ᴍᴏᴛɪᴇsʜᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴘᴋɪɴɢ (#1 ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇʟʟs ᴛʀɪʟᴏɢʏ)✓

37: Tiesha And The Birth I

Tiesha was six months pregnant when Koko gave birth.

It had been sudden. Koko was just seven months along when Lowe called, his voice shaky and panicked, telling her Koko had been rushed to the hospital.

Tiesha hadn’t wasted a second—she’d grabbed her bag and hurried over, her heart pounding in sync with the baby kicking in her belly.

When she found Lowe in the waiting area, he was pacing, pulling at his hair, muttering under his breath. “Ion know what to do, mami. We was sleeping and she screamed. It ain’t even her time yet.”

“Hey, calm down,” Tiesha said, moving closer. “She’ll be fine.”

“I can’t lose her,” Lowe blurted. “My life was finally making sense. I need to beg her—she can’t just leave me.” His voice cracked, making the desperation in his eyes even sharper.

“It’s okay, Lowe,” she reassured softly.

But the muffled sounds of Koko’s screams from the labor room weren’t helping him one bit.

“I need to know what’s going on in there. I can’t d—”

“Elijah, breathe slowly,” Tiesha cut in firmly, placing a hand on his arm. “You’re making me worried too. She’s my best friend and I know she’s strong. Nothing will happen to her or the baby.”

“You’re making my baby worried about her cousin,” she added, rubbing her round belly.

He exhaled heavily, the panic in his expression softening just slightly. “Sorry, Esther,” he whispered.

Yeah—they’d already named the baby. The ultrasound a few weeks back had revealed she was a girl. Ky’Mon had insisted on naming her Esther because, in his words, “she’s a queen.” Tiesha had decided to add “Honey” because, well, that was her Honey. Ky’Mon hadn’t complained, so the name stuck. Esther Honey Bells.

Lowe finally sank into a chair, his head leaning against the wall. But every time Koko’s screams pierced through the hospital corridors, he winced and shoved his fingers into his ears.

Then, suddenly—there it was. A tiny cry.

Lowe shot up instantly, eyes wide.

“See? Everything’s fine,” Tiesha said, relief flooding her voice.

“I can’t hear her voice no more,” Lowe muttered, gaze darting toward the labor room doors.

Just then, a nurse stepped out. Lowe grabbed her by the arm before she could pass. “What happened?”

The nurse froze, looking startled. “She’s fine. The baby is fine too.”

Lowe let go, breathing heavily, and the nurse quickly hurried away.

Moments later, the doctor emerged with a smile. “It’s a boy.”

“Fuck, I know that,” Lowe muttered under his breath.

Tiesha rolled her eyes and stepped forward. “How’s she and the baby?”

“She’s fast asleep,” the doctor said. “She only had the premature birth because of stress.”

Tiesha turned slowly toward Lowe, her gaze narrowing. He looked guilty—very guilty.