Capricorn
Chapter 36

Chinese Astrology (Animals & Yin and Yang & Natural Element)
* rat - yang - water
* ox - yin - water
* tiger - yang - wood
* rabbit - yin - wood
* dragon - yang - wood
* snake - yin - fire

* horse - yang - fire
* goat - yin - fire
* monkey - yang - metal
* rooster - yin - metal
* dog - yang - metal  
* pig - yin - water

*

Now that we are all caught up, we now know all the fuckery and messiness that has gotten us to this point and I think it's safe to say that none of us saw any of that coming. 

Adena continued to stare down at the small pink paper clip that someone dropped on the floor in front of her in the courtroom as she clutched the plaintiff's stand. She could vaguely hear the judge ask Taye a few questions but a small ringing in her ears started to get louder and louder by the second. However, what caused Adena to come crashing back down to reality was when Taye introduced Kim as 'my girl.'

Her eyes widened and she looked over at Taye for the first time since she had taken her place on the plaintiff's side of the courtroom. All he met her with was an evil smirk with a smug sparkle in his eye to match. She would've usually given him a look that could kill but she didn't have the energy and she didn't want him to see her upset. That's what he wanted. 

She looked away from him and stared at the paper clip, wondering if she should walk over and just pick it up because it was really bothering her. However, it didn't compare to how much it bothered her that Kim was here as Taye's 'guest.' She couldn't believe her former best friend was that stupid. Could she not see that Taye was using her? Taye never liked Kim in that way. He always saw her as a sister, how did that change so quickly? If she wasn't dealing with this fake ass divorce, she may have felt sorry for her but she wasn't going to get any sympathy from her. 

Adena clutched the plaintiff's stand tighter and tighter as the ringing in her ears got louder and louder. 

And before she knew it, the pink paper clip she was staring at started to blur, the room began to spin and then everything went black...

*

Each of the five elements has a positive and a negative side; which of these is expressed in people depends on whether their animal sign is a Yin (negative) or Yang (positive).

*

"...right here. By your side..."

Those were the first words Adena could make out as she came to. Once she heard a voice, she immediately knew who the voice belonged to. Her eyelids fluttered and soon her eyes opened, she blinked a few times and she could make out a white ceiling above her and a harsh bright light. She felt someone's warm hand hold hers.

"Adena? Thank God, you're ok. Adena?"

She realized that she was laying down, she turned her head to the left and squinted. She blinked her eyes a few times so her eyes could adjust and then she blinked a few times more to make sure she wasn't seeing things. 

"Craig? What...what are you doing here?"

"I literally just sat down a minute ago. Missy was here but she left, she's coming back, don't worry. She wanted me to watch you in case you woke back up."

"Where am I?" she asked weakly. So much was happening and it was all so confusing. Why wasn't she in court?

"You're in the hospital, Dena. You had quite a rough time at court today" he said softly as he continued to hold her hand.

She sighed, she was hoping it was a bad dream. "I was hoping it was a bad dream. Missy told you?"

"She didn't have to. I saw it all for myself."

"What do you mean?"

"I...might have stopped by," Craig said sheepishly as he looked at her small hand in his. He put his other hand on top of hers, they were cold and he was trying to warm her up. "Missy's been keeping me updated on you and she happened to mention that your court date was today. I couldn't help myself. I snuck in and sat in the back. I just wanted to see if you were ok."

"I'm far from ok if I'm in a hospital. What happened?" she asked him.

"You lost consciousness," Ron said as he entered the room, Missy following behind him. Once Missy saw that she was awake, she rushed to the other side of her hospital bed. 

"You're up! I've been so worried about you. I've been here for a couple of hours hoping you would come to and as soon as I leave the room you wake up" Missy said with a smirk as she looked at Craig. 

"What's the last thing you remember?" Ron asked her as he checked her fluids and her chart. 

"Living a nightmare," Adena said wearily. She tried to sit up but a sharp pain immediately told her to lay right back down. "Shit."

"When you fainted, you hit your head pretty hard. No concussion or anything, just a knot that should go away in a few days. Lots of ice" Ron said. He glanced at Craig and then back at her. "Do you remember fainting? What exactly was the last thing you saw?"

"My ex admitting he's been fucking my ex-best friend," Adena said with a sigh. 

