Page 110 of Crash: Love in Scrubs
“Don’t get smart with me, woman. I’m just making sure my babies are healthy. I ain’t forget about you running in a burning building.”
I shot him a look that said move on, “And your babies?”
“Yeah, mine. You and sweet pea.” He kissed my nose. “And speaking of taking care of you, we need to talk about living arrangements.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, we do?”
“Damn right we do. You think I’m about to let my pregnant fiancée live in a different house from me? Hell nah.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“I’m suggesting you and Samaj move in here until we find a place together or build something together. But either way, we’re not spending another night apart unless absolutely necessary. I’ll move in with you if that’s what’s comfortable for you.”
The idea of waking up next to him every morning, of building a life together under the same roof, made my heart race with excitement. “I’d like to move here. What about Samaj? This is a big change for him, too. Should we ask him?”
I loved Malik’s house, it was spacious he had plenty of room. It was on the outskirts of the city, close enough to enjoy but far enough to escape the hustle and bustle. I could make this a home until we found ours, or if we ever had to. And I didn’t mind renting mine out. That would be income.
“We’ll talk to him about it today. See how he feels. But honestly, I think he’ll be more than cool with it.”
“Did you get fired? I’m not going to be upset if you did. I just want to know if I need to go back to work.”
“No, I resigned because I’m going to open Pressure Points by the end of the year. And I know it’s a lot happening at once, but I’m committed to ensuring you don’t have to worry about anything ever again. Going back to work will always be a choice, never a requirement. Money ain’t an issue. I got us.”
“Baby, that’s amazing. And I want to help, so let me. I’m not useless, okay? What’s next?”
“Okay.” His face lit up with excitement. “I signed the lease yesterday. Pressure Points should be up and running within three months or so. I’ll have eight treatment rooms, space for group therapy, even a children’s area for when parents bring their kids to appointments.”
“A children’s area?”
“Yeah, I was thinking about our baby when I saw it. Somewhere, they can play while Daddy works.” The pride in his voice was unmistakable. “This is going to be good for us, Sametra. Really good.”
“I’m proud of you. Taking something negative and turning it into something positive.”
“I learned that from you. You’ve been doing that your whole life.”
Before I could respond, the sound of a car door closing outside caught our attention. I looked out the window to see Samaj getting out of his new Mustang, a huge grin on his face.
“He’s here,” I said, suddenly nervous.
“Hey.” Malik turned me to face him, his hands steady on my shoulders. “You gotta give my boy more credit than that. He’s turning into a man. Trust him. And we’re doing this together.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, and together.”
“Together,” he confirmed, kissing me softly just as Samaj walked in. I loved the sun coming through the screen, so it was always my first stop in the morning.
Malik went to get some clothes on while I finished plating the breakfast, my ring catching the morning light as I moved. In just a few minutes, we’d be telling my son that his father was dead and that I was engaged to the man who’d become more of a father to him than Ashe ever was.
“Ma!” Samaj’s voice carried through the house, full of energy and excitement. “Y’all better not be doing nothing nasty. I got something to tell y’all!”
I laughed despite my nerves.
“In the kitchen,” I called back. “And we’ve got something to tell you too.”
As I heard their footsteps approaching, Malik’s hand found mine, our fingers intertwining naturally as he made it back down.
“Did you have a good night at Deon’s?” I asked as Samaj rounded the corner and came into the kitchen.
“Yeah, it was cool, pizza, video games, and homie talk. Just chillin’.”
