All the King's Men ( An Urban Love Story )

♟Mama Dee♟

"Hey, Mama Dee,"

Marquis greeted the woman who'd just stepped from behind the curtain after welcoming herself into the room.

Jaden tried to remove herself from Desmond's hold, but he kept her still, as he watched his mother evaluate the room.

She gave a graceful smile before speaking, "Desmond, it's been so long since you've come to visit, I almost don't even recognize you." She paused. "How are you feeling, son?"

Desmond shook his head slowly as a smile formed across his face, "I'm good Ma, it's nice to see you too." He turned to Jaden, "Jaden, this is my mother."

"Our mother," Jace corrected him.

Jaden waved at the woman who stood several inches taller than her and with cocoa brown skin, dark curly hair like Jace's, and those golden-brown eyes he and Desmond share. As Jaden nervously observed the woman, she noticed a scar on her cheek that went up to her ear.

"Jaden, it's nice to meet you." She paused, and smiled "I'm Doreen, the mother of these two knuckleheads, and godmother to the other knucklehead."

The three men snickered.

Jaden released her nerves, "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Doreen. I've heard great things about you."

"Well, good to know the boys aren't out here slandering my good name." she looked over to Jace, "Jaceon, will you and Marquis get me a cup of coffee from downstairs?"

The two men nodded and quietly left, knowing better than to say no.

Jaden grabbed her purse to leave as well before being stopped, "Jaden, will you stay, please?" The woman asked.

Once the door shut the room was quiet.

Doreen sat down in the chair next to Desmond's bed and sighed, "Why do I have to hear from the streets that you've been shot, and by one of Franks people at that?" She shook her head.

"It's been a lot goin on, Ma."

"So I've heard. Chelle didn't wanna tell me everything, but she said I needed to talk to you myself. I'm sure your father's heard more than me the way everything gets back to him."

Chelle, Jaden thought to herself, "Mama told you?"

Doreen smirked, showing where Desmond got that mischievous smile.

"Pope's nig— Franks men are the only ones dumb enough to try me like that, everyone else know better than to play with me." Desmond chuckled, "I ain't even know who Mama was until recently."

"Michelle and I go way back," Doreen announced. "Why I gotta have everybody else tell me about my sons?"

Doreen glared at Desmond waiting for his response, suddenly her eyes softened when she landed on the ultrasound photo in his lap, "Is that..." her eyes moved to Jaden and a smile grew on her face, "are you pregnant?"

Jaden looked at Desmond, nervous to answer.

"We're havin a baby, Ma." Desmond said proudly, holding Jaden's hand, "and I've asked Jaden to be my wife. I'll tell you that myself."

Doreen's eyes filled with tears, "Congratulations. When is my grandbaby due?"

"December 31st," Jaden told her, picking up the ultrasound to show her.

Doreen hugged her as tears fell from both of their eyes.

A knock on the door pulled them from their moment.

Jace came in with the coffee. He noticed his mother's tear-filled face and saw her holding the photo, "So they told you about my niece," he smiled.

"You mean nephew," Desmond corrected.

"Y'all do too much, knowing it's too early for all that," Jaden said, still wiping her face.

"How far along are you?" Their mother asked.

"6 weeks."

Jace thought back and laughed, "Antigua was lit, huh."

"The birthday trip?" Doreen asked, looking at her son.

Jaden hadn't done the math to think about it. She covered her face in embarrassment.

"Where's Quis?" Desmond asked, changing the subject, noticing he didn't come back.

"Over at the nurse's station bein a thot, imma go get him," Jace said walking back out the door.

Jaden decided to ask Doreen a question,

"Can I talk to you about some things? They told me you're a therapist."

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