Destiny 2: Decision of The Next Generation

by Blue Saffire

  Vic and Al’s birthday party was huge once again. The best part was their birthday gifts, which was meant for the three of us. Aunt Tali and Uncle Alex bought Alex a house he had been eyeing since the summer.

  They bought me and Victor a house that was not far from the family home. We had planned to commute to school, so it was perfect. Vanessa and Alex were getting more serious and they were talking about moving in together. Aunt Tali wasn’t a fan of that, but she knew her son. Alex wasn’t going to let Victor out do him.

  Alex had bought Vanessa a ring and had planned to to propose after graduation. He said it would give us time to have our wedding, so Aunt Tali could make a fuss over him and only him. As if she could ever focus on only one person. Vanessa was just happy to be pulled into the family like I was. Everything was working out perfectly.

  Alex, Vanessa, Victor and I had all spent the morning picking up wedding stuff. We were going back to the house to empty the cars and go out to eat. I was so wrapped up in laughing at Victor.

  I was so busy teasing him about the living room furniture he wanted me to agree to, I had barely noticed the blue car parked right outside the gate at the house. I didn’t pay it much mind until it started and followed us into the gate.

  “You know that car?” Victor asked as he looked in the mirror.

  “Yeah, I think so,” I murmured.

  “That’s that guy,” Victor said through tight lips.

  “Poppa, I’ll take care of this, okay,” I said and reached for his face.

  Victor ignored me. When we parked in front of the house, he jumped out of the car. Alex climbed out of his car looking behind us too. I ran to catch up with Victor. I tried to push him back as he made his way for Raul’s car.

  “Vic, stop, just let me get rid of him,” I pleaded.

  “Why is he here, Meliyah?” Victor growled.

  “I don’t know. Just calm down.”

  Victor looked down at me and paused. He folded his arms across his chest and tensed where he was standing. I turned around as Raul slowly got out of the passenger side. Harry was in the driver’s seat.

  “You don’t know me anymore, Mellie?” Raul called.

  “Ra, you should go,” I called back.

  “I just want to talk to you. I missed you, Ma” he said with a smile. “You’re not answering my calls. You ain’t coming to check me.”

  Victor moved closer to me to wrap his arms around me and kiss the top of my head. I placed my hands over his as Raul got closer. Raul looked at the two of us and frowned, then he looked at my hands resting on Victor’s. He noticed the ring and looked me in the face.

  “Oh, I get it. Little homie, you wasn’t trying to be the big brother, you the competition. Word Mellie, it’s like that, you wasn’t even going to tell me,” Raul said sounding hurt.

  “I didn’t know what to say,” I murmured.

  “How about sorry, Ra, I’m letting little Victor hit it, so you can stop chasing it,” Raul hissed.

  “That’s none of your business. She doesn’t have to tell you anything,” Victor growled. “Get in your car and leave before I make you.”

  “Vic,” I whined.

  “Yo B, out of respect for your pops, I’ma let that go,” Raul roared back.

  “My pops ain’t here so you don’t have to worry about him. I’m telling you to leave, now,” Victor bellowed and moved closer to Raul.

  “Raul, just go please. I’m sorry if I hurt you, but I’m getting married, there is nothing else to say,” I shouted over them.

  “Married? You was about to let me wife that, now you marrying him? I see why Pedro tried to take that, you a tease,” Raul growled looking hurt and angry.

  Before I could say a word or react to what Raul said, Victor stepped around me and punched him in his mouth. Raul flew back staggering. I jumped in front of Victor to push him back toward the house. Victor’s face twisted with anger.

  Then, as he looked over my head, while he struggled to push me away without hurting me, his eyes widened. He quickly grabbed me by the arm and threw me to the ground. I hit my head hard as I connected with the pavement.

  “No,” I heard Raul scream while my head hit the ground and at the very same time there was a loud bang. My head hurts too much to lift it right away. I could hear Vanessa shrilling at the top of her lungs.

  “Victor,” Al cried out.

