Something about you (Norminah)

Chapter Eighteen

"Okay we're good to go. Are you sure you want to stay?"

I nodded, "yeah, plus I don't break my promises to tiny humans. Not that I break them to other people either, but I especially don't break them when kids are involved."

"Okay then let's go I guess."

One of the nurses, who Zoe referred to as Miss Ella set us up in the corner by a window that overlooked the city. I played a few games with Zoe once she was set up, but she kept cheating, so I eventually gave up and let her watch a movie while I went to sit beside Tia.

"Where's Zoe's dad if you don't mind me asking?"

Tia shrugged, "I have no clue. We weren't really serious but when I got pregnant he was all, 'let's try and make this work,' only to ghost me and disappear. After that there were a few flings but it's hard to date when you're trying to build your career and raise a child alone, so I just ended up leaving it alone. Men suck."

"Believe me I know what it's like to be ghosted, and men do suck. But maybe you were looking in the wrong places."

"Listen if you happen to meet any, send them my way please."

"I will keep an eye out."

Tia took a sip of the coffee that we had bought as we walked into the hospital. "While you're at it, teach me how to do that back bend that you did in Khalid's music video."

"Ha! I'll teach you if you tell me where you got those boots."

"The power of online shopping. I'll send you a link."

We both fell silent for a while. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"This, and you're doing it alone too. Having a child is scary enough without worrying about everything else that could happen and having to handle it all alone."

Tia shrugged, "honestly, I get most of my strength from Zoe. And I'm not alone. I have my sister Ana and her husband Sam, my mom and grandma stay visiting as often as possible. I've got a few close friends too."

"It takes a village..."

"Yeah it does. You'll see when you eventually have a child. That's if you want children."

"Oh definitely."

"Then you'll see. And hey, you'll have me to call in the middle of the night and panic if you want to."

I smiled, "you think we'll still be friends when I eventually have children."

"You have no choice," she laughed. "You made my kid like you even more than she already does."

"Yeah well she did it first." I smiled as I watched Zoe giggle for the fifth time in a row and rewind so she could watch the same joke again. "Is Zoe on the transplant list?"

Tia nodded, "yeah... but it's a lot harder to find a match for African Americans. My mom was a match but she can't donate because of her medical history."

"I'm sorry, that must have been heart breaking."

"It was, but I have faith that we'll find a donor. I've been searching for her dad because there's a strong chance that he's at least a 50% match."

"Hopefully you'll find him then."

Tia nodded as she stared down at her now empty cup. "Just out of interest, why us? I figured you'd be nice because only a dick would be mean to a sick kid, but you went above that. You're here keeping me company when you could be doing a whole host of things."