Heartbreak And Past Mistakes

by Chenell Parker

  “Damn. Don’t try to move her. I’m calling the ambulance,” the security guard ran outside and instructed.

  “Jena! Get up! Please! Get up!” Sabrina screamed.

  Her friend was lying in a pool of blood but at least she had a pulse. It wasn’t as strong as it should have been, but that was a good sign. People started rushing out of the building to help and Tremaine was one of the first ones.

  “Shit. What happened baby? Don’t try to move,” he said when he kneeled down next to Sabrina.

  “Get the fuck away from me! Your bitch who followed me here is what happened,” Sabrina cried.

  “Tia did this? Are you sure?” Tremaine questioned.

  He knew that Tia didn’t mind a good fight, but he’d never known her to be that violent. She and Tremaine had been off and on for years and she had never gone to that extreme before.

  “Are you fucking serious right now? That bitch ran over me and my friend and left us like we were road kill,” Sabrina argued.

  “Oh Lord!” Lyric yelled as she put her hands up to her mouth.

  Bronx had just called and said that he was on his way and she went downstairs preparing to go home. What she wasn’t prepared for was what she had walked up on. She didn’t know what happened, but it wasn’t good. When she heard the wails of the ambulance in the distance, Lyric was happy that help was on the way.

  “Take her purse Lyric. She has all the money from today in there,” Sabrina noted.

  Lyric didn’t feel right taking a purse off of an injured person, but Tremaine walked over and did it for her. The police and fire department were the first to arrive, but they didn’t touch anything. They all moved out of the way for the ambulance to get to the two wounded women, but everyone was yelling for them to see about Jena first. When they learned that she was pregnant, they wasted no time tending to her. Lyric cringed when she saw all the blood that Jena was covered in and she said a small prayer for her unborn daughter. Spencer was with Mr. Malone and Javier at a meeting at one of the other offices, but she had to let him know what was going on. She didn’t really know what was going on herself but she had to say something.

  “Damn baby. My heart was beating fast as fuck when I saw all these police cars and shit out here,” Bronx said as he walked up and pulled Lyric into a hug.

  He visibly relax when he saw that she was okay. The parking lot was a mess, so he blocked someone else in and got out to go see about her.

  “I don’t know what happened, but Jena and Sabrina got hurt. Jena is really messed up bad. I hope her baby is okay,” Lyric noted.

  “Where that pussy ass nigga at? He should have his punk ass out here,” Bronx fumed.

  “He left early with Mr. Malone. They had a meeting at the other office. That’s so messed up. Her baby shower was today and everything.”

  “I wonder what the hell happened,” he said as he looked at Sabrina being loaded into the ambulance.

  Jena had already been taken away and the police were talking to Tremaine.

  “I don’t know, but this is gonna be a big ass mess. Let me call Mr. Malone,” Lyric said as she dialed her boss’ number and hoped that he picked up.

  She didn’t want to just leave without seeing if he wanted her to do anything first. She wasn’t sure if she could do anything at all, but it didn’t hurt to ask. She didn’t know why the police was talking to Tremaine, but she knew that it couldn’t be good.

  Chapter 37

  The following week at the firm was pure chaos. Detectives were in and out trying to piece together what happened to Jena and Sabrina. Both women were still out and Jena would probably be out for a while. She had a long list of injuries, but that wasn’t the worst part. Her baby girl had to be delivered early by cesarean and she was barely clinging to life. Jena was almost full term, so it wouldn’t have been that bad had she not been injured so badly. Her baby was deprived of oxygen and on a breathing machine. Lyric hadn’t gone to see her, but she did talk to her mother. She said that Jena had stopped breathing on the way to the hospital and once again when she got there. She was finally up and talking but she had a long road to recovery.

  “I don’t know what to make of all this. I doubt if Jena is going to be coming back. I feel so bad for her and all that she’s going through,” Lyric said as she and Mr. Malone sat in his office and talked.