  “Mellie, mama you alright,” I heard Raul’s voice in my ear and felt a hand on my head.

  “Don’t touch me,” I murmured pulling the energy together to lift myself up.

  “Mellie this is not my fault,” Raul rushed. “I would never hurt Vic’s kids. I didn’t do this, Mama.”

  I was so confused. I reached for my head that was throbbing and tried to focus. That’s when I saw Victor laying on the ground with blood soaking the ground around him. I felt my whole body go numb. I pushed Raul out of the way and rushed to Victor’s side.

  “Poppa, you okay,” I screamed. “Victor please, are you okay?” He didn’t answer me right away. I was about to lose it.

  “Ra, we need to go,” Harry yelled nervously.

  “What did you do, B?” Raul called. “My cousin’s going to kill us both for this. Mama, I’m sorry.”

  Raul went to touch me again and I slapped his arm away as hard as I could. He got up and ran for the car he came in and they took off. I hoped the gate was locked. They were going to pay for this.

  I searched Victor’s body for where the blood was coming from. I saw it was just below his chest. I went into shock.

  All I could see was my mother being zipped in a body bag. I sat there staring at the blood with tears pouring down my face. I reached for the hole and as I did the ring on my finger screamed at me. It was the same ring the other Victor had given the woman he loved. The same ring she wore when she watched him bleed to death in the street.

  “NO,” I heard the very same woman cry as she ran out of the house. “Not my baby. NO.”

  I leaned over to press my lips to his ear. “Victor, I love you. Please don’t make me have to do this again. I can’t… I won’t make it this time.”

  His hand weakly reached for my face and his head slowly turned toward me. I kissed him as hard as I could as I sobbed. My head was pounding.

  I heard the sirens coming up the courtyard. There would be help for my Victor. Not like his dad, my love story didn’t have to end the way Tali and Victor’s did.

  I was going to get the happy ending with the Victor I loved. The paramedics rushed to Victor and started working on him. I held onto his hand and squeezed it.

  “Miss, I think we better take a look at you,” one of the paramedics said.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said thoughtlessly. I wasn’t leaving Victor’s side.

  “Ma’am, I think you may need stitches,” he insisted.

  “I want to stay with him,” I protested. Victor squeezed my hand.

  “Meliyah, please,” Victor said weakly, “just listen.”

  “Okay,” I cried and wiped my face.

  The paramedic pulled me aside and started to work on my head and asked me questions. They had Victor lifted and on the way into the ambulance. Aunt Tali jumped inside with him.

  I was led to the other ambulance that arrived. I couldn’t think straight. I was having a panic attack. Before I knew it, I had passed out.

  chapter Twent-Eight

  This is Not Real

  Taliyah

  This just can’t be happening. I feel like I’m nineteen all over again, the same face and the blood all over the place. I could hear myself screaming that day.

  The agony twisted even more as I thought about the little babies that moved in my stomach that day as their father laid dying on the ground. This was one of those very babies. My baby, my little Victor.

  I just couldn’t understand how this was happening. I had moved away from all of this. How was I now sitting in an ambulance with my son? I never thought I would walk out of my own front door to find my son layi
ng on the ground bleeding from a gunshot.

  I have been so proud of Victor and happy for him. He is so in love with Meliyah and she makes him happy in a way that I’ve never seen before. I have done everything I can to make sure he is happy. Happier than his father was.

  I’ve watched Victor grow up and no matter how hard I try, there are just some things I can’t seem to change. He is so much like his father. I have to thank God that I didn’t have to raise him in King Towers, because he probably would have followed Victor’s pattern to a tee.

  As that reality hit me, I started to pray because my son wasn’t going to follow his father’s final pattern. I wouldn’t lose him. Vic wasn’t going to leave that girl he’d gotten to love him so much, broken and lost without him. Meliyah wouldn’t know that pain, she had been through too much. Victor couldn’t leave her like this.

  I didn’t think I wanted her in my home when she arrived. I knew she would bring change with her, but I can’t help that I have begun to love her as one of mine. Meliyah tries so hard.

