ALL MINE 2

twenty

Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe leaving Syracuse and coming to Brooklyn was a bad idea. The tension was thick inside the private waiting area. Solana and Grant sat inside with Dominick, Diane, Big Mama, Braylon, and DJ, who were there to support Dominique.

Things were still pretty rocky between Grant and his father. They never bothered to end their beef. Instead, they decided to take the snubbing route. When Grant walked in, he greeted everyone, but his dad and Dominick didn't seem to acknowledge him or Solana.

There wasn't much to say or do at the moment. Solana sat beside her man, shifting in her seat as she tried her best to keep her composure. She wanted to leave—the young woman kept envisioning herself grabbing her things and running out of the door, never to return. Being around Dominick's cold energy was draining.

Dominique popped up in her mind several times, reminding her why she was there. Solana had to be there for her girl. She looked at her as a close friend, a sister. When Solana was down and dealing with her mom, Dominique came to her rescue and picked her up. Not only did she do that, but she invited her to stay at The Robinson's house during the holidays, giving her a chance to relax and catch her breath. She was forever thankful for that.

The entire family was sitting around, waiting for someone to step in and let them know the status of Dominique, she was in surgery. They knew she was in a car accident but had no idea what really happened. However, the staff told them she was alive but in surgery due to having a few broken ribs.

"Maybe we should go and get something to eat," Diane announced, glancing at Big Mama and Gem. She quickly glanced at the rest of the people in the room. "I'm sure everyone can stand to put something on their stomach."

Both Big Mama and Gem agreed but Dominick was quick to put a stop to their plans.

"Just get the food delivered." He rasped in a calm tone. "You need to be here in case the doctor comes in."

"We'll be quick." Diane objected, eyeing her husband. "Besides, we could use some fresh air." She eased her eyes on Solana. She was busy leaning against Grant, who was showing her something on his phone. "Solana?"

Solana glanced at the woman, now alert and waiting for her to continue.

"Do you want to join us?"

Solana glanced at Grant. For some reason, she felt the need to see how he felt about her leaving with his mama. Grant nodded, wanting her to go. He knew she was having a hard time being there around his dad. Feeling a little relieved, she stood up and left with the woman who promised to be back soon.

As soon as they stepped outside the private room, Diane tossed her arm around Solana and squeezed her lightly as they walked down the hallway. She sighed and said, "I had to get out of that room. It's not easy sitting around and waiting for news, you know."

"Yeah." Solana agreed. The affection Diane showed her was a little awkward. She wasn't used to being hugged unless it was by Grant. Receiving love from a person with maternal instincts was...rare. She didn't know how to feel about it. "It felt like I was holding my breath the entire time."

"Me too." Diane concurred glancing at Solana. "I don't know what Nique was thinking. Driving a Corvette that fast in the middle of the street like that."

The smell of Diane's strong perfume tangoed around Solana's nostrils. The woman smelled so good, she didn't mind her being close to her. Her hygiene routine was perfect.

Solana looked her way and asked, "It was a Corvette?"

"Yeah, one of those old models," Diane answered.