She ended the call before bringing me a plate with a loaded turkey sandwich and sweet potato chips. After retrieving her food and a glass of juice, she sat next to me, and her expression was one of annoyance.
“Thank you for this because I’m starving. Why do you look upset?”
“Ambrose.”
I frowned. “What the fuck did that nigga do now?”
“I was talking to David York, fromBlack Elm News. He reached out because Ambrose contacted him with an exclusive story. David met with him last night, and you wouldn’t believe the shit that Ambrose told him.”
“Am I gon’ have to beat that nigga’s ass again?”
She shook her head. “He’s not even worth the trouble it would cause. His deadbeat ass told David that Nyeem is his son and was conceived from a one-night stand. He said that when he found out about Nyeem, he tried to be involved in his life, but I wouldn’t allow him to have any contact.”
“What?”
“Exactly. He went to David with that information, hoping he’d want the story and interview him. Fortunately for me, the local news outlets have been following me since I was in high school. I’ve done numerous interviews and been featured more times than I can count, so I have a great relationship with them.”
“That’s a flex, baby, but continue.”
“David told Ambrose he’d run the story just so he wouldn’t take it to another outlet and give him time to contact me.Black Elm Newsis the largest news outlet in the county, and many of its stories are placed in national outlets. Not only did he want togive me a heads-up, but he wants to give me a chance to tell the truth before Ambrose spreads his lies.”
“You think you’ll do it?”
“I feel like I don’t have a choice. If I say nothing, Ambrose will get to spread a narrative that’s not true and makes me look like the bad guy. I don’t want the media in my family business, but I also don’t want a story out there that’s not remotely true. I need to talk to Nyeem before I decide.”
“Ward is a bitch ass nigga for this shit, but I feel partially responsible because I brought him back into your world.”
“It’s not your fault, Kilo. You had no idea any of this would happen, so you can’t take the blame. Ambrose could have taken this opportunity to build a relationship with Nyeem. Instead, he chooses to do the exact opposite.”
She was right, but regardless of what she said, I felt none of this would’ve happened had I not hired that nigga. We talked about the situation for a while longer before she called Nyeem, Skye, and her parents to schedule a family meeting. Whatever she decided, I’d be there to support her.
After talking to the people who loved us most, Nyeem and I decided to tell our story. Once David York heard my version of events, he thought it would be more impactful if our interview were broadcast live on television rather than published in the newspaper.
Nyeem and I agreed, and our interview was scheduled for two days later, which was later this evening. I hadn’t slept well since agreeing to do this, and I couldn’t wait until it was over, although I was nervous about the fallout.
The best thing about today was that I had a huge distraction to keep my mind off our impending interview. Kilo and I were headed to my doctor’s appointment to find out if we were, in fact, having twins.
He’d suggested we change the appointment to another day, but I wasn’t interested. I’d been dying to find out if we were having twins, and I wasn’t sure how he could wait another day.
“You’re quiet over there, baby. You okay?” he asked.
I’d been staring out the window and reflecting on the past few months. Before I met Kilo, my life was pretty monotonous. I exercised, went to work, was an avid sports mom, spent time with my best friend and family, and stayed out of the way.
In just a few short months, this man had turned my world upside down in the best way. I could’ve blamed Kilo for opening a can of worms that I’d sealed shut almost two decades ago, but the only person responsible for Ambrose’s actions was Ambrose.
“I’m great. Nervous but excited about what we’ll see on the ultrasound.”
“I’m not the least bit nervous. We already know there’s at least one baby. Any more than that is a bonus. I’m ready for whatever God has planned for us.”
“I still can’t believe how much you’ve changed my life in such a short time. A few months ago, I didn’t even know you.”
“God is good as hell, ain’t He?”
I laughed and responded with, “All the time.”
We parked in front of Dr. Jordan’s office, and a few minutes later, we were waiting to be called back. Kilo angled his body toward me and placed his hand on my stomach, which was beginning to feel hard, but still only had a small bulge. I covered his hand with mine and rubbed the back of it.
“I can’t wait to find out if I’ve been talking to a boy or a girl, or two boys and two girls, or one of each,” he said.
