Page 119 of Finessed By A Hood White Boy

“Aw, hell, I don’t think I can sit here and listen to this shit. Tell her what’s up, man. Maybe that’ll help her snap back.” Ace interrupted us.

Cutting my eyes, I mugged his ass. He got the point then stood to his feet.

“Aye, I’ma give y’all some space. You want something to eat?” he asked.

“I’m good.” I shook my head.

“I’ll be back.” He placed a kiss on Ava’s cheek. “Take it easy on my boy.” He chuckled.

The room was completely silent once Ace walked out. I couldn’t front, though. Beating around the bush with Ava wasn’t going to get us anywhere. I learned that from dealing with my mom.

“Are you comfortable?” I asked.

She nodded her head yes. I made myself comfortable beside her, locking our fingers together with one hand.

“Why are you here?” she asked again.

“To make sure you’re okay. Is that alright with you?” I kissed the back of her hand.

“You don’t even know me.”

I took my phone out of my pocket and silently scrolled through my pictures to find my favorite one of us together.

“You see this?” I showed her my screen. “We had fun that day. We were chillin at my Big Momma house.”

“That’s us?” She observed the picture closely, clearly confused.

“Yeah.” I chuckled at her reaction.

“We look happy.” She smiled, then glanced at me.

“Yeah, we are.” I kissed her fingertips.

“But I don’t… I don’t know you.”

I could hear the sadness in her voice. It took me a second to gather my thoughts before speaking.

“You know me. You just can’t remember right now.”

She sat quietly for a moment.

“Does that make you mad?” She gazed into my eyes.

“Nah, baby, I’m not mad. It’s not your fault.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked around the room. I used my thumb to dry her cheeks before replacing the wetness with kisses.

“Whether you remember who I am or not, just know that I love you. I can’t see myself ever stopping.”

She didn’t bother to respond. Instead, she leaned her body into mine and closed her eyes. I lay there with her, deep in thought. The only thing on my mind was how I was going to send Rob’s bitch ass to hell, first class. He was gon’ have to pay with his life for what he did to my baby.

Ava had spent a total of three weeks in the hospital. When the doctors informed us that they were going to send her home, that was when shit got a little hectic. Automatically, I suggested that she’d come home with me but her parents were against it, especially her momma. The doctors suggested that she’d go home and resume her normal day to day schedule. They said by doing so, it would heighten the possibilities of bringing her memory back. It wasn’t a guarantee but they said it would be worth a try. Her momma wasn’t trying to hear that. She was adamant about bringing Ava back home with her. For so long, both of her parents had been in the dark about what she was going through with Rob. Although I had been by her side, her momma wasn’t convinced that I would be the best care taker because she knew nothing about me. We weren’t married, therefore I had no legal say.

I’m not sure what Ace and Aja said, but the day Ava was discharged her parents came to me and gave their blessing. I promised them she’d be in great hands, and they were more than welcome to visit her at any time. As long as I had her in my care, nothing else mattered. However, I was glad she was willing to get to know me all over again.

With the help of her parents and siblings, I was able to get Ava’s place situated. Well, it was actually our place. I had plans for our future, and purchasing a home for us to live in together was a big step for me. I never even shared a house with Zenobia and we had a kid together. The house Ava had recently purchased, I paid it off and left it as it was. Although I knew she was excited about her accomplishment, I had to take it upon myself to upgrade her. Whatever she wanted to do with the house in the future would be up to her. Anyway, my baby was coming home today from the hospital, and I couldn’t wait. I’d been by her side every day, and her memory of me still hadn’t come back.

I hadn’t let a day go by without telling her at least three times how much I loved her. She was the same person, in a sense, but I could see a difference in her personality. She was quieter. I had to find ways to bring her out of her shell a bit. I did stupid shit just to see her smile. Now, I can’t sing worth a damn, but she had me singing love songs. I wasn’t complaining because it made her laugh. That itself was like music to my ears. When it came to her healing process, I wasn’t worried. I hired the best physical therapist in the country to come by three days a week.