  “I’ll pay her for as long as she’s out. I’m sure she can use the money. Have you talked to Sabrina yet?” he asked her.

  “Yeah, she’s having another surgery tomorrow, so she’ll be out for a while too,” Lyric said.

  “Did you send them some flowers on behalf of the company?” Mr. Malone asked.

  “Yeah, I did. I was thinking about getting two temps to come in to help out for a while,” Lyric answered.

  “That’s a good idea. We have a lot of important cases coming up and we’ll need all the help we can get,” he replied.

  “Do you think Tremaine’s ex-girlfriend was really responsible?” Lyric inquired.

  “If she did, they’re gonna have a hard time proving it. I’ve been practicing law for many years and I’ve seen a little bit of everything. They had no evidence and Sabrina is only assuming,” Mr. Malone replied.

  The camera’s outside of the building caught everything, including Sabrina and Tremaine’s ex-girlfriend’s earlier altercation. There were several problems with that though. The car that was used to hit them was not the same one that the woman drove when she came there. Although the cameras had a great view of the car, the windows were heavily tinted and there was no license plate on it. Mr. Malone had offered a five thousand dollar reward in addition to the twenty-five hundred that crime stoppers were offering. But still, no one had come forward yet. Tremaine was cooperating with them and so was his ex. She even had an alibi that checked out, but Sabrina wasn’t trying to hear it. She had a dislocated knee and broken ankle and she wanted answers. Jena had a dislocated shoulder and so many other injuries that she’d suffered.

  “Yeah and Jena didn’t even see anything. All she remembers is waking up in the hospital. I really should go up there and see her,” Lyric said.

  “I know that you and Jena don’t have the best relationship, for obvious reasons but, yes, you should. You’re her supervisor,” Mr. Malone pointed out.

  “I know. I’ll probably make my way up there tomorrow. I wonder if Spencer has been up there,” Lyric said.

  “With his newborn daughter fighting for her life, I would hope so,” Mr. Malone replied.

  “That’s so heartbreaking. My baby is not even here yet and I love him already. I couldn’t imagine going through something like that,” Lyric said as she rubbed her stomach.

  “I definitely understand that. I’ll never forget how I felt when I found out about what happened to Paisley all those years ago. That’s a parent’s worse nightmare. It was even worse because of where I was when it happened. I felt so helpless and that hurt me more than anything. That’s why I’ll be forever indebted to you. You were a blessing from that day up until now. That baby is gonna have a damn good mother,” Mr. Malone replied.

  “Aww, don’t make me cry Mr. Malone,” Lyric said as her eyes filled with tears.

  “Well, it’s true. And if you want to cry, you’ll have to do it outside of my office. I have a conference call in five minutes,” he joked.

  “I should have known that it was too good to be true,” Lyric laughed as she stood up and walked out.

  “Just the person that I wanted to see,” Nova said as soon as she saw her.

  “What’s up cousin?” Lyric asked.

  “My mama and daddy said that your mama and mother-in-law are driving them crazy. Your baby shower is in two weeks and they can’t seem to agree on a menu. They want you to call and tell them what you want them to fix,” Nova replied.

  “Say no more. I’m going to my office and call them now,” Lyric said as she wobbled away.

  She and Bronx were both sick of their mothers and they were ready for the show
er to be over with. They had taken maternity pictures two weeks before and that was another issue. They both wanted to use different pictures and they couldn’t agree on anything. Lyric and Bronx had to step in and tell them that they could use more than one. They had an event planner but they were driving that poor woman crazy too. Lyric was about to call Bronx and let him help her pick out a menu. Whatever they decided was what it was going to be.

  “Lyric, I just left your office looking for you,” Elise said when she saw her in the hallway.

  “Hey Elise. What’s up?” Lyric asked her.

  “Let’s go to your office. I need some privacy,” she said as she held up some items that were in her hand.

  They usually talked out in the open, so Lyric knew that it had to be serious. As soon as they walked into her office, she closed the door before they both sat down.

  “What’s wrong Elise?” Lyric questioned.

