“Ain’t no way you’ll be able to get to KC,” Spelman said, shaking her head. “Amethyst had the pilot on strict orders not to fly you back. He has your fucking name flagged on the no-fly list, and I don’t even know how that’s possible.”
“Either Cross or Nine,” I replied as I shook my head.
“You can’t even drive, that nigga has too many police in his pocket,” she replied. One of the first things I tried was to drive back to KC. I was less than twenty miles from Tulane’s house when I was pulled over. The police officer had me get out of the car and placed me in the back seat of his cruiser. My car was towed, and the officer took me back to Tulane’s. I tried four more times, and each time the same thing happened.
“One of the Stones is going to have to come and get you for you to get back,” Clarke suggested. “That’s the only way the pilot is going to take you back.” She smiled. “And I know which one will do it.”
“Who?”
“Mama Diamond,” she answered with a shrug. “All you have to do is tell her, and she’ll drop everything to come to you.”
“Suggest something else,” I said, shaking my head. I loved Diamond, but I wasn’t ready to tell her just yet.
“You were going to tell her anyway; you may as well get it over with.” Spelman handed me my phone, and I stared down at it as if it were a foreign object. “Call her, Yale.” She dropped the phone on the bed next to my suitcase. “We are going to pack; we’ll be ready soon.”
**
The next morning, I was sitting in the living room waiting for Mama Diamond to get here. When I called her, I told her I needed to talk to her in person and that she needed to come to New Mexico. Without questioning, it said she would be atTulane’s in the morning. The doorbell rang, and, like little kids, my sisters ran to the living room. I wasn’t sure if it was support for me or to see Diamond’s reaction.
“Really?” I questioned them as I stood.
“Oh, baby, we wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Berkeley said as she climbed over the back of the couch. She positioned herself so that she could see the door and waved me off. “Now open the door.”
“I swear I can’t stand y’all,” I said, shaking my head. I playfully mushed the side of her head as I passed her.
“You love us so that’s all that matters,” she laughed.
“I’m starting to rethink that, too,” I said as I grabbed the door handle. I looked over my shoulder at my sisters, then let out a deep breath and turned around. The doorbell rang again just as I opened the door, and on the other side was Diamond Stone. Her smile was infectious, and I didn’t realize how much I missed her until I was standing in front of her. Her eyes went from mine to my stomach, and when they came back to mine, they were filled with tears. “I was going to tell you, I just didn’t know how.”
“Like this, Mama Diamond, I’m pregnant,” she said as she pulled me into a tight hug. “I would’ve been happy for you then, just like I am now.”
“You’re happy?” My voice cracked, but I didn’t care. This woman was like a mother to me, so her opinion mattered to me.
She pulled back and looked at me with a confused look on her face. “Why wouldn’t I be happy for you, Yale?”
“Because I don’t know who her daddy is,” I cried. That was the reason I was holding on to my secret so tightly. The baby I was carrying was loved by me, no matter who her father is. “I was inseminated before all this shit happened, before me and Am stepped over the line, and now I’m standing here six months pregnant by either my dead ex-husband or ex-best-friend who ghosted me.”
“Does it matter who her daddy is?” she countered, and I shrugged. “No, it doesn’t because she’s going to be loved no matter what. You’re her mommy, she has three crazy ass aunts over there, and she has us. My son did what he did. I disagree with it, but it’s done.” She looked down at my stomach again and smiled. “Speaking of sons, how the hell did Pyrite see you a few weeks ago and not say anything about this?”
“I was quick and deliberate with how long I was in his presence,” I answered with a laugh as I wiped my tears. “Plus, I wasn’t this big yet. I could still hide it then.”
“Okay,” she said, nodding. “Now tell me the other reason you needed to see me, because I know this isn’t the only reason.”
“It’s not,” I said, shaking my head. “I need to go back home, and I need your help.”
“Why?”
“Come in, we need to talk,” I said, stepping back. Mama Diamond came inside, and we went to the living room. I was about to tell her everything, from the beginning, and I hoped and prayed she would help me.
Chapter thirty-seven
Amethyst
“She set his house on fire?” Citrine laughed, and I nodded. “Like a little fire or set that bitch ablaze?”
I pulled up the insurance photos that had been sent to me and handed my phone to Citrine. He stared down at the phone for a moment, then gave it to Exodus, who smiled proudly before handing it back to me.
“Just a little razzle dazzle,” he laughed. He picked up his glass, saluted the air, then set it back on the table. “I like her style.”
