The Love That Grew

Ch. 7 ET

Los Angeles, California

A week later

"You shouldn't feel any pain it'll be like inserting an IUD" the Dr. Carlisle reassured Jashae.

To everyone's surprise, Tahiri stayed for the whole appointment and asked to stay in the room while the embryo transfer took place, even holding onto one of Jashae's hands in the process. Although unexpected, the gesture didn't go unappreciated. Neither of the women knew how much this process would change the course of their lives.

"Y'all alright in here?" Xavier asked, popping his head into the room. The transfer had taken place a few hours ago, but the doctor instructed Jashae to lay down for a while before heading home.

"Yeah, I think today was a lot for her," Tahiri whispered, trying not to wake a sleeping Jashae. The trio were the first patients of the day, so they arrived around 6 AM, and it was now going on 11.

Xavier nodded, stepping quietly into the room. "It's been a big day for all of us," he said softly. He looked over at Jashae, who was resting peacefully, and then back at Tahiri. "Thanks for staying with her. I know it means a lot."

Tahiri smiled gently. "Of course. We're in this together, right?"

"Absolutely," Xavier agreed. He pulled up a chair and sat down next to them, ready to be there for Jashae when she woke up.

Realizing she hadn't heard from her best friend, Alexis, since the cake tasting a few weeks ago Ta decided to text her with an update

We had the embryo transfer today! 🥳🥳

You mean the surrogate had the transfer. 🤔 Congrats, though.

Alexis's passive aggressiveness wasn't hard to miss. Tahiri, not knowing where it stemmed from, didn't respond back. Instead, she texted Lourdes, who sent nothing but good vibes and encouragement through the phone.

At least someone's happy for me, she thought to herself.

"Do you two have an official wedding date in mind?" asked the flustered wedding planner. This was the couple's fourth venue, and the future Mrs. Rice hadn't been pleased with any of them yet.

"Well, if you had read the very detailed email I sent over, you would know," Tahiri pointed out with a forced smile.

Xavier, his mind on his money and time, didn't understand why he was there. He had already tuned the two women out. Both had valid points: Amber, the wedding planner, had sent over a checklist for the couple to fill out weeks ago, but Tahiri didn't fill it out until this morning, along with a long-winded email specifying what she wanted for the big day.

He didn't rearrange his schedule to hear the women bicker. There were far more important things he could be doing, like working on Peezy's new project, finalizing the studio session with EST Gee, and deciding where he wanted to spend Thanksgiving, which was quickly approaching.

Normally, he'd fly Tahiri's family out, which included her parents, grandmother, and Alexis and they'd turn the holiday into a mini vacation. The bigger holiday, Christmas, was always reserved for his family, which included his mother and stepfather. This year, since they were expanding their family, he wanted both families under one roof.

Amber's scoffing interrupted his thoughts. "Mr. Rice, let me know when you have some time to view potential wedding venues," the woman's eyes lingering a minute too long for Tahiri, who was watching nearby, annoyed.