The next day, Diamond was getting Ayanna ready for school one morning.
"When is Kendrick going to watch me again?", Ayanna asked.
"Kendrick has been busy with work during the week", Diamond replied.
"Aw", Ayanna said.
"... I see you have came to start liking Kendrick", Diamond said as she grabbed Ayanna's book bag.
"Yep", Ayanna said.
Diamond smiled at gave Ayanna her book bag.
Ayanna put her book bag on. "Mommy, Kendrick asked me if he can marry you but I don't know what to say", she said.
Diamond paused for a moment and started stuttering. "...wh- what?", she asked.
Suddenly, Alyssa starts crying.
"You know what? Never mind, Ayanna", Diamond said as she picked up Alyssa's car seat and Alyssa stopped crying. "Let's get you to school"
"Okay", Ayanna replied.
Diamond took Ayanna to school and went back to her apartment. All she could do was think about the fact that Kendrick was going to ask her to marry him sooner or later. She loved Kendrick and she saw a future with him, she just didn't want marriage to break them apart.
While Diamond was about to call Vanessa, she got a call from Kendrick. She waited a moment, then answered the call.
"Hello?", Diamond said as she walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, beautiful", Kendrick said. "Just calling to check on you guys"
"We're fine", Diamond said.
"Good", he said. "I was thinking that if Nessa could watch Alyssa or maybe even my mom or something, tonight we could go out to dinner"
"Umm...i don't know about tonight", she said.
"Oh well how about this weekend? Saturday?", he asked.
"I don't know, Kendrick. I'll have to see", Diamond said as she got a little nervous.
"...what's going on?", he asked.
"What do you mean?", she asked.
"Like why you gotta see about stuff? What you gotta do?", Kendrick asked.
"Nothing", she said.
"I'm confused. So why we gotta see about it?", he asked.
"Kendrick, the baby is crying. Let me call you back", Diamond said lying.
"Diamond, are we good? You still mad at me for messing the house up? I cleaned it up", he said.
"You missed a few spots but no. I'm not mad at you", Diamond clarified. "But I have to go okay. I need to get the bottle ready"
"...iight. We'll just talk later", he said.
"Okay", Diamond replied.
"I love you", he said.
"Love you too, Bye", she replied.
"...bye", he said.
Diamond hung up the phone and sighed.
————————————————
After getting off the phone with Diamond, Kendrick began to call Vanessa. Before he hit call, Payton knocked at the door.
"Dr. Mills", she said as she peaked through.
"Come back in like five minutes", he said.
"Oh..okay", she said as she walked back out and closed the door.
Kendrick called Vanessa and she answered the phone.
"What's going on with y'all now?", Vanessa asked.
"I was hoping you could answer that", Kendrick said.
"I don't know what you're talking about", Vanessa said.
"I just got off the phone with Diamond and... I don't know something doesn't seem right. I was hoping she talked to you about something", Kendrick said.
"First things first. What goes on between me and Diamond's conversations stays between me and her", Vanessa said.
"That wasn't the case when you was telling me all about her and Brian", Kendrick said.
"That's different. I couldn't stand him. He didn't deserve her", Vanessa said. "But I
She hasn't said anything to-"
As Vanessa stopped talking, Kendrick waited for her to finish her sentence. "Hello?", he said.
"Um that's her calling me right now. Let's see what you done did now", Vanessa said. "You know I was really rooting for you"
"I didn't do anything", Kendrick said.
"We'll see about that", Vanessa said. "Bye"
Vanessa hung up and Kendrick moved his phone from his ear and placed it on his desk. He didn't understand why Diamond was calling Vanessa after she just rushed him off the phone saying she had to tend to the baby.
Kendrick put his white coat on and grabbed what he needed and walked out of his office.
—————————————————
"Hello?", Vanessa said as she answered Diamond's call.
"Hey", Diamond said.
"What's up?", Vanessa asked.
Diamond sighed. "Too much. Brian keeps fussing at me because he doesn't like Kendrick watching Ayanna but really I just think he's mad because he isn't Alyssa's dad and Kendrick is going to ask me to marry him", Diamond said.
"Let's ignore the subject about Brian because he doesn't even deserve to be the topic of conversation but did you just say that Kendrick is going to ask you to marry him! Oh my gosh! Congratulations!", Vanessa said excitedly.
"No. Not congratulations. I'm not going to say yes", Diamond said.
"Why not?", Vanessa asked. "He's perfect. He cares about you, he got money, his parents love you, he has money, he treats you like his queen and did I mention that he got money?"
Diamond chuckled a little. "Vanessa... I don't know if I'm ready for marriage right now", she said. "...but I don't wanna break his heart and say no but then I
Again I don't wanna say yes and not mean it"
"Diamond, I get that you are still stuck on the dickhead of an ex husband but if you think that's how you and Kendrick are going to turn out, that's not the case", Vanessa assured.
Diamond was quiet.
"Just think about it, okay?", Vanessa said. "And don't let me think that you know and don't dodge him because you don't want the conversation to come up"
"...okay", Diamond said.
"And when it does come up, say yes", Vanessa said.
"Vanessa", Diamond said as she rolled her eyes.
"Girl come on, he's perfect and you know it", Vanessa said.
"I thought the same about Brian, now look at me", Diamond said.
"Yes, you're right but this is different and you know it. Since college, he was different and you know", she said. "Well after he got out his phase. Kendrick is chill. You don't have to worry about the temper tantrums or nun of that"
Alyssa starts crying .
"Nessa let me talk to you later. Alyssa is crying", Diamond said.
"That baby know she can cry", Vanessa said.
Diamond chuckled a little.
"But okay bye", Vanessa said.
"Bye", Diamond said before he hung up.
