Riding Until The End

by A'zayler

  “You been sleep for a long time.”

  “Me?”

  She nodded her head.

  “I thought you was sleep.”

  “I was, but I woke up almost two hours ago. I was trying to go back to sleep so I can waste time until they release me and because I ain’t have nobody to talk to since you were sleep. Did they tell you what’s wrong?” Arizona finally opened her eyes and looked at him.

  Zay nodded his head slowly. “They said you have a stomach virus, like we figured anyway.”

  “Did they say how I got it?”

  “Nah. It was just viral, so you could have gotten it anywhere.”

  She nodded her head and closed her eyes back.

  “They said the fever and chills come from the virus, but the throwing up is cuz you pregnant.”

  Her eyes popped open at the same time a frown appeared in her forehead. “What?”

  “You’re pregnant, Z.” Zay cleared his throat.

  “For real?”

  He nodded.

  Arizona covered her face with the blanket. He could hear sniffles coming from her, even though he couldn’t see her face. Zay leaned forward and pulled the covers from her face and looked at her.

  “Why you crying?”

  “I’m just happy.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Zay sat back. “Do you think it’s mine?”

  Arizona’s face was straight and her tears even seemed to pause with that question. “It has to be.”

  “How?”

  “You’re the only person I’ve been with.”

  Zay looked a little nonchalant because he wasn’t sure how he felt yet. He wanted to be happy, but not until they gave him some dates. He had only been back with Arizona for a few weeks. Before that, they had been separated for months. To take it back even further would make Toro her child’s father. He would get happy once things were confirmed. Right now, all it did was put him in a bad space.

  “Why are you looking like that, Xavier?”

  “We haven’t been together, Z. I’m not trying to make you feel bad or anything, but this child could very well not be mine. I only splashed off in you twice. One being last night, so I know you ain’t get pregnant that fast. The other time was so long ago.”

  “So, what are you saying?”

  “I want them to tell us how many months you are so we can see what’s next. If this is Toro’s baby,” he grabbed his head as his voice trailed off, “I won’t be able to do it.”

  Arizona’s mood dropped to the floor. She’d gone from happy to sad that fast. It was obvious Zay wasn’t trying to make her feel bad, just was being careful, but it still hurt her. She pulled the covers back over her face again and he pulled them right back down.

  “Arizona, I’m sorry to make such a beautiful announcement hard, but I just want to look out for myself you know?”

  “It’s fine, Xavier. I understand.”

  It was quiet for a minute. “Was there anybody else? While we weren’t talking?” Zay looked at her.

  “No.”

  “So it’s me and Toro then, huh?”

  “I guess so.”

  “Cool.” Zay sat back in the chair and closed his eyes.

  He said a quick prayer hoping that the baby would be his, but he still wasn’t about to get overly excited about something that might not pan out in his favor. They sat quietly in the room for another thirty minutes until the nurse finally came back with the discharge paperwork.

  “Can you tell me how many weeks I am?” Arizona asked, as soon as she was in the room.

  “Yes ma’am. Do you know the date of your last cycle?”

  “Last month.”

  “Okay well let me get the doctor in her to help us out then we can go from there.”

  Arizona nodded, and she left again. The awkward silence filled the space between them again. When the nurse came back in she had a small chart in her hand and monitor on a cart. She pulled everything out and explained to Arizona that according to the date of her last cycle that she was only three weeks pregnant which couldn’t be right because she hadn’t been having sex then. When that didn’t make sense to them the nurse flipped the monitor on and prepared her for an ultrasound.

  Zay stood up and stepped closer to the bed so that he could see the screen. When she baby popped up on the screen Arizona gasped and covered her mouth. Zay watched her eyes water and bent down to kiss her forehead. He rubbed her hair as the lady moved the probe around, showing her the baby.

  When she paused once and turned the volume up she heard the baby’s heartbeat. She and Zay both shed tears at that, with his tears dropping onto her forehead. Arizona leaned over so that her head was resting against his chest.

  “You areeeee twenty-three weeks Miss. Arizona.”

  “Twenty-three weeks?” Arizona asked slash yelled.

  The nurse chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.” She grabbed the little board that she’d brought with her. “That would make your conception date sometime between the 13th and 14th of February. Ummm… little Valentine’s Day action, huh?”

  “Oh Lord.” She laid her head back on the pillow.

  Zay moved away from her and sat down on the chair. He stretched his legs out in front of him and smiled. “Not a lil action, that was a lot of action.”

