RELIVING

◖ 39 ◗

               "How surprised do you think I was when I was the one to find a pregnancy test in my daughters trash when she left to Maryland." Adonis stated, "Then for me to call you and ask you, you lied and told me it was your goddamn friends."

               "Because it was none of your business." She answered.

               "I'm your Father that paid for your education and had the right to know about my daughter carrying a baby. Why in the hell would you give up when we could've raised her?"

               Anicia laughed loudly. "Oh please! I would've rather my child been raised by dogs before I let her ever be raised in a Porter household. The way I was treated by your wife, if it was to ever had been done to the child I gave birth to and I found out about it, you would've been wifeless." She meant every word, "So I saved myself being in prison for murdering my mother! So I want to be left alone because I'm angry and I'm hurt. Give me some space and stop proving to me how much pull you got by popping up on me. Thank you."

               Anicia settled in her Audi, starting the ignition and pulled off promptly while leaving her father standing there. .

               Upon her return to the hotel, she grabbed her a meal from a fast food restaurant and received a update about Amaury via text by Shane. Sitting in the living room as she ate her food, the reality show played silently on the flatscreen as the phone rung in her ear.

               "Yea', what up wit it?" his rich, baritone vibrated in her ear along with voices in background.

               "Uhm, hey. I heard about Amaury. How's she doing?"

               "Yea'. ." he exhaled as Ishanti rubbed his back, "They had to induce her not too long ago but she had anotha' seizure. Now they doin' an emergency C-section. De back there wit ha'."

               "De'Aundre hanging on? Considering. ."

               "Yea' now since the doctor's finally talkin' to 'em," he leaned back wrapping his arm around the back of Ishanti's chair.

               "That's good." the line fell silent for a moment, ". . I wanna talk to her."

               Toby was aware of her referring to Lotus. "So talk to ha'."

               "I don't have her number and I know you're not gonna give it to me."

               "Of course not," he chuckled lightly. "But you remember the center in Long Beach I used to take you to?"

               "Uhm, yeah." She recalled.

               "She up there wit my son's playin' basketball. You do whatchu want wit that information."

               Anicia smiled softly. "Thank you."

               The call ended and Anicia ate the rest of her food on the drive to Long Beach. She pulled in the parking lot and walked the concrete sidewalk in slow strides toward the basketball court outside where she spotted Toby's twin boy's, Lotus, and another young woman with honey skin and tattooed. She could overhear the laughter as Lotus helped the other woman up from the ground, smiling in her face before kissing her forehead.