Page 58 of Stat: Love In Scrubs
“And what makes your academy different, Miss Sinclair?”
I glanced at Desmond—just briefly. Just enough.
“Because we don’t treat grief like something to move on from. We treat it like something to movethrough. Little Angel’s is a place where kids can say, ‘My mommy died,’ and not be pitied or ignored—but supported. Loved. Seen.”
Silence settled—the good kind.
The kind that made them think about it long after I stopped speaking.
When the meeting ended, hands were shaken again. I stood tall—professional, but proud.
And when I walked out, Desmond was still there.
Waiting.
He didn’t say anything—just lifted his hand and slid his fingers through mine.
That was enough.
Proud. It was the only word that came to mind when I glanced down at Yara. The way she commanded the attention of everyone in the room without trying. When she talked about the Academy, you could hear and feel her passion. It was the main reason I knew she had this grant in the bag. I didn’t need to have a seed of doubt.
I held her hand within mine as we entered the elevator. The moment the doors closed behind us, I lifted her into my arms. Then placed kisses on her cheeks, the tip of her nose, her forehead, and then her lips.
“You know you got it, right?” I asked.
She brought her hands up to cover her mouth and face shyly.
“Don’t say that. I don’t want to jinx it.”
I reached out and pulled her hands from in front of her face so she could look clearly into my eyes. I needed her to see and hear me clearly.
“What’s for you is for you. Nothing is going to stop you from getting that grant. The woman I saw in that room was filled with confidence, and I am beyond proud to call you mine. You got this, baby, and it’s about time you claim it. You gone allow someone else to get your blessing?” I asked.
She smiled and shook her head. “No, I’m not, and I claim it. My kids deserve that grant. It’s not just for me. That’s why I don’t want to get my hopes up.”
“Nah, even if this doesn’t pan out, there is a grant with your name on it that will exceed your expectations. But, good thing this opportunity was created just for you.” I reminded her.
She wrapped her arms around my waist then laid her head against my chest. I placed another kiss against her forehead. When the elevator dinged, we walked together to the parking garage.
I held her car door open as she slipped inside. I leaned down once more to kiss her.
“Be waiting for my call later and tell pops I said we're still on for Sunday, right?”
She rolled her eyes. She hated that I never told her what her father would be doing. But we were handling grown folks' business.
“Where y’all going on Sunday that I wasn’t invited to? This is my first time hearing about it,” she responded.
“Woman. You know what? I have his number, so I’ll ask him myself. Oh, I put money in your purse; today is on me. Go get your nails done, take Darby and Maria with you.” I told her.
She craned her head to the side with a lift of her brow. I leaned down to kiss her once more before she could complain about the money, then stepped back to close her door. I turned to walk away when I heard her call my name. I glanced over my shoulder to see that her window was rolled down.
“Thank you, love. I’ll be waiting on that call, and I’ll pray you have a good day.”
I smiled and nodded.
“Don’t thank me. It’s what you deserve, if not more. Wait until I get you a card with your name on it attached to my account.”
“Desmond, you better not,” she said, sternly.
