Page 72 of Certified Pressure 3
Her glass froze halfway to her lips. She put it down slowly. “Watch your mouth.”
“Nah,” I said, my voice rising. “I’m tired of watching my mouth. You sit up here acting like you above me when you ain’t got no control over your own damn man. You mad at me becauseDaddy actually love me the way you want him to love you. That’s your problem.”
Her face changed. Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled into that tight smile she got when she was about to explode. She stood up slowly, grabbed her glass, and before I could say another word, she threw it right in my face.
The red wine splashed across my cheeks and burned my eyes. I gasped, wiping it away as tears mixed with the wine. My chest felt heavy, not just from the sting but from the hurt that came with it.
“Get the fuck out of my house,” she snapped. “And don’t you ever come back.”
I stood there for a second, shaking, blinking away the sting as my heart pounded in my ears. My throat felt tight, but I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break.
I took a deep breath and looked her dead in the eye. “Putting me out and trying to push me away ain’t gon’ make Daddy love you better.”
Her expression froze. For a second, I thought she might throw something else, but I didn’t wait to find out. I grabbed my purse and walked toward the door.
The moment I stepped outside, the air hit my face. I didn’t realize I was crying until the tears started falling faster. I wiped them with the back of my hand, walking down the path toward the street.
I had lost my mama that day, but the truth was, I never really had her to begin with.
Days later…
Words couldn’t express the joy I felt when me and Pressure arrived at the doctor’s office. I had been waiting for this day ever since I took that test. Even though things between me and my mama had gone left, I was trying my hardest to believe something good could still come out of everything. The drive over had been quiet, Pressure barely saying anything as usual, but just having him here beside me meant something. After the way I broke down in his arms the other night, I didn’t think he’d leave my side for a while, and he didn’t. He was right here, doing what he was supposed to do, being the man I needed him to be.
The doctor’s office wasn’t like the regular ones I had grown up seeing. This was a private clinic, clean and quiet with the kind of luxury you could only afford when your man had money. The walls were a soft ivory with gold accents, a water fountain trickled from somewhere in the corner, and the whole room smelled like eucalyptus and fresh linen instead of hand sanitizer. Everything about it made me nervous because it felt like something real was about to happen.
The receptionist wore a soft smile when we walked in. She greeted us politely, then handed me a clipboard with paperwork. Pressure told her to just bill it to his account, and she nodded quickly, like she had already been told that would be the case.
I sat down next to him and started filling out the forms, my hand trembling just a little. Every now and then I would glance at him, but he was just scrolling through his phone, calm and unreadable as always. His posture was relaxed, but I could tell his mind was somewhere else.
When I finished the paperwork, the nurse called my name, and Pressure stood with me. We followed her through a long hallway lined with framed photos of smiling families and healthy babies. It made my stomach twist because I wanted that to be us.
The nurse led us into a private room that looked more like a spa than a clinic. There was a sleek hospital bed in the center,surrounded by silver equipment that looked brand new. A soft instrumental track played from a speaker in the ceiling, and I could tell this was the kind of place where everything was done quietly, carefully, and discreetly.
“Go ahead and change into the gown for me,” the nurse said kindly before handing me one folded neatly from the counter.
Pressure sat down in the chair near the bed with his elbows resting on his knees as he looked at his phone again. I slipped behind the curtain, changed into the gown, and tied it up in the back. My heart was pounding, and I kept telling myself to relax, but my thoughts were everywhere.
When I came back out, I climbed up onto the bed and laid back. The paper under me crinkled softly. Pressure looked up at me, his eyes meeting mine for a second before drifting away again.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked softly.
He shrugged, still looking down. “Nothin’ really.”
I felt a sting in my chest. I wanted him to be excited, or at least show some emotion. “You not excited?”
He looked at me again, his voice even. “If you pregnant, I’m here for you and the baby. That’s what matters.”
I nodded slowly, trying not to let it show how much that response disappointed me. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but at least he wasn’t cold. I told myself not to overthink it.
A few minutes passed before the door opened and a woman walked in wearing a white coat. She smiled warmly. “Good morning, Ms. Charm. I’m Dr. Evans. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” I said, forcing a smile.
She turned to Pressure and greeted him with a respectful nod. Then she rolled over a small machine on wheels, flipping through a chart on her tablet.
“So this is your first visit, correct?” she asked.
“Yes ma’am.”
