C H A P T E R
T W E N T Y - E I G H T

Leaving from out of Marquette's hospital room with his dad, Ahmad leaned up against the wall and sighed as his dad stared at him waiting for him to speak on what is on his mind. "I don't want to blame Cali, I swear I don't .. but I can't help but feel some type of way because of this whole situation.." He mumbled.

"What do you mean? Why would Cali be at fault behind this?"

"Two months ago Cali discovered bruises on Marquette and I told her to look into it and see what is up. I knew something wasn't right, but Cali wanted to play dumb with the shit and didn't take it as serious as she should have since she believed Reggie wouldn't have done this to him .. but now look, he in the hospital beat badly and Reggie fuck ass is no where to be found." He snapped. "Now I feel like shit because I should have done my own fucking investigation instead of leaving it in the hands of Cali's, because she fucked up. When it comes to Reggie, she always gives that nigga the benefit of the doubt, and never tries to hold him accountable for anything. I'm trying not to blame my baby because she already feels like shit because of this, but this could have all been prevented if she did what I told her to do,"

Touching his shoulder, Aaron understood exactly how Ahmad felt at the moment. "No parent is perfect son, yes Cali was wrong for letting this go on and not look more into it as she should have. But don't hang this over her head son, just be grateful that he is alive and not dead, and handle this shit so it doesn't get worse and I also say y'all need to fight for full custody as well."

Stopping his sentence when a doctor came walking by, they both smiled weakly at him before turning back to each other. "I love Marquette, that's my grandbaby and seeing him like this hurts and I'm not tryna see him like this again. You gotta handle this son, and I'm willing to help."

"I know no parent is perfect, but pops Cali literally argued me down behind this nigga. Like that shit forreal hurt how she basically cut me out the loop and started throwing around that my son shit like I don't love that boy like he's my own. I ain't forget that shit, she basically put that nigga before me." He stated getting mad all over again. "But I'ma do what I have to do to keep him safe, I'll discuss the custody thing with her and whether she fucking wants to or not, we doing it."

Since that argument him and Cali had two months ago, he still had some iffy feelings towards her. He looked at her differently since the way she acted was unusual. The way she stuck up for and defended Reggie after all the fucked up shit he has done during the course of their relationship, it had him questioning a lot of things ..like her feelings towards Reggie.

At the sound of his phone ringing, he pulled it out his pocket and answered it when he saw it was Alisha calling. "Hello?"

"Hey Ahmad, have you seen Cali? She called me about an hour ago and told me that she was headed over here to get the kids and she hasn't showed up yet. I tried calling her cell, but I'm not getting no answer or anything." She explained.

Scratching and pulling at his beard, Ahmad sighed. "She left here telling me the samething. Let me put on the cell tracker I got on my phone to find her location. I'll call you back."

"Okay, talk to you soon."

In the middle of the app loading to locate her whereabouts, the sound of someone arguing caught Ahmad's attention. Reverting his eyes and attention to the scene he frowned when he saw Reggie in the middle of having a yelling match with a doctor and a nurse.

"He's my fucking son, and if I want to see him I have every fucking right too!" He shouted.

Ahmad and Aaron both made their way over towards him, Aaron being sure to keep Ahmad behind him since he knew Ahmad would get violent any minute.

When Reggie spotted him, his rage fueled. "You muthafucka's think y'all can just keep my son from me! My son is in the hospital, and y'all gon' shut me out!? He ain't your kid, he's mine and I have every right to see him nigga." He yelled.

"I'ma need you to bring that tone down nigga before I beat yo muthafuckin' ass again! It's yo fuckin' fault we even here in the first place, if you would have done your job as a damn parent we wouldn't even be here at the moment! Yeah, he's your son but under yo fuckin' watch he ended up in the hospital beat tha fuck up on more than one occasion! He's your son, but you're a suck ass excuse of a father and a husband! I love that little boy more than anything on this planet, I would lay my life down for that boy in there, but can you say the same?" Ahmad yelled back trying to get around from his dad who stood right in the middle.

Laughing, Reggie clapped loudly. "Cali sure does believe I do a pretty good job as a parent," He smirked. "So your opinion means nothing to me nigga. You go worry about those dreams you keep having and that sickly and mentally retarded ass son of yours, while me and Cali worry about our son."

When he heard the last sentence, he frowned wondering how he knew about him having dreams and about Adrian being sick and possibly having Autism then it clicked that Cali must have told him and that pissed him off even more at the both of them.

Pushing passed his dad the doctors and the nurses who all stood around trying to keep the argument at bay, he charged up to Reggie and swung immediately.

