Page 54 of Jobe

Once inside of their apartment, he found Mackenna standing in front of the bank of windows in the living room. A solitary figure, she stood quietly looking out at the park near the apartment building. His fears of earlier began to build.Whatever this is, we can do thishe silently vowed.

Crossing over, he startled her when he approached.

Jumping, she placed her hand over her pounding heart. “Oh, honey. I didn’t hear you come in,” she said, with a smile.

He watched her carefully, studying her face for signs of concern. “I’m sorry, doll.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and continued to peer deeply, looking for whatever had been on her mind. “Um, are you okay?” he asked. “You seemed really lost in thought.”

“Yeah,” she said, leaning into his embrace. She felt his arms wrap around her tightly, enveloping her completely.Safe. Here, I’m safe.

She leaned back and held his gaze, a nervous look now filling her face. “Jobe? We need to talk.”

His heart began to pound as his control shook, making it hard to steady his breathing. “Sure,” he managed to choke out, inwardly cursing that his voice was betraying his fear. “Whatever it is, we can deal,” he promised.

Keeping his arm around her shoulders, he turned them and walked to the sofa. Sitting down, he carefully pulled her in close to his body.

“You know I went to the doctor today and—”

Before she could continue, he blurted, “Baby, whatever it is, I’ll be here. Whatever is going on, we can face this together.”

Her eyes widened in surprise at his outburst and then slowly understanding filled her expression. “Oh no, honey. I’m not sick.”

His eyes closed in relief as he pulled her in closer, pressing her face into his chest.Thank God!

“Mmm pena,” she said, her face still held firmly planted against his chest.

He felt her hands move from around his neck to his shoulders where she pushed away. She was smiling as he said, “What did you say? I couldn’t understand you.”

She licked her lips nervously, forcing herself to hold his gaze. “I said that I’m pregnant.”

* * *

The light from the full moon beamed down on the bed, illuminating Mackenna’s sleeping form. She was curled on her side with one hand tucked under her cheek and her long mane streaming behind her across the pillow. Jobe had rolled to his side facing her, but sleep did not come. The events of the evening filled his thoughts.

He had sat dumbly as the words that had left her mouth slowly managed to penetrate his foggy mind.Pregnant?He stupidly said the first thing that came into his head.“How?” he blundered.

“Um, the usual way, I’m sure. You know…sperm, egg, all that stuff we learned a long time ago?”

Then he managed to blurt out, “Are you sure?”

The smile on her face began to drop as she answered, “Yes. The doctor is sure.”

He saw the doubt move over her face, and cursed in regret that he had put that fear in her. “Shit, doll. This is amazing. I know it’s unexpected, but baby…this is everything.” Suddenly realizing that she might not be well, he jumped in, “Are you okay? Is the baby okay?”

She giggled as she moved her hands up to cup his face as well. Leaning in she kissed his lips gently. “Yeah, I'm all right. It’s too early to know about the baby, but,” she said with a little shrug, “I’m good.”

After the words she had gifted him with finally sunk in, he pulled her closely once again, holding her right against his chest. Thoughts swirled through his head.Gotta tell our parents. Gotta turn the spare bedroom into a nursery. Oh fuck, we need to go ahead and get married. And her job—Jesus Christ, I need to get her out of—

His anticipations were interrupted by her cupping his face once again.

“Jobe, I can practically hear those thoughts as they fly through your mind.And I know because they’ve been flying through my mind also. But honey, we can deal with them one at a time.”

With that, he pulled her in for a kiss once again. One that he hoped poured all of his love into her, desperately wanting her to know what she and this child meant to him.Healing. Hope. New life. Forever.

Now he lay, quietly watching her as she slept. And he vowed once more to keep her safe always.

18

Tito, Jazzie, and Waldo sat around the unfamiliar table in the dimly lit room, trying not to show their excitement…or their nerves. With the police dogging their moves, the meeting had been relocated from the basement of Tito’s uncle’s store to the basement of one of their brother’s houses. Across from them sat the envoy from Florence 10, one of the larger gangs in South Los Angeles that had been making inroads in Virginia. This was what Tito had been leading the Sixers toward—a chance to be recognized by an organization as big as the F10s. This could mean an opportunity to move in the circles that could make some serious money.

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