Page 4 of Fever: Love In Scrubs
“He passed away. He hadn’t shown up to work in a couple of days and someone went to check up on him. That’s when they found him?—”
The phone fell from my hands. I sat there, struggling to breathe as the realization hit me. The screams and cries that left my body didn’t feel like my own. My shoulders shook as tears fell tenfold. As hard as I tried to get it under control, it was to no avail.
The driver’s side door opened, and I looked over to see my aunt reaching for me. She pulled me out of the car and into her arms, where I immediately crumbled.
“I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you.”
My heart ached. I didn’t get the chance to meet my mother, but in spite of everything, I loved my father.
Daddy?
Gone?
It just couldn’t be real.
“Time to go, Jamari! Hustle up!”
I stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for my twelve-year-old to bring her ass down so we could go. We were entering those years where she took pride in her appearance. It seemed like her time primping in the mirror lengthened by the week.
“I’m coming, Daddy. Dang!”
“Try that again, lil’ girl.”
“I mean, I’ll be right down!” she said sweetly.
I shook my head as I went to check my work bag for the second time. I was working a double shift and wanted to make sure I had everything I needed. By the time I was done, I heard Jamari’s footsteps on the stairs. She was moving fast and when I saw her make a break for the door, I knew her little ass was up to something.
“Freeze!” I said, catching her as she reached for the doorknob.
She paused and turned to me.
I crossed my arms, trying to figure out why she was wearing a hoodie with a projected eighty degree temperature. Yeah, she was up to something, alright. The hood covered most of her face and I could tell she was trying to avoid my eyes.
“Jamari Adele, bring it here.”
“I thought we had to go?—”
“You’ve got three seconds. One.”
By the time I got to three, she was standing in front of me with her head down. I pulled off the hood and tipped her head so her eyes met mine. A frown formed as I looked at my beautiful little girl, face clad in makeup.
“Take off the hoodie.”
She hesitated, but set her things down and pulled the hoodie over her head. My eyes widened at the chest that wasn’t there yesterday.
“I know you lying,” I said.
“Daddy, it’s just makeup and a padded bra. All the girls are wearing it.”
“I’m not all the girl’s daddy either.”
“Mom said a little makeup never hurt anybody. And a padded bra just makes my clothes fit better.”
“Do you live with your mother?”
“No.”
I raised an eyebrow. “No?”
