Page 12 of On You 2

I called her name, and she looked up.

“How are you?”

“Not good at all, but I’m trying to be strong.” Pernelle rubbed her on the shoulder.

“Understandable. But I am praying for your kid.”

“Thank you, Amir. I appreciate you coming to the services today, even though I’m sure it was against your religion to be in that church.”

“Nah, it wasn’t against anything. Yeah, some devoted Muslims may feel like it’s going against Allah to be in a Baptist church, but I was there only to support your family. I pray to my own religion no matter where I am or who I’m with.”

“Okay, but again, I appreciate you.”

Jasmine looked up to me, and because of the glare of the sun, I could see her eyes. She looked defeated, but that still didn’t stop how fine she was. I could still feel myself crushing on her ass even with the grief settled into her body.

Crew was glancing over toward the stoop, checking on his sister and his wife without making it obvious. He’d mentioned to me the other day that he was worried about her. He said he could protect her from a lot of things, but heartbreak was never one of them. I ended up having to talk him out of doing something crazy the other day.

I didn’t have any sisters, but I’m sure I would be the same way about them if I had any. Shit, I would’ve protected my brothers too if they weren’t fuck ass niggas in the past.

The door opened up above us, and the second I saw Crew and Jasmine’s mama step onto the porch, I felt for her too. At church, she had been crying just as hard as Jasmine was. But somehow, she was still standing tall, still moving around, making sure everybody else was okay before herself.

You could tell she was one of those mothers who loved hard. Not just her own kids, but everybody around her. The type of woman who carried everybody’s pain on her back without even realizing how heavy it had gotten on her. The kind of mother I wished I’d had enough courage to approach one day.

I still hadn’t gone back to Erika’s house since seeing those two kids that resembled Mecca so much. And when I said they resembled Mecca, I meant me too, because one thing about Mecca, he stamped all his children with his features. There was never any denying any of us once you looked hard enough.

That’s why I felt like those kids belonged to him before any DNA test confirmed it. I’m not the last living Quatar man in New York, and that was another thought that continued to ring in my mind these days.

“Amir, are you out there, baby?”

“Yes ma’am, it’s me,” I answered.

“Okay, I knew you was here because I can smell that oil you wear.”

“How have you been?” I asked her.

“I’ve been okay, baby. Making it.” She nodded slowly before motioning toward the house. “You should come in and eat. Are you hungry?”

“No ma’am. I saw at the church y’all had ribs and stuff, but you know I don’t eat pork.”

“Just your luck baby, I fried fish today,” she replied proudly. “It’s Crew’s favorite and Jassy girls too. I’m just trying to get something in both of them because they haven’t been eating as they should. Stubborn.” She replied, shaking her head.

“I’m not being stubborn mama. I just don’t have an appetite.”

“I know, but I told you just chew and swallow, baby. You don’t have to enjoy it. Once our baby gets out of that hospital, he is going to need his mama to have strength, right? Eating is important for that, am I right?”

“I agree,” I added, finally looking directly at Jasmine again.

She didn’t say anything back to me, but her lips pressed together slightly like she was trying not to let emotions rise.

“So how about both of y’all come in here and get a plate? I have fish, plenty of sides, potato salad, and some beans too. I don’t make them, my girlfriend from church does, but she is famous for her beans.”

“That sounds good,” I admitted. “I’m happy to be able to eat during the day again.”

“Oh yeah, I know you are, baby. Come on inside. Jas you come try and eat too.”

I held my hand out to help Jasmine up from the stoop. She hesitated for a second, glancing up at my hand like she was debating whether she should take it, but eventually her fingers slid into mine.

The second I pulled her up, I realized how light she felt.