Page 112 of Crash: Love in Scrubs
I raised an eyebrow, curious about what else my son had been keeping to himself.
“I know we talked about the streaming before, and I know you understand that I’m still going to college. But my channel has really taken off. Like, really taken off. I’m up to almost ten thousand followers now.”
My eyes widened. “Ten thousand? Samaj, that’s amazing!”
“Yeah, and I’m making decent money from it too. Not enough to live off of, but enough to help with gas and stuff.” He looked between me and Malik. “I just wanted y’all to know that I’m being smart about it. Building my brand while still focusing on school.”
“I’m proud of you for finding your passion and pursuing it responsibly,” I said, meaning every word. “What’s your streaming name again?”
“RecoveryKing17.”
Malik suddenly got a huge grin on his face. “Speaking of that...come with me for a minute.”
He stood up and gestured for Samaj to follow him. I trailed behind, curious about what Malik was up to.
He led us upstairs to a room I’d never really paid attention to before, one that had always been closed when I was here. Malik opened the door with a large grin.
“Holy shit,” Samaj breathed, then quickly looked at me. “Sorry, Ma. Bruhhhh, this is crazy.”
The room was top of the line; a sight to see. Professional lighting setup, a high-end gaming chair, multiple monitors, a top-of-the-line computer setup and mounted on the wall behindthe desk was a custom neon sign that read “RecoveryKing17” in bright blue letters.
“Malik,” I gasped, “when did you do all this?”
“I’ve been working on it for the past couple of weeks. Did some research on what streamers need, watched some of your content to see your setup.” He looked at Samaj. “Figured if you’re gonna do this, you might as well do it right. But school is a requirement. You gave us your word.”
Samaj was speechless, running his hands over the equipment with reverence. “This is... this is professional level stuff. Like, what the big streamers use.”
“That’s the point. You got talent, you got the drive, and you got something important to say. Now you’ve got the tools to say it properly.”
I watched my son’s face light up as he explored his new setup, and my heart felt so full it might burst.
“Thank you,” Samaj said, his voice thick with emotion as he hugged Malik. “This is the best thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
“You’re my son now,” Malik said simply. “This is what fathers do. I’m always going to have your back.”
Samaj was immediately on the phone, probably calling Deon and Domino to show off his new equipment. We quietly closed the door and headed back down to the kitchen.
“You lowkey got us spoiled,” I said, wrapping my arms around his waist.
“Yeah? Does big mama want something too?” he asked with that playful smirk I loved. “You know Dr. Big Daddy good for it.”
“Your love is enough. Thank you. Oh, Halo said deliver her Davinci Bryns, and we should be square.”
He laughed, and so did I, “I’ll see what I can do. That girl is crazy as hell.”
“That’s why I love that girl, and thank you, baby. Everyone deserves a love story.”
Leaning against his chest, surrounded by the evidence of Malik’s love everywhere, in every word, in every plan, in every thoughtful gesture, I realized this was what I’d been searching for my whole life without even knowing it. Love, belonging, a partner, a friend, and a lover. Malik was all that in one. I never believed in perfect men, but my man was pretty damn close.
I loved this man and couldn’t wait to give him the gift of fatherhood. Watching him with Samaj, seeing the way he naturally stepped into the role of protector and provider, I knew our baby would be blessed to have him as a father. And I was going to be blessed with the best husband. I’d won.
The morning of Sametra’s appointment, I was up before my alarm even went off. My mind was racing. Nerves, excitement, a little bit of everything brewed inside of me. Today I’d get to see our baby for the first time. Hear the heartbeat. Watch that little body move on the screen. That thought had me in a complete chokehold.
We we’re really having a baby. Not maybe. Not someday. Now. And that reality shifted everything about how I was moving through life. I needed to marry Sametra before she gave birth. I wanted her to be Mrs. Holloway when she brought our child into the world. She’d more than earned that title. I needed to, adjust my retirement planning and update my insurance. Find us a home. Sametra liked my house, but I wanted a better backyard. I had a family now. But mostly, I had to make sure Sametra was loved, protected, and well-fed.
“Baby, please don’t get in there asking a million questions,” she said, checking her reflection in the visor mirror.
I smirked, but I didn’t argue. Truth was, Ihadbeen doing the most. I’d read every damn thing I could find, forums, articles, even cracked open a couple of journals I still had from school. I had half a degree in fetal development at this point and a running list of questions in my phone.