  Arizona looked at him, relieved that her baby did indeed belong to Zay. “How I let you get me again?”

  “I told you, Z. You’re supposed to have my babies.”

  The nurse smiled at them as she helped get everything cleaned up and Arizona ready to leave. Being that they had already brought her discharge papers, she was able to leave. Zay helped her from the table and stood her in front of him.

  “You sure about having my baby?”

  She smiled as she nodded. “Surer than I’ve ever been about anything in my life.”

  “I love you.”

  “I know you do, and that’s why I love you, too.”

  “I can’t wait to tell Honey’s innocent ass. She’s going to be acting an ass.”

  Arizona could tell he was happy just by the tone of his voice, but it was cool because she felt the same way. They left the hospital hand in hand, headed to her apartment. Zay talked about any and everything from baby clothes and food to baby names.

  “If it’s a boy, can he be a junior?” Zay looked at her.

  Arizona smiled at his excitement. “Yes.”

  If at all possible, his smile got bigger. “It took your ass all this time to come back home and be with the nigga you was supposed to be with from the beginning.”

  “I know, right?” Arizona pulled her phone out and answered for Honey. She placed her on speakerphone and sat the phone down. “Hello.”

  “You still at the ER?”

  “Nah, we just left. You at home?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay, we about to swing through there real quick so I can see Auntie’s baby.”

  “You must got that nigga Zay with you?”

  “You know it,” Zay said.

  Honey laughed. “I should have known.”

  Arizona told her they would be pulling up shortly and hung up. They were right around the corner from Congo and Honey’s house, so they really were pulling up before she knew it. Honey must have been waiting for them at the door because she came out of the house with Blaze resting on her hip. She walked right up to Zay’s window and passed her to Arizona.

  “Girl, what made y’all come by here? Together at that? You know y’all stay trying to be secretive. I don’t know how y’all expect me to explain y’all being here together now. I already know he standing in the living room somewhere watching to see who pulled up.”

  Arizona looked over at Zay first before raising her eyebrows at him. When he gave her a light nod, she turned back to Honey.

  “Because it ain’t a secret no more. This my nigga and we’re about to be together. So if that nigga ask, tell him that.”

  “Oooh, you bold. What in the world done happened?”

  �
�The fact that we ain’t gon’ be able to hide our relationship much longer anyway.”

  “Why? Somebody saw y’all?”

  “Nah, Z got our lil baby growing inside right now. It can’t stay in there forever.”

  Honey screamed so loud Blaze started to cry.

  “Hush, loud ass girl. You scaring my baby.” Arizona smiled as she patted the back of Blaze’s head.

  “Girl, I ain’t worried about Blaze scary self. She jump and cry at everything. I’m trying to make sure I heard Zay right. You pregnant by him?” Honey looked between the two of them.

  Arizona and Zay both nodded.

  Honey slapped Arizona’s arm. “That’s why you running around here sick and stuff?”

  “Yeah, I have a stomach virus too, but the baby is the reason I been throwing up.”

  “Yayyy! I’m so happy for you! I can’t wait to tell Toro.”

  “Me either, sis.” Zay laughed, and slapped fives with Honey.

  “So, I guess I wasn’t invited to the party?” Congo said, as he walked toward them.

  Honey and Arizona both looked scared when they heard his voice. Zay, on the other hand, was chilling. When Congo got closer to the truck he stuck his arm through the window and dapped Zay up before leaning down and pushing Arizona’s forehead playfully.

  “So, this a thing?” He pointed between Arizona and Zay.

  “Yeah.” Zay spoke for them. There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in his voice.

  “Oh, that’s what’s up. I’m happy for y’all niggas. How long this shit been going on?”

  “A while,” Arizona found her voice.

  “So what, y’all been trying to hide the shit?” Congo looked confused.

  “Not on my account,” Zay told him.

  He slapped Honey’s butt. “I should beat your ass. Why you ain’t say shit?”

  “It wasn’t her business to tell, nigga.” Arizona punched him in the chest.

  “Yeah, whatever. You my sister so it was my business.”

  “Well, let me go ahead and tell you that you ’bout to be an uncle too then, so you ain’t left out the loop on nothing else.”

  Congo’s face frowned up and he leaned over in the car. “You lying. Your stomach ain’t big.”

  “Neither was Honey’s hell. That doesn’t mean shit.”

