“That nigga is a stepper!” she added, and we all agreed.
“Yeah, if only Gio realized it,” Kenya added. I had to agree with that, too.
“I wish he did. Love was out of the house before I woke up this morning. When I talked to him on the way here, he wouldn’t tell me if he saw Gio or not.”
“Are you scared?” Deja asked.
“Not scared,” I responded truthfully. “I am worried for both of them. Both them niggas a different kind of crazy.”
We all gave a slight laugh, knowing nothing was funny about what I said.
“I was thinking about it.”
They all stopped what they were doing, like they felt I was going to drop a bomb.
“I was thinking maybe I should try to talk to Gio.”
Deja and Kenya rolled their eyes as Renee sucked her teeth.
“Why the hell do you think that’s a good idea, Islah?” Kenya asked.
“Yeah, that nigga hasn’t listened to you any other time you said it,” Deja added before I could respond.
“I know, but this time it’s different. I got this nigga ring on my finger. He knows how much I wanted to be a wife. He should know that I’m serious about it.”
Kenya shook her head, bringing me back to reality. “He knows you got the ring on your finger, why the fuck do you think he popped up on me when he couldn’t find you? That shit set him off more.”
I forgot about that. Kenya’s comment made me rethink my whole plan for a second.
“Yeah, but maybe he needs to hear it from me, and besides, I’ma remind him that he loves me, and if he ever did, he would let me go be happy.”
My girls all looked at each other and back at me as they headed to the door.
“Islah, just let your man handle it. Love is gonna make sure Gio stays gone.”
I nodded my head, taking in all they were saying. I got changed and started my shift.
The whole time I was working, my mind kept drifting back to the same shit.
Love.
Gio.
What the hell Love did or was going to do.
I tried to focus on my patients, charting, meds, all the regular shit that usually kept my mind busy, but it felt like my thoughts were louder than everything else around me.
Just like clockwork, when my lunchtime hit, I was getting the buzz from the nurses’ station for my lunch. I finished up with my patient and headed there, and stopped in my tracks halfway there, staring at this huge flower arrangement, and I couldn’t help but smile.
It was colorful, almost tropical, with little butterflies through it. I stared at it harder, shaking my head, while nurses and patients stared when I noticed the card.
I grabbed it without thinking twice and opened it.
Since your note this morning didn’t come with flowers, I made sure your lunch did…I love you, wifey.
–Your Man
“That man, that man, that man,” I muttered to myself softly, I thought.
