ᥫ᭡ KIYOMI TRUE
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
MARCH THIRTEENTH 2024
"Kiyomi—"
"Come on,"
Kiyomi gathered her bag, standing up and instructing Semaj to follow the lead of the medical assistant. "—hey momma bear," Christina had been the medical assistant that gets all her appointments started. Dark skinned, about five foot ten, natural curly hair that was always pushed out her face by a headband to match her scrubs. To be honest, Christina had been giving her a little unprofessional advice outside of her taking her vitals and doing the discharge process. When Kiyomi first started coming here, she was always puffy eyed and sniffling from the uncontrollable emotions and Christina was always there to let her know what life is and what it wasn't. She was just grateful for her.
"Hey Christina," she gave her a genuine smile.
"We will get your weight and height out here as always and then blood pressure and temperature in the room to make it easier," she said and they begin doing just that. Kiyomi handed all her loose belongings to Semaj before kicking off her sneakers and stepping on the scale. She didn't bother to look down and Christina didn't bother to say it aloud, writing the numbers down and instructing her to turn around so she can take the height.
Once that process was done, they went ahead and took over room number three, Christina finishing off the rest of her vitals before handing her a cup and a few towelettes.
"Already know the drill momma. Go a little bit in the toilet, wipe front to back, aim for the lowest marking on the cup at least and that's all we need from you,"the bathroom was thankfully connected to the room so Kiyomi did as told while Christina and Semaj waited.
It was kind of funny because Christina knew Semaj was the baby father, she just didn't acknowledge him to be petty. Once she peed in the cup, she finished up and washed her hands, leaving the cup in the bin it's meant for and going back out.
Christina entered the last of what needed to be entered before letting Kiyomi know the doctor would be in shortly after her previous patient.
"You know shorty?"
Semaj had been stale faced the whole time.
"She's always the one who helps with my appointments," at this point Kiyomi had climbed onto the examining bed, making sure her stomach was exposed enough for when the doctor came in. She liked to get right to it with the jelly and getting the ultra sound pictures which Kiyomi had no complaints about. "Why?"
He stood up, walking over to just place his hand over her bump. "She was jus' lookin' at me sideways," he must felt some type away.
"Maybe cause' this is her first time seeing you," Kiyomi knew it was.
"Well she better cut that shit out," he missed the beginning, but he was here now and just by the look on her face, he wanted to be here every single appointment from now and on.
Kiyomi giggled but before she could respond, in walked her doctor.
"Goodmorning Kiyomi," she was a middle aged white woman. Hair cut into a blonde bob that she flipped up on her best days, bright blue eyes, crazy southern accent. She was always straight to the point but throughly did her work as well. "—and you must be dad?"
"Yes ma'am," maybe thats what he wanted Christina to do all along, acknowledge his presence.
"Great," she took a seat, typed a few things and opened up the chart to get things started. "So last time we talked, we know we have the gender of baby, but we don't want to know just yet," she spoke a little about the previous appointment. "I'll try and keep it discreet in the photos, but we have your envelope and gift basket prepared already just so you know," Kiyomi loved that about this place. They often gifted plain white newborn onesies and diapers as much as they could.
"Sounds good," she smiled.
They went through the ultrasound process, keeping the screen facing towards the doctor to not spit anything. "Baby looks healthy as always," she worked the machine across her belly, the coldness from the lubricant causing Kiyomi to make a few faces. "I see where baby is getting the long legs from," she laughed while glancing over at Semaj.
"Future NBA star," he commented directly upon hearing that.
Kiyomi chuckled.
"Okay momma—" the process finished up quick, the doctor reaching to give Kiyomi a wad of paper towel to wipe her stomach, "—everything looks great. If you haven't already, you'll start feeling little kicks and flutters that just means baby is becoming more and more active," she explained all while the ultrasound pictures printed. "As for you mom, the weight gaining is about to take its toll to help provide more room for baby, your nails and hair will flourish, you might notice your areola's turning darker—" she listed several things for Kiyomi to be prepared for which they all didn't sound too bad.
"Christina will be in shortly with your discharge papers and you can either make the appointment front desk or just call in," the doctor gave her a warm smile, "Take care, see you next time,"
"See, now she a coo' lil' white lady,"
Kiyomi shook her head, amused by the fact that he really felt some sort of way. Imagine how he'd feel if his own people knew the things he said. "She really is," she had finished wiping her belly at this point, ready to go home so she could shower and squeeze in a little nap.
"You didn't want to know the gender?"
"No," she shook her head. "When we were talking about having a gender reveal, I thought about it and figured I do a little reveal for myself," she shrugged. She wished she could experience the whole baby shower thing, but she didn't have many people to invite and who really cared that much to do a bunch of baby themed activities and watched her open gifts for several hours. As cute as it was, she knew it wasn't going to happen this time around.
"You ain't want no gender reveal?"
"Semaj," he was just asking question after question. "Even if I said yes it would be too soon and no one knows for sure still so who would come," it was a messy situation and she wanted to avoid it. Hopefully she'd be able to have an actual baby shower
"Bet," was all he said and perfect timing since Christina entered with a stack of papers and a wrapped up decently sized gift basket.
"Everything is all set, your next appointment will be April fourth at eleven thirty a.m," she handed over the basket as well as her discharge papers, "I know we're just wishing for a healthy baby so I just want to give my congrats now," she gave her a quick hug, but squeezed her gently to share her excitement. They said quick farewells and they were on their way.
"What we doing today?" Kiyomi questioned as they exited the building and headed towards his car. It was lunch time and she really wanted to say let's go get food, but she didn't know what he had planned and plus they never really been seen out together alone.
"What you wanna' do?"
