Mockingbird | Notti Osama

Thirty

Valentina Nanu Rodriguez was lost for so long. She never had a sense of direction and as life pulled her into a new direction she couldn't help but think about everything they had already been through.

She wanted to have Ethan for the rest of her life but she also wanted this baby. She wanted to hold it and tell it about her first true love and how they spent days doing nothing but what the future would be like when they got married.

Valentina got out of her bed and made her way into the bathroom. Suprisingly she wasn't that sick but she still sat next to the toilet just incase.

Her mind raced thinking about anything and everything all at once. I mean she couldn't help but think of all of the things she had ahead of her in life.

She didn't even graduate high school yet! She was going into her juinor year and still had a million things to do.

It made her cry to think about how she may not be able to provide for her child's life. She wanted this baby to grow up better than her.

After an hour she washed her face and brushed her teeth before putting on a black t-shirt with a picture of spondge bob and patrick, pink biker shorts and a matching pink sports bra.

She wore black ankle socks and her pink crocs. She loved the color combination and dreamed of what color combos to use for her future baby's room.

Maybe blue and silver for a boy. Maybe pink and grey for a girl. Maybe she'd get one of both so that she could decorate two rooms in an apartment or a cozy little home.

I wish I could tel you that she had shaken off her nerves but even thought she knew Ethan like a love song she wasn't sure how to tell him he was going to be a papi at sixteen.

She was off her anxiety meds and her mind started racing, She didnt wanna have a panic attack so she sat on the floor and took a few deep breaths before her heart stopped racing and she was able to breathe normally.

She sat on the bed and waited for the clock to strike three before she began to make the cake.

She needed this to be perfect so she followed the box to a T and the second she put it in the oven she recieved a text from Ethan.

She didn't bother looking because she thought it was him jist telling her he was on his way but when he burst through the door she ran into his arms and kissed his face.

"Hi baby." Ethan spun his girl around and began kissing her all over her face not aware of the secret she was keeping.

"I have a few more things to do in the kitchen so go find a movie to watch love." Val said walking into the kitchen continuing to prep the kitchen for the announcement later.

Every moment she was scared of how Ethan would react amd every moment she spent with him made her do nothing but worry even more.

Would she be able to handle a life without the love of her's? How could she raise this poor baby without it's papi?

She hated to seem selfish but she needed Ethan to stay just as much as she needed this plan to work.

And as thwy watched The Little Racals she played with her promise ring thinking of the words he said to her when he placed it on her finger.

"I love you forever and I will be here no matter what Mi Amor." Valentina hoped he meant those words but just before she could suprise him he got a call.

Val didn't know what was said on this call but Ethan told whoever it was that he was on his way to them before getting off the couch.

"I'll be back Ma," He leaned down and kissed the girl gentely on the lips. "Don't miss me too much."

He walked out the door and as he did his pregnant girlfriend really wondered if this was a sign that he'd run from her when he found out.

A million thoughts raced her mind and she went into the kitchen to decorate the cake.

It was white with the words 'Congrats Papi!' in black on the top. And she was very proud of her work.

No matter how hard she tried she worried.

She was worried about how Ethan was doing in this moment but she also worried because she was just a worrisome peron.

She needed to calm her mind and she couldn't think of anything that would do the trick.

The baby and Ethan blocked every other thought from her pretty little head and when she finally released them from her thoughts she took advantage and started to watch a movie.

Valentina Nanu Rodriguez's POV

I sat on my couch and watched a bunch of disney movies until I got a call from Dd.

"Yo bro whats goody?" I said smiling, I thought he was just checking up on me but I swear I her him sniff as if he was crying.

"Valentina, I need you to get down to the hospital now it's Notti!" He said and without a moment to waste I was grabbing my keys and running to the car.

I swear the drive felt like it went on forever. It felt like the road kept extending itself and I began to cry.

I didn't know what happened yet I was terrified. I drove as fast as I legally could and when I reached the hospital I ran in to find Dd, Ddot, and Mrs. Reyes all sitting in chairs.

They all had tear stained faces and I just got so scared. I wish I could tell you what was happening in their brains but they all looked at me in unison before Mrs. Reyes started crying and Dd just hugged me.

"What happened?" I cried into his chest. This was the closest I had to Ethan in this moment.

"Somebody shot ma brother bro!" Ddot cried out joining in on the hug and I began to sob. I couldn't hold in any emotions. "They said they don't know if he gon' make it."

This was worse than him just leaving me as a single mom because now he was on the verdge of dying. Atleast if he left I knew he could lead a full life and be happy.

At this point I was begining to grow angry. At everyone, everything. There was no reason for them to take my boy away from me.

I sat in between Dd and Ddot just looking to the world.

I wish I could reverse time and make him stay with me at my house. I wish I could have hugged him tighter, kissed him longer and fully taken in the smell of his colonge because I didn't know if I would be able to do those things again.

I had one thing on my mind to say to Ethan in this very moment.

This was No Time To Die...