Page 55 of On You 2

“Listen to me, Ma. I don’t like that shit at all. Let me come and stay back somewhere at least. Y’all won’t even know I’m there.”

“No, son,” she said gently, and something about the sadness in her voice made me stop pacing for a second. “I need this to be smooth and clean so neither one of my boys get hurt.”

I closed my eyes tightly because the way she said it sounded deeper than just fear.

“Something about this just don’t feel right.”

“And you think it feels right to me?” she asked quietly. “That’s my baby out there somewhere, Amir. I’m terrified.”

Hearing her voice break like that made some of my frustration soften because no matter what, she was still a mother trying to save her child. I would too do whatever I need to do for the babies that Delilah and Jasmine are pregnant with.

“Okay,” we can do it how they asked. I’m on my way over there now.

When I got back to my mother's house, Rami was already dressed and sitting near the door looking sleepy and confused while my mother stood beside him holding her purse tightly against her chest. The second she saw the bag in my hand, tears instantly filled her eyes again.

“You really came through for us,” she whispered.

“I told you, I got him.”

I replied, before looking down at Rami.

“You good, little man?”

He nodded while rubbing his eyes, not understanding the storm happening around him.

My mother reached for the bag with trembling hands before holding it tightly against her side. For a second, she just stood there staring at me, almost like she was trying to mentally take a photo of my face.

“You sure you don’t want me to come?” I asked.

“No, let's do it the right way,” she replied while shaking her head.

“I need this to go peacefully. Give me your phone so that I can put your number inside to call you once everything is done.”

I handed her the phone, and she typed in her number, saving it under, Mama.

After that, she turned and walked out the house with Rami beside her.

When her front door closed, I looked down at the contact with her named saved and found a smile creeping on my face despite the shit we were going through.

I finally had the name, mama, saved in my phone after all this time. When this is over with, her and I can finally start to make up for the time we lost and just in time for me to become a parent myself.

Chapter 12

Jasmine

An hour later

“Oh, hello. I was coming to give him ice chips to help keep his mouth from being dry.”

A nurse announced as she walked into the room.

“I’ll do it.” I reached for the cup out of the nurse’s hands

She handed it to me before quietly slipping back out of the room.

I sat down beside the bed before picking up one of the small ice cubes between my fingers.

“Hey, baby.”