Page 125 of Manny

“I want to see her. I want to do to her what she did to Manny.”

Indi shakes her head. “She’s dead.”

My eyes go wide. “She… how?”

“They shot her trying to escape. Trust me, I’m sure they’re not happy about that, but at least she’s gone now,” Indi says, cupping one side of my face. “She can’t hurt anyone anymore. It’s over.”

Relief floods me, but then I think about Manny and him lying on a bed in an operating room. Anything could be going on in there. He may not make it… I shudder and Indi takes my cupfrom my trembling hands and sets it down on the table. I fold into her arms.

“We’ve got to use everything we have now to bring Manny back,” she whispers. “He put himself in front of you, Lace. I think that speaks volumes about how he feels.”

“I only just got to tell him.” My voice is so jittery I can’t even tell if she can understand me in between my sobs. “I told him I loved him and Bandit. What if I never get to tell him again?”

She rubs my back and tells me it’s going to be okay. “You will. We all know Manny won’t give up that easily. You’ll get to tell him, Lace, I know it.”

I just hope her words are not in vain. Without Manny, none of this is worth fighting for.

26

MANNY

I don’t knowwhere I am, but I feel so much love around me. I see my girl and Bandit embracing, Hustler and Audrina sitting together, their heads low. Cash and Deanna hug; for some reason Deanna is crying. So is Stella. What happened to make Stella cry? Everyone is so somber. Did somebody die?

“Emmanuel?” I turn at the sound of a familiar voice.

Shocked when I see my grandmother, I know I must be dreaming. I scrub my eyes, trying to see if this really is a dream.

“Maw-maw?”

She smiles, cupping my face. “My little angel, I’ve missed you.”

“Wait? What am I doing here?”

Her smile fades. “You’re in the hospital, my darling, but don’t you worry, everything is going to be fine.”

“Why is everyone crying? Why am I here?”

Her eyes crinkle. She’s exactly how I remember her; small, sweet, her blue eyes like the ocean. “You were shot, honey. Everyone loves you so much, can’t you see?”

I glance back to the scene, realizing they’re all in a waiting room. Nobody is speaking and every time someone comes out of the double doors, everyone looks up. “They’re here for me?”

Grandma tsks. “Of course they’re here for you. Who else would they be here for?”

I frown. “Am I dying?”

She squeezes my cheeks with her hands, just like she used to do when I was a child. “No, my precious Emmanuel, it’s not your time.”

I stare at her, taking in every single moment. “I miss you and I think about you all the time.”

She grins. “I know because I hear your prayers, and whenever you feel that love flowing back to you, know that it’s me telling you that I miss you, too. I’m proud of you. I always knew you’d make something of yourself. Life hasn’t given you an easy route, my boy, but you’ve fought your way through it, and you’ll fight through this, too.”

“What’s it like?” I ask her. “Where you are?”

She smiles again. “It’s peaceful. It’s everything you’d imagine. I know you worry about me, but don’t do that, you have a life to live. I’m always here, watching over you.”

“Can I stay?”

She shakes her head. “Not this time, Emmanuel. You have so much more to do.” She starts to fade and I reach for her.

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