Page 175 of 4 Corinthians

“We love you, Corinthians,” Madea called out.

I left their house, got into my car, started it, and pulled off. My vision blurred because of the tears I refused to let fall. I wiped my eyes, then reached across the seat to get my phone out of my purse. When I got to a stop light, I swiped the screen and pulled up Uri’s contact.

It rang twice, then went to voicemail. “Leave a message,” his deep voice said, then it beeped.

“Uri,” I cried, then dropped my head onto the steering wheel and cried. My body shook, and I screamed at the top of my lungs. The guilt and pain that I’d carried around for so long were finally released. The burden I was carrying was too heavy and too much to bear. I wasn’t as strong as I’d let on. I was drowning, and the only person that I could think of saving me was Uri, but he wasn’t here.

I sat there, crying for so long that cars started to honk. Eventually they went around me. I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to. I didn’t know where to go. Finally, I pulled my car to the side of the road. The call to Uri hung up a while ago. I sat there, holding it and waiting for him to call back. When my phone finally did ring, it wasn’t Uri’s name on the display. I licked my lips, tried to clear the hoarseness from my voice, then swiped the screen.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Mama?” Judah’s happy voice filled the car.

“Yes, baby?”

“You okay?” he quickly asked. “You sound funny.”

“Just got done working, is all, baby,” I lied. “What’s up?”

“How much longer are you going to be at work?” he asked. “It’s your late day at the shop, and you forget to eat on your late days.”

“I’m not hungry, baby,” I sadly laughed. “Thank you for checking up on me.”

“Mama, you’re supposed to eat,” he insisted. “Auntie Bug said if you said you didn’t eat, you have to eat when you get home.” Judah was aware that I took medication to help stabilize my mood. He didn’t know why. Last year he found out that I had to make sure I ate when I took my meds, and he was obsessed with making sure I did. He always called me on my late days to make sure I ate.

“Judah,” I sighed. “I’m tired baby. I will eat in the morning.”

“No ma’am,” he replied. “That’s the rule, remember? Late days, if you don’t eat, you come to where I am, and we will have dinner together. I told Auntie Bug that if you didn’t eat, I wanted to come home instead of you coming to me. I’m about to tell Auntie Bug you didn’t eat. Hold on.”

My phone buzzed in my hand, and I looked down to see a text from Psalms.

Psalms: You know he’s not going to stop until he sees you.

Me: I’m just tired.

Psalms: He doesn’t care. He’s going to worry. I told him we can come to you instead of you coming to us. He’s tired anyway from practicing with Krude.

Me: Practicing?

Psalms: Top secret, no one knows what it’s about. Probably something to do with the church anniversary thing coming up.

“Fuck!” I sighed. I’d completely forgotten about the anniversary celebration we were dragged into. The last thing I wanted to deal with was the damn Kilmores, especially after what I found out today. Uri already told me he had plans to snatch Isaac and Paul after the celebration.

“I’m back,” Judah breathed into the phone. “I’m coming home.”

Sighing, I closed my eyes. She was right. Judah wasn’t going to stop. “Okay,” I finally said. “Something simple though, Judah. A sandwich or something.”

“Deal,” he laughed. “See you in a little while.”

He hung up, and I continued to sit there with my eyes closed. I had thirty minutes before he called back. Cross and Nine’s house was closer to mine than the shop. They would be there before I was. I opened my eyes and called Uri again. Just like last time, my call went to voicemail. Instead of leaving a message, I hung up and drove home.

Twenty minutes later, I pulled my car into the garage, got out, and walked to the door. Not only were my sister and son here, but so were Cross, Nine, and their children. I kicked off my shoes, closed the door behind me, and made my way to the living room. I could hear Judah and Deuce in the back; more than likely, they were in the playroom. Cross came into the hallway, carrying her daughter Love in her arms. The smile she had on her face dropped instantly. Judah came running from the back. He moved around Cross and hugged me. When my arms wrapped around him, I started crying again.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, pulling back. His eyes sparkled against the light. “You’re crying.”

I hugged him and kissed the top of his head. “I just had a bad day,” I answered, trying not to cry again. “I didn’t realize how much I needed a hug from you until I got it.”

“Hey Judah, why don’t you go back in the playroom with Deuce?” Cross said, putting her hand on his shoulders. “Let me talk to your mama, and then y’all can make y’all sandwiches.”