Loved By You

Thirty-eight

Maja

It had been about a month since Angelo and I had talked about us. I was currently cuddled up on the couch with my sick six years as we watched Disney movies. I looked down at Sami as she started coughing. "Come on mamas it time for your medicine," I said pulling her up. I sat her on the counter when I heard the front door ring. "I'll be right back," I said kissing her forehead before heading to the door.

I opened the door to see Dimitri looking just as bad as Sami. "Your daughter got me sick." He said sounding congested. He was pale and his nose was so red it made him look like Rudolph. I laughed before I stepped aside so he could walk in. "What's in the bags?" I asked. "Medicine, soup, fuzzy socks, tissue, and cough drops." He looked at me. "Aww, my favorites," I said making him laugh. After Dimitri left my apartment that day over a year ago he had gone back to being my best friend and we were able to co-parent amazingly. I wasn't scared to let Sami spend extended periods of time with him anymore either.

"Where's Sami?" He asked before he started having a sneezing fit. "Mama?" I heard Sami call from the kitchen. "Why don't you go sit down before you hurt yourself?" He nodded his head while I went to go give Sami her medicine. "Daddy's here," I said as I walked back in. She looked at me with a slight smile as I prepared her medicine. "Open," I said as I gave her spoonful. She cringed as she drank it making me laugh in the process.

"Go in the living room with daddy," I said as I sat her on the floor. I put the medicine away and grabbed some Gatorade for the three of us before I walked into the living room. I stopped when I saw Dimitri sprawled out on the couch with a blanket wrapped around his head. I just shook my head and handed him the Gatorade before curling up on the other couch with Sami.

--

I was knocked out on the couch when I felt like I was moving. I opened my eyes seeing Angelo carrying me. "What are you doing here? Where are we going? Where is Sami? Where's Dimitri?" I asked rapidly as I tried to get out of his hold. "Stop moving." He said before we got to my room. "Why didn't you call and tell me you and Sami were sick?" He asked as he gently laid me down on my bed. "I got a temp to cover my shift for the rest of the week," I said rolling my eyes. He smacked his lips. "I don't care about the fucking temp. You've been sick for the past three days. I could have taken off and helped take care of you two." I couldn't help but smile at that. Angelo had been really trying to make up for all the stuff that happened between us. Whether it was offering to pick me up, leaving flowers on my desk, and when I get to my office every morning there's always coffee and a little note waiting for me.

No matter what's happening at work or how busy he is once a week he sets aside time to just annoy me which I guess is today. "Angelo I'm fine it's just a stomach bug. Sami and Dimitri are already sick I'm not trying to get anyone else sick." I said with a shrug. He climbed into bed before he pulled me to him. "Well if I get sick then you'll get to take care of me. Win-win." He said snuggling up to me.

"Uh no," I said shaking my head. "I'm risking my life and you don't want to take care of me if I get sick." He said. "Nope, because I didn't ask you to be here. As for risking your life, really? It's not like I have some deadly disease it's a stomach bug." "Stop being mean cause I'm not going anywhere." He said before he turned the tv on. I eventually gave up on arguing with him and we sat in bed talking until I noticed a bruise on his side. "Where did you get that bruise?" I asked touching his side. "I bumped into my table." I had been noticing these bruises and scratches popping up on him more and more. "Angelo, you promised to be honest with me," I said looking up at him. There was something in his eyes that told me what he was about to say was bad.

Angelo

"I got into a fight," I said with a shrug. "You're saying that like it's not a big deal." She said looking at me. "Because it's not," I said in a bored tone. "Nigga..." She paused and took a breath as she grabbed the bridge of her nose. "What was the fight about?" She questioned. "Nothing important." I could tell she was about to snap but I wasn't trying to have this talk. "Angelo." She said making me sigh. "Maja when I was gone picked back up a habit that I used to do from time to time." She raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to tell me you're on drugs and you got into a fight with your drug dealer or are you a drug dealer and...." "No," I said cutting her off. "I like to fight. I go to this underground fight club type of set up. When I'm feeling stressed to the point where even talking to you doesn't help that's where I go. That's where I was last night. That's where I get the bruises." I explained. "Are you stressed right now?" She asked. "Maja..." "Are you going there tonight?" She asked. "I haven't decided yet," I said. "Do you want to get anything off your chest?" She asked tilting her head. "No," I said looking back at the tv. "Fine." She said as she got up and walked to her dresser. "What are you doing?" "Clearly you're going so I'm coming with you." My eyes widened as I looked at her.