Three Months Later
O and Donielle in M/m
Amber POV-
"Sata go play." I came over to the table Sata was at with her head down all alone. All the other kids were off playing.
We had taken a few of O's friends from school to Chuck E Cheese as a going away party for Octavian.
Donielle, his mother had got out of rehab. The doctors said she was doing great and suggested a change of scenery might help with her recovery.
That change of scenery came in the form of a gifted program in Boston that was a division of Harvard.
Octavian tested so high and they wanted him at the school so bad, they were going to pay for Donielle and him an apartment, help her find work, And even let her enroll at a local college if she wanted.
That had to have him that bad.
It was a great opportunity, but it still hurt us a little. He had become apart of our family. And him leaving was going to be a hard void to fill.
"I don't wanna." She cried into the table.
"Aww Sata. We'll go visit." I sat in the seat across from her.
"I don't wanna visit. I want him here. Why does he have to go mommy?" she looked up at me. Her little tears hurt my heart and brought to the surface my sadness of this all.
O and her were like two peas in a pod. Of course it hurt to tear them apart.
"Because a big opportunity came for him."
"Can we move to?"
"No sweetheart, it's just for him and his mother."
"She needs to go back where she came from. She's taking him from me." She pouted with a mean face.
"Watch your mouth." I eyed her.
I handed her a tissue. She wiped her running nose.
My attention turned to Octavian and his mother who were playing bop-the-frog. I had never seen him more happier than he was now.
I know he loved us, but that was his mother. And you could see the love and joy he had for her in his eyes.
And despite her past, she deserved a chance to make the relationship with her son stronger.
"You don't leave your best friend mommy." She came over to my side of the table and cried into my chest.
"No. We don't. Because they always live in our hearts. I had to remember that when I went off to law school at LSU. I didn't want to leave Auntie Tanya."
"You left Auntie Tanya?" She looked up at me.
"Yes because I had to go there for school. And she was still here in Georgia. But she would visit me at least once a month and we'd go out. Do girl stuff. And nothing made my day more than knowing she'd be coming. Especially when she'd surprise me."
"Can we surprise O one day?"
"Yes. Before he starts school we'll go up there okay?"
"Okay." She wiped her eyes. "I just don't want him to forget me mommy. If he goes away."
"He can never forget you baby. You're too pretty to forget."
She smiled. "You think so?"
"I know so." I smiled back and kissed her forehead.
"Sata let's go play in the balls." O ran over and grabbed Sata by the hand.
She jumped right up and they ran off together.
"I hate to tear them apart." Donielle sat down as she looked at them run off.
"They won't be apart. I told Sata we'd come up there as much as possible. Visit you guys."
"He'd love that." She smiled. "I'd love that. I don't think I can repay you guys for your compassion on me and O. I owe you so much."
"The only thing you owe us is to make sure you and Octavian are okay. And know we are always here. If you go up there and it doesn't work out don't be afraid to call us. "
"Thank you."
"Mommyyyyy!" Auggie ran up to me.
Aug was behind him with a huge cake.
"Call the kids over baby." Aug told me as he sat the cake on the table.
"I'll do it." Donielle went to get the kids.
"Auggie help mommy set the table." I have him some plates. And he followed behind me and set them on the table.
The kids, it was about five additional kids came running over and sat at the table.
"This is for you." I gave O a paper crown.
All the kids wanted one.
"It's for O." Sata shouted.
"Assata." Aug looked at her.
She sat down in the chair next to Octavian.
I gave the other kids party whistles. They immediately begin blowing them. Donielle stood behind O's chair.
"What will you guys miss most about Octavian?" I asked them.
Aug was taking pictures and video.
All the kids started talking at once.
"One at a time. Marcus go first." I said.
"Uh...that he's my friend."
"Gabrielle."
"Always having the answers in class."
We all laughed. Knowing that was mos def true.
"Clay."
He shrugged.
"Say something man." Aug patted him on his back.
He blushed and shook his head no.
"Stupid." Sata said.
August bopped her upside her head.
"Jose." I said.
"I will miss that he was fun."
"Hunter."
"That he was really cool. The coolest person I know."
"How about you Auggie?"
"Uh..." Auggie put his fingers in his mouth. "Playing video games and uh...eating pop corn while we watch discovery channel. And uh...being my big brother."
"Aww." I hugged him. I wanted to cry, but I was going to try to hold it in.
"Sata."
"I wrote a letter can I read it." She jumped up.
"Sure baby."
She pulled a piece of paper out her pocket and stood up.
"Everybody listen." She said loud.
Jesus her personality was something.
"We're listening." I laughed.
"Dear Octavian, you are the best best-friend in the world. When I am sad you are nice to me. You help me with homework I don't understand. And although I say I don't want to talk to you when I get mad, you always still be my friend. When you go away if you get another best friend, I will beat her up. I thank you for being my Bestfriend and always sticking up for me. I will miss you a lot. Love your bestfriend, Assata Melione Alsina. "
She did a bow.
Everybody clapped.
"O you have anything you want to say?"
"I don't want to go." He ran to his mother and cried.
"We'll be back." She took him to the side to talk to him.
All the other kids started crying too, except Marcus.
"Can we eat some cake?" He asked me.
"Hold on baby." I laughed mentally at his anxiousness.
Donielle brought O back.
He wiped his eyes.
She rubbed his head lovingly.
"I just want to say, I'm going to miss you guys. A lot." He went around hugging everyone.
We got everyone to calm down long enough to eat cake. The played a few more games. Then we went back to the house so they could finish packing for their flight.
-----
"Everybody get your final hugs." I said as we got out the car when we pulled up to the airport.
Aug hugged O and kissed his cheek. "Imma miss you man. You can call Unc for anything alright?"
"Okay." O said.
"Bye O. Miss you." Auggie said and hugged him.
"Miss you too Auggie."
"Sata hug O goodbye."
She was standing by my leg crying.
She went up to him pouting.
"Oh Sata you're coming to visit and you're my bestfriend still." He hugged her.
"Bye Auntie Amb." He hugged me.
Now my tears were falling.
"Bye baby. You call me anytime okay?"
"Okay."
Donielle hugged us all. She was crying too.
"I will call you guys as soon as we get settled. And let me know when you want to visit."
"We will." I told her. "This is from us."
I handed Donielle an envelope with a traverler's check. Just to make sure they'd be okay.
We had already gave O gifts and when we moved in we had more.
"Thank you." She gave me another hug.
"Oh wait! Auntie Amb this is for you." O pulled out a necklace that said best Auntie.
He gave Sata and Auggie cards and candy bags he made.
And he gave Aug a t-shirt that said best Uncle.
"This one is for Trav." He gave one to Aug for Trav.
"Let's take a pic." Aug said.
We all gathered in a family huddle. Aug's long arm acting as the selfie stick. We smiled.
And just like that our alternative plan, that walked into our life when we were at our lowest, was gone through the airports sliding doors.