Bridgette found it to be a travesty because Yvette was a smart woman who’d graduated with high honors from Duke University and had plans of becoming a doctor, until she met Vincent. Then, her dreams of stethoscopes and curing sick patients disappeared like the slim waistline she once had. All she did now, was chase babies around the house and with what little downtime she had, she spent it in front of the TV snacking. It was really sad, but that was her life and certainly not Bridgette’s and never would be.
“Oh. I see. So, you think you’re better than Yvette? She actually puts her family first like a real woman is supposed to, and that makes her more of a woman than you’ll ever be,” Cassietta spat, stacking French toast on a plate next to her on the counter.
Bridgette was so mad that she felt like steam was about to blow out of her ears. She was about to tell her mother-in-law what she could do with her opinions when Nick rushed into the kitchen.
“What’s going on in here? I could hear you two as I was coming down the stairs,” he demanded, his brows furrowed. “And, if I can hear you, the boys certainly will be able to.”
Bridgette looked at him with disgust. After the way Nick had spoken to her last night and pretty much told her that she was alone in their marriage, he was the last person she wanted to see right now. She could barely sleep next to him after their argument, but she’d been too exhausted and heartbroken to get out of bed and walk down the hall to the guest bedroom. But tonight, he would be the one sleeping in there or in a hotel—she didn’t care which.
“It’s time for your mother to go back to Durham. I can’t deal with the both of you anymore. It’s making me sick,” Bridgette huffed.
Cassietta shook her head and began cracking eggs into a large ceramic bowl.
“I’ll leave when I get ready to and nobody’s going to tell me otherwise,” Cassietta said, strolling to the refrigerator like she dared anyone to say anything to her and removing a bottle of milk.
Bridgette placed a hand on her hip and glowered at Nick, ignoring her mother-in-law’s remark.
“Either she leaves or the both of you can. I won’t stand for the judgment and disrespect anymore. From either of you. I’m done,” Bridgette announced, now teary-eyed.
“Stop being dramatic, Bridgette. I’m not going anywhere and neither is my mother, so just stop while you’re ahead,” Nick countered, his eyes challenging her, but Bridgette wasn’t going to back down.
“Try me.. Just try me,” Bridgette shouted, tears now rolling down her face.
“You need to calm down. I’ve warned you about how you speak to me. I don’t yell at you, so don’t do it to me.”
Cassietta shook her head and said something under her breath that Bridgette couldn’t hear, but she knew whatever it was, it was probably directed at her. She’d always tried to respect her elders because that was how she was raised, but Cassietta was going to be the exception if she kept pushing her.
“You deal with your mother then or I will. And neither of you will like it,” Bridgette threatened and that caused Cassietta to turn around and glare at her. She planted both hands on her hips like she was ready for battle, and Bridgette was going to oblige her.
“And what is that supposed to mean? I know you don’t have the gall to be threatening me because baby, I can promise you, this ain’t what you want,” said Cassietta. “Don’t let my age fool you or the fact that I’m saved. I can still deliver a Bull City beat down.”
“I’d like to see you try it,” Bridgette said, moving toward her and Nick stepped between them.
“You really don’t think I’m going to let you run up on my mother? Are you serious right now, Bridgette? You need to calm yourself down. Now,” Nick bellowed.
Bridgette did something that she’d never thought she would ever do to her husband, she raised her open palm and slapped him as hard as she could, causing him to grab her wrist and squeeze it, hurting her.
“You let go of me. Right. Now,” Bridgette shouted, crying uncontrollably now.
“Not until you calm down. I mean it, Bridgette,” he said.
“Let her go, Nicholas. Let that heifer run up on me. She won’t run up on anybody else. And I don’t care about her being pregnant. She got me bent,” Cassietta barked from behind Nick’s back.
Bridgette was about to swing another blow at Nick with her free hand when she felt pain in her abdomen, causing her to yelp. She snatched her wrist out of Nick’s grasp and placed her hands on her stomach. She kneeled over from the pain and discomfort she felt.
“Bridgette, what’s wrong?” Nick asked, his anger now replaced with deep concern. He bent down to her level, his hand rested on the small of her back.
“I think it’s the baby. Oh. God. I can’t lose this baby,” Bridgette cried and then, she saw the blood dripping down her leg as she heard the whistle of the teakettle.
Chapter Twenty-Five
S
avannah and Ivy were having breakfast courtesy of Julius before he’d left, headed to court. Today, she would be receiving her final radiation treatment and as she had been, Ivy was going to take her to her appointment that afternoon since he’d be in court all day. She couldn’t wait to get it over with, and hopefully, it would be the last time she had to endure it. She knew the road to recovery was just beginning, but at least this part would be behind her.
“It’s a shame Julius doesn’t have a twin brother because if I had a man like him I might reconsider my stance on marriage,” Ivy joked, enjoying the Western omelet her brother-in-law had made.
Savannah chuckled. “That man is one of a kind. Fashioned by God just for me,” said Savannah, biting into a piece of wheat toast.
