When I finally made it downstairs, he was standing in the foyer, and he hit me with that same charming smile that always drove me crazy. “I’m surprised you’re the one rushing this time,” I said smartly, and his grin widened.
“Why you think I ain’t come up there to get you? You wasn’t about to have me running late.”
I busted out laughing at him trying to make the last time my fault, but I was going to let him have it because I always wanted it just as bad as he did. Smacking him with my clutch, I switched past and giggled when he slapped me on the butt. “Don’t start,” I warned, glaring at him playfully.
“You don’t start,” he shot back, helping me into the truck with a wet kiss that had me shuddering. With a wink, he closed the door and ran around to his side, clearly just as excited as I was to see our baby. It had taken so long to get to the actual appointment that I was sure we’d be able to tell the sex by now. That was cool with me though, because I was ready for the shower and reveal and to start shopping for all the pink things I could find.
I was still thinking about what all I was going to buy my baby when we finally pulled up to the doctor’s office, and Maasai came around to let me out. The lobby was decorated in cute baby colors and was full of women in different stages of pregnancy. My little bump had started to grow, so I was proudly wearing anything that exposed it more, which was why I had on a fitted t-shirt and gray leggings. After checking in, it wasn’t long before they called us to the back, and the first stop was the ultrasoundroom. I could hardly contain my excitement as I took in the different instruments, knowing that I’d finally be able to see my baby.
“Girl, calm down, up there wiggling them fat toes and shit,” Maasai teased, and I rolled my eyes.
“My toes ain’t fat, and watch if I let you put them in your mouth ag—” He smirked knowingly as I clamped my mouth shut when the ultrasound tech stepped inside. Probably because he knew I was lying more than anything.
“Hello folks, I’m Sue and I’ll be taking pictures of your baby today!” she gushed as she ran down her spiel, seemingly not having heard what I’d been talking about when she entered. “You guys ready to see your baby?”
“Yes, finally!” I chirped, unable to contain myself as my embarrassment faded, and Maasai just nodded, trying to be all cool and shit. She started prepping me by lifting my shirt and tucking napkins underneath it and into my pants before she applied the warm gel. When she finally put the Doppler on my belly, I damn near cried, hearing my baby’s heartbeat fill the room as she pointed to the screen and showed us different body parts.
“Did you want to know the sex?” She seemed just as excited to ask as I was to know, and everything I’d said about a gender reveal went out the window as I nodded vigorously. Tears were already in my eyes. “It looks like you’re going to be having a little girl!” Blinking rapidly to try to stop myself from crying, I looked over to Maasai to find him all choked up. He’d been saying this whole time that he just wanted a healthy baby, but knowing that he was going to be a girl dad had him in tears too. Grabbing up my hand, he kissed it and mouthed ‘I love you.’
“I love you toooo!” I was still crying when Sue handed me our pictures and left the room and then during the entire rest of the visit. I didn’t stop until we were leaving, and Maasai suggestedwe stop at my favorite steakhouse to celebrate. The first person I called was Keyani, while Maasai called his mama and sister on three-way. It was a whole conference call in the car, and I immediately began posting the pictures online.
“Look at you, already tryna have me about to break a nigga jaw over my baby girl,” he teased, pulling out into traffic, and I simpered.
“You sound so cute saying that! We should go shopping today too, just to buy a couple things to get her started.” I tried to sound nonchalant, but I was really ready to go crazy with his card.
“Whatever you want, baby.”
“Oooh, you sound even cuter saying that!” I laughed but was dead ass serious.
“Man, watch out!” He tried to sound annoyed, but his cheeks lifted into a smile. It was crazy how obsessed I was with his fine ass. We spent the ride just talking about different stores we would go into for shopping, but all it took was a thick T-bone and a salad to have me too sleepy to follow through. The way his ass was laughing about it, I felt like it was a setup because he was the one who even suggested the damn steak place. I barely made it off the block that the steakhouse was on before I passed out.
I was still tired when we made it home, which was becoming a normal thing for me, but instead of letting me sleep alone, my husband crawled in behind me, obviously having been hit with the itis too.
A couple days later, I was waiting with Keyani for Maasai to call with an update on Cruz. Apparently, his parents hadn’t hated my husband so much that they’d keep him away. They also didn’tknow that Keyani was staying with us, so Maasai finding out news didn’t bother them.
They were really just as crazy as the bitch who’d put their son in the hospital, and I prayed karma found them for all their dirt. “Calm down, I’m sure he’s doing much better. Maasai said that the specialist did come, so maybe they’ll have a better plan than the one the hospital is doing, ’cause the sooner he wakes up, the better,” I told Key when I saw her on the couch, ringing her hands. My girl had been a nervous wreck, not knowing what was going on, but I had faith that things were going to be working out in their favor.
“I hope so,” she said, frowning. “Damn, I wish I could take a damn edible right now, ’cause dealing with this sober is not a vibe.”
“Bitch, not an edible! Let me find out my bestie is a crackhead for real!” I couldn’t help cackling, but she only shrugged as a smile slid across her face.
“Takes one to know one, Ms. I’ll take five damn gummies and get on an airplane!” My mouth dropped with a fake gasp, and I grinned too.
“Well, it did bring me and my husband together, so a win is a win.”
“I know that’s right!” She held up her hand for a high five, but we both quieted down when my phone started ringing. Seeing my hubby on the contact, I answered and put it on speaker so Keyani could hear.
“Hey baby, is everything good? What happened?”
“Is he awake or doing better?” Keyani followed right up with another set of questions.
“Naw, he’s not up yet, but he is doing a lot better. The specialist said it could be any day now.” His deep voice flowed through the phone, and we both breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh my god, I can’t wait! This shit is crazy that they won’t let me see him!” Keyani huffed but was visibly less tense than she’d been just a few minutes before.
“Yeah, I know he’s going to be pissed off when he finds out what they did, but I wanna let him handle it instead of just assuming and…fixing shit for him.” He cleared his throat at the obvious threat, and I bit my lip as my clit jumped. It didn’t make any sense how much I wanted to jump his bones all the time, but I was blaming it on pregnancy hormones, even though I was beginning to think it was just me. “I’m gone be on my way there in a minute, I just gotta stop by his shop and make sure shit running smooth. You know they don’t give a fuck about that business.”
It was true. Besides making sure Keyani couldn’t go in there, they’d basically left it abandoned, and it was only being run by the staff. Sighing, I told him I’d see him soon, and we hung up.
