ICU TOO

Chapter Thirty-Five

Devale

"Can I get a milkshake?" Terrell asked looking at the menu of the restaurant we were at.

The weekend is almost over for us and Crystal decided it's time to tell Terrell about Rachel. It's not a conversation that is found to be easy to have but we have to have it.

I don't know Terrell is going to handle it. I don't want him to shut down but I also don't want him to be angry. It's not going to do anything but harm him if he become evil to every mother figure he encounters. That's what's happening between him and Crystal.

"You guys are acting weird." Terrell said stirring his water. "What's going on? Is it about my mom?" He asked.

Crystal and I started looking at each other. She become nervous moving in her seat.

"Yeah it is about your mom." I tell him. "And it's very hard to say but something has come up and you might have to go stay with your mom for a little bit." J said making him frown.

"But that's not— I thought you and Crystal were going to be my new mom and dad?" He asked sibling in his seat. "I don't wanna go with Rachel. I hate her!" He announced loudly making people look at him.

"That's not nice." I said shaking my head. "She's trying. She's really is." I said.

"Devale please." Crystal mumbled.

"What?"

"We don't really know how she's doing. You don't talk to her everyday." She said making me squint.

Our goal here was to make Terrell feel open and comfortable about living with Rachel. Not make him scared and unsure. She's backing out for no reason that I can think of.

"I'm not stupid. I know my momma has problems." Terrell said looking at him water. "That's why she's not ready to be my mom again." He said.

"And what if she was? Would you still want to go with her-"

"No!" Terrell quickly responded. "I want to stay." He said pushing himself away from the table.

He got up and rushed out the restuarant. Crystal sighed and got up.

"I got it." She said following after him.

I leaned back and ran my hands over my face. My phone started ringing in my pocket. I pulled out and sucked my teeth as I answered the call.

"You got a lot of nerve call me right now."

"Devale I'm sorry." Rachel said. "I was gonna tell you. I swear." She said.

I shook my head. "No you weren't. You would've said something when you were at the house." I tell her.

"So it's a problem with me wanting my son back?"

"No it's a problem when you don't communicate with the people who are taking care of him. We're friends Rachel. I thought we were." I said softly.

She sighed. "We are friends D, it's nothing personal. I want you and Crystal in his life still. But I'm ready for him to come home." She told me. "You said you saw that I was getting better. I'm healthier, I'm sober-"

"So you want a fucking cookie for not being a crackhead?" I ask catching looks from different people.

"You know what, Morris said you were gonna have a problem giving Terrell up." She said with an attitude. "I didn't think me wanting to better my life would be a problem with you but since it is fuck you." She spat at me.