After Aris left, I stared at the doorway, half-expecting him to march back in and demand marriage. But he didn’t.
Anger had rolled off him, and it wasn’t just about not being called first. It was about my hesitation to go all the way with him.
I glanced at my phone charging on the table. Should I call him? My fingers itched to reach for it, but my pride kept my hand still. If Aris thought he had the market cornered on stubbornness, he was mistaken.
“Dee.” Kandi came back in. “Your future husband just passed me looking like he about to put hands on somebody.” She dropped into the chair she previously vacated. “What you do?”
I pressed my hand to my chest. “What I do?”
Kandi gave me that look she’s been giving me forever. The one that says I’m not fooling anyone. Before long, I told her everything that happened.
“Why are you still holding out on marrying that man? You love him, he loves you... what’s the problem?”
“You know why. And Aris doesn’t love me.”
“Could’ve fooled me. And I notice you’re not denying your feelings for him.”
Even if Kandi was right about his feelings, it didn’t change anything. Aris hadn’t voiced them and treated forever like a business merger.
“Our kids don’t even know about us yet.”
“And whose fault is that?” Kandi challenged. “You’re the one stalling. I wish I could be afraid of my kids.”
“I’m not afraid of Tia!”
“Then why are you acting like she’s your mother and you’re sixteen hiding a pregnancy?”
“You don’t understand.”
“And I don’t want to. You a grown woman, and so is Tia.” I started to object, but Kandi cut me off with her hand. “She is a grown woman with a husband. Doing grown woman things even if you still see her as your baby girl. This whole thing is ridiculous. You need to worry about those babies you carrying and making sure things good with their daddy. Don’t mess around and end up a single mother when you don’t have to be. You wanna see what that’s like? Come shadow Zariah for a day. It’s ghetto.”
I laughed despite myself. “You did not just call your daughter’s situation ghetto.”
“Just telling it like I see it. Not to mention, Zoe is teething now. Both my babies are going through it.”
My phone rang, and Tia’s face lit up my screen. I answered immediately.
“Mom! Is everything okay?” Her voice wavered, and I could tell my baby was trying not to cry. “Chrys and I are on the way to the airstrip.”
“I’m doing much better. You two don’t need to come all the way here. Kandi’s with me and they’re discharging me soon.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.” I wanted to say more, to ask about her honeymoon, to tell her I missed her, but the invisible wall between us made me hold back. “Don’t worry about me. You just got back from your honeymoon.”
“But Mom, if you’re in the hospital…”
The door swung open as the doctor walked in with Aris right behind him. “Tia, I need to go. The doctor’s here with my discharge papers.”
“Are you sure you don’t need me to come?”
“I’m sure, baby. You flying all the way back here won’t change anything.” I heard Santo in the background asking Tia something. “Tell Santo I said hello and that I expect both of you to stay put.”
I ended the call before she could argue further and turned my attention to the two men in my room.
The doctor held up a clipboard. “Ms. White, I’ve got your discharge paperwork ready. I’ve included instructions for monitoring your glucose levels and dietary recommendations. Your OB-GYN will want to see you next week.”
Before he could leave, I had one more question. “Is … uh … sexual activity okay? I mean, all things considered?”
