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Dior mumbled to herself as she walked towards Brian’s house. He’d been ignoring her phone calls for the past couple of days and she felt that it was time to go and pick up her son. She tapped on the door and waited for someone to answer.
“Hey sis,” Brandon said with a smile.
“Hey,” she said dryly as she brushed past him.
“Oh, look who decided to come and check on her son after two days,” Brian said sarcastically.
“Where is he?” Dior asked as she looked around the living room.
“Now you care?” Brian asked.
“I ain’t in the mood. I been callin’ but you know that cuz you been ignoring my calls.”
“You know where I live. If you wanted to see how my son was doin’ you would have come over sooner.”
“You took care of him for two fuckin’ days Brian! Two days. I’ve been taking care of my son by myself for the past month and a half while you been in that damn chair, so fuck you!”
“Ay, ya’ll calm down up in here,” Brandon said as he put the remote control down on the coffee table.
“And I’ve done more from this chair than you have. Yo’ son cryin’ nonstop and you don’t think nothin’ wrong wit’ him?” Brian asked.
“You know what Brian, if you think it’s so fuckin’ easy then fine. Keep him,” she said as she headed for the door.
“D, calm down,” Brandon said as he went after her.
“No, fuck him,” she said fighting back tears. “I have been trying and I haven’t had any help. My mama and Belinda workin’ extra hours to help, but ain’t nobody helpin’ wit’ nothin’ else. I be up all night with that boy! How was I supposed to know he had a fever? He felt fine to me.”
“I know, but just calm down,” he said as he pulled her into his arms. “He just frustrated that he can’t step up like he really want to,” he explained.
“I’m frustrated too, but I ain’t takin’ it out in him. I’m doin’ the best that I can but it just ain’t enough. I got his medical bills covered, I was by his side all summer, I go to all of his appointments that I can and all he can do call me a bad mother?
I’m tired. I don’t want no baby by no fuckin’ crimple anyway,” she said, finally breaking down.
Brandon held her in his arms as she cried. He held her until she stopped crying, then led her over to the porch where they sat down.
“This shit ya’ll dealin’ wit’ is hard and ya’ll young,” he said. “Maybe it’s time to take a break.”
“Yeah, maybe,” she agreed.
“We can keep the baby for a few more days if you want. You do deserve a break.”
Dior thanked Brandon and stood to leave.
“Let me drop you off.”
She waited on the porch as he went inside to get the car keys. They rode to her house in silence.
“Call me if you wanna to talk or if you need anything,” he told her as he parked in front of her house.
She thanked him again and headed inside.
“What you doin’ up?” Dior asked as Donna sat on the couch watching T.V.
“I don’t have to work tonight,” she replied softly.
“Why not? You trade wit’ somebody?”
“Nope. They let me go. Where’s the baby?”
“Ma, did you just say you got fired?”
“Yeah.” Donna sighed.
“Why?”
“They said I had a lot of med errors and pills were coming up missing while I was on the cart, but that’s a lie. I triple check my work and I’ve never had a medication come up missing on my watch.”
Dior sat down and put her head in her hands. Things were already hard with the baby and now this. This shit was becoming too much for her.
“Where is my grandbaby?” Donna asked again.
“Ma, how we gon’ pay the mortgage?” Dior asked instead of answering her mother’s question.
“I have some money in savings and I’ll find another job. Now where is Brian Jr.?”