Cecilia rubbed her arm. “He’s going to wake up. Your prayers are moving mountains.”
Cali smiled at her mother and Ruthia’s interaction. Having them there on a daily basis had kept her sane. Irish had been a godsend as well, sending their hairstylist to tame her overgrown mane. Despite her pixie cut being freshly styled, Cali wouldn’t feel well until her husband came out of this coma.
“Alright, vitals look okay. I’ll be back in later to check on him,” the nurse assured.
When she walked out the room, Cali took her seat but kept Rio’s big hand tucked into hers.
“Rozalin hooked you up, friend,” Irish complimented her.
A small smile covered Cali’s face as she rubbed the back of her head. “I really needed this. Thank you, boo.”
“Yes, because you’ve run through your entire hat collection,” Cecilia joked.
“You know I got you. I wanted to do something nice since you’ve been cooped up in this room.”
Cali looked forward at Rio. “After this, I never want to see another hospital ever again.”
A chime resounded through the room. Cali turned her head and noticed Rio’s phone lighting up. Grabbing it, she looked at the screen and silenced the alarm. She then saw areminder on the screenCall Cali.She smirked, tapping on the clock app and noticing all of the alarms he had set in place.
Cali remembered when he used to call. ‘I was just callin’ to check on your sneaky ass. Where you at?’ Back then, she didn’t appreciate him for calling her, especially when she was with Braye. If she could just hear the sound of his voice again, it would soothe her in ways she couldn’t explain. Cali wasn’t the wife who went through her husband’s phone because she didn’t want him in hers. However, she tapped on the photo app and was shocked to see that most of his gallery consisted of her.
“Wow,” she whispered to herself, amazed that he had pictures of her when she was a kid.
There were off-guard photos and pictures of her sleep. He had pictures he had taken off her Instagram, making her wonder if he had a secret page. After going through the countless photos of herself, Cali went to his text messages and his notes app. She didn’t expect to find anything there, but when she tapped on it, she was stunned to see many notes. Clicking on the first one, her lips parted when she read the first sentence.
I gotta get Cali to spend more time at home. We feel disconnected and it may be my fault cuz I’m always out in the streets. I need to make her a priority.
Cali cleared her throat of the emotions setting up shop. She tapped on another one.
I need to plan a getaway for me and Cali. I think she needs a vacation and uninterrupted time with me. I’m not doing enough for her. I gotta get my shit together before I lose her.
That one had done it for her. Rio blamed himself for their lack of connection when Cali had been the culprit all along.Dropping the phone in her lap, she covered her face and wept quietly.
“Cali, baby, you, okay?” Cecilia asked.
She had temporarily forgotten there were still people in the room. Cali was so tired of crying. She would’ve thought her well ran dry, but tears continued every day, draining her like a wrung-out rag. The guilt she had been battling was becoming more powerful by the day. She couldn’t escape it. It was like her shadow, following her every move without any relief in sight.
“Yeah.” She sniffled, grabbing tissue from Irish. “I just had a moment but I’m good.”
Cali couldn’t explain that she was guilt-ridden because of her indiscretions. There was no way to explain how Rio blamed himself for the breakdown in their marriage when it was her doing. Her words failed her. Cali had to accept that she wasn’t shit. She was nothing more than a woman who cheated on a man that loved her more than anything. She didn’t deserve nothing, especially Rio.
A knock at the door brought their attention toward it. Seconds later, it opened, and Cali’s heart stopped momentarily. The first thing she spotted was a bouquet of roses but the person that followed made her mouth dry up like The Mojave Desert.
What the fuck…
Slowly, she rose from her seat, eyes expanded, looking at Braye as if he was a ghost. There was a subtle beam on his lips as he closed the door.
“How y’all doing?” he greeted them.
“Hey.” Irish waved.
“Hello, who might you be?” Ruthia asked in a friendly but curious tone.
“Oh, um, I work with Calia. I heard about her husband and wanted to offer some support.”
Cali was still frozen in her stance as her chest tightened with each breath she inhaled. This was bad. So terrible that she felt as if she would shit on herself at any second.
“Well, that’s kind of you. I’ll take these,” Cecilia offered.