"Ok, so I guess you know what your name is, how old you are, and what year it is. Look up please" he asked her as he checked her pupils with a small flashlight.

Adena then gasped and she looked at Missy, "The baby" she whispered to her. 

"The baby is fine," Ron said and he glanced at Craig again. "However, if Mommy isn't ok, the baby won't be. Don't stress."

"So I just passed out in front of everyone?" she asked as she looked at Craig and then at Missy.

"Yeah and all hell kinda broke loose," Missy said. "Everyone's crowding around you, I'm calling 911. Thankfully they came almost immediately since we are right down the street from the courthouse. We wheeled you out of there as fast as we could."

"So what happens now?" Adena asked her. "With the divorce?"

"Don't worry about that now" Ron said to her. "Have you eaten at all today?"

"Um...a muffin maybe?"

"I understand that today was stressful but you're eating for two now-" Ron said before he was interrupted by his beeper. "Let me take care of this and then I'll come back and get you ready to go home," he said and he left the room.  

Missy's phone started to ring as well, "Ugh work. I'm gonna grab you something from the cafeteria ok? I'll be right back," she said to her and left as well. She talked to her assistant manager as she walked to the elevator. She pressed the down button. She ended the call at the same time that the elevator doors opened. She was about to rush in when she saw Kim standing in the elevator. "Girl, don't even think about it. Turn your ass around."

"I just...I gotta know if she's ok-"

"Yeah, no thanks to you. Are you fucking serious Kim? Taye? TAYE OF ALL PEOPLE?"

"We didn't plan it. It just happened-"

"What? You accidentally falling on his dick?"

"I haven't done that. We haven't done that-"

"Sure. So if it isn't the dick, what is making you act so stupid!?"

"As I said, it just happened. We've been hanging out since Adena kicked us both to the curb-"

"And your dumbass thought he was still free game?"

"Can you stop with the names Missy?"

"Ok. How about I just beat your ass instead?" Missy said as she rolled up her sleeves.

Kim put both her hands up and backed away from her. "Just...can you please tell her I'm sorry? The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her but it's a long story-"

"Tell it to someone who cares because I don't and Adena definitely won't either," Missy said as she took off her earrings. "Did he send you in his place? He needs to be apologizing-"

"Taye doesn't know I'm here."

"Always moving in secret huh? Kim, you got 3 seconds to get your ass out of my sight or I'll make sure to have Ron get a hospital bed ready for your ass."

Kim sighed, "Fine, I don't know why I bothered-"

"Speaking of, don't bother Adena ever again. Me either, we're done. Both of us. We're both done with you. You've made your choice. I just can't believe you're choosing him over us. You haven't even slept with him either? You definitely know what you're doing and I hope it's the worst sex ever!"

"Whatever Missy" Kim said as she turned around and walked down the hallway in the opposite direction. 

"I hope he gives you an STD! It's only a matter of time before he cheats on your ass too!" Missy shouted after her right before Kim turned a corner and disappeared. "Bitch" she muttered under her breath.

"Ugh, what's taking Missy so long?" Adena asked. "I need some water-"

"No problem, I'll be right back," Craig said as he squeezed her hand and walked out of the room as Ron walked in. 

"Ok well keep icing that head of yours and here's a prescription in case the pain is unbearable, also don't worry it's safe for the baby," Ron said as he gave her some paperwork.

"Yeah about that. Can you give me a few suggestions on who to go to to get that taken care of?"

Ron looked at her, not catching on at first and then his eyes widened once he did. "Oh um yeah. I can refer you. Are you sure that's what you want to do? Or is it what Taye wants you to do?"

Adena waved him off, "Taye doesn't even know and now he never will."

Ron nodded, "I can make a few calls. I'll get back to you."

"ASAP please," she said to him as Craig walked back in. "The sooner the better" she said discreetly as she slowly got out of bed. Ron nodded again. Missy walked back in as well with a sandwich and some juice. "You ready?" Adena said to her.

"I gotta get back to work. They'll probably burn the place down if I don't."

"I can get her home," Craig said and then he looked at Adena. "Unless-"

"That's fine," Adena said. She hugged Missy and then Ron. "Thank you," she said to them.

"I'll call you," Ron said to her.

"I love you girl. I'll call you when I get off" Missy said. Once the two left the room, Ron and Missy both let out a big sigh. 

What a day.

