Sorry for the long wait! I would've updated this last night but I was in my feelings about the NBA finals 🙄 #DubNation 💙💛... Anyway here's chapter 13.
As I pace and forth waiting to know something my mind is conjuring up a thousand ways to make someone die. I don't know what happen or who did it but as soon as I found out it's a wrap. "Mommy can we get some snacks? I'm hungry." Armani asks. I go to pass her a dollar out of my bag but Cartier gets up and grabs her hand.
Prince uses this time to sit beside me, where his big sister was sitting. "Mommy is Duchess okay?" He asks. "I hope so baby." Armani and Cartier comes back inside. She passes me a bag of M&Ms. "I want some." Prince says. "I'll share mine with you. Let mommy have her own." Armani says. I smile at her.
We sit there for a while. Cartier decided to go to the house and make sure things are straight there. Where is this doctor? We've been here for hours. The door open and I get up immediately. "Milan Santiago?" The nurse calls out. "Yes." She signals for me to walk over.
"Where is my baby?"
"She's in recovery. Did you know she's allergic to citric acid?" I shake my head, "No I didn't. She's never had anything with any citric acid in it." Where the hell would citric acid come from in her room. "She's reacted severely to it. We didn't find any traces of it in her system so we're guessing she touch something with it on or even inhaled it, her body shut down and resulted in you being here."
"How do you even find out something like that?" I ask. "Typically through a blood test, it's various ways to find out. I'll have a nurse to come escort you back as soon as we place her inside a room."
I go sit back down and continue to wreck my brain over how this could've happened. "Armani did y'all have oranges or anything like that in your room?" I ask. "No mommy. No food was in the room."
"Micai had a banana." Prince says. "That doesn't have what hurt Duchess in it. Did Micai hug Duchess?" Maybe he was eating some fruit and ot got on her. "No he just sat on the floor and played with Prince." Armani says. Hmm.
"How is she?"
"Daddy!" Prince and Armani says in unison. They get off their chairs and run over to him. Why is he here? He glances over at me as I stare at my children. Nisha stands there just shaking her head.
"Meet me outside... Alone." I command before walking out of the door. I don't need my babies seeing their mother go crazy on their father. I walk out the door and stand against the wall. A few seconds later he walks out but before I can say a thing he kisses me. "I've missed you so much man." I cross my arms and mug the fuck outta him.
"Why you here?" His hands immediately are inside his pockets and his bottom lip gets tucked inside his mouth. "I had to come see about my baby girl. What you mean?" He asks appearing offended. "August what the hell have you gotten yourself into? What does she have over you?"
He breathes our deeply, "Baby I wish I could tell you but I can't." I roll my eyes. "Maybe it is good we're over. I swear to God I don't recognize the man standing in front of me."
"Micah told me about your little friend staying around."
"I'm helping the Feds." He looks at me as if I had two heads. "What?"
"The deal was either we go down or I give them him and they would lead me to you and that bitch."
"Shit man. What the fuck?" He says with his voice raising. I look at him waiting for an explanation. "I got to go. This never happened." He goes to walk away but I grab his arm. "Baby you can tell me anything." I plead hoping he says something. "I know and I promise I'll make it up to you baby but right now I got to go."
"August could you please just tell me what's going on!" I can't take the madness anymore. I'm over all of this shit. "Please." He knows I don't beg or cry like that so he should see how serious shit really is. I let his arm go and rather than walking away he hugs me tightly. "Baby please stop. I can't right now. Just do what you got to do and we'll be good." Not sparing another second he kisses my forehead and dashes off into the parking garage.
I give myself a minute to recompose myself before walking back inside. Why can't he fucking tell me? This shit is so frustrating. "Milan the nurse said we can go see Duchess." Nisha says. I follow her inside and I head to the back with Armani and Prince questioning of the whereabouts of their father. "He had to go. He'll be back later."
We walk inside the room. Duchess body is still so swollen. "Damn man." I shake my head, how did she get to something with citrus. I've never heard of anyone being allergic to something so simple as citrus. "I'll need your help cleaning their rooms when we get back." I say to Nisha.
"Okay. You staying up here tonight?" I nod my head yes still looking at Duchess. "Excuse me Ms. Santiago." I turn to see a woman standing at the door. "Can I help you?" I ask. "I'm Pauline Simmons. I work for CPS." I roll my eyes, Seriously? "And you're here why?"
"It's just routine that they notify me. I have a few questions and then I'll be out your hair." She says. "Ask away."
"Were you aware of Duchess's citrus allergy?"
"No I wasn't."
"Do you own any fruits or anything with citrus in it?"
"I don't know probably but Duchess was up stairs in her room when I found her." I honesty don't have to explain anything to anybody. I just don't understand why they called them in the first place. "And did you see anything around her? Any fruit or anything?"
"No."
"How she doing?" Cartier asks walking inside the room. "She's still alive thank God. She's allergic to citrus like really bad." I look back and the woman is still standing there. "Did you have anything else to ask?" I ask her. "No that's all for now. Thank you Ms. Santiago."
"She acts like you gave her a damn orange and stuffed it down her throat." Nisha says. "Right." I roll my eyes, it's ridiculous. "Shhh.." I look over at Cartier and he points to the right. I turn to see Armani and Prince snuggled up in the giant chair together.
"They should get home and into the bed."
"I'll take them. Cartier did you get her bag like I asked you?" Nisha whispers. "Yeah. It's in my car." Cartier says. "Alright well I'm gone. We'll be back up." She says picking up Armani and Prince. "Okay I'll see y'all in the morning." I respond looking down at my phone.
They leave out leaving me and Cartier. I wonder if he's going to stay the night. "You good?" He asks leaning against the counter. "Yes I'm fine. Just tired.. Mentally, physically, and emotionally." I stretch out in the chair Prince and Armani were just sleeping in. "Wanna talk about it?"
"Nah not really.... But do you mind.. You know laying here. I could use some extra body heat." I say closing my eyes. "You sure bout that?" He asks. "Yes." He sits down beside me then leans back wrapping his arms around. It feels so damn wrong but so right. If I can't have one then I guess the other will do, for now. He wraps his arms around me.
My phone starts vibrating like crazy. "You gone answer that?" Cartier asks. I shake my head no. It stops and then starts up again. I suck my teeth grabbing the phone, "Hello!" I yell into the phone. "Milan-..... get....- there..." It's so much static in the phone I can't here nothing. "What?" I ask. "It's...- not...." They hung up, whoever they were. I lean back down.
POW