He smiled, touched Sarai’s hand gently and told me he’d check in tomorrow. I wished he didn’t have to leave.
Dante was still holding Sarai. He looked at me and I could tell he wanted to say something but he had the good sense not to.
“You want some real food?” he asked instead. “Hospital food is trash.”
“Chick-fil-A.”
“Say less. What you want?”
“Spicy deluxe, large fry, and a lemonade. And a cookies and cream milkshake.”
“That’s a lot of food for somebody who just had a baby.”
“I just pushed a human being out of my body, Daddy. I earned a milkshake.”
He almost smiled. He handed Sarai back to me carefully, kissed her forehead, and headed for the door. When he left the room went quiet and the quiet was where the tears lived. One slid down my cheek before I could stop it.
Rita was sitting in the chair by the window. She’d been quiet this whole time, watching everything with those sharp eyes that missed nothing. Her cane was propped against the wall and her reading glasses were pushed up on her forehead and she waited until the tear reached my jaw before she spoke.
“I know you like him.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Good, because I’m not asking. I’m telling. He’s a fine man and you have good taste but that is not your focus right now. There’s a time for boys and right now isn’t it.” She nodded toward Sarai. “You have to put her first. I know how it ended with Mega. I know you’ve been through hell. But this baby needs a mother who’s present and whole, not one who’s chasing a man she can’t have. Don’t be one of those women who can’t stand to be alone.”
“I’m just so scared I’ve already failed her, Rita. She doesn’t have a father. And I’m a mess. I’m on house arrest with a murder charge and I just had a baby in a state I don’t even live in. What kind of mother starts like this?”
“I’ve had babies in worse conditions. Trust me. One day I’ll tell you all about it. But you’re the kind who fights for her child anyway. Sarai may not have a father but she’s got male role models who will show up for her. Justice, Prime, Quest when he’s back. Your brothers are going to come through for that little girl. And when the time is right, you’ll find someone who deserves you.” She paused and a sly look crossed her face. “And chiiiile, I get it. That Xander is fine. If I was a few years younger I’d be taking him from his little girlfriend.”
“Oh God, Grandma.”
“But I’m a little mature for him. And I know you sweet on him, so listen. If you want, I can get rid of that girlfriend. They ain’t married. I’ve taken out a few hoes in my day.”
“Rita!”
“You know I’m just playing. Well not about the hoes, but about his lil girlfriend. I just want you to laugh. That’s all.”
And I did laugh. For the first time in what felt like days, I laughed. It came out wet and messy because the tears were still there but the laugh pushed through them and for a moment I felt lighter.
“It’s okay,” I said, wiping my face. “All that matters is beating this murder charge and taking care of Sarai. And when I get out of the hospital, I’m going to call Kayla again. A real conversation this time.”
“Good.” Rita leaned forward and her face shifted from playful to serious. “And there’s something else you should know. Your brother and Mehar were found.”
“What? Are you serious? When?”
“Justice called me this morning. They were stranded on an island in the Grenadines this whole time. He found them yesterday.”
“Thank God.” My hand went to my chest. “I’ve been praying for them every night. Are they okay?”
Rita hesitated. That hesitation told me everything before her words did.
“Mehar’s in early labor. The baby is coming premature. They’re at a hospital in Grenada right now.”
“Oh no.” I pulled Sarai closer to my chest instinctively. “Please tell me she’s going to be okay.”
“We’re praying on it. That’s all we can do right now.”
I closed my eyes and held my daughter and prayed for my brother’s fiancée and their baby who was fighting to enter a world that hadn’t been kind to any of us. Two Banks women giving birth at the same time in two different places in two different emergencies. If that wasn’t our family in a nutshell, I didn’t know what was.