  Now I know that when she was having a hard time it was because she was in love and confused over my son. I know Victor, and I know what he was putting Meliyah through. I have had talks with her. I don’t believe she would have been involved with Raul at all if it weren’t for Victor being too much like his father.

  I couldn’t find it in my heart to blame her for what was going on. I felt so bad when I accused her of telling the twins about their father. This was my fault.

  I should never have let Sisqo back in our lives. I should never have let him bring Raul to our home. I knew once I saw him with Meliyah, I didn’t want him around her. I told Alex we should have put a stop to it, but he thought we would just be pushing her away. If I would have pushed both my babies would be okay right now, Meliyah and Victor.

  As we pulled up to the hospital, I was ripped from my thoughts as they rushed Victor into the hospital. I tried to follow them, but they tried to usher me to the waiting area. I needed to be with my son.

  I didn’t want to hear a word they were saying. I had been throwing a fit when the next ambulance pulled up. The nurse went to move me aside for them to get the stretcher pass and I turned to see Meliyah unconscious on the stretcher.

  I was ready to lose it. When I last saw her, she was fine. Suddenly, I remembered her head was bleeding. I didn’t know what to think. I was crumbling fast.

  The nurse had to catch me and the same arms that held me when I lost Victor appeared just in time. Alex’s arms were wrapped around me as he whispered to me that all would be okay. I sobbed out of control. I still had no clue what happened with my children.

  I could hear my husband talking, but my pain was screaming louder. I wasn’t even sure how he knew where to find me or who called him to tell him what was going on. I didn’t have time too.

  I’d left my new babies and my other children behind without thinking. I started to feel like the world’s worst mother. I wasn’t doing anything right. How did I let this happen?

  “Alex we didn’t protect them,” I sobbed.

  “Tali, don’t do that. This is not your fault. Everything is going to be fine. I will take care of this,” Alex said in my ear.

  I turned to him and buried my face in his chest. I didn’t know what else to do, but let him hold me. I just wanted to know my children were okay.

  We were supposed to be happy right now. I have been planning the biggest wedding I can for Victor and Meliyah. I never got to have a real wedding and Meliyah deserves it. I have watched her turn her life around. Her grades were scary when she first got to us last year.

  I realized what it is I see in Meliyah that reminds me of myself. She is determined and a fighter. Meliyah refuses to give up. She just wants to be loved. I have been trying to erase the damage her mother left behind since she arrived with us.

  Alex led me to the waiting room where it felt like I waited on eternity to pass. Al and his girlfriend, Vanessa arrived to wait with us. Al let me know he had his sisters watching the younger children and the nanny was still with the babies.

  I knew I would have to leave at some point to nurse the twins. That caused me to worry more. Alex must have sensed what I was thinking because he told Al to go home to get my pump. He also asked the nurses if they could provide me with some place to pump once Al came back.

  Alex was great, thinking of everything that needed to be taken care of. The nurses were extra nice. Meliyah’s doctor was the first to come out and talk to us.

  Her head had been bleeding because of a head trauma. I guess she hit it or something. She wasn’t shot like I thought when I first seen them bring her in.

  However, she did need stitches. They had sealed the wound already with liquid stitches. She had an anxiety attack on the way to the hospital and was still unconscious. They had run some test and she had a little swelling around the brain so they would be monitoring her concussion.

  As Meliyah’s doctor finished with us one of the nurses that had been helpful brought Victor’s doctor to us. I thought I would pass out as she stood in front of us. Her face was like stone and unreadable, I just knew she had bad news. I clutched Alex’s hand and held on to him tightly.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Delgado,” the doctor started.

  “Yes,” Alex replied.

  “I’m Dr. Fetcher. I wanted to inform you that Victor is going to be fine. The bullet went straight through and missed his organs. He lost a lot of blood, but we’re expecting him to recover nicely,” she said and finally released a smile.

  “Can I see him,” I blurted out.

