On The Front Lines

5

"-then take the twenty-five from the FOP account and put it with the three seventy-five from the REC account. That'll give you the four we need for the next movie. This way, we'll only be coming out if pocket with one hundred thousand instead of the entire five," I explained to my financier over the phone when someone knocked on the door. "Hold on one second," I told her. "Yes, come in."

            Kayla stepped from behind the door, "Sorry to interrupt, your brothers are here," she told me.   
            "You can send them in, thank you," I said and picked the phone back up. "Yeah, let me call you back tomorrow," I said to my financier.
            "Hey Tree," Blake said as they walked in my office.
            "Sup Scrap. Hey Boobie," I said to Leon as her sat on the sofa, eyeing the chips I had on the coffee table.
            "Hey, can I have these?" He asked, pointing to the bag before picking it up.
            "Sure, why not. What's up?" I asked looking from Leon to Blake.
            "We just came to see how you're doing. We haven't seen you since daddy birthday. And I don't know about him," he pointed to Leon, "but I haven't talked to you since you touched down in Tokyo."
            "Without us, if I may add." Leon jumped in, mockingly get me.
            I rolled my eyes at him and turned to Blake, "Y'all must've forgotten how much I have going on at once. You were lucky you caught me before I left for this meeting downtown in an hour," I told them, looking at my watch.
            "It looks like she's holding it together to me," Leon said, "Call mama and tell her so we can get some real food," he told Blake then crumbled the chip bag in his hand.
            "So, y'all are here because mama told you to come check on me?" I asked, folding me arms.
            "Look, we're all worried about you, okay. We just want to make sure you really are okay, that's all."
            "Yeah, we care about you, Tree," Blake added.
            I sighed and sat in my chair, "I really am fine. I just don't need everybody asking me if I'm okay or how I'm holding up every five minutes. It's annoying as hell. He's gone, I'm adjusting and the girls are too; we're fine. When that changes, I'll be sure to tell everyone who is concerned. Until then, I just want all of you to stop worrying about-" I stopped as I started to feel sick. When I felt it coming up, I rushed to the bathroom, closing the door before throwing up in the toilet.
            "So, this is what you call being fine?" Leon asked as he stuck in his head I the door.
            "No smart ass, this is what I call the flu. It's been going around for weeks. Mani had it first, and then Lay and now I have it. Do you want it?" I asked, reaching for him.
            "You better back the hell up! I'm not playing with you," he told me, giving me his no nonsense look.
            I laughed and looked under sink for a toothbrush and toothpaste.
            "So, other than this, you're good?" Blake asked.
            "Yes and if you ask again, I'm going to have both of you thrown out."
            "Shit, you don't have to tell me twice," Leon said, moving back into the office. "All these damn germs. I'm sitting on the sofa and touching stuff," he ranted on. "Where's the hand sanitizer?"
            "I don't have any, sorry," I answered.
            "You don't have any? You nasty mutha-" he said as the door closed.
            After throwing the toothbrush away, I looked at Blake, who was staring at me with concern written across his face.
            "I'm fine, Scrap. You, and mama and daddy have nothing to worry about," I told him with a small grin.
            "Okay, but if you need anything or somebody to talk to, I want you to call me." He told me before pulling me into a quick hug. "Let me go, so fat boy can eat... again. Love you, sis."
            "Love you too, bro." I told him and he started walking out when I stopped him and threw a small bottle of sanitizer at him.
            He looked at it and smiled, "He gon' kill you," he laughed, shaking his head as he left.
            Sighing, I sat at my desk as thoughts of Jay ran through my mind. After a few minutes, I picked up my phone and called my financier back, picking up where we left off.

