Still Waters

Chapter 54

"Shayna, it's Drama," I handed him the phone.

I can't describe everything that I felt right then. All at the same time.

"Thank God. Thank you, God. Thank you..." I reached my arms past Rob and straight to my baby. Jasmine handed her to me, her eyes traveling all the way down my bloody pants and back up to my face. Drama's eyes did the same.

"Mommeee!" Sammie threw her arms up and screamed, like I was her favorite cartoon character.

"My baby." I squeezed her so tight. I never wanted to let her go. "Thank you Jesus. My baby..." Tears started to pour. I couldn't stop them. "Thank you God. Thank you Jesus. Thank God...thank God..." I squeezed her tighter. She hugged me back. She thought I was just happy to see her.

She had absolutely no idea. No idea. None...

Drama hung up with Shayna and put the phone in his pocket. "You alright, shorty?" I was still in the closet, and Drama was standing by the door, careful not to make me feel blocked in.

Shayna must have told him.

I couldn't do anything but hug my baby. I was so grateful. And that's all I felt.

Gratitude.

"Hey," Drama put his hand lightly on my arm. "Are you ok?"

The tears just kept coming. I couldn't do anything but close my eyes and hug her tight.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard the back door open and close. The footsteps creaking up the stairs slightly registered as Drama turned from me and took a more protective stance in front of us. I was vaguely aware of Jasmine taking my arm and pulling me away from the closet and away from the doors that had held me captive a few minutes before.

"It's ok," she whispered and put a calming hand on the baby's back. Sammie could feel me tense up and she had done the same. "Look at me. Natasha," she put a firmer grip on my arm. "It's ok. Stop crying. Look at me." I looked at her and tried to stop the tears. "Everything's ok. Give me the baby." I shook my head no and looked into her eyes. "Natasha," she let go of me and put her other hand on the baby, "give me the baby." I shook my head no again and held on tighter. She nodded yes and didn't break eye contact with me. "Collin's here, and we're not leaving without you. Both of you."

She slid the baby out of my arms as my whole body froze up. Then she went to stand further away from the door.

"It's ok," she whispered one more time to both me and the baby as the footsteps grew closer. She kissed the top of Sammie's head and patted her back. Sammie put her head down on Jasmine's chest and her eyes got sleepy.

My baby had literally no idea.

"What the fuck," Collin declared as he walked into the room, wearing a clean shirt, and found himself face to face with Drama. Drama didn't move or say anything until Collin looked past him and at me. "What the fuck are they doing here?" Then he saw Jasmine holding the baby. "Aw shit." He chuckled. "Hell is this?"

"Be easy, bro." Drama put a hand up. "Natasha called us. You scared her."

Collin looked skeptically at him, then he looked at me. "You did?"

Drama answered for me. "She did." He maintained a steady gaze with Collin. "She was crying and afraid when we got here." He stared into Collins eyes. For some reason, Drama had always been the one person that Collin never wanted to cross. It dawned on me then that maybe it wasn't that Collin was afraid of him, but recognized that Drama was...covered...when Jasmine's story of how her husband never went into her sister's house briefly crossed my mind. "Everything alright, bro?"