After hearing what Mama said, I needed to take a walk. I wasn't upset about what she said. It's just that everyone knew Teddy was a piece of shit. and I was being stupid. I was only holding on because we had history, and I didn't feel like learning someone new. The fact that his ass hadn't texted me once to see if I made it, how my dad was doing, or nothing, was wrong on so many levels. This situation could have turned out differently. Thank God it didn't, but Teddy didn't know that at the time,and he still couldn't show up for me once, not even when it was literally a life-or-death situation.
Exhaling, I grabbed the cup of coffee I had just made and rounded the corner. "Fuck, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you."
"It's cool, lil' mama. You didn't need that coffee, anyway. It's cold as shit."
"I was going to warm it up once I got back into the waiting room. That's going to stain," I told him as I looked at the perfectly-thrown coffee stain on his Polo T-shirt.
"I'm good. I have plenty of these things. Don't even worry about it. Is everything good though? It looks like you've been crying."
"Yeah, everything is ok now. My dad had a heart attack, and we are waiting on them to put him in a room so we can go to the back and see him."
"Sorry to hear that, but at the same time, I'm glad ya pops pulled through. I know how girls are when it comes to their fathers, the active ones, anyway. You keep looking down at your phone. Are you waiting on your man to check in?"
"Nah, I just figured he would've called by now. Excuse me before being rude. I didn't catch your name." I stood there holding an entire conversation because, for the first time in a long time, a man actually wanted to listen. Teddy pretended to care when it was beneficial to him. Yet, this guy had nothing to gain from simply asking was everything good.
"Brooklyn," I heard from behind me. "What is this on my food?" Looking back, a cute little, short girl frowned at me before coming around to stand in the middle of the little space he had left between us.
"That's my bad. I spilled coffee on him." I never noticed the Styrofoam plate in his hand until she said something. "I can pay for you another plate. He'll just have to go back out to get it," I offered.
"Nah, the food didn't get touched. She's good. Just go clean the top off and eat." He damn near shooed her ass away like she was a lil' gnat.
"So, you're really gon' stand here in my face and keep talking to this broad. Brooklyn? Who is she to you?"
"Maan, Em, go 'head with that."
"I'm sorry. I'm not here to play on your insecurities. I don't even know him. As I said, I bumped into him on accident. Whatever you guys have going on is still good, boo. He's safe tonight because I'm not in the mood to go back and forth with you," I chimed in.
"He's safe tonight? What is that supposed to mean?"
I looked at Brooklyn, then down at the short bitch with the big mouth. "As I said, tonight, he's safe, and my name isn't broad. It's Brianna."
"Yeah, aight," she mumbled, then stood closer to Brooklyn as if she were claiming her territory.
Laughing, I turned around and headed back to the waiting room. I had more shit to worry about than her, her dude, and her funky-ass food. It smelled like he had some damn old-ass greens in there.
"You's a disrespectful-ass nigga, Brooklyn!" she yell as I pushed the doors open to the waiting room.
After making sure my dad was good, I kissed my mom, sister, and brother goodbye and headed out of the hospital. It was now six o'clock in the morning, and I was thankful it was the weekend. I didn't have anything planned, including no practice or gym.
"You want to meet up later on for brunch?" Naomi asked as we all slid inside her car.
"As long as it's sushi, then you already know I'm down."
"First off, lil' boujie, I was talking to Bri, not PJ, and don't nobody want no nasty-ass raw fish. Now, BRIANNA, do you want to meet us later for brunch?"
"Yeah, just let me get some rest, and we can meet around eleven-thirty."
"Not to jump off the subject, but what was Teddy's excuse for not coming to the hospital with you?"
"Really, PJ? She doesn't want to talk about his sorry ass right now."
"I actually do," I told Naomi, before turning slightly to address PJ's question. "Teddy didn't give an excuse. He straight up told me that he was sleeping, my dad doesn't fuck with him, it's probably gas, and what does he look like taking me to check on my dad when he doesn't like him."
Both of their mouths dropped to the bottom of their seats after hearing that.
"The muthafucking audacity of his ass. How about be there for you because you are always there for him? How about even if you sat yo' ass outside and waited on your girl, it would have looked better than yo' ass laying in her bed?" Naomi never gave a fuck when she started going in. PJ started the conversation but was now holding her two cents because once she got started, she didn't stop.
"I'm not trying to break up a happy home, but sis, if the home ain't already happy, then what are you doing? You are a woman that any man would love to have. Successful, beautiful, have your own money, house, and—"