  “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I got Ms. Mary’s son’s original records from the prison and they don’t match the one that was presented in court,” Elise replied.

  “What do you mean?” Lyric asked.

  “Ms. Mary was right. According to her son’s original record, he’s only been arrested for a few misdemeanors. Nothing that would warrant him serving twenty-five years in jail. But, according to what was presented to the courts, his record is a mile long with several arrests and a few convictions. Something is definitely not right. I have one of the interns helping me out, but we’re gonna get to the bottom of this. Just do me a favor and don’t mention this to anyone. I need to get some concrete evidence before I start making accusations and pointing the finger at anyone. After all, this is Orleans Parish that we’re talking about. For all I know, this could be the result of some shitty record keeping. It’s happened before, so I wouldn’t even be surprised,” Elise rambled.

  “I’m confused,” Lyric said as her face showed exactly how she felt.

  “I know I just said a mouthful but I’ll keep you posted on everything. I won’t rest until I get to the bottom of this. I know it won’t bring Ms. Mary’s son back but at least she’ll know that she’s not crazy. That’s exactly how Javier tried to make her seem,” Elise replied.

  “Fuck Javier,” Lyric spat.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Elise replied as she stood to her feet.

  “Keep me posted Elise. And you got my word, I won’t say anything to anybody,” Lyric promised.

  “How is Ms. Mary? Have you been keeping in contact with her?” Elise asked.

  “Yeah, I have. Her health is up and down, but she’s good. She’s still grieving over her son but that’s to be expected,” Lyric replied.

  “That poor woman. What about Jena and Sabrina? That was a complete tragedy. I hope that poor baby pulls through. Most of all, I hope they catch the monster who did it,” Elise said.

  “So do I. Nothing has changed as far as I know. Sabrina is having surgery and I plan to go visit Jena tomorrow. If she’s out of surgery when I get there, I’ll probably visit her too,” Lyric replied.

  “Make sure you tell them both that they’re in my prayers,” Elise said before she walked out of the office and left Lyric alone.

  She thought about what Elise had said to her and none of it really made any sense. It must have been serious because Elise was determined to get to the bottom of it. Lyric just hated that she seemed to be getting results after the fact. Ms. Mary’s son was gone and nothing that happened now could ease her pain or bring him back.

  ***

  “How long are we gonna be here?” Bronx questioned as he and Lyric pulled up to the hospital.

  “Don’t even start. We just got here. We haven’t even gone in there yet,” Lyric replied.

  “I know baby but we have other stuff to do,” he noted.

  “Like what?” Lyric questioned.

  “I don’t know. Stuff for the baby shower,” he answered.

  “The only thing we have to do for that baby shower is show up. We already got something to wear and everything else. I just want to show my face. I should have visited a long time ago,” Lyric said as they walked through the hospital doors.

  Bronx held her hand as she waked over to the information desk to see which room Jena was in.

  “Lyric?” a man called from across the room.

  Bronx turned around before she did and looked the man up and down.

  “Hey Justin,” Lyric said as she walked over to give him a hug.

  Bronx squeezed her hand tighter and pulled her back before she could.

  “Introduce me to your friend Lyric,” Bronx requested, just like he always did when she spoke to another man in his presence.

  She always told him about doing that, but he never listened. Lyric looked at him and frowned but he didn’t care. He stood there and waited for her to introduce him to the other man just like he asked her to.

  “Justin, this is my boyfriend, Bronx. Baby, this is Jena’s brother, Justin,” Lyric said as she watched Bronx’s facial expression soften just a little.

  “What’s up bruh? Sorry to hear about what happened to your sister,” Bronx said as he shook the other man’s hand.

  “Thanks, I appreciate that.” Justin smiled weakly.

  “How is she?” Lyric asked him.

  “Physically, she’ll get better, but she’s going through it emotionally. They’re saying that the baby might have some permanent brain damage and she’s still not breathing on her own,” Justin replied.

