The way he loved me was like something I still wasn’t used to at all, but I was getting used to it.
Work was busy. My girls kept looking at me, trying to figure out why I was smiling so hard, but we didn’t get a chance to talk about it between handling patients with no patience.
But once it was break time, they met me at the nurse’s station. I grabbed what Love ordered for me, and we took it down to the cafeteria.
We did our normal routine, waiting until everybody’s food got there, and then we started eating and getting into whatever we needed to talk about.
We had a light conversation about what we had been doing all morning as Kenya and Renee’s food came, then got lost into our phones until Deja’s food came. I scheduled our dress shopping appointment and Love’s suit fitting. Then we all opened our lids, and they all looked at me.
“Okay, Mrs.,” Kenya said, mixing her pasta up. “What got you so happy?”
I took a sip of my drink while they stared at me, waiting, looking like they were going to cuss me out.
“We’re getting a house!”
They all started cheering and laughing, making everybody, in turn, look at us.
“Yess girl!!” Deja added. “I didn’t know y’all were looking.”
“I didn’t know either. It was kind of presented to me the other night, and I was told to pick a house.”
“I love that, Love is that nigga,” Renee added.
“He is,” I said, agreeing. “That nigga has been stepping for me and about me since we met.”
“That’s what you needed after Gio. Hell, that’s what every female needs,” Kenya added.
We all agreed.
“Well, I think after work we go home, get dressed, and hit a club to celebrate,” Deja suggested.
“Yess…I love that idea, you down, almost wifey?” Kenya asked.
All three of them stared at me while I thought about it.
“I’m down, just give me some time to get dinner done.”
They all laughed.
“Damn, Islah, not that long ago we were out all the time. Now you are engaged and a damn stepmom,” Renee said.
We all laughed as we got up from the table.
“Yeah, that is a big change, but I wouldn’t change it for nothing.”
We went back to work, and I was thankful the patients I did have were a lot calmer than the morning rush. A lot of easy talks, some lil’ kids with bike wrecks. My ring kept tearing my gloves, making the old ladies want to know my whole life story and what my man did for a living.
By the time my shift was over, I was beat, but I knew my girls weren’t gonna let me skip out on a girl’s night.
I was the last one to get off. I got changed in the locker room, and when I came out, I found my girls waiting for me at the nurse’s station.
“Sooo…tonight is still a move?” Kenya asked.
They all looked at me, knowing I’d be the one to change my mind.
“Yes, we’re still going,” I said as we headed to the elevator. “Let me get home, make sure my boys are straight, and I will meet you. Send me the address.”
“I think we should get a truck tonight. I am trying to leave drunk,” Deja added. Renee nodded her head, agreeing.