“ Halle-lu-jer,” said Ivy, raising a palm in the air and mimicking the infamous Tyler Perry grandmother, Madea.
Savannah laughed. “You’re a fool.” She loved having her sister around. She really kept her spirits up, especially since she’d woken up feeling a bit down.
She was missing being at school and around her students. School had resumed a month prior in August and Savannah hated that she wasn’t there to welcome her students back, but she was hoping to return in a few months when she was better. She knew some people going through similar treatment could go right back to work, but the extreme side effects wouldn’t allow her to just yet.
Everyone at the elementary school had been so supportive and many of her students had sent her homemade cards they’d drawn for her to get well. It really warmed Savannah’s heart to know they’d been thinking about her. She really missed seeing their little faces every day and she couldn’t wait to see them again and get back to her daily work routine.
They were finishing breakfast when Savannah’s landline rang. “I wonder who that could be. It’s fairly early,” she mused.
“I don’t know. It could be your sister. She’s prone to making early morning calls,” said Ivy, taking a sip from her coffee mug.
That thought made Savannah hurry to answer the phone. “Hello?” she answered.
“Uhh…Savannah?” the deep voice on the other end responded.
“Nick?” Savannah queried, her face now set in a deep frown. She didn’t like the tone in his voice or the fact that he was even calling her; especially with the way he’d been treating her sister. But, even though he certainly hadn’t been her favorite person lately, she couldn’t help to feel a little responsible for why there was strife in their marriage, but if his behavior had caused something to happen to Bridgette or her baby—Oh God, the baby, she thought, as she began to panic. The look on her face caused Ivy to stand and rush to her.
“Savannah? What is it? Who is that?” Ivy asked.
“What is it, Nick? Is Bridgette okay?” Savannah asked, her voice barely a whisper now.
“Bridgette? What’s going on, Savannah? What is he saying?” Ivy badgered. She now had her ear pressed against the phone trying to listen in on what was being said.
“She—well, uh—she,” Nick stammered.
“For Chri
st’s sake, Nick. Tell me what’s going on. Is my sister okay?” Savannah yelled at him, her patience gone.
Ivy placed a hand on her chest at Savannah’s reaction.
“We’re at the hospital. She was having real bad pain in her abdomen—”
Savannah dropped the phone before he could finish his statement.
“We’ve got to get to the hospital,” she said, tears filling her eyes.
“Savannah, what happened?” Ivy demanded. And then she picked up the phone from the floor. “Hello. Nick? Are you still there?” she shouted into the phone. Her eyes rested on Savannah who was now shaking. “What’s going on? Where are you?”
Savannah saw the color in her sister’s face change and she knew Bridgette had miscarried her baby.
Chapter Twenty-Six
B
ridgette laid in the hospital bed feeling like the worst person in the world. She felt like a failure. She’d lost her sister’s baby and she didn’t know how to accept that fact. It was her fault that Savannah’s dreams of motherhood had once again been shattered, and this time she’d have someone to blame.
Bridgette’s eyes were red and puffy because she’d been crying since the doctor told her that she’d miscarried the baby, and when she’d asked him why, he’d said that it could have been a multitude of reasons, but nothing he could pinpoint single handedly. This was the worst news that Bridgette could hear because to her, it felt like it was something she’d done, and she knew it boiled down to all the stress she’d been dealing with at home. And then, that witch Nick called a mother. If it hadn’t been for them, she’d still be pregnant. No one would ever convince her of anything different, which is why she refused to have Nick anywhere near her.
He’d rushed her to the hospital when she’d collapsed in the kitchen and when she’d seen the blood dripping from her leg; Bridgette knew that she was in danger of losing the baby. Cassietta had acted like she was concerned; trying to come to her aide, but Bridgette had recoiled. She didn’t want that woman anywhere near her ever again if she could help it. The only thing she was grateful to her for was that she’d made sure the boys hadn’t come downstairs to witness any of what was happening. Bridgette didn’t want to traumatize them in any way.
She had been praying since she’d received the unfortunate news about the miscarriage, that Savannah would be able to forgive her for losing the baby. She’d even planned to go through the entire process all over again, even though it was grueling and expensive if that was what her sister wanted. She thought back to when she’d told Savannah she was pregnant, and fresh tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered how happy she was because it had been right after one of her daily radiation treatments.
“You feeling okay?” Bridgette had asked her from the driver’s seat of her SUV. They were in the parking garage of the hospital getting ready to leave.
“I’m feeling fine. At least for right now,” Savannah said.
Bridgette reached over and squeezed her hand.
“Well, I have some news that I know you’ll love to hear,” said Bridgette with a wide smile.
“What’s that?” Savannah asked.
“You’re going to be a mother, little sissy,” Bridgette announced, rubbing her stomach.
Tears filled Savannah’s eyes immediately.
“Oh my God,” Savannah exclaimed, her hand to her mouth in surprise. “Are you sure, Bridgette?”
“Absolutely, sweetie. I took two pregnancy tests to be sure. I know we have to confirm it in a few days when I go in for my appointment with Dr. Billingsley, but I know it will be positive.”
