Page 42 of Loving a Libra
As I merged onto the highway a few minutes later, I decided to go to my condo first. That way, I could head straight home when I left ERL. Twenty minutes later, I parked in my parking spot, and as I exited my car, Maurice approached me.
“I think she blocked my number.”
I shrugged. “If she left you, that makes sense.”
“All you got is jokes.”
“I ain’t told a joke yet. Where you headed?”
“To her job. If she’s not there, somebody in that bitch gon’ tell me where the fuck she at.”
“Two places you don’t want to act a fool are an airport and a hospital. Hit me up if you need bail money.”
I walked past him toward the entrance.
“Aye.” I paused and turned around. “Y’all be talking and shit. Have you heard from her?”
“Nah.”
The lie easily rolled off my tongue, and I continued into the building. I couldn’t wait to see how this played out.
“The first night, Tariq? Really?”
He shrugged. “What? It wasn’t my intention, but I ain’t mad.”
We’d just left our first prenatal appointment and found out that I was twelve weeks pregnant. I almost passed out when the doctor said that.
“You could’ve at least pulled out.”
“Shiitt. I tried but failed miserably.”
“Clearly, but I’m glad you did.”
We stopped at a light, and he leaned over the console for a kiss.
“My parents might explode with happiness.”
“Aww. You think so?”
“I do. I’m thirty-seven and haven’t been in a relationship since my early twenties. They’d all but given up on gaining a daughter-in-law and having grandchildren.”
“I hope they’re as excited as we are. It would mean a lot to me.”
A wave of sadness washed over me as I thought about how few people I had in my life who I trusted. My support system was small, but I was intentional about who I allowed to get close to me, so I couldn’t blame anyone but myself.
Tariq must have sensed my sadness, because I felt his hand on my thigh. I looked at him, and he quickly gave me a glance before focusing on the road again.
“I know it’s not the same as having your parents, but we can share mine. I promise they’ll love you like they would their own daughter.”
I smiled. “I hope so because I’m gonna need your mother, especially. I don’t have anyone to help guide me through this pregnancy.”
“I’m sure she’d be honored.”
A few minutes later, we arrive at his parents’ house with our ultrasound pictures in hand. It was close to dinnertime, and the house smelled amazing.
“This is a nice surprise. What are y’all doing here?”
“We were in the neighborhood,” Tariq lied.
