Page 214 of 4 Corinthians

“You heard everything?” she asked.

“Nah, only sometimes,” I clarified. “Now climb in the bed before Judah gets out of that bathroom and climbs in.”

“I really don’t want to hurt you,” she said, shaking her head. “You need to be checked on.” She pressed the button on the side of the bed, then waited. Her eyes swept over me, taking me in, and all I could do was sit here and let her. She looked tired as hell. Her eyes were low and red.

“Yes?”

“He’s awake,” she said. “Can you send in the doctor?”

“She will be in shortly.”

Judah opened the bathroom door and stopped. He smiled, then ran to the bed. “Four!”

“Slow down,” Cori said, catching him before he could jump onto the bed. “He needs to be checked out first.”

“You’re awake!” He excitedly said. “You’re okay!”

“I think so,” I said, nodding. “You good?”

“I am,” Judah replied. “I knew you were gonna wake up. I told Deuce that you were going to wake up. I knew it!” He moved from his mama's arms, went to the pull-out couch to get his iPad, and picked it up. “I’m calling Deuce!”

“Judah, it’s three in the morning,” Cori reminded him. “You aren’t even supposed to be up right now.”

“We were talking about dogs,” Judah told me as he tossed his iPad on the bed. “Mama said I could get one.”

“I said maybe,” Cori corrected him. “And we are still trying to figure out what that maybe could be.”

“Oh yeah?” I replied, and Judah nodded. I didn’t see the point in telling him I'd overheard their conversation. “What did you agree on so far?”

“Nothing,” Judah said, shaking his head. “Mama wants a little girly dog. I want a big dog.”

“We gotta work on your mama,” I said, then turned my attention to Cori. “Ay, I need something from you though.”

“Anything,” Cori replied.

“First, a kiss cuz a nigga been without one too long,” I said. Cori smiled, then lowered her face to mine and kissed me. It wasn’t overly sexual or anything because Judah was right next to the bed. Shit was short, sweet, and filled with longing. “Damn, I needed that.” I cupped Cori’s face and made her rest her forehead against mine.

“Me too,” she said, searching my eyes.

“I need something else too,” I told her.

“What?”

“Call your granddaddy and tell him to come marry us. Right here, right now,” I told her. “I ain't closing my eyes again, and you ain’t my wife.”

The sound of the iPad ringing made me turn my head. Judah was holding it, his face serious.

“What’s wrong, grandson?” Gabriel DeCorte questioned him. “Where yo mama?”

“Four asked her to marry him,” Judah told him. “He said come to the hospital right now.”

“Four is awake?”

“Yes sir,” Judah said, then turned his iPad towards me. “You on the way?”

Gabriel was already walking through his house. Mary was behind him; lights were coming on as they moved. “Yeah, grandson, I’m on my way.”

“Me too,” Madea said.