Hood Love. The Roc and Vanessa Diaries

Chapter Three: Homecoming

This is the last chapter that will be structured in this form. The rest of the chapters will be in the sense of you're Roc and you're doing the things as he's saying them. It sounds weird but it'll make sense when it gets that way.

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Roc's POV

I hadn't even touched her yet and I was already crying. I hadn't gotten to hold her yet and I was already so emotional.

"Aww Dad," a nurse smiled at me and handed me a little balloon, someone had brought a balloon, a bright pink helium filled balloon that had a brown little baby with curly hair on it. And the words: It's A Girl!

I wiped my eyes as she said that. I was a dad. This baby belonged to me. Her life was in my hands. The paths she chose in her life would be up to her, but as her parent, perhaps the only parent she would meet in life, I would be a huge influence on her.

"Have you held her yet?" The nurse asked me.

I shook my head, "No," I wipe my eyes, "This is my first time seeing her."

"Ohh," she said knowingly. She left for a moment and returned with a chair which she sat next to a rocking chair that was in a corner away from all the small nursery beds.

She picked up my baby and walked over to the chair and sat down. "Come on dad," she put a hand on the rocking chair and I walked over.

I sat down and stared at the little creature in the nurse's arms. She had her eyes squinched shut but she moved her hands a lot so I knew she was awake.

"Okay, now pretend you're holding like a football. You're gonna cradle her in your arm like this," she demonstrated while holding my baby and I copied her.

"Alright," she smiled at me shortly then placed my baby in my arms.

The moment she did I shifted my hands quickly so I wouldn't drop her. She was so tiny and fear that I might drop her creeped into my soul. But I knew I would never let that happen. I'd held babies before but this was different. My baby was so warm and soft. She held her eyes shut but not as tight. That was until she began to cry.

She sounded like a kitten. A tiny little kitten that was scared and wanted comfort. Instantly, I panicked. "What's wrong with her?" I looked frantically at the nurse who laughed slightly.

"She's just hungry," she got up and returned with a small bottle with a thick yellowy liquid. "Her mama loved her extremely. She asked that whatever the circumstance she wanted her breastfed. Once the surgeon cleared that it was okay, we obtained some of her breastmilk through pumping."

I barely got any of that besides the fact that Bre had wanted to breastfeed my baby no matter what.

"Okay then, lets start feeding." She handed me the bottle and took the top off.

I lifted my baby up closer to me and placed the bottle in her mouth, it was slightly warm, but she seemed to accept it.

She ate quickly and finished the bottle in a minute, but she cried as soon as I took the bottle from her mouth.

"Burping time," the nurse said to me.

"Isn't she still hungry?" I was confused.

She shook her head, "She's more crying because she's gassy, and she's used to a pacifier. She had one all night."

"Oh," there was so much about her and I didn't know anything.

The nurse helped me burp and subsequently change her, and then lay her in the infant bed to sleep.

*****

Lolo's POV

"I should be home in a couple days." I said into the phone.

"You sure? Prince is surprisingly good with babies, were just chilling." Ray laughed.

"Yeah I'm sure, The doctors don't think she'll wake up any time soon. And with Roc taking the baby," I trailed off in a yawn that turned into tears. "What if she never wakes up?"

"You can't think that way," Ray said to me softly, "If you do you'll never think she'll come back to us."

"You didn't see her Ray," I cried to him, "She looks horrible."

"But she isn't dead," he reminded me, "And the doctor said there is a chance she'll wake up. You have to stay hopeful if not for you, than for the baby."

I sighed, "Roc's taking her."

"Oh," he said slightly off, "Really?"

"Yeah," I nodded and walked around the room, looking for any stray clothing or toys. "It's," I didn't even finish when I heard a knock at my door.

"I get! I get!" Cruz hopped off the little couch in the room and ran to the door.

"No sir," I said to him before he could touch the handle. I handed him my phone, "Talk to daddy." I swiftly walked to the door and opened it.

"Lo," Roc's eyes widened and he started rushing, "Can you watch Nessa so I can get he stuff from the post office? It won't be more than an hour I swear I'll be back really quick. I don't want her alone in the hospital for too long. You can arrive whenever I'll be with her I just don't want her to be alone when I get her stuff."

He rushed through it so fast I had to take in what he said before giving him a strange look, "What?" He asked as I stared at him.

"You knew you were coming? For the baby?"

"No." He said simply, "I knew she was here, I got her stuff and I was gonna tell you to tell her. But since I got her now I still need to get her stuff."

I didn't know what to say and he began to fidget, "If you want to pick it up instead you can, I just want to get back to her."

"Fine, whatever," I shrugged and gave him a short glare.

He didn't wait for me to say anything more, he shouted a quick goodbye before heading to the elevators and disappearing.

******

Roc's POV

I watched as the nurse changed her clothes. She had on an all yellow onesie and pink socks.

It was surreal seeing her again, and it felt like a high in my mind as they set her in the carseat and covered her with a blanket.

It was surreal watching the nurse help me put the carseat in the back of the cab.

It was surreal staring into Mr. Carter's eyes and trying to get him to believe that I would protect his granddaughter and not harm her in anyway.

It was surreal to get my jaw punched again, Myles carried so much anger towards me, but I couldn't blame him.

It was surreal getting in the backseat of the cab with all my stuff and Nessa's stuff I the trunk and on the seat beside me.

It was surreal pushing her stroller through the airport with Cruz and Lolo trailing me.

It was surreal doing everything, except one. I visited her one last time. I laid Nessa on her chest and watched as her heart beat faster and Nessa breathed deeper.

It broke my heart. This baby knew her mother's voice I'm sure, but it would only be a memory. She wouldn't remember this woman because she would never wake up.

My baby would grow up without a mother, her real mother, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Poisonous bricks that killed me slowly. It broke me, and everything seemed to change.

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I'm sorry it's taken so long for this chapter. So much has gone on and writer's block is a bitch made in hell. But I'm still going, I've been caught up in another story I'm writing on the side. Also, like said before the structure of the story will change but you'll get a hang of it quickly.

I may do casting calls soon for this story and for NBAG. Just so you all can feel more included in the story.