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I blinked away spots from my eyes. “He’s not on the oxygen tank no more. She took him off that the second day, saying his lungs could receive enough oxygen on their own. Still weak. Sleeping a lot, but that’s what she wants him to do. She said something about his body working internally to fight off some infections.”
“Is that what his diagnosis is?” She asked excitedly. “This all started from an infection?”
“I really don’t know.”
Rose hadn’t said, but I didn’t expect a medical review from her. She was no doctor. But this morning, his skin color had returned to normal.
“This is all so weird. I’ve never heard of getting medical care from a non-medical professional.”
“Neither have I,” I admitted, raw, vulnerable.
“And you still don’t know when you’re coming home?”
“I can’t leave him down here. He ain’t even awake, Josie.”
“Okay. I got it.” She exhaled. “I got it. I’ll keep praying. I hate the way you sound.” For a minute, neither one of us said anything. What else could I say?My fucking man is down, fucking dying, and I got people doing fucking ancient practices of medicine on him!“Call me the moment there’s an update. I’ll keep my phone on vibrate in church tomorrow.”
“You got it,” my delivery spiritless.
“Hey, one last thing,” Josie’s words were rushed.
My eyes closed, knowing what was coming. “Yeah.”
“Is… Shi-Shi…” She sighed. “Are you two staying apart?”
I pivoted from the corner of the room, finding Ashira in the same place I’d seen her last. She stood against the doorway in biker shorts and a sports bra, body curved and athletic at the same damn time. Shortie had no shame in staring me dead in the face.
I rubbed my achy chest. “Under two different roofs…every night.”
It was true. Ashira and Chivon stayed here in the main house while I’d been in one of the cabins. Ashira had been around the house, helping with food, trying to keep up with Chivon, and even praying at Jug’s feet from time to time. It had been nothing like our time together in Europe. What was magical had been sideswiped by travesty.
Man flew in yesterday, cutting his time with his family inDisneyshort to be by Jug’s side. Ashira’s family gave him a cabin, too. These past three days had been a whirl. With all of that going on, Chivon had been the only one unaffected. My baby had no clue of what was at stake in this visit to her family. For her, it was the usual trip toDella,where she could see her favorite cousins and run the property to her heart’s desire.
“Good. Please keep it that way,” Josie requested.
“Yeah.” I rubbed my face again, too tired for this dance. “I’ll hit you later.”
“Okay. Good night.”
I made sure to disconnect the call. Fool me once. I still had no clue what Josie heard that night on theFaceTimecall. We hadn’t had the time to discuss it. Even the thought of that had my skull tightening.
“Yo, I need to kick it with you about the label mockup for the new blend,” Man announced; off his social media break, I realized.
Château Blevin. After settling the agreement of his ownership ofClub Sin, I was also able to get him a role at the winery estate. We were small but lucrative at this stage, and I could use the help when I’d begun expandingPrism Built Homes. Man quickly agreed, and now we were preparing to roll out a new white blend. Man had been working with the graphic designer on the label design. He had no actual experience; neither had I when I invested. But Man had been educating himself on the wine business to understand standards.
Before I could make it to his opened laptop, Ashira cut across to me, taking me at the arm. “Not right now, Man. Sorry, but Mr. Sinclair will be off the clock for a short reprieve.” She didn’t give me time to collect my shit. I didn’t know where we were going or how long we’d be there.
On the way to the front of the house, her cousin, Charles, stepped into the hall. “Say there, Jas. You want the brisket or the beef ribs? I’m ‘bout to go to slaughter now. You can pick the ox now if it pleases ya.”
“He’ll eat whatever you slay, Cousin Charles,” Ashira’s tone was irritated, not even stopping to answer. “Brisket or ribs, he’ll be fine.”
I tried offering him an expression of apology behind Ashira’s strong grip on my hand. Charles turned and walked off without a reply.
When we stepped outside, Chivon and the kids were playing loudly on the big ass porch. One of Ashira’s cousins was supervising them.
“Daddy, where you going?” Chivon asked.
“Gotta talk to Mommy, Blueberry.”
