on him.

He stared out the hospital window with his hands inside of his jogger pockets.

Whoa, wait. Joggers? This was the first time I’d seen him so dressed down in the public.

Janeiro was a classic man, so he dressed to impress. He did own a tailor shop after all. It was nice to see him in relaxed clothing.

He sported an all-black, designer hoodie with the white logo stretched across his broad chest and the black joggers to match.

The latest model of VaporMax brought his outfit together.

My eyes trailed over the sprinkles of salt in his dark waves and beard.

The white hairs were the only accessory he needed, but his gold watch was always present.

My man looked so good yet sad. I looked around at my surroundings.

I was laid up in a hospital bed. Now I understood why my man looked so gloomy.

“Don’t tell me another woman’s got yo’ attention. Why you staring out that window so hard?” I teased. My voice came out raspy.

Janeiro’s head snapped in my direction.

“Bella!”

He raced over and kissed my lips, face, and neck.

“You’re woke. Thank God! Thank God!” he cheered.

He rose and kissed over my hands.

“Damn, it’s so good to have you back, baby. I thought I lost you at first, but you came back. Thank you for coming back to me.”

“I’ll always come back to you, my love. Can you get me some water? My throat is dry, and it hurts.”

“Hold on, Bella.” Janeiro immediately sprang into action.

I looked on as he poured me a cup of water. He brought it over to me. My love held my head while I drank the cup of water down in one second. He gave me another per my request, and I was good to go after that.

I cleared my throat and smiled at him. “Hi, Ro, baby.”

His eyes filled with tears as he hugged me again.

“I can’t stop thanking God. Thank you, God, for hearing my prayers.

I prayed for your recovery, baby. Every day, I prayed, and I promised God I’d let the past go and focus solely on you and the babies.

You’re back here with me and our babies, and I’m going to make do on that promise,” he expressed, kissing all over my face.

“It’s three of them, huh?”

His brows scrunched together.

“How did you know?” Janeiro probed.

I grinned. “My Gigi told me. I paid her a little visit before I came back to you,” I replied.

He smirked. “I’m glad it was a short visit.”

I chuckled at his comment.

His mood changed, and Janeiro grabbed onto my hands.

“There’s something I want to talk to you about, but first, let me call everyone and grab the doctor. I’ll be right back,” he voiced, then jogged out smiling.

I hope he wasn’t breaking up with me, because I wouldn’t be able to handle that. It had to be something important, but what? I guess I had to wait to find out.

Minutes later, a pudgy, balding doctor walked in hot on Ro’s heel.

“Hi, Erie. I’m Dr. Steinberg. It’s nice to see you’re awake. I’m just going to do a little routine testing to see how you’re doing. How are you feeling?” he questioned, flashing a light in my eyes.

“It’s nice to meet you, and I’m feeling okay. I feel a lot of soreness in my head and shoulder,” I responded.

“That’s good. The bullet wounds are healing. You are a strong woman,” he affirmed. Dr. Steinberg examined my body. “Can you feel the pressure I’m adding to your chest and legs?”

“Yes, I can.”

He slid the stethoscope across my chest as he listened to my heartbeat.

“Strong beating heart, . . . my favorite kind.” He lowered his stethoscope.

“Alright, all seems to be well. We can provide you with a mild pain reliever, but that’s it.

Due to your delicate state with the babies, we can’t provide you with anything stronger.

I’m glad to see you’re doing well, Erie.

I’ll send the nurse in to check on you as soon as I leave. ”

“Thank you again, Dr. Steinberg. I appreciate all your help.”

“You’re welcome, Erie.” He strolled out of my room.

Ro sat next to me.

“Baby, how long have I been out?” I inquired, interlocking his fingers with mine.

“A funky ass week,” he replied with a deep sigh that followed.

“Damn. Did they find the person responsible?”

Janeiro’s whole demeanor changed.

“Yes, they were caught and taken care of,” he stated, staring at our hands. “Bella, let me say this before I lose the nerve to.”

He exhaled loudly and rubbed down his beautiful face.

“When I was seven, my parents died in a car crash from a drunk driver. My uncle and aunt resumed caring for me, but three years after their death, I went fishing. It was something I’d done since I could remember.

“I was in the countryside and not far from my house when I was kidnapped. For six months, I endured almost every sexual torture a child could experience. Apparently, he’d taken me to a house where a bunch of other kids lived.

They were all of different cultural backgrounds.

He took his time, demeaning, degrading, and torturing every little boy and girl there.

That monster didn’t have a preference. He wanted what he wanted.

“My kidnapper was pure evil and a sexual sadist. He had so much confidence that he wouldn’t get caught because nobody would ever suspect him or know where we were.

That monster bragged how he’d gotten away with this shit for years, and no one noticed a thing.

He would say adults listened to adults, not kids.

“Sometimes, he would lock me in the basement of the house and starve me. One day, I got some strength and kicked him straight in the balls, but I couldn’t break out of my cuffs.

That night, he came down to the basement, and using a carving knife, he carved Satan’s Child in my chest. The days he didn’t feel like molesting me, he beat the shit out of me. ”

I gripped his hand, giving him the strength he needed to continue. My baby had been through so much in life and so early in his life on top of that. Our tears flowed freely down both of our faces. Janeiro sniffled and wiped his face.

“I prayed every day and night that someone would come and rescue me. No such luck, though. It was up to me to free myself. I took him down by his weakness. You get my drift?