Page 27 of Sunday

“Then why’re you pushing me away? I mean, I know you’re scared, and this is new shit to you, but I promised that I’d be right here. You won’t have to do this alone, Sunny. I’m not that guy.”

“It’s not that.”

She shook her head, and I tugged on one of her long braids. Since the day she’d been sick and I had braided her hair in French braids, she had continued wearing that style. Every morning, when she got up, she would put fresh braids in her thick auburn hair.

“Then what is it?”

“I heard your phone call.”

“What phone call?”

“With Taylor. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but I’d run out of pee, and then I’d had to get some more water so I could pee again?—”

“Wait. This isn’t making sense. What are you talking about you ran out of pee?”

She sniffled a little, and I could tell that she was on the verge of breaking down in tears. I didn’t want her to do that, especially not here in the doctor’s office.

I gripped her hands and squeezed them. “Slow down. Breathe in real deep and then slowly release it.”

She did what I said.

“Do it again. Three times. I’ll do it with you,” I coached.

We went through three more deep breathing exercises. “Good. Now tell me what you’re talking about.”

“You bought me five pregnancy tests. I only had enough pee for three of the tests. So, when I finished, I called your name, but you didn’t answer. Twice,” she emphasized, holding up two fingers. “Then I came out to get a water bottle, and I heard you two talking.”

I sighed because I wondered how much she had overheard. I had my phone on speaker, so it was likely that she’d heard it all. Now it made so much sense why she had pushed me away.

“I heard Taylor asking you to give her and Monica a baby. And you don’t have to lie to me about it, Cedar. I mean, I get it. She’s your ex-wife, so that had to be emotional for you. I know that you didn’t want your marriage to end, and you probably feel tied to her, obligated, or even want to be involved with the process. So I don’t want to stand in the way of that. I don’t want to be a burden when you have the chance to have a baby with the woman you love.”

“Hey, stop right there before you go any further. That’s the shit we’re not about to do. Yeah, she asked me to give her a baby.”

“You sounded like you wanted to, though, Cedar.”

“I won’t lie. I was torn in the beginning. But I was only torn because I was still steeped in our past. I’m not there anymore. Not after I had to have a come to Jesus meeting with myself. I’m not getting involved with this shit she’s got going on, and she’s not getting my seed. The only way that would have gone to her is if we were still married or still involved with each other. We’re not, and we’re never gonna be again. I wanted some mini-mes running around. Taylor knew that, and she’s tryna use that shit against me. I don’t randomly give out my seed, Sunny.”

“You gave it to me.”

“Consider yourself someone very special to me.”

I winked and kissed the top of her head just as the doctor came in.

“Hello, Sunday. It’s been a while since I last saw you. How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know, Dr. Vance. I’m on a roller-coaster ride of emotions right now.”

“Well, let’s see what we can find out, okay? I’ve got the results from your bloodwork and urine sample here. All of your test results came back negative except for one.”

“Which one?” I asked before Sunday could respond.

“Dr. Vance, this is Cedar Jackson. He’s my . . . the . . .”

“I’m the baby’s father,” I interjected and extended my hand to shake the doctor’s.

She smiled as she shook my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Jackson. Normally, I would ask routine medical history questions and then review the test results. But I’m very familiar with Sunday’s medical history, as I’ve been her doctor for the last three years. I reviewed some of the test results already. So, let me say what you two already know. Congratulations are in order. You’re having a little one. That’s the only positive test. Some will be sent out and returned within a week, and those are the chromosome testing and gender testing.”

I looked at Sunday, and her bottom lip quivered. She reached for my hand, and I took hers before giving her a little reassuring squeeze.

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