*

The Chinese concept of the "companion in life" doesn't refer to another person but rather an animal sign that represents your inner person. This inner companion in life acts as a guide, guardian, or devil's advocate and they're determined by the hour of your birth.

*

"Thanks for bringing me home," Adena said sheepishly as she and Craig walked into her apartment. Their last conversation here was now an awkward cloud that hung over them now. They ruminated over that conversation daily but both didn't know how to go about fixing it. 

"Why did you say it like that?" he asked as he walked in behind her.

"I wasn't exactly...nice to you the last time we saw each other?"

"Well, I can also say the same for myself. It was an emotional time, an emotional day" he said, "You also never have to thank me. I'll always look out for you, no matter what." He wasn't ashamed to say that now and he didn't know why he ever felt that he should be.

"I just feel like such a damsel in distress lately. You're always there to rescue me from something."

"Why you say it like that?" he asked her again with a laugh. "Isn't that what you want? What women want?"

"I mean not always, it's comforting, especially after we haven't talked in so long. I just don't want you to feel like..."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, like I'm using you for help or something? I don't know. I'm not making a whole lot of sense."

"You want to know how I feel?" he asked as he walked up to her and helped to take her coat off. He was standing so close to her, she could smell his cologne and that familiar Irish Spring scent that always reminded her of him. A wave of nostalgia coursed through her as she looked up at him. She really missed him. Like really missed him. This past month has been so lonely and after everything that happened today, she felt even more alone. "I know you're a strong woman and I know you're going through a difficult set of circumstances one after the other. It's hard to think. About anything. Especially the future, when the past keeps coming after you in the worst of ways. I feel even though we've just met a few months ago and we still have a lot to learn about each other, that we've also been through a lot together. More than people who have known each other for years. And I don't feel like you're using me, Adena. My boys may say I'm a simp for saying this but fuck it, use me."

"What?" she asked with a confused chuckle.

"Use me. You need help? Call me. You need someone to talk to, for advice? Call me. You're lonely? Ask me to come over or just pop up on me. I don't care. Use me any way you want" he said as he put his hands on her waist. He was going to be straightforward with her from now on. He was going to speak his mind. He wasn't going to walk away unless she literally pushed him away. "I've missed you. I've worried about you. You're going through a lot and you're going to need all the support you can get. Don't be ashamed. Come to me. I WANT you to."

"I've missed you too," Adena said, barely above a whisper as tears welled up in her eyes. Before she could blink or wipe them away, he cupped her face in his hands, leaned in, and kissed her. She didn't hesitate to return it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. A tear or two of hers got on his cheek and it may have sent him into overdrive. He bent down and scooped her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. He carried her into her bedroom and laid her down on her bed gently. After that, their clothes were taken off and they weren't so gentle with each other after.

*

The animal sign that is your inner companion in life doesn't mean you also have the attributes of that animal, it only modifies the traits of your own animal sign. If your animal sign is a tiger, tigers are usually reckless and unpredictable. If your inner companion is an ox, they'll be a little more stable than expected.

*

Adena lay there breathless as Craig kissed her cheek, got up, and walked into her bathroom. She smiled as she looked up at her ceiling, not believing what had just happened and what Craig had said. She was over the moon about the fact that he missed her just as much as she did him. Maybe they could work out, this was a sign of that. No matter what they went through, he promised he would be there for her, he cared that much. 

She then sat up when she heard her cell phone ringing, it was in the living room, in her purse. She got out of bed as quickly as she could, throwing a robe around her and she picked up just in time. "Hello?"

"Adena? It's Ron. You doing ok?"

"Yeah I'm doing ok," she said with a big smile, out of breath.

"Just wondering if you got the text I sent earlier? I called a colleague of mine over at a clinic in Harlem and I told them about you. I put in a good word for you and you can stop by anytime tomorrow if you'd like to discuss your options and how you would like to...uh, take care of everything. I texted you all the information."

"I didn't get that but I'll check it now. Thanks, Ron, for everything."

"No problem. Take care of yourself."

As soon as they hung up, she checked her text messages and saw Ron's message. He sent her the address and number for Stacey at the Harlem Women's Clinic. She sighed, she never in her life thought that she would have to resort to something like this but Taye showed her today just how much he truly cared, or didn't care for her. She wasn't going to bring this child into this world fatherless and she didn't want Taye to be the father of any of her children. He didn't have the right to anymore. She was usually pro-life but this wasn't a usual circumstance.

