Page 55 of The Price of My Sins

A nurse ran out with a wheelchair when she saw what was going on. “How far apart are the contractions?”

“Too damn close!” Olivia snapped. “If this baby ain’t on the way, it’s tryna kick the door down!”

I helped her into the chair while she clutched my wrist like it was the only thing anchoring her to earth.

Inside, it was a blur. Bright lights, nurses were asking questions, while another asked for ID and insurance.

“I DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT NO INSURANCE!” Olivia yelled, pointing toward her belly. “JUST GET THIS BABY OUT!”

They rolled her away toward delivery, and I started to follow, but a nurse stopped me. “Sir, we just need you to throw on a gown?—”

“Fuck a gown! That’s my woman!”

“Bo!” Olivia hollered from the hallway. “Get in here before I have this baby without you!”

And that was all it took for the nurse to let me pass. I suited up while running down the hall, and the second I grabbed Olivia’s hand, she looked up at me with all the pain, all the fear, and all the love in the world.

“Let’s do this,” she whispered.

And I knew then that this was the moment everything changed.

They got Olivia hooked up and stable. She wasn’t fully dilated, so I went to the waiting area to see who’d arrived. My parents were here, along with my grandma, sister, and my boys.

“How is she?” Olivia's parents came running into the waiting room.

“She’s almost ready.” I looked over at Deuce. “Ayo… I need a favor. How soon can you get a priest here?”

“Word?” he asked, smirking, and I nodded.

“Yeah… hell yeah. I want her to have my last name before she pushes my son out.”

“Say less.” He gave me a pound and ended it with a brotherly hug.

I had already spoken with Olivia's parents and got her ring. I had planned to ask her after her six-week check-up on the beach in Cabo, but I couldn’t wait that long.

“Congratulations, Boris.” Charles walked up to me after my mother gave me a kiss on the cheek. We weren’t at the stage of me calling him “Dad,” but I was up for getting to know the man. He wasn’t in the wrong in not knowing about me, so I wasn’t too hard on him.

“Thanks, man.” He shook my hand.

I didn’t miss how he held on tightly to my mama’s hand or the red mark on her neck that she tried covering up with a silk scarf. I ain’t mad about it, but I was definitely going to have a talk with Charles about my mama. I didn’t play about that one.

“Big brother!” Amina flung herself in my arms. “I can’t believe I’m about to be an auntie!”

I smiled down at her short self. “Yeah, sis. Any time now. I’m happy to know I have another babysitter.” I smiled at her.

She beamed proudly. “Anytime, big bro!”

Damn. I still can’t believe I have a sister.

An hour later, the priest showed up. Deuce set it up so that we could get the license signed later. I walked into the delivery room, and Olivia was doing her breathing exercises. Her hair was wild, and she was sweating, but she was still the most beautiful woman in the world to me.

“Baby, what the heck is going on? And who is this?” she asked, confused.

“Baby…” I grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. “You love me, right?”

“Yes. Bo, what’s wrong?”

“This is Father Frank. He is here to marry us. I don’t want you to bring my baby into this world without having my last name.” With that, I pulled out the small velvet box from my pocket and opened it. The five-carat diamond platinum ring sparkled under the bright lights of the room.

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