White Knight [Editing]

42.

I woke up to laughing around me. As my eyes fluttered open, I saw my girls, Bryan, and Slim all playing monopoly.

I couldn't exactly see them because my vision was blurry, but there voices were loud. "You cheater!" Jet said, then Bryan joined in, "Yeah, Slim, you a whole cheater."

As my vision cleared up, I saw I was right. I knew a monopoly game when I heard one.

Bryan looked good. He looked stronger than the last time I saw him. The blood transfusion must've worked miracles.

"B-Baby." I mumbled.

I wasn't heard but Monroe had coincidentally looked my way after her roll. "Mom's awake!" They all raced over to me and were all talking at once.

"Mom, I miss you so much. I thought you were gone." Jet said getting in the bed. "Well, that was before the nurse told us different. But still."

Monroe joined in, "Yeah, what you did was super dangerous. Why would you give blood while pregnant?" She scowled.

"Okay, girls." Bryan said before putting his finger to his lips. "Your mother has had a long week, let's give her the parental talks later." He said.

Week?!

I struggled to sit up more comfortably. Hospital beds are horrible. "How long h-have I b-been here?" I asked.

"A week." Slim confirmed.

I looked up at Bryan and without words, he knew. "Slim, take the girls to get Toni some food, like a soup or something." He said.

In a matter of minutes, they left leaving Bryan and I in the room. He pulled up a chair and said nothing at first.

"I love you." I mumbled.

He chuckled, "I love you, too, babe." That was the first time he's called me a sweet petname since this whole mess started.

"I'm willing to talk this all through." He said to my surprise. "I just need to know one thing."

"Anything."

"Why? Why did you risk your life and the life of our child to save me? I keep trying to think of what was going through your head but I keep coming up with nothing."

I shrugged, "Because I'm madly and stupidly in love with you. Being pregnant didn't even cross my mind when they said you needed blood."

"They took out three pints of blood, T. The average person, like not pregnant women, could die if they lost up the 4 pints. You're pregnant so you could've died with even 3."

"Well, look at m-me. Beating the statistics." I joked.

He chuckled, "Yeah, I guess so. But promise me you won't ever do something erratic like that again. Saving me could've killed you and the baby."

"I promise." I smiled. "Can we talk about the situation, now? I don't want it to cause any more destruction between us."

"I freaked out over something I shouldn't have. You said you didn't know and I should've left it at that." He said.

"No, no. I lied. I knew about the tape, I just didn't want you to think I was still that stripper hoe you met in the club and took out of that life." I admitted.

He shot his head up, "Baby, never, since the day we met were you ever that to me. I knew from the second I laid eyes on you that you were different." He said making my heart melt.

I still sometimes see that in myself.

"I lied, though."

He got up and sat at the bottom of my bed. "I know, which was why I was upset." He said.

I put my head down embarrassed. That is a valid reason to be upset. Me doing something so provocative then lying about it sounds bad.

"I'm sorry. I kept pushing you away and it's hurting us. I promise I won't anymore. I just want to be with you because nothing so small should've come between to us because I'm in love with you and want to marry you."

"Those kids really don't keep anything to themselves, do they?" We both laughed.

"Not at all."

"Well, one thing they haven't told you yet..." He got up and dug in his pockets. He pulled out a ring which sent me into shock. I covered my face trying to hide the tears that fell. "They didn't tell you that I've had this ring for months."

I looked up surprised. Months?

"I've had this ring before I even gave you the promise ring. Some thing in me knew you were the one." He chuckled.

"Baby..."

"Michele, I've wanted to marry you since the day I laid eyes on you. I want to grow old with you, our girls, and our baby."

Our girls?

"You see them as yours? Like really?"

"During your week away from us, I took them out to go see Janet Jackson, who apparently now loves them after seeing them backstage, and on the plane ride back here, we spoke. I asked them how they'd feel if I were to be their father figure."

"And they said.." I asked getting happier and happier each word he spoke.

"Let's just say, my name to them is Pops. I tried to settle them to calling me Dad or Bryan still, but they insisted. They said they always wanted to call someone Pops."

I giggled and wiped my tears. I remember I had read them an old book where the dad was called Pops. Ever since then, they've loved that title.

"But that's off topic." He kneeled down beside my bed and held onto my hand. "Toni Michele Braxton, will you marry me?"

Without hesitation, "Yes!"

Next chapter is the last?? 😬 Maybe! Jk, but the end is coming soon so expect it.