Page 17 of Rhodes to Love

The tears started up again as my body quaked. I couldn’t make it stop. A set of hands grabbed mine, and I looked up to see Yendi. We didn’t talk often, but I could feel her energy right now. It was weird. It was like she was happy, but there was an air of sadness around here. Her belly was touching mine, and I could feel her baby cutting up inside.

This whole thing reminded me of Mary and Elizabeth in the bible. Not that I was carrying the messiah or anything. It was just that her baby was acknowledging us. When I stared up at her, her tears fell from her eyes. I gently tugged her away from everyone else.

“Karima, I’m just so happy for you. You’re so strong and levelheaded. J told me what happened and how you ended up pregnant. I have to commend you for taking the time to make sure you were in a better headspace before telling everyone. That was so wise of you.”

Her tears were still falling, so I knew there was more.

“I’m sorry I’m crying so much. I just…” She closed her eyes. “Before my dad died, my family was a lot like this. Now that he’s gone, I feel so alone. I know I have y’all, but it’s hard grieving people who are still living. I know it’s in my best interest to stay away from my mother because of all the bullshit she put us through, but my children not knowing any of my family bothers me. They will know my siblings and their children, but that’s it. The only person I’ve been able to work things out with is my sister, Marie.”

Her baby was cutting up because she was feeling a way. I gently placed my hands on her belly and began rubbing circles on it. “You’re missing what you once had, but you also have to realize that if they aren’t in your life now, it wasn’t genuine to begin with. Relation doesn’t equate to love. You have to let go for the sake of your family. They are who are important right now. I know you know that. You just have to get your mental to fall in line with that.”

She opened her eyes and nodded. “You’re right. I know my mother isn’t going to apologize for anything or even change. She created an Instagram account just to send me a message saying I only had one mother. That proves she is manipulative and is a gas lighter. She plays the victim well. I feel like she thinks she can do and say whatever she wants, and everyone is supposed to accept it simply because she’s our mother. She’s done a lot of hurtful things that she will never be able to come back from.”

“I hate this for you, but please allow us to be your family. I know it’s hard, especially since your siblings are all out of town. You don’t have to stay in your clique with Nesha, Jess, and Tyeis. We are all family. As you can see, I’m not a part of a certain clique.” I chuckled, and so did she. “As long as you can keep Tasmanian JJ subdued, I will come visit often.”

We both laughed loudly, then I said, “I’m just kidding. We love you, and you are never alone. Whenever you need to talk, no matter how redundant it may seem, I’m always here to listen. Okay?”

She leaned over and hugged me tightly. “I love you too. And for the record, I know yo’ ass ain’t joking about my baby. His ass is a terror, just like I was as a kid.”

She laughed again then suddenly stopped and gripped her belly. When I saw the water on the floor, I started screaming. Aunt Chrissy, Mya, and Angel all ran over and circled her. The twins ran over and helped her out of the house and to breathe properly. They were almost done with medical school and would be going into practice right here in Nome as ob-gyns. I was so proud of them. They were getting practice and would get even more in the future.

I didn’t know who had called Jakari, but he hopped the curb and turned in the yard on my lawn. He got out of his SUV and ran to Yendi, scooping her up like nothing and practically running with her to the vehicle as everyone screamed and cheered in excitement. Aunt Chrissy and her daughters-in-law all got in one vehicle and followed them.

“I’m sorry, Karima. We all wanted to stay to celebrate you, but it seems baby Jari had other plans,” Nesha said as she hugged me.

“I understand, cuz. Maybe we can have a redo soon.”

She kissed my cheek, and Tyeis and Jess followed suit to go be there for Yendi. I felt sad for her. Closing my eyes, I prayed for her in my spirit.God bless her. Rid her of the loneliness and provide comfort for her soul. She needs You.

I gently rubbed my belly as I thought about my predicament with Rhodes.I need You too.

CHAPTER6

RHODES

“Can I pick you up, KD?”

“I’m already in Beaumont. I had to go to UPS before my appointment to ship some stuff to Nashville.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay.”

I ended the call, feeling extremely anxious. Today was the day we would find out the sex of the baby. I’d been texting Karima every day, and I popped up on her at the diner again. It wasn’t hard to find her. She was always in Nome. I knew if I went around lunchtime, she would be at the diner. Her uncles were there again. While they didn’t surround her to protect her, I could tell they were all ready for action if needed.

Their eyes didn’t leave me the entire time I was there. I wasn’t there long though. Karima said she needed to go home and rest. I truly believed that was her way of avoiding me nicely. She wanted me away from her because her feelings were probably at war, making her feel crazy as fuck. I was just happy that I wasn’t getting the version of her that I’d gotten in Nashville.

Today, I planned to take her to lunch after her appointment, if she allowed me to. While I knew she loved Whataburger, I wanted to take her somewhere a little nicer, not a fast-food place. I’d ask her about it when we were face-to-face. She was still semi-affectionate with me at the diner. Over the phone, she was more disconnected. She only talked about how she was feeling and the baby. She thanked me for the flowers I’d sent and that was it.

My aunt said this would be a process, and she wasn’t lying. At least KD was communicating with me. She could have still had me blocked and not informed me of anything until after the baby was born. I knew she still loved me. If she didn’t, there would be no way she would be allowing me in her space like this.

It only took me about fifteen minutes to get to the doctor. Cheek was on the outskirts of Beaumont. It was just a small community. Our physical addresses were listed as Beaumont. Nome was its own town, along with China. Had I picked her up, I would have had to go in the opposite direction of the doctor’s office to get her then come back to Beaumont for the appointment. I surely wouldn’t have minded though.

When I got to the parking lot, I saw Karima walking inside. Hopefully, she would wait for me in the lobby. As I thought that, she called. “Hello?”

“Are you here yet?”

“Yes. I’m looking for a parking spot.”

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