            "Thank you for taking the girls until this virus passes," I told Co over the phone.
            "Oh, it's no problem. I'd rather have them here than Kat, with her sick ass. She tried to kiss me this morning- girl, I almost Ochocinco'd her ass," she told me. "Ah no cuz, I couldn't do it."
            I laughed as Kat took the phone out of my hand and they started going back and forth.
            By the time I got the phone back, I was in tears laughing at these two goofballs.
            "Okay, twin, I'll call you in the morning." I told her.   
            "Okay, don't forget to send me that email."
            "I just sent it. Check your email and if you don't see it text me and I'll send it again."
            "Okay, I'll talk to you later."
            "Later," I replied before hanging up. "Y'all are a mess," I told Kat as I put my laptop on the table and grabbed the remote.
            "Do you have something sweet, sis?" Kat asked.
            I gave her a side look, "You forgot what house you in? I baked some cookies just for you; they're in the oven. If you want, there's cake in the container and brownies in the pan on the stove," I told her as she ran to the kitchen.
            "Sis, can I move in?" She asked as she came back with a plate of cookies and brownies, the milk and two cups.
            I couldn't help but laugh, "The whole gallon? Really?"

            "You have three," she told me shrugging her shoulders as she plopped down on the sofa.
            Laughing, I took the plate and sat it on the seat between us. After pouring milk in both cups, she handed me a cup then got comfortable on the other side of the sofa, her head towards the plate.
            "What's on TV," she asked before dunking a cookie in her cup.
            "The usual, nothing. You can look in the cabinet and see if there's anything in there you want to watch. I've seen everything in there so it doesn't matter to me," I told her as she got up.
            After two minutes of contemplating out loud, she finally decided on the Lion King collection. When her overly excited behind open the box, her face fell to the basement.
            "Where's the movie," she asked with her lip poked out.
            I laughed as a tear rolled down her face. "You can't be serious right now. Look at your face."
            "It's not funny, Bailey. That's the only thing I want to watch. Where is it," she growled at me.
            My eyes widened, "Girl you better chill. The movies are programmed to the TV; the boxes are for show...and a good laugh every now and then," I told her, smirking with the last part.
            "Whatever man; put the movie on," she mugged me as she sat down, getting back how she was.
            "Don't feel bad, sis. You should have seen Jays' reaction when I first did it. I told him we must've gotten robbed and they left the cases. It was funny because we were coming from a party downtown and he was wasted so it was easy to get him to believe it."
            "Awe, that's cruel."
            "He said the same thing when I showed him the video the next morning. He didn't think it was funny at all; wouldn't talk to me the entire day," I laughed at the memory; the look on his face was priceless.
            "Bailey," Kat yelled.
            "Yes?"
            "I said start the movie. I don't know how to work this high tech TV. Don't make no damn sense," she said and threw the remote at my leg.
            "Ouch! Why wou- you know what, you figure it out," I told her and tossed it back then picked up a cookie.

            "Twin, I'm telling you, the stomach flu doesn't last for almost a month. You're making yourself sick worrying about Jay Jay; you need to be here," Courtney told me.
            "I told you-"
            "I don't care, Bailey! You passed out in the middle of rehearsal, so as of now, I'm not accepting that 'I'm fine' bullshit."
            Before I could respond, there was a knock on the door before the doctor came in.
            "Well, Mrs. Hampton, your results are back a-"
            "And..." Co asked, impatiently.
            The doctor looked at her then back at me, "You're pregnant," she told me with a smile.
            "Pregnant?" Co and I both asked, shocked.
            "Doc, this must be a mistake. I can't be pregnant; the last time I had sex was the night before Jay left. That was what...over a month ago" I explained.
            "You're about four weeks so it adds up," she told me then looked at her watch. "I have to get to a meeting but if you have any questions, give me a call, okay?"
            "Yeah, thank you Dr. Morris."
            "No problem, I'll see you in a few weeks. Tera will call you with the details," she said before leaving the room.
            "Twin, if you need a minute or two, I'll go get the car."
            I looked at her and shook my head, "No, I'm fine. Let's go," I told her as I pulled my purse on my shoulder and walked out to the car.