My heart thudded heavy in my chest ‘cause that wasn’t the reaction of a woman who was lyin’. To me, it seemed like she genuinely didn’t know a damn thing. I swallowed hard and tried to pick my words careful so I didn’t explode too early.
“Well… Kay’Lo’s therapist, Dr. Ellington diagnosed him,” I said. “She had him on medicine. He was doin’ good, and then outta nowhere, she changed her damn story.”
Treasure blinked slow. “What? That doesn’t make any sense.”
I opened my mouth to explain but footsteps cut down the hall. Kwame stepped into the livin’ room with that permanent look of superiority sittin’ on his face like it was carved there from birth. He looked at me like I was dirt on his rug, but I ain’t even flinch.
“What’s going on in here?” he asked, his tone sharp and cold.
I stood up so fast the couch cushion popped behind me. “Why you walk in Dr. Ellington’s office and force her to erase Kay’Lo’s diagnosis?”
Treasure stood too, her eyes wide. “Kwame… what is she talking about?”
Kwame didn’t even look at her. He looked at me like he wanted me out of his house yesterday. “This is not your place, Toni. Leave it alone.”
I stepped closer ‘cause I refused to be intimidated by him anymore. “Kay’Loismy place. He my husband. I’m a Mensah whether you like it or not, so anything that affect him affect me too.”
His jaw flexed but I kept goin’.
“So go ‘head. Tell your wife how you threatened that woman into changin’ his diagnosis. Tell her how you care more aboutpeople findin’ out your son need help than your son actuallygettin’the help.”
Treasure turned to him slow. “Kwame… is that true?”
He sighed loud and long, and that was all the answer she needed.
Treasure’s hand flew to her chest. “My God, Kwame.”
“My God is right,” I snapped. “You think I’m ghetto or whatever the crazy reason you don’t like me, but at least I’m the one out here tryin’ to save your son’slife. I’m the one sittin’ by the phone waitin’ on calls so I can make sure he hear somebody who love him. I’m the one losin’ sleep while you out here hidin’ diagnoses like that’s not the reason he in jail right now.”
He opened his mouth to talk but I cut him off.
“You so obsessed with your bloodline and your legacy, but look what you did,” I said, every word hittin’ like a slap. “You hid who your son was. You robbed him of real help, and now he facin’ a needle in his arm before he can even give you a grandchild. You protected the Mensah name so good you might’ve killed the only person who could pass it on.”
Treasure gasped, like she couldn’t believe I was on her husband’s ass about MY husband’s ass. Kwame’s face darkened, and I felt my stomach twist like it was about to crawl up my throat.
“You better fix this shit,” I told him. “Do the right thing for once in yo’ damn life.”
“Kwame, I can’t believe you. Why didn’t you speak with me about this? When was this? What the hell?”
While Treasure was seconds away from crashin’ the fuck out, I felt heat rush up my neck and my skin got cold at the same time. Treasure reached for me ’cause she saw my face drain and then I stumbled.
“Toni, baby… are you alright?”
“No,” I whispered, my stomach turnin’.
Before I could say another word, Treasure grabbed my arm before I could throw up all over her floor and rushed me down the hall to the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet before I dropped to my knees and threw up so hard my eyes blurred.
Treasure knelt beside me with her hand on my back while I shook and tried to catch my breath.
I ain’t know what was happenin’ to me, why I felt like this or why everything inside me felt like it was turnin’ upside down.
All I knew was that I had never been this overwhelmed in my life.
I honestly ain’t wanna entertain the idea of even buyin’ a damn pregnancy test but Sha’Nelle pushed me to do it anyway. I told her my stomach was probably messed up from all the stress and from yellin’ and cryin’ and barely eatin’, yet she just looked at me like she knew somethin’ I didn’t. The whole ride to the store I kept tellin’ myself this was pointless ‘cause if I ain’t got pregnant by Kay’Lo after all these years, then why the hell would it happen now when he’s locked up and fightin’ for his life? It didn’t make sense. My heart felt heavy the entire ride and my nerves was on fire every time I thought about that moment at his parents’ house when I threw up in their damn bathroom.
By the time we pulled up to the pharmacy, I was aggravated and exhausted but Sha’Nelle practically dragged me inside like she had a mission she refused to abandon. She grabbed the test off the shelf while I walked behind her slow ‘cause somethin’ in me already knew this was about to change everything, and I wasn’t ready for no more surprises. I ain’t argue ‘cause I didn’thave the strength. I just paid for the test and walked out with the bag feelin’ like it weighed a thousand pounds even though it only had that one box in it.
When we got back to the mansion, I barely spoke as we came up the stairs. My hands was shaky when I closed my bedroom door behind us and I stood there for a minute just breathin’ ‘cause my chest felt strange. Sha’Nelle told me to go take the test, and she sat on my bed with her leg bouncin’ like she was nervous for me. I walked into the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror for a second. My eyes looked tired and stressed and I could feel this weird mix of fear and hope run through me and it confused the hell out of me. I wasn’t ready for this kind of news right now when my man was behind bars.