Aaron stood back and let em go at it since Reggie deserved it, checking the time on his watch he laughed when he saw Ahmad had him on the ground and was sending punches repeatedly to his face.

The nurses and doctors and even some patients and a few of their family members all watched not sure what to do or how to react to the situation before them.

Ahmad hovered over Reggie giving him the work, he thought after the last the last incident Reggie would have known to come at him correctly, but he sees now he had to refresh his memory that he wasn't the one to fuck with especially when it came to his kids.

When Aaron felt the fight was going on long enough, he pushed the doctors out of the way and grabbed his crazy ass son just when the hospital security came walking towards them.

Pulling Ahmad away from Reggie who was laid out on the floor with a bloody nose and a busted lip. Aaron pushed him back inside Marquette's room so he would calm down while he went to talk to the security guards.

"What is the problem?" The bigger guard asked looking amongst them with confused expressions.

"This man here showed up demanding to see his son, when his mother requested we put him on the no visitation list and then he started arguing with her husband here and it just esculated." The doctor explained the best he could.

Yanking Reggie off the ground, they handcuffed him and escorted him out of the area to hold him until the cops got there.

While they took him away, one guard stayed back to talk to Aaron. "Where is your son?"

"He's in his son room calming down. I apologize for what happened sir, but its more going on that led to what just happened. See his son, my grandbaby was admitted to the hospital due to being beat under his biological father's watch, so we didn't trust him to come visit him until we knew exactly what happened. The fight esculated due to him saying some fucked up shit to my son."

The guard nodded, "We'll handle everything and make sure he his properly escorted out of the building and will not be able to return until we get the okay from the mother."

Shaking the guard hand and thanking him, Aaron apologized to the nurses and doctors before going to check on his son.

Entering the room, he saw Ahmad pacing the floor. "Why tha fuck would Cali tell him that shit about Adrian!? Pops, I could have killed that nigga for talking about my son like that!" He snapped.

Aaron looked over at Marquette who was knocked out still, before looking back at Ahmad. "I know its fucked up, but you gotta calm down son. Getting mad isn't going to solve anything,"

"Fuck that pops, she pissing me off! Like we haven't even told you guys about what has been going on with Adrian, he's a sickly child and we have been in and out of the emergency room's behind him, we even almost lost him pops and now they think he might be autistic .. we was going to tell you guys personally and she gon' run her fucking mouth to her weak ass baby daddy about my kid!? Knowing I hate that muthafucka'! Fuck being calm, she doing the damn most!"

Shaking his head, Ahmad walked out the room needing to smoke real quick.

Reaching the ground level floor, he stepped off the elevator and walked out the doors to take a walk. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out his lighter and a pre-rolled blunt he had and lit it.

Taking a few drags from it, he inhaled it for a bit before releasing the cloud of smoke into the air. Doing that a few more times, he felt that high start to kick in immediately.

Resting up against the wall, he reached for his phone when it started ringing and sighed when he saw it was Alisha. Putting the phone to his ear, he rubbed his hand down his face. "Hey Lish, I completely forgot about checking her location, give me a second and I'll call you."

Sniffling, Alisha wiped her eyes as she looked back at her and Cali's kids sleeping in her back seat. "No Ahmad, I was calling to tell you that Cali was in an accident.. they just called me since I was the last person who had contacted her and they're headed to the hospital now."

Dropping his phone and blunt, Ahmad felt his chest tighten up as he closed his eyes. He heard Alisha calling out his name in the from the phone, but it felt for a second his whole stopped.

The dream.. was all he could think of, and he prayed to God and hoped that it wasn't coming true.

Waking up in the hospital bed, Cali sat up and looked around to see Ahmad stretched out on the couch in her room with Armoni and Adrian sound asleep beside him. Looking to the left of her, she noticed Marquette laid asleep in his own hospital bed.

Watching his chest rise and fall, she smiled a little but then immediately looked down at her stomach and felt around hoping Ahmad's dream did not come true last night.

Her body ached all over, and she tried not to move too much but she needed answers. Trying to sit up the pain she recieved caused her to lay right back down instantly, "Shit," She hissed.

At the sound of Cali groaning in pain, Ahmad immediately woke up from his light slumber. Turning his head towards her, he could see the worried look on her face, and he knew exactly what she was thinking. "The baby is fine, relax and go back to sleep." He muttered out lowly, but loud enough for her to hear him.