She shrugged as they approached the car, Semaj cutting her off so he could open the door for her. Something he recently taken a liking to doing. He really didn't want her doing much and she appreciated when he allowed her to have her lazy moments. "Depends what you have planned,"
Another thing she wanted to get out the way was opening this envelope and seeing what gender her baby was. Either way she would be happy, it was just more so she could know what clothes to start buying and what color theme she wanted to work with. Not saying colors belong to a certain gender, but she already had a little color way of mustard yellow, forest green and navy for her boy or sage green, a muted sunny yellow and sky blue for her girl.
"I got some plays to make but that ain't gone take long at all," he said indicating that he was leaving but he could potentially come back in time for dinner and cuddles as Kiyomi liked to call it.
"When do you wanna' find out the gender?"
"I actually wanted to ask you—"
Once they were situated in the car, he revved his engine a few times before turning up his music just a little more and taking off out the parking lot. "—you wanna' wait a little bit longer? Maybe do something like next week type shit?"
"Yeah, we can do that," she didn't want to bug him on why he wanted to wait, but he was willing to do a lot for her at this point so she felt she could work with him. "So you're dropping me off and coming back?"
He nodded his head, "I'll bring back something to eat and everything," he already knew what to get her for dinner seeing that she had been talking about it for a while. Seafood pasta was one of her favorite meals but she of course wanted to add some grilled chicken on the side and he knew the perfect place to save her time from cooking.
"Ok," she was content with that, "I'll probably sleep until dinner time anyway," she was feeling more tired these days but she knew the minute she laid down, everything would be ok.
"I'm already knowing mama," he shook his head, a slight grin on his face. It made him thing of the times where they were messing around and she would fall asleep in his bed as soon she got there. Stiff as a rock with her mouth open, hair looking like a birds nest and all, she loved her sleep. He could only imagine how she gets now, he just hasn't had the time to see her sleeping because the feeling of laying with her again just puts him to sleep instantly. "I can have the key till' I get back?"
She debated between saying yes or no, "Yeah, just don't be crazy and get copies made," she halved joked. He probably didn't care enough to do all that but it was still a random thought.
"Oh I was gone do that anyway," he said it as if it was normal, but she knew he was joking.
"Can't call the feds' but I'll be at that door with a bat to retrieve it," she snickered.
"Why you can't call the cops?" He scrunched his face as if he was amused.
She didn't even realize she said that. "For one I'm not a snitch," she laughed. Semaj carried multiple weapons and had a good variety of drugs, to call the cops on him would be plain stupid. "—and I know ya' old girls used to call the cops on you crazy. I don't need to do that, we just gone have to tussle," she shrugged. Semaj would never put his hands on female but he had his moments where he did get intimidating. Those moment never really bothered her considering she always brought the same energy when it came to those heated times.
"We locked in fa' sure," he laughed, not really expecting those responses.
"You know this twin," she chuckled. It was really simple to her. They could've been so simple, but God worked in mysterious ways. Their relationship was weird and it was hard to get over that, but she was trying. The more time she spent around him, the more she felt like maybe they could be something. Then she remembers promising to put herself first and she can't help but think to push him away at times and go back to being strangers. She and her baby were still a secret no matter how obvious it might be.
Thankful for being at a red light, Kiyomi felt his fingers go under her chin and slightly force her head towards his. Not that he had to force, but she didn't exactly expect any public affection. His windows might have been tinted, but the tint on the front windshield was no where near as dark, so when he pressed their lips together, it felt like butterflies took over her stomach.
It was just a long peck, his lips lingering over hers a few seconds too long because they only broke away due to someone honking their horn behind him. "Man," he kissed her lips one more time before waiting a little bit longer, the light switching to yellow before he peeled off, leaving the other car to wait for the next green light.
"So petty," she laughed, shaking her head.
"Nigga fuckin' up the whole moment," he laughed with her, mentally admitting that what he did was a little petty. Oh well.
Before they knew it, he was pulling into her apartments and finding a parking spot.
"You walking me up?"
"Yes ma'am," he cut his car off, allowing her to properly get out the car before locking it up and following Kiyomi's lead. "So I'll say I'll be back by seven, maybe even before that," he had some deliveries on the other side of town or else he'd be back earlier.
"That includes getting the food or what?"
He chuckled, "Yes mama. last play like forty minutes out of town so I'll call the food in, pick it up and be right back," they made it to her apartment, Kiyomi instantly taking the gold key off her keyring after unlocking her front door.
They both entered, Kiyomi setting her belongings on the nearest flat surface, "Don't lose it," she handed him the key.
"I won't,"
"I thought you said you were just dropping me off," she didn't even care that she was in the middle of the living room, removing her flannel as well as unbuttoning her jeans and sliding them down her legs and off her body.
"Had to walk you in incase some weirdo was trynna' see where you live at,"
"Boy," she shook her head. A crazy way of showing he cared.
"I'm finna' go though,"
At this point she was standing right under him, his gaze slightly turning her on. "You so pretty," she complimented. Her arms found their way across his back, mostly showing her appreciation for the little things he had been doing. "Thank you,"
"For what?"
"Today," she released out of his embrace although it felt like he wanted to hold her just a little longer. It could just be the pregnancy hormones talking but if she could gossip, she'd be screaming my man, my man, my man.
"Of course," he furrowed his brows. "Gimmie' kiss,"
No hesitation, she pulled her hair from the front to the back and leaned in to meet his lips in a sensual kiss. He was going for a couple pecks, but Kiyomi started off by capturing his bottom lip and going from there. Not too fast, not too slow, but just enough to have Semaj leaning in for more.
"Mhm," she broke the kiss slowly by pushing is body weight back, a smile finding it's way to her face. "Try and text me before you get back,"
"I don't even wanna' go no more,"