Page 105 of Intercept My Heart

“If?”

He took a deep breath, and I could tell he was holding something from me.

“Tootie may not make it, Money. On top of all of her other injuries, she has swelling in her brain. The doctors are advising that we prepare for the worst-case scenario. They will continue to monitor her, but right now, it’s all on her and her body.” It felt like a dagger to the heart, listening to his explanation. The doctors were giving up hope, which meant that there wasn’t much hope to go off of.

Sunny wrapped her around me as I stood there, processing the news. My head shook in disbelief. There was no way this was the way things were going to end. How cruel could life be to strip her away from me like this, as if I hadn’t been through enough? I placed my hands on top of my head to try and collect my thoughts.

“They aren’t allowing any visitors tonight, but the house isn’t too far from here. I’ve contacted her family, so they know what’s going on. I say we head over to the house, try to get some rest, and then you and I can come up here and check on them first thing in the morning. Tootie has you and Rhyann listed as power of attorney, which means all decision-making would be in your hands.”

“I can’t?—”

“Let’s worry about all of that tomorrow. Right now, your family is probably exhausted. We will handle everything tomorrow.”

“Okay,” I mumbled, still trying to understand all of this.

Nothing was making sense to me anymore, and I wasn’t sure what to make of any of this. Tootie had me fill out some paperwork years ago because she wasn’t very close to her family. She told me that she wanted to make sure the girls were taken care of if anything ever happened to her. Being her power of attorney meant that I was supposed to make decisions in the event she couldn’t, but I guess I never thought there would come a day when I would have to do it.

“I’m going to get the boys,” Sunny explained before walking off to where they were sitting.

“Do you still have your keys? I have mine, but I can get you a spare,” Uncle Ro questioned.

“Umm, yeah. I still have my keys. I just haven’t been there in a while.”

“It’s all good. The housekeeper still comes by once a month to check the appliances and make sure everything works. I stayed there the last time I came home.”

“Are you going straight there, or do you have somewhere else you need to be?” I inquired.

“I need to visit a few individuals, but I’ll be there within two hours. I’ll have some food delivered for tonight and for breakfast in the morning.”

“You don’t need to?—”

“I wasn’t asking for your permission. It’s my job to take care of my family. I’ve already fucked up enough. Let me do this.” His eyes were full of regret. I couldn’t imagine what this was doing to him.

“Alright, I’ll see you at the house.” I turned to see my family standing on the side of me. Moolah was observing Uncle Ro withhard eyes. I chuckled as the two of them did a complete read on one another.

“If you have a question, ask it.” Uncle Ro spoke directly to Moolah.

“I don’t have to ask very much. You and my dad have the same face and build. I guess my only question is why I’m just now meeting you. Are you a deadbeat, or did you rise from the dead?”

Uncle Ro smirked and then made eye contact with him.

“You’re an inquisitive one; it runs in the family. I’m your grandfather, Roman. As far as being a deadbeat, I guess you would have to ask your father about that one. As I’ve told your father, I’ll be seeing you all a little later. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them.” With that, he nodded and headed in the opposite direction.

My family and I headed to the house. It was only five minutes from the hospital, so it took no time for us to get there. Since Sunny drove here, Moolah rode back with her while Cash stayed with me.

“You know it’s okay not to be okay?”

I looked his way when I heard his voice. “What do you mean by that?”

“Coach tells us that it’s okay to feel. Just because we’re men doesn’t mean we don’t have feelings or that we don’t get hurt. I know your mom being in the hospital hurts you. I just want you to know that you don’t have to be strong for us. We’re family. We won’t judge you if you cry. I would be ready to destroy everyone in my path if it were my mama.” Cash patted me on my back as we sat there in silence. My jaw flexed as the tears fell.

Uncle Ro taught me never to show my emotions because it would give my enemy leverage against me. It was crazy that my sons were so much better than me at such a young age. They weren’t some thugs on the street or damaged young boys tryingto find love in the wrong places. They carried more wisdom than I ever had.

Sunny knocked on my window, so I went ahead and opened the door. She grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the car. Well, I allowed her to because she wasn’t strong enough to pull a damn thing. I got ready to retrieve my key, but she snatched them out of my hands. Being here brought back so many memories. We hadn’t been to this house together in so many years, but the moment I stepped into the house, it gave me a sense of peace.

As we stepped through the doors, the house smelled like air fresheners and cleaning solutions. The boys talked loudly as they gave themselves a tour around the house.

“It looks the same as it always has. Isn’t it crazy?” Our hands were still intertwined as she spoke.

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