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Just as I’m finishing the last of the omelet on my plate, Tank strides into the room. His wide boots echo against the hardwood. Where Flame and his dad differ in looks, they make up for it in size. They are both easily six and a half feet tall with wide shoulders. Tank has to practically bend in half just to drop a kiss on Maria’s head.
“Morning, love.”
Maria laughs as Tank steals her coffee. She turns in her chair to face him. “Morning, sugar. I’ve got to get going, I scheduled Lyric early this morning.”
Maria cleans up the empty plates from the table before stopping in front of Tank. She reaches up on her tiptoes, kissing his full lips.
I force my eyes away from them, not wanting to spy on one of their many intimate moments. I settle on Ghost and roll my eyes at his smug expression.
He lowers his arms, settling his elbows on the table. He takes the toothpick out of his mouth and points it at me. “We have to leave in fifteen minutes. You gonna be ready?”
I nod my head, pushing away from the table and bolting upstairs.
I slam the door behind me and lean my head back against it. Closing my eyes, I take a few deep breaths, forcing the air in and out of my lungs.
I’ve been lucky to have made it twenty-five years without having to deal with anxiety. For the last two weeks, it has happened at least three to four times per day. Maria has really helped me get through a lot of it on my own. She taught me how to help calm myself and slow my breathing. I pause a moment, following her advice step by step.
Once I feel my heart rate has returned to normal, I push away from the door and head over to the closet.
Lyric and Winnie brought all of my clothes from my apartment last week. I had only planned on staying here for a few days after leaving the hospital, but Maria and Tank don’t seem like they are in any hurry for me to leave.
Sliding the drawer open, I grab the first pair of leggings from on top of the stack. I slide them up my legs and settle the thick band over my hips. I turn to the side in front of the floor length mirror in the corner, running my fingertips over my lower belly.
I’m not sure I actually believe there is a baby in there, let alone two babies. Shouldn’t my stomach be bulging out? It’s just as flat as it’s always been.
The purple Castle hoodie I was wearing yesterday is lying in a heap at the end of the bed. I grab it and quickly put it on, covering my stomach all together.
Padding into the bathroom adjacent to my room, I flip the light on and stare at my reflection as I brush my teeth.
My hair and my poor face could really use some love. I have always been the type of girl who has a strict ten step skin care routine and does at least one to two hair masks per week. Neglecting those things these past two weeks has resulted in some serious eye bags and a few blemishes that make me cringe. My hair is lucky I’ve run a brush through it and is begging to be washed.
I splash cold water on my face before plucking a hair tie off the counter. Long hair brushes my lower back and I begin to pull it away from my face, spinning it until I’ve created a loose ballet bun.
I make my way back downstairs where Ghost is patiently waiting by the door. “Ready?”
Grabbing my purse that’s hanging by the front door, I slide my phone in the pocket while following Ghost outside.
He stops in front of a Ford Explorer that I’ve never seen before. He grins at my confusion.
“Trigger’s new car. Lent it to me for the day.” Ghost doesn’t seem to think I need any more explanation as he clicks a button on the key fob, unlocking the doors.
I slide into the front passenger seat, cursing the Arizona heat and my need to wear a hoodie and long leggings. The overwhelming smell of leather and new car assaults my nose as I look around at all of the upgraded features.
“Put your seatbelt on,” Ghost demands, laying his cut on the backseat.
If I had the energy to respond to him I’d tell him to fuck off. I’m a big girl. I’m not stupid.
When he turns the car on, the big touch screen head unit comes to life. I balk at the small 99 degrees in the top corner. What possessed me to wear a hoodie today, I will never know.
Ghost whips the car out of Maria and Tank's neighborhood, turning right to head into the city. I rest my forehead against the window, letting the ice cold air conditioning cool me down.
I watch out the window as the town that I have lived in and loved my entire life speeds past us. The red mountains in the distance seem so far yet so close. We pass the famous Desert Rose sign at the entrance of town. The beautiful greenery and flowering bushes surrounding it are thriving even in this heat.
Twenty minutes later, Ghost pulls the SUV into a parking garage next to the medical building.
I try not to flinch as Ghost puts his hand to my upper back, guiding me to the elevators that will take us to the bridge between buildings.
Dr. Murphy’s office is a serene place, and the first thing I notice when we walk in is the meditation music playing over the sound system. There is a wall fountain between a few chairs in the waiting area. A round coffee table with neat stacks of magazines about various medications sits in front of a set of chairs, and a few framed posters of pregnant women doing yoga line the walls.
