Page 83 of 4 Corinthians

“You good? You seem antsy. Is there something wrong?”

“I’m good,” I lied. “Just ready to go.”

Five hours later, we walked into the hotel suite we’d decided to book before take-off and kicked off our shoes. We’d lucked up and found a flight that left two hours after I’d decided on the impromptu trip. We all had to rush to pack and get to the airport, but we’d made it.

“Oh, look at you,” Mercy said, taking Judah from me. “You are getting so big!” She kissed his cheek.

“Hi,” Judah laughed as Mercy continued to love on him.

“When did you start talking?” she reared back in surprise. She turned and looked at me. “And why didn’t you tell me my guy could talk in complete sentences?”

“He said hi,” I replied, then set our bags down.

“Hi and no are complete sentences, Corinthians,” she sighed. “I check in weekly; this is the first time I’m hearing him say hi.” She hugged him, making his face smash against hers. Judah was used to the affection my family gave him, so he didn’t move. He just let her hold and love him. When he was tired of it, he would push her away. “Next week he will be giving speeches.”

“You’re being dramatic,” I replied, waving her off. “Come on, big man.” I reached for Judah, but he pushed my hands away. “Oh, you staying with Mercy? Fine, be a trader. Don’t try and cuddle with me later when you’re sleepy.”

“Don’t try and make my guy feel bad because he wants to hang out with the cool one in the family,” Mercy laughed. She walked to the kitchen. “Y'all hungry?”

“Nope, I want to sleep,” Psalms yawned.

“Same,” Wryanne said, nodding. “I’ve been in court all day. I had enough time when I got off to go home, pack, tell Thomas I was leaving, and get to the airport. I am struggling in the best possible way and need this vacation.”

“So y’all staying at the hotel is what you’re telling me?” Mercy asked, sounding disappointed. “No hanging out, going to the bar, finding some niggas?”

“Tomorrow,” Wryanne yawned. “Tonight we are relaxing.”

“Thank goodness,” Mercy laughed. “I’ve been at the arena all day practicing. Legacy just got into town a few hours before y'all did, and we just want to do nothing all weekend.”

“I’m thankful for having friends who own hotels,” Psalms laughed as she went to the balcony and looked through the large glass door. “Citrine knows what he’s doing when it comes to this shit.”

“I know,” Mercy agreed. “I’ve stayed at a few of them, and they are all nice like this.”

“How many rooms does this suite have?” Wryanne asked, looking around.

“We have the entire floor,” I told her. “This suite has four rooms; the one next door has two and the other has three.”

“More than enough room to move around without sitting on top of each other,” Mercy said, nodding. “I like it.”

I approached her again and reached for Judah. “Come on, big man. I was talking shit, but I’m the one who wants to cuddle,” I told him. Judah laughed then jumped into my arms. “We are going to take the suite with two rooms so that we won't wake y’all up.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Mercy said, shaking her head.

“Trust me, it’s for the best,” I told her, laughing. I patted Judah’s back. “We are up early, watching cartoons and eating cereal. This is a vacation for everyone.”

“I live here,” Mercy laughed.

“Pretend you don’t,” I told her. “Now we will see y’all in the morning.”

I made my rounds, letting Judah get hugs from everyone, then went to our suite. Psalms helped me with the bags, then went to hang out with Wryanne while I got Judah ready for bed. I bathed him, fed him a quick meal, then rocked him to sleep. Once he was good and asleep in his Pack ‘N Play that we’d brought from home, I grabbed my things, then went to take a shower. I didn’t close the bathroom door all the way in case Judah woke up.

I was putting on my clothes when I heard the front door open. The only person who had a key besides me was Psalms, but I knew it wasn’t her because of the sound of heavy footsteps echoing through the room. My favorite knife sat on the counter. I grabbed it, flipped it open, then slowly pushed the door open. Judah’s Pack ‘N Play was empty. I pushed the door all the way open and stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of Uri holding Judah.

“He looks like you,” he softly said. He looked up at me with eyes filled with tears. “He has your cheeks and nose.” He smiled. “He looks like you.”

“P-p-p-put him down,” I said, looking at Uri. “Please put him down.” As much as I wanted to attack him, I couldn’t. Even as a grown man, he looked like the little boy I’d met all those years ago. The one who wouldn’t fight me. The one who sang to me so I wouldn’t hear the rats. The one who took more beatings than I ever could. Then he wouldn’t hurt me, but I didn’t know about now. I didn’t know him. What he’d been through once my parents were killed. I didn’t know the man he was now. “Please, put my baby down.”

Uri looked down at Judah still asleep in his arms, then nodded. He approached me and handed him to me. I took Judah and stepped back.