“What time your flight land tomorrow?”he repeated, shocking me.
I was almost sure that his reply would be something smart like, “I ain’t no parrot, Dai.” Was this a sign of change?
“Umm…”I started, still caught up in his response. The honking of the horn from the car behind me made me jump a little. Realizing the light had turned green, I pressed on the gas and pushed forward.
“You driving?”
“Yeah.”
“Aight. Hit me when you get to your destination so we can talk. It don’t sound like you’re paying attention.”
“I got this,”I countered.“What do we need to talk about?”
“The question I just asked you twice.”
I paused, thinking my response through, before speaking.“I’m gonna need a couple days before I see you, ba… I mean, Pryce.”I caught myself before I could call him bae.
“Damn, the last six months wasn’t enough? You know what? Don’t even answer that. I get it.”He let out an audible sigh, and I held my breath.“Just let me know when you touch down if that’s not too much to ask, Adai.”
“Okay. I can do that,”I replied softly, hoping he’d be this calm and understanding once he saw me.
We both went silent, and then, I heard his name being called in the background.
“These niggas act like they can’t even spell they own name without my help. I gotta go. Don’t forget what I said to do, Dai.”
“Okay.”
“Aight. I love you.”
Hearing him say the words were different than reading them. I felt temporarily paralyzed. Maybe it was the shock of hearing his voice after all this time or the fact that he seemed to think before he spoke. That was rare for Pryce. I felt the baby kick as if he or she were prompting me to repeat the sentiments to their father, so I did.
“I love you too.”Ending the call quickly before he could sense the heavy emotion building up in me, I grabbed the steering wheel with both hands.
Pryce had never been a man who asked for anything quietly. And while it seemed like he was respecting my space, I knew the man that I spent four years of my life with like the back of my hand. That said, anything could change at any moment with Pryce Sullivan.
I walkedthrough LaGuardia Airport slowly toward baggage claim with my hand resting on my belly. Being pregnant made me more aware of my surroundings, especially when I was out alone. Traveling while pregnant made me pay attention to how fast people walked, how close they stood to me, and how easy it was to get bumped into if I wasn’t paying attention and turned the wrong way. With that in mind, I kept a ‘resting mommy face’ on at all times –– one that said I was going to protect myself and my baby at all costs.
As I made my way to the carousel at Terminal C for Delta, I spotted my mother. She always stood out to me no matter where we were. Not just because I was the spitting image of her but also because she always dressed cute. Ever since I was younger, my mother always took pride in her appearance. Today, she had on a fitted t-shirt, linen pants, and sandals. On her arm was a mini denim Chanel hobo bag. I was almost certain that her sandals were Chanel too.
“Over here, Daisy.” I called her by her nickname.
Her head whipped in my direction, and she cracked a wide smile. Starting toward me, her arms were already opening before I could reach her. “Don’t get yo’ ass whooped callin’ me that.” She playfully threatened me.
I stepped into her hug, and she embraced me in a way that only a loving mother could. The hug didn’t last long before she pulled back and brought her face to my belly.
“Heyyy, Baby Boo.” She kissed my belly that seemed to grow a little more overnight. So much for trying to hide the bump.
I laughed at her talking to my belly in the middle of the airport as people walked around us.
“You act like you haven’t seen the bump, Mommy.”
“It’s been a couple months since I’ve seen you in person. It’s rounder now. FaceTime and pictures are nothing like the real thing.” She stood and couldn’t stop smiling. “I can’t believe somebody is about to be calling me Grandma. It’s the greatest gift next to you calling me Mommy, Dai.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I failed at holding them at bay.
“Oh, Lord.” She laughed. “Here you go. This baby making you even more of a crybaby than you already were.”
“I’m not even crying. I have allergies.” I giggled. “And I’m not a crybaby.”
