“My plane lands at two p.m.”
“A’ight. I’ll be there. Thank you for coming.”
“Anytime, baby. I can hear in your voice what you aren’t saying.”
I remained quiet, not confirming anything. She was right though. Being strong for Az was taxing. I was worried about her. Concealing that worry was taking a toll on me. That was why I hadn’t been staying overnight with her. I needed to go home to release. Her apartment wasn’t very big, and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving her side other than to go to the bathroom. I couldn’t risk her seeing me vulnerable. She had enough to worry about. There was no way I would add to what she was already dealing with.
After packing enough clothes for the weekend, I headed back to my ride. I’d gone to work out this morning at the gym. I was tired as hell, but I knew I needed to work off the stress. I hadn’t worked out all week, because every free moment was spent with Azari. Before I could get to her place, I stopped at Olive Garden and got her more pasta. It seemed that was all I could get her to eat. She could eat a little before we left for her appointment and then eat more for dinner. Her appointment wasn’t until one, after their lunch break.
I was somewhat nervous, and I was more than sure that she was too. We didn’t know what the doctor would say or what type of treatment he would recommend. Multiple myeloma was somewhat different from other cancers. Chemotherapy wasn’t eminent. It totally depended on the stage she was in and the side effects she was suffering from. She could possibly have to have a bone marrow transplant if it was severe enough, and even then, she would have to go through chemo before she could have it.
When I got to her apartment complex and had parked, I saw a man standing in the doorway of her unit. I frowned slightly and grabbed my bag and her food. The second I got out of the car, I could see her mom glance my way. Frowning slightly, I made myway across the lot. When I got close, the man turned and looked at me. He frowned, and my frown only deepened.
Mrs. Justine said, “Hi, Chozen. This is Fabian, Xavier’s father.”
My frown stayed in place as I gave him a head nod. She continued by saying, “Fabian, this is Azari’s boyfriend, Chozen.”
I allowed my frown to dissipate, and a slight smirk formed on my lips. He seemed to be shocked that Az had a man. He was the one who wasn’t man enough to help her through this tough season in her life. The stress of him leaving her could have made things worse for her. He extended his hand, and I wanted to ignore that nigga, but I hesitantly shook it.
Mrs. Justine allowed him to come inside after me. I had to assume she wasn’t going to let him inside otherwise, since they were still standing outside when I arrived. Breaking the silence, he asked, “How long have y’all known each other?”
I gave the food to Mrs. Justine, then glanced at him and said, “Only a month or so. We’re still new. Excuse me.”
I left him in the front room to go check on Az. Her appointment was in a couple of hours. When I knocked on the door, she said, “Come in.”
I entered the room to find her lying on her side practically covered completely. Approaching her bed, I said, “Hey, baby.”
She pulled the blanket from her shoulders and stretched her arms out to me. I gave her a soft smile and sat next to her, giving her the hug she was requesting. After kissing her head then pecking her lips, I said, “Umm, . . . Fabian is out there.”
She frowned. “What does he want?”
“I don’t know. He was here when I arrived. Your mom didn’t allow him to come inside until after I got here.”
“Yeah. She doesn’t like him. Neither of my parents do.”
“I can imagine. Do you want to talk to him?”
“I guess. That way he can get the hell out of here.”
I smiled. “I bought you some pasta from Olive Garden to eat before we go too.”
“Thank you.”
“A’ight. Let me get him so he can say whatever he came here to say.”
I really didn’t want to give them any privacy, because why, nigga? His name hadn’t been spoken since I was first getting to know Az. Other than that, our entire conversations had been about her health and school. She hated that she was missing so much class. When I got to the front room, Azari’s mother was in the kitchen, and she looked to be avoiding him. “Az said you can go in there.”
He nodded and stood from where he was seated. I followed him to her room, because something inside me wouldn’t allow him to be in her space without me.Fuck their privacy.She was my woman, and it was my job to protect her from fuckery and anything that could potentially stress her the hell out. I knew it was highly likely that he would do that. His presence alone probably had her irritated.
When he stepped inside, I followed him in and got Azari’s lunch tray set up across her lap. He was quiet as he stared at her. She was frowning, though, and it was taking everything inside of me to withhold the chuckle that wanted to fall from my lips.
He cleared his throat as he glanced at the bed. I didn’t know what he was looking at until I glanced too. Az’s prosthesis wasn’t on, so you could see where her leg stopped under the covers. I wanted to pop him in the mouth, but instead, I took a deep breath and calmed my nerves. He had probably never seen her without it on. There was no need for her to wear it if she was in bed.
“Hey, Azari. I umm, . . . I came to check on you. I saw X last week at the lumber yard with your dad. I told him if it was okaywith you, I would pick him up this weekend to spend time with him. He told me you weren’t feeling well.”
She rolled her eyes then stared at him. “Why are you seeking permission to spend time with your son like you’re a stranger? Secondly, I don’t need you checking on me. You’ve never done that, not even when we were together.”
My eyebrows lifted slightly, because I had never heard her sound so aggressive. Even when she was shooting me down, she did it with a soft voice. Fabian looked at me as I sat on the bed next to Az and grabbed her hand, rubbing it between mine. I just wanted to make sure she didn’t get too worked up. He frowned at her, and I immediately stood again. I needed to be prepared for if he stepped out of pocket.
