2 months later..
"Yes babe, everything went good. Shes right on track with her percentile, she's almost 12 pounds, she smiled at Dr Pearl the entire time. I think she remembers her voice" Fatima smiled while she sat in the backseat of her mothers sedan. She looked over at Jurnee, steadily chewing her little fist. Fatima laughed a little, gently pinching her chubby cheek enough for her to flash her mama a gummy grin. "Sounds like to me you're kicking ass at this mommy thing, which I tell you all the time. I know she took them shots like a G" Zac smiled on the other end of the phone. "Oh you know it. Ain't make a peep" Fatima laughed as she warmed a bottle for Jurnee in the instant bottle warmer gifted to her by Jasmine. "How did your appointment go?" she asked and removed the bottle after 40 seconds, shaking it a little and testing it in the back in her hand before wedging pass Jurnee's hand and into her mouth. Fatima smiled at her daughter's small coos as she hungrily ate.
"Oh yeah, my chest has pretty much made a full recovery. My ankle is good, a little swollen but good..same with my arm" she could heard his grin through the phone. "There's no infections and my body responded well to everything babe. I'm ready to get back to the office and come home to my babies everyday" he nearly sung.
Since Jurnee's arrival, the events of that day have yet to be revealed. Fatima was so caught up in being a new mother while nursing a cesarean incision, trying to remain active in her online classes; even though her professors have begged her to actually take a break on her break and keeping an eye on Zac, she hadnt bothered the issue.
Other than a nurse on her way in from break, noticing Zac slumped over, wet, roughed up and battered sitting in a wheelchair by the entrance, no other details had been provided. Zac could only remember his brakes going out while driving over the bridge and the blacked out truck slamming into the back of him. Outside of being thrown around, the next thing he remembered was waking up in a hospital room.
Zac and Fatima talked and laughed a little more until Jurnee finished her bottle and needed to be burped. As Zac spoke in her ear, she watched a girl dressed in teal scrubs get out of a black truck parked adjacent to where they were. Her wild curly black hair jogged Fatima's memory.
"Um babe, let me call you back" she said while she mentally prepared a plan. The sound of Zac sucking his teeth made her roll her eyes "Nah..what you sound like that for? What are you doing Fatima?"
"What Zac? What are you talking about? I need to change Jurnee anyway, text me what you want for dinner if it's not to the house"
"Not uh! Don't rush me off the phone, you couldnt wait to have my baby so you could go get into shit"
"Zac! I'm not getting into anything! Now, text me if your hungry" Fatima watched the entrance of the store to make sure the woman didn't leave. "Yeah whatever, I love you woman" Zac said behind a grin. Doing the same, Fatima said "I love you too" and then line disconnected.
Motherhood calling, Fatima firmly patted her baby's back as she softly bounced her on her shoulder until she burped. With her free hand, she reached into the diaper bag between her feet and grabbed a folded blanket to spread across her lap. After smoothing it out, she grabbed a diaper and some wipes before she laid Jurnee down.
"There goes mamas pretty girl" Fatima beamed at her daughter as she began to change her. Once she was done, she discarded her trash and cleaned up the back seat before kissing all over Jurnee's cheeks. She placed her back on her seat, securing her just as Mama Carrol opened the car door. "Hey ma, is it okay if I run in the store really quick? There's something I forgot to pick up earlier" she thought fast. "Oh no problem baby, Jurnee's on her way to sleep anyway"
___________________
When Fatima made it into the inside of the convenient store, she smiled and nodded at clerk all while still watching her surroundings. She slowly breezed through each aisle, looking for the girl from the parking lot.
"Bingo" Fatima whispered to herself, seeing the back of those teal scrubs standing not too far from her.
Fatima squinted as a playful smile spread across her face. "Tierra?" she asked, walking closer towards the her.
Tierra froze like a deer in highlights before turning around. "Oh uh, hey Fatima" Tierra spoke nervously. She was holding a cup of coffee in her hand and Fatima could see the liquid slightly shaking in the cup from where she stood. She looked back at Tierra, in confusion because it was after 3pm and the sight of her holding this fresh coffee seemed off.
"You good?" Fatima asked, actually concerned as she moved a little closer to her. She looked like she hadn't slept good in a while.
"Yeah, I'm straight" Tierra turned around to mix 5 packets of sugar into her cup. "Hm, okay.." Fatima said, not buying whatever Tierra thought she was selling. She could feel Tierra's stand-off energy.
"When I was discharged, I saw your name had been crossed out on my charts..what was that about? I told you things are cool with us. We aren't besties or anything but I mean.." she shrugged making Tierra sigh loud enough to cut Fatima off.
Tierra sat her hot cup on the counter to grab the pen from her shirt pocket and a napkin from the counter top. Fatima watched her as she quickly scribbled.
"I'm on my lunch so I don't have the time to explain but if you meet me at this here, I'll tell you everything you want to know. I get off at 6"
Fatima blankly stared, blinking at her. "Oh. You're serious?"
"Fatima, please and Im not on any funny shit." she waved the napkin a little making Fatima squint at her again. "Don't try me, little girl"
"Fatima.." Tierra smacked her lips, "Please"
Fatima took a breath and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling before she took a step close enough to take the napkin from Tierra's hand.
"And I know you wasn't on any funny shit." she said, cocking her right brow before reading over the paper before sticking it in her pocket. "I see your number. I'll let you know" Fatima said plainly before she began to walk away "Thank you Fatima, for real" Tierra said making Fatima stop and look at her. She thought it seemed like a weird thing to say but then again, she had no idea what Tierra could have written.
After Fatima grabbed a few random snacks, she paid and made her way back to her mother's car. Jurnee was asleep and Carrol was on the phone with Zac's mom. Fatima laughed at their conversation a little before looking over at her sleeping baby. As bad as she wanted to leave Tierra hanging, she remembered the reaction she had when she seen her. Fatima got the vibe like she was nervous the entire time.
"What if that bitch trying to play me though?" Fatima said to herself, "She know I just had a baby" she thought for minute and a light bulb went off in her head.
Pulling out her phone, she went right to Tiffany's contact.
"Hey girl!" Fatima said, so excited to talk to her friend until she heard what Tiffany said next. She rolled her eyes and smiled before finishing "Yes, your baby is doing fine. Her appointment went good but listen what are you doing tonight after 6?...Mhm.." Fatima smiled and nodded, "Perfect...uh don't worry about Zac, okay? I got that.."Fatima said, sticking her tongue out.
"You worry about Cam" they laughed together "and by at my house by 6. Oh and wear your black..you know, just in case"
_____________
y'all remember Tiffany?