“Wow. I can’t believe this is actually going to happen. God has answered my prayers,” Savannah mused, tears escaping her eyes.
“It’s a wonderful blessing, honey. And I can’t be more happier about it,” said Bridgette, her own eyes filling with tears. Savannah reached over from the driver’s seat to embrace her big sister.
“I love you so much, Bridgette. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for making such a sacrifice for my husband and me. I’m eternally grateful,” said Savannah.
“I love you too, sissy. And you don’t have to thank me. I’d do it again and again if you wanted me to,” Bridgette remarked.
And she’d meant every word. She wiped her tears as the nurse walked into the room to check her vitals.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I
t sounded like a bad scene from a reality TV show. Bridgette heard yelling and some sort of a commotion right outside her hospital room.
“What in the world is going on?” Fatima asked, frowning. She was sitting in a chair next to Bridgette’s bed.
Bridgette shrugged.
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound good. Sounds like a fight is going on out there,” she replied.
Fatima stood.
“Let me go see what’s going on. This is a hospital for crying out loud,” she said, shaking her head.
“Girl, be careful,” Bridgette warned her best friend. “Could be some crazy person on the loose.”
Bridgette watched Fatima as she walked to the door and opened it to see if she could find out what was going on.
“Lord, have mercy,” Fatima exclaimed.
“What is it?” Bridgette asked.
Fatima looked back at her with a horrified expression on her face.
“Girl, it’s your sisters,” Fatima said.
“What?” Bridgette exclaimed as she tried to rise up in bed, but then winced from the pain in her stomach.
“Be careful, Bridgette,” Fatima fussed.
“What’s going on?” Bridgette asked, as anxiety crept through her body. “Are they fighting?”
Fatima turned her attention back to the scene unfolding outside.
“Jesus, fix it,” Fatima said.
“Fatima, will you tell me what’s going on before I get out of this hospital bed and find out myself. What’s going on with my sisters?”
“It looks like they’ve had some sort of altercation with Nick. I see two security guards standing between the three of them,” Fatima said.
Bridgette rose gingerly from her laying position, wincing. Fatima looked back at her and rushed to her side to prevent her from hurting herself.
“Bridgette, what are you doing? You don’t think I’m getting ready to let you get out of this bed,” Fatima chastised her.
“But, I have to see what’s going on with my family. I can’t let them kill each other,” Bridgette cried, now hysterical.
“No. You’re going to stay right here. You’re in no condition to be inserting yourself into any drama. I don’t care who it is,” Fatima chided.
“This is all my fault.”
Fatima shushed her, rubbing her arm to try and calm her down.
“Nothing is your fault, love. They’re all adults and responsible for their own behavior. They shouldn’t be acting like that in public, especially a hospital that’s full of sick people,” Fatima said, shaking her head in disapproval.
“This is bad, Fatima. I’ve never seen this family so broken. And, I don’t know how to fix it,” Bridgette lamented through her tears.
“All I can say at this point, is give it to God,” said Fatima.
Her best friend’s words reminded Bridgette of a similar saying of her mother’s.
“You just have to let go and let God, baby.” Aretha Alston would say to her oldest daughter when she worried about things, especially of which she had no control.
Bridgette cried harder thinking about her mother. She missed her more than ever now. She needed to hear her say those comforting words. She needed her guidance. If she were here, she would’ve made it all better because Bridgette was failing at everything. She was failing in her marriage, failing in her sisterhood and failing to hold on to her sanity.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
W
hen they’d reached the floor of the hospital Bridgette was on and stepped off the elevator and walked the short distance to get t
o her room, Ivy hadn’t anticipated what would happen if they saw her brother-in-law. But, she never expected Savannah to attack him. It surprised Ivy because she’d never seen Savannah lift her hand to anyone. Ever. She just wasn’t a violent person; she was an elementary school principal for Christ’s sake, and usually had better control of her emotions. Normally, she was the peacemaker and mediator.
Ivy knew she was angry with Nick, and Savannah had talked about how she knew he was the reason Bridgette had lost her baby during their drive to Carolinas Medical Center, so when they rounded the corner and saw him sitting in the small waiting area not far from the hospital rooms, Savannah charged him before Ivy realized what was happening, hurling a few obscenities at him along the way. He’d been drinking coffee out of a Styrofoam cup, which slipped out of his hand, the hot liquid spilling down the front of his shirt and pants. He yelped out in pain, and Ivy didn’t know if it was from the temperature of the coffee or the force of Savannah’s hands as she made contact with his face and head.
There were a handful of people sitting in the waiting area, a few of them looked on in horror and the others scrambled to take refuge from the frail-looking, angry, black woman with the silk scarf tied around her head. And with everything she’d been through over the last few months physically, Ivy didn’t know where she found so much strength.
“Savannah, stop it. Right now,” Ivy chastised, pulling Savannah away from Nick who’d jumped to his feet, putting his forearms up in defense to block her blows.
“I know you’re the reason my sister’s in this hospital and why my baby’s gone. I’ll never forgive you, Nick,” Savannah yelled at him.
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