Her Boys [Oneshots]

Hospital visit

After a lot of consideration we've decided to put João in school. He's not the brightest but that's what school is for. He also needs some help with his English. We. . . Well I was homeschooling him with the aid of a traveling teacher but Jamie and I agreed that he needs to interact with other children his age instead of being up under us all the time. We're not doing anything but hurting him. Today is his first day and while I'm excited I'm also nervous. He's never been away from us for so long.

"How did you sleep?" I smiled feeling Jamie wrap his arms around my waist as he hugged me from behind.

"Good baby, how did you sleep?"

"Not that well"

"Why not?" I turned off the stove and turned to face him.

"My dad"

"How's he doing?"

"My mom said he had a heart attack." My heart softened seeing the hurt look in his eyes.

"Aw baby, is he okay?"

"In the hospital. I didn't want to leave in the middle of the night."

"Go baby. Go get dressed. I'll make you something to eat. Hurry." I tried to push him out the kitchen to get dressed so I could drive him but he didn't move.

"You don't want to see him like that, huh"

"That and I'm a dad now. I can't miss my sons first day of school. I promised myself I'd be better than my parents. That means being there, you know?"

"I know but he can go tomorrow. This is serious. Go get dressed and bring João down please" He nodded going upstairs. To be honest, I wasn't ready for João to start today anyway.

I decided to scrap the whole special big breakfast for the first day and just make something fast. I made some Uji for João and myself and some coffee for Jamie.

"Baby!"

"Yeah" his soft spoken voice made me frown. I wasn't used to this.

"Are you hungry? Should I make you something?"

"Coffee is fine, my love. Thank you"

I figured he wouldn't have an appetite. I packed Joey some snacks as I already know today will be a long day and the last thing I need is my little busy body complaining about how hungry he is.

Speaking of my adorable little devil. He was on Jamie's hip in a sweatshirt with sleep lines on the side of his face.

"Go to Mama" Jamie put him down once they came down the steps. João stood in place rubbing his eyes. Seeing that he was still in his zombie phase I packed our food to go.

He began to whine pulling on Jamie's clothes.

"Cut it out." João let go of him and looked at me with teary eyes.

"I want you to cry, and I'll give you something to cry about. Go to mama, I said" he shuffled over to me, pulling on my shirt as he hid behind me.

I know he was just tired and wanted to be held. I picked him up and began looking for my kanga.

"I know. I know baby, shh"

I had so many yet I couldn't find one. I found a long black headscarf and I figured that would work just fine. I held João in my arms as I tucked it into my travel bag. I had to get some work done. I was behind on a few cases.

"He's too big-"

"Shush and go warm the car please." Without a word he grabbed the keys and did as I asked. Once I had everything I put some water into our water bottles and carried it out to the car. I buckled João in before getting in the driver's seat.

"Where are you going?" I asked Jamie when he got out the car.

"He doesn't have shoes" I looked back at João, he only had his socks on.

Jamie got in and put Joãos shoe on the floor in front of him.

"I'm sure he's okay, baby" I held my hand out for him to hold but he didn't move.

"Don't wanna hold my hand?" He didn't answer so I figured he didn't want to be bothered. I put my hand in my own lap Wonder how today was going to go. Jamie's upset, João's grumpy, Papa is ill and ugh. That woman is going to be there. Fuck me.

"Can you hold my hand?" He asked quietly.

"No" I glanced at him with a smile.

"I'm just playing, of course I can hold your hand" I held his hand, kissing the back of it.

"I'm scared, Amina"

"I know. It's okay to be scared."

"I don't know what I'd do without him"

"My business will collapse. We'll be poor. Our baby will be taken away from us."

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Being so negative. Your business won't collapse, we won't go broke. . .ever again. Don't even speak that into existence, we've been broke all our lives and João won't be taken from us. It'll be alright. Come on"

-

Only one family member was allowed at a time so Jamie and his mom switched and she came out and sat next to me.

"Hi"

"Hey, how are you?" I asked and she shook her head.

"I'm okay. Can I hold him?" Of course she just wanted João. He whined when I tried to wake him up.

"He's whiny just like my Jamie." She smiled.

"Nonna wants to hold you" He shook his head putting his face in the crook of my neck.

Once he began dozing off again I put him in her lap. He didn't sleep too well last night. He was really upset about going to school so it took him a while to go to sleep. His bedtime is seven but he went to bed around ten or eleven.

"Wake up. You sleep like you have a full time job." That was so true.

"Your mommy needs to take care of this mess" she began playing in his hair.

I ignored her. I took some time to learn how to but I got it down now. I opened my laptop and began to respond to my clients through an encrypted emailing service.

"Amina"

"Yes"

"He's hungry"

"Here baby, eat for mommy, please. I put a lot of honey." I handed him his bowl and spoon.

I cut my eyes at my mother in law when she took it from him.

"What is this? It looks like sludge."

"It's uji. It's my favorite." I smiled seeing him perk up a bit.

"What's uji?"

"Oatmeal from Africa. Only mommy knows how to make it." He's so adorable.

"It's not Oatmeal from Africa my love. Say Kenya because Africa is a continent and all African cultures and countries aren't the same. And it's porridge not Oatmeal."

"Porridge from Kenya"

"Very good. Eat for mommy"

I cringed when he held his spoon in his fist like Jamie did.

"No Joey" he looked up with food all over his mouth.

"Hold it right" I showed him how to hold the spoon and sighed when he held it the way he wanted to.

"Leave him, no point in fighting, boys will be boys" I didn't like it, but let it go hoping that he grows out of this.

"So, Are you and Jamie trying for more babies"

"That's funny, I thought you said you didn't want your son getting me pregnant."

"Come on, why are we bringing up the past. I love João, I'm just asking if I can expect another one anytime soon. "

"No you cannot." I put my headphones on and continued responding to emails. I didn't have time for this today.