Concept : a girl and her daughter against the world with her toxic baby daddy, but she ends up finding someone who can take care of her and her daughter. He is a tall chipotle bag with dreads. She didn't know if she could trust him but she gave him...
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The next day, Amara couldn't stop thinking about Hakeem. She decided to swing by his place to check on him, wanting to make sure he was healing up okay. She grabbed her keys and headed out, feeling a mix of concern and anticipation.
Pulling up to Hakeem's house, Amara knocked on the door lightly before letting herself in. "Hakeem? It's me," she called out, stepping inside.
Hakeem's voice came from the living room. "In here, babe."
She walked in to find him sprawled on the couch, remote in hand, a slight grimace on his face as he shifted to sit up. "Hey, you," she greeted, smiling despite her worry.
Hakeem's face lit up when he saw her. "Hey. You didn't have to come, but I'm glad you did."
She dropped her bag and walked over, sitting next to him. "Of course I did. How you feeling?"
"Better," he said, though his wince betrayed the truth. "Just sore, you know?"
Amara gently lifted his shirt to check the bandages. "Yeah, I can see that. These look okay, but you need to take it easy."
Hakeem nodded, his eyes never leaving her face. "I will. Promise."
She brushed a hand through his curls, her touch tender. "Good. I brought you some food, too. Figured you could use a decent meal."
"You're a lifesaver," he said, smiling. "What'd you bring?"
"Just some of your favorites," she replied, getting up to grab the bag from the kitchen. "Fried chicken, mac and cheese, and those biscuits you like."
Hakeem's stomach growled at the mention, and he chuckled. "You know me too well."
As they sat together eating, they fell into easy conversation, the stress of the previous day slowly melting away. Amara kept a close eye on him, making sure he didn't overdo it.
"You know, you really scared me yesterday," she admitted between bites. "Seeing you like that... I don't ever want to go through that again."
Hakeem reached out, taking her hand. "I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to worry you. But I'm okay now, thanks to you."
Amara squeezed his hand. "Just promise me you'll be careful. We got a lot to look forward to, and I need you around for all of it."
He nodded, his gaze sincere. "I promise. We got a lot of plans, and I'm not going anywhere."
They finished their meal, and Amara helped him clean up, making sure he stayed off his feet as much as possible. When they finally settled back on the couch, she snuggled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder.
As they watched TV, Hakeem pulled her closer, his arm wrapped around her. "Thanks for coming over, Amara. Means a lot."
"Anytime," she replied, her voice soft. "You're stuck with me, Hakeem."
"Good," he said, kissing the top of her head. "That's exactly where I want to be."
The day passed peacefully, and Amara was grateful to see Hakeem's strength returning. She knew they'd face more challenges ahead, but for now, being together was enough.
