Page 40 of Merci

Chuckling, I leaned down and kissed her lips. “If we’re not, we gon’ have to get ready.”

Nodding, Merci released my arm. I went into the bathroom and looked at all three tests. Clutching my chest, my eyeswatered. Even with me cumming in her good-ass pussy every chance I could get, I didn’t think she’d get pregnant. That sounded silly as hell, but that was the truth. I guess I didn’t think about her getting pregnant because it wouldn’t have changed anything for me. It wouldn’t have changed my love for her. It wouldn’t have changed my commitment to her. It certainly wasn’t going to stop me going in her raw. If anything, her being pregnant was an added bonus to me finally finding the woman I was going to spend the rest of my life with.

“What does it say?” she asked, leaning against the doorframe.

After wiping away a quickly fallen tear, I looked at her with a smile. “Congratulations, mama. We’re having a baby.”

Gasping, Merci covered her mouth as her eyes watered immediately. She made her way toward me, and I picked her up and gently spun her around as she giggled.

“We’re having a baby?” she repeated as tears fell from my eyes.

“We’re having a baby,” I repeated, trying unsuccessfully to swallow back my emotions.

While this baby wasn’t going to erase my childhood, it would be my chance to finally be a part of a normal, loving, happy, healthy family. I’d be the father I never had, and I’d make sure my child never questioned my love.

23

HAMMER

Achemical pregnancy.

That’s what she had.

Wehad.

A chemical pregnancy.

It didn’t matter how hard Merci worked to keep herself composed, I knew she was about to break. Only two weeks had passed since we found out she was pregnant. In that time, we kept the pregnancy to ourselves, having our own piece of heaven on earth. Now, that piece, our baby love, was back in heaven with God.

Flicking away a tear, I wrapped one arm around Merci’s waist and held her hand. She kept swallowing back her tears, blinking rapidly. I wanted her to cry and get the shit over with so I could help her heal. The longer she held it in, the harder she was going to combust.

“Hey,” I called softly as the door closed behind the doctor. “Ms. Merci.”

Her head hung, shaking. “I’m f-fine,” she lied. “It’s… it was so early. I shouldn’t even—” A clipped sob escaped her before she covered her mouth. “I’m fine.”

Sitting in the bed next to her, I tilted her head in my direction. “Whether it was nine days or nine months, you carried our baby inside of you. He or she is gone now, and it’s okay to be sad about that.”

As if she needed my permission to break down, Merci finally did. Pulling her into my chest, I held her as she sobbed, holding back my own tears. Regardless of how I felt, I had to make sure my baby was good. If I could be counted on for nothing else as her man, it would have to be this.

“We just got them,” she sobbed, causing me to squeeze my eyes shut.

“Maybe God gave us someone so special He decided He wanted to keep them for Himself.” She sniffled as she clung to me. “At least now, I’ll get to make you my wife before I make you my baby mama.” That made her laugh like I hoped it would. Cupping her cheeks, I wiped her tears away. “You gon’ be alright, sweetheart.”

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, gripping my wrists. “This is the one thing I’m supposed to be able to do, and I couldn’t even do this shit right. I got your hopes up for nothing, Hammer. I’m sorry.”

“What? Is you coo’, Ms. Merci? I won’t dismiss your feelings, but don’t ever say no dumb shit like that to me again. This is not your fault at all. If we were meant to have this baby, they’d still be with us. This is not your fault at all, sweetheart. I promise, when we’re meant to expand our family, we will. For now, it’s just the two of us, and that’s just as okay now as it was before we took those tests.”

Even though she nodded like she heard me, her tears still fell. I held her until she was composed, and then we left. At the car, I got her inside and settled before walking a few feet away and calling my brother.

“You good, young one?”

“Nah, but I will be. I know y’all ain’t fuckin’ with each other right now, but it’s an emergency. I need you to call Ariel and get Merc’s number and address.”

He was silent for a while before agreeing to do as I asked. Less than two minutes later, he’d texted me both. I wanted to just pull up on him, but since he and his sons were convinced I was on some get-back shit, I called first.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Merc?”