Page 89 of Fever: Love In Scrubs
I nodded. “Go on. I’ll take this.”
I took the bag from her hand, and she didn’t waste any time going back on the floor. The first person she found was Wynter, who was slowly skating around the rink. When she got to her, I could tell she was crying. Wynter cupped her face and spoke softly to her, before kissing her forehead and pulling her into a hug.
Dela scoffed. “You got her playing mommy to my child, Jaxson?”
“Again with this shit. She’s not playing anything. She loves Jamari and Jamari loves her. You can’t be mad that another woman is pouring love into the child you gave birth to when you don’t.”
“I love Jamari?—”
“Then act like it.”
I skated away from her and went to put the gift on the gift table. Dela stood there for a moment before coming in the same direction. Before she could say anything else to me, I headed back onto the floor to catch up with my girls. I couldn’t feel sorry for her, and I didn’t. She brought this on herself.
We skated aroundfor a bit longer before the kids started complaining about being hungry. My family went all out with bringing food for the party. We called the kids off the floor so they could eat. Wynter was seated with my mom, Asia, Ms. Kira, Tikayla and Stacey, all of them laughing and talking. Dela stood off to the side with her arms folded and a mean mug on her face as she glared at my sister and Stacey.
She’d always been bitter that Stacey chose to end their friendship but still came around the family from time to time. Stacey was rubbing that shit in her face by being friendly with Wynter and I knew she wanted to get back at Asia for kicking her in the face. Johnathan stood nearby, seemingly observing, but he was really watching his wife. Every time she looked at him, he gave her a look that said “don’t start your shit in here.”
I walked over to the table and leaned in to Wynter. “You hungry?”
“Yes. I was just about to make me a plate.”
“I got you, love.”
“I can fix?—”
“What did I say, woman?”
She blushed, raising her hands in mock surrender. “Fine. Can I have a little of everything? It all smells so good.”
“Coming right up. Ma, Ms. Kira. Y’all want something?”
“I’ve got your mother,” my father said, walking up. He kissed her cheek before heading over to the food table.
“Ms. Kira?” I asked.
“A little of everything, baby.”
Asia looked back at her husband and smiled, making him roll his eyes.
“I’ve got you, mama.”
She giggled and blew him a kiss. “That’s why I married you!”
He chuckled as we headed for the food table. Stacey and Tikayla got up to follow us.
“I’m gonna smack your ex-wife if she keeps giving me dirty looks, Jaxson,” Stacey warned.”
Tikayla snorted. “Not if I smack that bitch first. She’s got one more time to look at my cousin wrong and she’s gonna get a good ol’ ass whupping.”
I shook my head. “Y’all, just ignore her. She’s salty as hell right now. Don’t feed her energy.”
I looked over to see Dela pull a water bottle from her purse and take a long swig of it. The anger in her face seemed to intensify with every gulp she took. Capping it, she took a seat on the wall bench closest to where my mother, Wynter, and Ms. Kira sat and crossed her arms. My mother shot her a look that had her pulling out her phone and pretending to be busy with it.
I shook my head.
After fixing Wynter and Ms. Kira’s plates, I carried it back over to them and went to get drinks. Dela was taking another long swig of her water bottle and staring a hole in the back of Wynter’s head. After delivering the drinks, I pulled up a chair and took a seat beside my woman. Dela laughed to herself and shook her head.
“This is comical,” she muttered. “Yes, please protect your woman.”