Jumping at the sound of his voice, she looked over at him and sighed in relief. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah mama, the driver hit the backseat door missing your side completely, you only feel pain because your body jerked real hard from the impact of the wreck.. but you and the baby are perfectly fine." He reassured her in a soothing tone.

Letting out a breath she didn't know she was even holding, she felt her eyes start to burn. Closing her eyes, she sniffled which alerted Ahmad once again. Raising up slowly so he wouldn't wake his two babies up, he laid them back down then got up to go console his wife.

Despite the anger he was feeling towards her and Reggie, he was willing to put it aside for now and be thankful that she was still here today and alive. Because lord knows he would not be able to function without her in his life.

Walking over to her side of the bed, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before leaning down and kissing her on the forehead. "Whatchu' crying for ma'?"

"I was so scared Ahmad, I just knew after the wreck that—" She closed her eyes to get her emotions together. "I just knew me and the baby were gone and before I could even think or blink .. everything went black and I was just afraid of leaving you and the kids for good."

She started to cry harder by now, and Ahmad simply let her get her emotions out and just consoled her. "I was scared too, but I remained faithful and hopeful and when they told me what happened and where the car hit .. I knew everything was going to be okay. We're okay and you're okay as well as the baby, so just calm down okay ma'? We good."

Nodding her head, she let him wipe her tears. "I love you so much," She sniffled.

Leaning more on her bed, he made her focus in on him as he smiled her way. Leaning forward he kissed her on the lips a few times before pulling away and grabbing her by the chin. "I love you more than you can imagine, trust me."

Placing her hand on top of his, she smiled weakly before grabbing his hand and kissing the back of it. "Get some rest alright? I'll be on the couch with our other big babies." He told her.

Kissing her one last time, he pulled away then walked back over to the couch lifting his kids and laid back down on the couch while Cali got comfortable in her bed and slowly drifted off to sleep once the medicine they had running through her blood stream kicked in.

          After an hour or so passed, Cali was knocked out but now Marquette was awake in tears due to the pain he was enduring. Being the amazing father that he is, Ahmad lifted his small body up and held him in his arms and got in the bed with him.

Laying back so Marquette was laying on his chest, he rubbed his hand up and down his back in a soothing motion trying to get him to relax, but it seemed as if nothing was working. "You alright man, I know it hurts. But you gon' be just fine." He cooed.

Although Marquette was a good five years of age, almost six .. he was still Ahmad's baby and seeing him hurt and cry like this in pain, hurt him.

Once he saw that his cries weren't letting up and were only getting louder, he pressed the emergency button to alert a nurse to come in.

Within' five minutes a nurse came rushing in, "Is everything okay sir?"

Sitting up, Ahmad shrugged. "I don't know, he woke up crying and he won't stop."

Nodding her head she walked over towards him and carefully removed him from Ahmad's arms. Helping him stand on his feet so she could examine him, Ahmad held on to his arms due to the weakness in his legs that almost caused him to fall over.

Lifting the gown to expose his bad, she noticed the bruise they noticed last night had gotten darker and she knew that was what was causing the pain. "It looks like one of his bruises has gotten worse over night." She explained.

Pressing her finger on it, she applied a little pressure causing him to cry out loudly in pain. "We're gonna do an x-ray on this, let me let someone know and I'll be right back with some more pain medicine for him to take that will help reduce the pain he is in."

"Do you think its safe for him to lay down with his back looking like this?"

"He needs to actually walk around for a bit, the weakness in his legs is from him being in bed for so long and he needs to regain that strength in them."

"Okay,"

Holding onto one of his arms, Ahmad reached down an grabbed his Black Panther slippers and helped him put them on right when the nurse returned with the medicine.

Hooking the medicine up to his IV, she made sure it all went in before taking it out. "Okay, after he gets done walking .. we'll do that x-ray on his back."

Ahmad nodded, "Thank you ma'am,"

Leaving out of the room with Marquette, Ahmad held onto his hand and helped him walk around the hospital. The medicine kicked in rather fast and he wasn't looking so uncomfortable in the face anymore.

"Are your legs hurting too bad to walk on?"

"No sir," He replied back quietly barely above a whisper.

Stopping himself from walking, Ahmad looked down in confusion wondering what was going on. But before he could even ask him anything, Marquette just hugged him tightly as if this was going to be his last time seeing him.

Two nurses walked by noticing the moment and smiled finding it adorable especially when he started crying again.

Squatting down to his level, Ahmad wiped his tears for him and let him get all his emotions out. When he finally calmed down, Ahmad smiled at him. "Now tell me why you crying son? What's going on?"