  “Damn. Has Spencer been up here?” Lyric questioned.

  “Barely, but he’s up there right now. That’s why I’m down here. I was about to knock his punk ass the fuck out,” Justin fumed.

  “Why? What happened?” Lyric asked.

  “That nigga didn’t want that baby and it shows. My sister is all fucked up right now and he’s talking about letting the people take her off the breathing machine. He’s talking about how hard it’ll be for her to care for a special needs child as if she doesn’t already know. This is not the time for him to be bringing that shit up. My mama made me leave, so I came down here to take a walk,” Justin replied.

  “What’s her room number?” Lyric asked.

  “Come on, I’ll take you up there,” he replied as he led the way to the elevators.

  The baby was in NICU and her visiting hours were timed. Being pregnant herself, Lyric didn’t want to see her like that anyway. She wasn’t sure that her heart could take it.

  “Have you heard anything about Sabrina?” Lyric asked as they rode up to the fourth floor where Jena’s room was.

  “Yeah, Jena talked to her earlier. She’s here too. She had surgery, but she’s supposed to be going home tomorrow. I’m not going back in there right now but the room number is four twenty-one,” Justin replied as they got off the elevator and walked down the hall.

  He went into the family waiting room while Bronx and Lyric kept going. As soon as they got closer to the room, the door opened and Spencer came walking out.

  “Hey,” Spencer spoke as he looked at Lyric and Bronx.

  Lyric’s stomach was huge and she was just as beautiful as ever. He could see that her man was overprotective just by the way he was holding her hand.

  “How’s everything going?” Lyric asked.

  “It’s getting better. Jena might be getting out of here in a few days, but they don’t know about the baby. She came early and she has a lot of complications,” Spencer replied.

  “Just pray Spencer. She can pull through and make a full recovery,” Lyric replied.

  “I really don’t know if that’s for the best,” Spencer replied.

  “You can’t be serious,” Lyric said as she looked at Spencer like he was crazy.

  “What kind of life would she have if she were to pull through? They’re saying that she would most likely be disabled because of all the complications that she’s having now. Caring for that kind of child is hard work and I don’t think Jena is ready for that kind of responsibility,�
� Spencer replied.

  “The fuck kind of shit is that?” Bronx snapped angrily.

  He couldn’t believe what Spencer was standing there saying. True, it would probably be hard to care for a child with a disability but that was all a part of being a parent. He didn’t care if his son had special needs or needed special attention. As a father, it was his job to give it to him. Bronx’s grandmother always told him that some kids weren’t born to fit in. They were born to stand out. God wrapped some gifts in different packages but it was still a gift. Spencer was a real fuck boy and he understood why Jena’s brother wanted to lay hands on him.

  “Bye Spencer,” Lyric said as they walked away and knocked on the door to Jena’s room. She had no words for Spencer. At least none that she wanted to say out loud in a hospital.

  “Come in!” Jena’s mother Patricia called out a short time later.

  “Hey Ms. Pat,” Lyric said when she walked into the room and hugged the older woman.

  “Hey sweetheart. Look at you with that big ole belly. How have you been?” Patricia asked her.

  For years, Lyric had been like a daughter to her. At one time, you didn’t see Jena without her and vice versa. Patricia knew all about why they fell out and she also knew that her daughter was the cause of it. Jena always did have a jealous side to her. She just never thought it would ever be directed towards Lyric.

  “I’ve been fine. This is my boyfriend, Bronx. Baby, this is Jena’s mother, Ms. Patricia,” Lyric said as she introduced the two of them.

  “It’s nice to meet you ma’am,” Bronx said as he shook her hand.

  “Same here sweetheart,” Patricia replied with a smile.

  “Hey Jena. How are you feeling?” Lyric asked as she moved a little closer to her bed.

  One of Jena’s legs was in a cast and she had a brace on her wrist. The bruises in her face were fading away, but they were still visible.

  “I’m getting better. Thanks for the flowers and fruit. I appreciate it,” Jena replied.