Page 86 of Quasim: King Inferno

“You’re married to a man that’s upfront with his feelings and emotions, Capri. Stop reverting back to how Naheim was with you. You said he would be passive aggressive instead of justtalking to you. That’s not Meer, and if he felt a way, he would have talked to you about it.”

She ran her hand through her hair. “Yeah. You’re right… I do want to give him our boy.”

“And you will. It’s alright to want to take a break and enjoy your first child. Rayce takes a lot of time and energy, and you’re not wrong for wanting to take some time between pregnancies. Capri, you went through a lot when you were pregnant.”

“I don’t want my girls ever having to hang out a window, shooting.”

I laughed. “They are Inferno girls, they are gonna know how to shoot a gun… but I get what you’re talking about.”

We both looked at Jeffie as she came and sat on the pool lounge next to Capri. “Hey Jeffie.” I smiled; she was just waking up for the day.

We had spent the day at the beach and exploring some of the shops that were near. Core decided to stay back because Jeffie was still asleep, which wasn’t like her at all. After exploring all day, we decided to come back to the villa to chill for the rest of the day.

The men were in the game room playing pool and drinking while us girls were out here. “Hey girls… sorry for missing out on the activities today.”

She wore a pair of dark sunglasses and had her iPad in her hand like she was about to work. “Are you okay, Jeffie?” Capri blurted before I could ease into asking her.

That was Capri, though. She was always worried about someone, and she could sense when something was wrong. At times, she would be worried about how someone else was doing over her own wellbeing.

Before she could answer, Core came out with a plate of food. “Eat something for me, please.” She nodded her head and accepted the food. “Let me know if you need me…okay?”

“Okay.”

He held her chin and placed a few kisses on her lips before leaving us alone. Jeffie removed her glasses, and her eyes were puffy like she had been crying. Capri leaned up and looked at her.

“What is going on? You can tell me anything… you know that, right?”

Erin came out the house and sat down next to Jeffie, not knowing what was going on. I sat next to Capri and reached my hands for hers. “I had a miscarriage a little before coming on this trip. I know it’s stupid to cry about a baby that I didn’t even know, but I can’t help but feel this hole in my chest.”

Erin rubbed her back. “It’s not stupid to feel that way. That baby was part of you, even if it was for a short while.”

“It’s not your fault, either. I know plenty of women I’ve worked with that blame themselves, and it’s not your fault.” I added.

“Thanks for that, Blair.” Erin looked up at me. “Me and Capone had a miscarriage a few months ago. I spent so much time blaming myself because I was always on the go, never sitting down. I don’t want to make this about me, but I want you to know that you have a good man. Corleon is a good man. Let him be there for you, let him in, or else this shit will break you down. I spent so much time pouring into my babies and ignoring the loss we suffered, shutting my husband out, that it caused a strain on our marriage.”

Capri stood up and squeezed between both Erin and Jeffie, hugging the both of them. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you both.”

“Don’t apologize. I love you, but I’m not going to dump everything on you when you’re a new mother, wife, and have your own life… Mommy came over and scrubbed me in an herbal bath.”

Jeffie’s head snapped in Erin’s direction. “She did?”

“Yes. I called her and Jo crying, and they came over and both were there for me.”

I watched as the tears fell from her face. “She did the same thing for me. I’ve never felt more cared for with my own mother. Your mom was really there for me… you’re blessed to have her.”

Capri smiled. “I’ll share my mother with you hoes any day.”

We all laughed. “You know what hurt the most?”

“What?” I still held onto her hand, while we waited for her to speak, and she looked down at her feet.

“I told my best friend about my miscarriage, and she wasn’t even there for me. All I got was some generic ass message, and she not once reached out to talk to me, to ask if I was good… to comfort me. It was Skyler who dropped everything to be there for me, who keeps checking in on me, reminding me that I will become a mother one day… not the girl I’ve known since middle school. I think that hurts just as much as miscarrying my baby.”

“When someone shows you who they truly are, believe them the first time. Ignoring the truth only delays the inevitable.” I looked up into her eyes. “It was a tough lesson I had to learn with people, but a needed lesson.”

“My mom used to say, ‘Whenever someone unveils their true colors, don’t repaint them with your imagination, Erin.’” She mocked her mother and smiled.

“Yeah.” She sighed.

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