Diamond put her phone down and began to walk to the back to get Alyssa but somebody knocked on the door.
She quickly turned around and looked out the peep hole and saw that it was Brian. She made a face and opened the door.
"We need to talk", he said as he wanted in.
"Umm.. I don't think I invited you in my apartment and what are you doing here?", she asked. "This conversation couldn't be said over the phone?"
"The baby is crying", Brian said.
"I think I know that". Diamond said sarcastically as she walked past him. "Wait in here"
Brian looked around the living room and sat down. As he looked at the table he saw Diamond's phone buzzing because Kendrick was calling her. Brian looked at it for a moment then picked it up and answered it.
"Yo?", Brian answered.
"Who is this?", Kendrick questioned.
"The one and only", Brian replied.
Kendrick recognized Brian's voice and wondered if he was the reason Diamond rushes him off the phone. "What you doing at her apartment?", Kendrick asked.
"I think you should ask her", Brian said.
"Well where is she?", Kendrick asked. "Put her on the phone"
"She busy. But I'll let her know you called", Brian said before he hung up.
A couple minutes later Diamond came down the hall.
Brian stood up.
"What do you want?", Diamond asked.
"You in the medical field and all and I thought that I could use your advice. I mean you've always given me advice before so...",he said.
"Yea that you never listened to but go ahead", Diamond said.
Brian sighed. "I got a problem going on and I know how good you nurses and doctors are at giving people bad news in a better way", he said.
"Brian please get to the point", Diamond said.
Brian lets out a deep breath. "If you want me to get straight to the point, I won't be on his earth forever", he said.
"...Well nobody does", Diamond said.
"Yea but this for a better chance at living longer when they don't have cancer", he said.
"Ca- cancer?", Diamond questioned.
Brian sighed. "They saw something in my brain, they haven't diagnosed me yet but they think it's some kinda tumor. He may have spread a little soo... we don't know", he said.
Diamond slowly walked away from him a few feet trying not to panic.
"I just thought that coming in person would be better to tell you this", Brian said. "...and to tell Ayanna"
Diamond turned and looked at Brian with tears rolling down her eyes. "You would tell anything. We aren't saying anything until we have the correct information", she said.
"Come on Diamond. They may not have said it yet but that's probably what it is", he said.
"Stop thinking of the worst", Diamond said.
"How can I not think of the worst? My life is already fucked up", he said.
Diamond looked down and massaged her temples. "Brian when you were getting those headaches all the time, I told you to see about that", she said.
"Well, call me stubborn then", he said as he sat down.
"What made you go now?", she asked.
"Passed out at work", he said.
"Oh my gosh", Diamond said.
"Listen, Diamond another reason why I came here is to ask you if you'd be the person to take care of me if... well if this shit turns out to be true. You know if I stop being able to care for myself", he said. "You the only person I trust"
Diamond was quiet. "...you'll be fine Brian", she said. "Nothing is going to happen"
"And if it does?", Brian asked.
"...I'll find you a home-care nurse", she said.
"But I prefer you. I trust you. You know my likes and my dislikes. Those people won't", he said.
"...let's see how things go first", she said.
Brian nods.
"But we aren't saying anything to Ayanna yet", Diamond said.
"Your call", he said.
Diamond looked down.
"And um...if I do end of dying... be strong like you've always been. Especially for Ayanna. Teach her the way of life and how to look at things", Brian said.
Diamond sniffed as she looked at him.
Brian stood up and walked to her and wiped her tears. "Okay?", he asked as he looked into her eyes with a scared look.
"Okay", she replied. She saw the look in his eyes and knew things weren't good.
Brian rubbed his thumb against her cheek. "Stop crying please", he said.
Diamond sighed as the door opened. Brian and Diamond looked to see who it was and it was Kendrick.
Kendrick made a face as Brian backed up from Diamond a bit.
"What is this?", Kendrick asked diamond as he put his keys down.
"Nothing Brian has just-"
Kendrick started walking to Brian. "How many times I gotta tell you to stay away from my fucking girl?", Kendrick questioned.
Diamond stood in front of Kendrick. "Kendrick! Brian might have cancer", she said.
"Which probably ain't nothing but another lie", Kendrick said.
"It's not a lie Kendrick!", Diamond said.
Kendrick looked at Diamond and saw that she had been crying. "...you seriously believe him?", he asked.
"Yes... I mean we don't know if he has it yet but I do believe that he's telling the true", Diamond said.
Kendrick stopped looking at Diamond and then at Brian.
"Why aren't you at work?", she asked.
"I called you again and he answered the phone. I'm on lunch break and don't have another surgery to do until 2 so I came here to see what was going on", Kendrick said.
Diamond looked at Brian. "You answered my phone?", she asked.
"Oh yea. Meant to tell you, he called", Brian said.
Diamond rolled her eyes and looked at Kendrick. "How about we just all sit down and talk, because honestly I think we all need to burn some bridges", she said.
"I don't have any bridges to burn", Brian said.
"Boy none of this shot would've happened if you ain't leave her alone from the start", Kendrick said. "Now she stuck with a jackass in her life"
"Hey, I apologized to her. We some what good na", Brian said.
"Guys!", Diamond shouted.
The both went quiet as they looked at each other.
"If somebody in this room wants to spent the rest of their life with me then they need to sit down and be cordial with my child's father", she said not looking at neither one of them but she was actually talking to Kendrick.
"Iight fine", Kendrick said.
"Fine by me", Brian said.
Diamond looked at them as they sat down.
Alyssa began crying.
Diamond sighed. "Listen... Kendrick what happened between me and Brian is what happened between me and him not you and what happened like 9 years ago is between me and you Kendrick. Not Brian...not please...talk for the sake of my child", Diamond said before she walked down the hall.
TO BE CONTINUED...