Sniffling, he rose his hand up and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "I-I-I don't want to go back to uh R-R-Reggie house." He sniffled some more trying his best to talk through his cries.

"You don't have too okay? You don't ever have to go back over there if you don't want too alright? I'll never send you somewhere you don't wanna be at." He told him and Marquette nodded slowly befor smiling and hugging him again.

Hugging him back just as tight, Ahmad kissed his head. "I love you okay? And I'm gon' always make sure you and your siblings are good."

"I love you too,"

Two weeks had passed since everything had transpired, Marquette was healing perfectly and Cali was growing by the day but although things from the outside looking in seemed to be fine, Ahmad and Cali were having their own issues.

Sex between the two had become nonexistent and their communication had come to a complete stop. Cali was having her own mental battles within' herself about everything, mainly blaming herself for the wedge that has happened in their marriage, while Ahmad tries his best to refrain from going off and hurting her feelings .. although he's hurt himself.

Getting up out of bed, Ahmad dragged his feet across the floor letting his toes sink into the soft carpet as he made his way to the bathroom.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he slightly jumped when he saw Cali sitting on the counter since he thought she would have been gon' for work by now.

Walking passed her he went and peed then came back over to where she was to wash his hands, but he still has yet to utter a word to her and that was driving her insane. "Is this really what we doing now Ahmad? You can't even speak to me now?"

Looking up at her, he shrugged. "I ain't got shit to say Cal, whatchu want me to say?"

"Something! You haven't said much of anything to me in two weeks. This is what it has come to Ahmad?"

Shaking her head, she hopped down off the counter and laughed before walking out, "I'm not even about to do this with you today,"  Ahmad mumbled but loud enough for her to hear.

Walking out of the bathroom, he got back in bed and turned on the tv since today was his off day.

"What exactly are we even doing Ahmad? You won't look at me, you won't speak to me and that shit hurts! Just admit that you blame me for everything, you blame me for what happened to Marquette and I get that .. just be honest!" She yelled.

"I don't blame you,"

Scoffing, she rolled her eyes. "Yes you do, the Ahmad I know wakes up every morning with a smile on his face and kisses me on the lips and greets me in the morning before he leaves for work or before I do. The Ahmad I know cuddles with me everynight before bed and now you don't even touch me, you don't look at me the same and you only smile when the kids are around .. just admit that you blame me, stop being a coward and be real for just one second rather than hiding behind your fucking feelings and acting like a bitch and treating me like shit!"

Snapping his neck in her direction, he stood up and walked over towards her and slammed her against the wall. "Watch how you fucking talk to me Cal and I'm not fucking playing! You really pissing me off!"

Letting go of her, he walked away only for her to shove him. "No, fuck you! How do you think I feel when my own husband can't even look at me? How do you think that makes me feel? Just tell me the truth Ahmad! Tell me you blame you, so we move past this!"

Nodding his head, he laughed. "Fine, you wanna know the truth? Yes, I fucking blame you because your dumb ass should have fucking investigated more rather than taking that niggas word for it! You cut me out the loop and I had no say in anything and all because of your dumb ass parenting my boy ended up in the hospital! So yes, I fucking blame you for everything. For what happened to Marquette and for letting Reggie think his punk ass has some type of place in our lives. Telling this nigga our personal shit when you know I don't like that nigga, as a wife you should know better!" He shouted back even louder.

Cali grew mute afer those words left his mouth. "Ahma—"

"Nah save it, you had a whole lot to say a few minutes ago.. I tried to keep calm and remain cool to spare your feeling but you wanted the fucking truth and there it is .. Happy now?"

"You told this man about my dreams and then about Adrian possibly being Autistic when we haven't even told our family that shit! So fuck how you feel man, how tha fuck do you think I feel about my wife going behind my back and doing that snake shit?"

When she didn't say anything back, he nodded. "Yeah, fuck outta here man."

Walking up out the room he slammed the door after him, and paused when he saw Adrian, Armoni and Marquette standing by their door with tears falling from their eyes.

Lifting both Adrian and Armoni up, Marquette walked alongside him and they made their way to the kitchen. Sitting them down at the dinner table, Ahmad let out a deep sigh hating that they had to hear them arguing like that.

They always tried not to argue around them, but Cali was asking for it.

Kissing them all on their forehead, he smiled weakly. "Stop crying okay? Me and ya mama gon' be alright, this just our way of letting our emotions out .. but we good okay?"

But deep down, he wasn't too sure.

-

Sorry for the long wait babies, writers block ain't no joke 😭
Thanks for the love & support as always!
- Denise 💋