Page 10 of Falling for Autumn
The doors pushed open, and four people rushed inside. I had seen them around her place before and assumed they were her family.
“Mesha. Oh my goodness, I’m sorry it took so long to get here. When we arrived, they wouldn’t let us come back right away. Are you okay?” the light-skinned, middle-aged woman with flawless skin asked.
“Yes, Mama. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Lawd hammercy. Ain’t she just the most beautiful thing?” the older, light-skinned woman stated.
“She is, isn’t she?” Autumn’s mother asked.
“I’m a granddaddy,” the older gentleman declared. Her family gathered around her bed, oohing and aahing over Auburn. I backed toward the door again as the younger, brown-skinned woman stated, “I’m so sorry you were alone. I told Mama and Daddy, and you know Daddy acted like he was on the Atlanta Motor Speedway. We rushed here to get here in time for her birth, boo. I hate that Frost was out of town, too, because he would have been here for you.”
I guessed Frost was the baby’s daddy. I wasn’t sure.
“I wasn’t alone, Ann. He was with me.”
Everyone turned their attention to me. It seemed my presence had been missed up to that point.
“Who you, baby?” the older woman asked, walking in my direction.
“GiGi, that’s my neighbor, October.”
“Well, ain’t he a fine specimen,” the older woman declared, eyeing me up and down like she was famished.
“GiGi!” the younger woman exclaimed.
“October, I’m sorry. This is my family. This is my mother, Denise; my father, Kenneth; my grandma, Vonda, but we call her GiGi; and that’s my sister Ann, or Wynter. Y’all, this is my neighbor, October.”
“Well, how did you end up here?” GiGi asked.
“I saw Autumn in pain and came to help her. She was trying to drive herself, but I didn’t see the point when I was here and perfectly capable,” I explained.
“Mm-hmm, definitely perfect,” GiGi declared, chewing on her fingernail.
“Mama, stop that,” Mrs. Denise reprimanded.
“What? Girl, as long as these old eyes can see, I can breathe, and a fine young stud is there, I’m gonna have something to say. I’m looking. I ain’t touching . . . yet.”
Aww shit. I knew I’d better run out of here soon.
“Mama,” Ms. Denise stated in a quiet but serious voice.
I smirked. “Well, Autumn, congratulations on your beautiful blessing, baby girl. I’m gonna let your family enjoy their time with you. I’ll be back with that carriage ride for the princess,” I stated with a wink.
The smile that lifted her eyes and cheeks did wonders for my heart. Someone had hurt that woman deeply, and I was glad if I could do a little something to bring rainbows and sunshine into her life, if only for a moment. Although I suspected that had something to do with that beautiful bundle of joy she’d just been blessed with.
She smiled and replied, “Thank you so much, October. I could never repay you for your kindness.”
“It was an honor,” I replied before I stepped out of the room.
Ms. Denise was eyeing me warily as I disappeared into the hallway. But such was the way with mothers when it came to me. I hadn’t always had the greatest reputation as a young’n, but I’d grown up quite a bit over the years.
Chapter 5
Autumn
TWO WEEKS LATER
