13
Sean
It took everything in me not to confront Lakesha at the hospital. Her showing up was no coincidence. I was sure of it. I don’t know what Lakesha’s game was but RayRay had a spot in my life. Not her. Niya was the only woman I wanted next to me.
“It may be hours before they let us in to see Big again. I’ll be sure to give her the gift.” I extended my hand to take the bear from Lakesha.
She jerked it back. “I can give Big my gift myself. I don’t need you for that. I don’t need you for anything except to take care of your shorty. Got it?”
Niya blinked as though she couldn’t believe the drama unfolding. I couldn’t believe it myself.I know Lakesha wasn’t trying to come at me here? In a hospital? Visiting Big?
I drew several deep breaths. “Lakesha, we can discuss all this later.”
She rolled her hip to one side. “Why? You don’t want your son to know what kind of father he has? But I do. My momma taught me not to bite my tongue. Tell the truth and shame the devil.”
I took the bait. “Your mommashouldhave taught you not to discuss grown folks’ business in front of kids.”
“Boy!” She took a step toward me and readied her arms to push me, but I caught them before she could make contact with my chest.
“Lakesha. Stop it,” I said.
She tried to twist her arms free of my grip. “Let me go.”
“Stop putting your hands on him,” Niya shouted.
I was glad Niya was present as a witness. I was in a position that could lead to an arrest and a record, fooling with this woman.
As soon as I relaxed my hold, Lakesha slapped me with her bag.
Suddenly, a sharp pain traveled up the back of my arm. “Ow.” RayRay’s little teeth clamped onto me. “Stop it. Now,” I barked out.
He immediately released his bite on my arm and stepped away. But he called himself giving me a warning with a loud grunt. “I ain’t gonna let nobody hit my momma again.”
His words struck me harder than Lakesha had done. I looked into his wide eyes, which had welled up with tears, and I released his mother. There was no telling how much violence and drama my son had already witnessed. The last thing he needed was to see his parents in a physical altercation.
“RayRay,” I said, hugging him close. “I would never hit your mother.No oneshould be hitting your mother.”
“Save it for the judge,” Lakesha piped up and pulled my boy from me.
“No. You save it for the judge because both me and that camera saw the whole thing. So, you can quit your trifling ways.” Niya pointed at the round, gray ball in the top corner of the waiting room.
Lakesha’s mouth popped open. “Whatever,” she said, once she realized her scheme had been foiled.
“That’s what I thought,” Niya said, snapping her fingers.
“I’ll give Big her gift later,” Lakesha announced. She grabbed RayRay’s hand and stomped out of the room. She slammed the door, cinching a few of her braids in the doorjamb. She yowled, retraced herself, then released her braids.
I bit my cheek to keep from laughing.
Niya, however, had no problem cackling. “That’s what you get.”
Lakesha left again, this time leaving the door ajar.
My stomach muscles relaxed the further she walked down the hallway, until RayRay looked back at me with daggers in his eyes, stabbing at my heart.
I wanted to say,I want to be in your life, but your mother’s making it difficult,but all I could do was swallow the pendulum of emotions swirling in my mind.
Niya tapped her feet. “That girl is off. Like, Lifetime-Movie-jilted-stalker off.”
