Onika, a single mother, is desperate to find a cure for her daughter's mysterious illness. Just as hope fades, she meets Dr. Beyoncé Knowles, a determined doctor who refuses to give up.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Onika Maraj Queens, New York October 18, 2024
I was standing in Amora's room, packing her bag, feeling like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Amora had been so sad since Beyoncé told her she was leaving yesterday.
She hadn't been eating much, and every time I tried to get her to eat, she just pushed the plate away. The doctors said she could go home soon if she stayed stable, but right now, I was struggling to keep her spirits up.
All I could think about was whether Beyoncé would come and see her before she left today. She needed to.
I sighed, folding another one of Amora's shirts when the doorbell rang. My heart skipped a beat. Maybe it was her.
Maybe she came to say goodbye, to make things right with Amora. I quickly headed downstairs, but when I looked through the peephole, my face dropped.
Jayceon. Instant Headache.
I rolled my eyes, already annoyed. I opened the door, glaring at him. "What the fuck do you want, Jayceon?"
"I wanna talk," he said, looking at me like he had something serious to say, but I wasn't in the mood.
I stepped aside, letting him in with a sharp sigh. "Make it quick. I don't have time for this shit, I gotta go." I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall as I stared at him, bored.
He looked at me for a second, then stepped closer.
"I wanna be a family again," he said, like that was supposed to fix everything. "I wanna be there for you and Amora."
I couldn't help it—I fucking laughed in his face. "You? A family?" I scoffed. "You're barely even here now, Jayceon. Amora's been in the hospital, and you hardly ever there, only me. She's been awake, and you don't even know."
His expression hardened, and he shot back defensively, "How the hell was I supposed to know if you didn't call me?"
That did it. My patience snapped, and I stepped up, getting in his face.
"Call you? You're her fucking father, Jayceon! No one should have to call you to tell you how to be a goddamn dad! You should've been there from the fucking beginning!"
He crossed his arms, glaring right back. "That's not fair, Nicki. I've got a lot going on too. You act like I'm not dealing with shit."
"You? What about me, bitch?" I yelled, feeling the anger rise.
We kept going back and forth, neither one of us backing down. The tension between us was thick, and the longer we argued, the more I realized this wasn't going anywhere.
Same shit, different day. He never listened.
"Just fucking leave, Jayceon," I said, exasperated. "I don't have time for your excuses."