Besides, Craig wouldn't stay around if she decided to keep it. She couldn't deal with the back and forth, if something were to happen and Craig left again, she for sure knew that he wouldn't come back. 

He deserved a clean slate. They both deserved a clean slate. Her past can't interfere with her future anymore, especially if she wanted Craig to be a part of it. 

So she would go to the clinic first thing. 

She sighed and decided to take one of the painkillers that Ron prescribed. Her head was starting to hurt again.

"Hey, you ok?" Craig asked as he walked up to her and hugged her from behind. He kissed down the back of her neck and her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm ok," she said as she put her phone down. "How about you?"

"I'm doing just fine," he said as he held her close, he kissed down her shoulder, moving the robe she was wearing as he did so. Her robe fell off her shoulder and soon he was untying it so it would fall to the floor completely. 

"Again huh?" she asked him and soon she felt herself being scooped up but this time he sat down on the couch and she straddled him. 

"Yeah, I missed you remember and we got a lot to catch up on," he said and then pulled her in for another kiss. She sighed happily and moaned into the kiss and soon she was riding him as the sun set behind them.

The next day, she found herself sitting in the waiting room at the Harlem Women's Clinic. Ron was the only person who knew she was here and was going to do this. She felt if she talked to anyone else, including Craig, they would somehow talk her out of it. As much as she wanted a child right now, right now was not the time and Taye was no longer the person that she wanted a child with. The child deserved better. Taye didn't need to know and what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

She sat there nervously as she filled out the paperwork. The door to the waiting room opened and a little girl in a pink party dress walked in and sat down in a seat across the room from her. She had a small pink balloon tied to her wrist. Adena glanced at her and looked away. 

"Hi," the child said. Adena looked up and saw the little girl looking right at her.

"Hi," Adena said back.

"What are you doing? Are you sick?" she asked her.

"I'm pregnant, to some people, it's the same thing."

"That's great! A little you. Do you want a boy or a girl?"

"It doesn't matter now what I want."

"I can't wait to be a mommy," the girl said with a giggle, "I want to have lots of kids. 5 or maybe 10!"

"Me too...well, I did."

"Why not?" the girl asked her.

"This couldn't come at the worst time. Besides the father...never mind."

"Babies are perfect. They only come when you're ready. So you're ready" the girl said.

"I wish it was that simple. However, it's not perfect. I'm...I'm divorced now and this is my ex-husband's child. It's his. I hate him and never want to see him again. This child is his and I don't want a reminder of that relationship" Adena said adamantly, reminding herself why she had to do this.

"We need more balloons," the girl said as she looked around the plain waiting room. Soon the door opened and what do you know, a few other little girls in party dresses walked in and each of them had a balloon tied to their wrist. A couple of them had two balloons. "Hi!" the girl said excitedly to them.

"Are you listening to me?" Adena asked her. She looked at the other girls. Where were all these kids coming from? Where were their parents?

"Uh-huh," the girl said, "Babies are innocent. Why are you mad at it? Why do you hate it?"

"I don't hate the child."

"What are you doing here then?" the child asked again as more children came into the room.

"Just because I'm here doesn't mean I hate my child. I'm just doing what's right for me" Adena said but she found herself having to shout over all the noise the children were making. "You know what? You all gotta go. I can't concentrate, tell them to get out" she said to the girl as the children began to run around and play.

"Not yet, we are having a surprise party for your baby," she said.

Adena sighed. "I don't like surprise parties-"

"I've always loved surprise parties when Craig threw them for me."

"Craig?" Adena asked her. The little girl nodded. "I know a Craig too..."

"I know, he's my big brother," the girl said proudly.

"Amanda?" Adena asked in shock.

"What?" she asked her.

"You're...Amanda? But how? You're-" she asked her but then all the children started to sing 'Happy Birthday'. "Amanda, tell them to stop. Tell them to stop!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR..." then all the children stopped singing. "Wait. What's your baby's name going to be?" Amanda asked with a smile.

...and then Adena woke up in a cold sweat.

*

If a person has the same animal sign as the inner companion, then they have the potential to balance the negative and positive aspects of their character.

*

https://youtu.be/1oy30APnrO4