  “He is sleeping, but I wouldn’t deny a mother access to her son,” Dr. Fetcher said with a polite smile.

  The nurse took us to Victor’s room. She told Alex that she was arranging to get Meliyah on the same floor as Victor. In a private room, just as Alex had asked.

  Alex had been so on top of everything, which was helping so much because I was just lost. I needed to see my son. I walked into the room Victor was in and the tears heated my face.

  I couldn’t see my son. I could only see the images of his father lying in the morgue. I had suppressed those memories before or so I thought I had. However, now here they were screaming at me.

  Alex wrapped his arm around me tightly as my knees became weak. I was so hurt that this had happened in the first place. I was suddenly angry at everyone, Alex, Victor, Sr., Juan, Victor, Jr. and Meliyah.

  My baby didn’t belong here and I shouldn’t have had going through this again. I knew the doctor said Victor was going to be okay. I also knew this was none of their faults, but I was angry at the memories I had to deal with because of all of this.

  All at once, I could hear Victor calling my name and singing in my ear. I could feel his touch and see the huge smile on his face as he talked to his sons in my belly. This was so hard for me.

  I was supposed to be protecting his children, not letting them get shot. It didn’t make sense that I could still feel this way about Victor. I love my husband and always have. There was just something inside me that was hurting, because the son that was lying the bed at that moment looked just like his father. For some reason, my brain wouldn’t separate the two.

  I walked over to the bedside and kissed my son on the forehead. They had him hooked up to blood and an intravenous bag. My children have always been healthy, no broken bones and no real hospital visits other than the day they were born. Seeing Victor like this was heartbreaking. Once I could focus, I push my thoughts of his father out of my head.

  I wasn’t losing this Vic. I had to pull it together. My children have never seen me like this. Alex wrapped his arms around me to comfort me, but this time I didn’t want it.

  I needed to blame someone and he was the only one around. I wasn’t ready to admit this was really my fault. I knew it earlier, but now standing here seeing my baby. I couldn’t accept that I had done this. I opened the door to this mess.

  Alex just moved to Victor’s other side and gave me the space I
needed. I went to Vic’s side and smoothed my hand over his curly black hair. He looked like the perfect little angel, while he laid there sleeping.

  Vic gives me the hardest time, but he is still my biggest baby. He is always the first one to come to me and curl up under me, when he thinks no one else is around or paying attention. He comes to me with all his problems.

  That’s what upset me most after Meliyah arrived. Victor had shut me out. I didn’t know it was because he was falling in love with the girl I had Alex tell him to stay away from. As soon as he knew I was okay with Meliyah, he was back to my Victor.

  I had given Victor the ring his father had given me because I knew it was something he would have picked himself. Yellow has always been his favorite color and I just felt like Victor would want him to have it. I wasn’t sure if he would give it to Meliyah, but when he did, I was beyond touched.

  He had come to me to ask me what I thought of Meliyah for him. He wanted to know if I thought he should marry her. I could tell he was hoping I’d say yes.

  He looked so cute as he watched me nervously. As much as he loves Meliyah, if I said she wasn’t the one my baby would have taken a strong consideration of what I said. I could never break his heart like that. I could see from the time he first told me he was in love with her that he meant it.

  Victor would love Meliyah forever, it was in his DNA to love that way. It was no surprise he was lying here because of something that involved her. I’ve watched as he finishes her sentences and gets up to get her things before she even asks for them out loud.

  She is the same way with him. There is rarely a moment when they aren’t locked together. I’ve sat and watched Meliyah moping around until she is back with Vic.

  Our spa days have turned into torture for her. She sits in the spa text messaging Vic or rolling her eyes if one of the other girls changes their mind about a nail color. All because changing the color will make us have to wait a little longer. It has gotten to the point where Victor drops her off and picks her up for what used to be a girls’ day out.

  My baby made the right choice. He has someone that loves him. That made my heart hurt. I started to think about how Victor’s doctor sounded more sure about his recovery than Meliyah’s doctor did about hers.