  “Damn, calm down, girl. I was just fucking with you.”

  “Good.” Arizona handed Blaze back out of the window. “I was just coming by to see my baby. I’ll talk to y’all good people later.”

  Honey waved Blaze’s little arm at Arizona. “Look at her, Blaze, got her own baby now she acting up.”

  “Don’t do that. Blaze knows I love Auntie baby.”

  They shared a few more laughs before parting ways. Arizona sat back in the seat and reclined the chair back. She was starting to feel sick again, and the motion from the car wasn’t making it any better.

  “You okay?”

  She nodded but didn’t feel well enough to actually make anything come out. It was crazy how one minute she was cool and the next she was back feeling queasy. Zay drove as fast as he could, without breaking any laws, to get her home. When they got there he helped her from his truck and carried her up the stairs. Once they were inside, he laid her down in her bed and got her some ginger ale and crackers. She drank the soda, but declined the crackers. Her stomach felt too weak.

  “You have to eat, Z.”

  “I will in a minute. Not right now.” Arizona pushed him away and pulled the covers over her head. “You laying down with me?”

  “Yeah, give me a minute to get undressed.” Once Zay removed his clothes he climbed in bed behind her and held her close.

  Being that it was already a little after eight, he was more than okay with crashing for the night. Zay looked around the room as he held his girl in his arms, thinking of all the times he’s wished for that moment and he’d finally got it. If somebody thought that he would lose it, they had another thing coming. He leaned down and kissed the side of her face before moving around until he was comfortable. It didn’t take long for Arizona to fall asleep with him right behind her.

  *****

  Congo hung his phone up and set it on the bed. “I guess Arizona and Toro still connected some kind of way.”

  “Why you say that?” Honey asked.

  “That was that nigga. Keyona’s in the hospital. She’s having the baby nine weeks early, but they couldn’t stop her labor.”

  “Dang. What happened?”

  “Toro said she got into some shit with Virginia and they had to rush her to the hospital. Whatever went on caused her to go into premature labor. He wants me to come up there.”

  Honey waved her hand towards the door. “Oh, okay, well you go ahead and handle that. I’m good here.”

  Congo pushed his foot down into his shoes before kissing her and grabbing his things to go. He told her he would be back before heading for the door. He hopped in his black Jeep Jaguar and headed to the hospital. He wasn’t really in the mood for any drama, but Toro was his cousin and best friend, so he needed to be there for him.

  When he got to the hospital he checked the text message that Toro had sent him and took the elevator to that floor. When he got off the elevator he saw a girl he remembered as her sister and two other niggas. He didn’t fuck with any of them like that for real, so he moved past them without even speaking. The further down the hall he got he could see Toro standing outside of a door leaning against the wall.

  Congo walked up and touched his arm. When he noticed it was Congo, he dapped him up before taking his place back on the wall.

  “The baby here yet?”

  “Yeah, they got her in the NICU.”

  “She alright?”

  Toro nodded. “Yeah, she gone be cool. She’s breathing on her own and everything.”

  “So why you standing out here looking like a damn fool for?”

  “I asked them to do a blood test.”

  “I would ask why, but shit, I would have done the same thing. The results back yet?”

  “Nah, not yet.”

  Congo could tell Toro had a lot on his mind, but he figured he might as well get over everything at once.

  “Z pregnant too.”

  Toro spun around to face him, his eyes wide like he’d seen a ghost. “What? By who? How you know?”

  “She came by the house with Zay and told me and Honey.”

  “Zay as in Xavier Barnes that went to school with us? The nigga that cut hair with Honey?”

  “That’s the one.”

  Toro looked like his world was ending.

  “They together?”

  “Apparently they’ve been fucking around for a while. It was probably my mama’s damn idea.”

  Toro hit his head against the wall. Not hard, but hard enough. “Fuck man. I still thought there was hope for us.”

  Congo didn’t say anything. Just stood by silently allowing his cousin to vent. He didn’t necessarily agree with him about there being another chance because even Congo had known that probably would never happen. He wouldn’t dare tell him that right then though. He had enough going on.

  “She look happy?”

  “Honestly? Hell yeah.”

  “Damn.” Toro looked at the floor. “I wonder how that nigga get her ass pregnant that fast and I been busting in her for years.”

  “Same shit I thought. Hell, how you get Keyona’s ass pregnant that fast? Y’all niggas must just wasn’t meant to be.”

  Toro looked like he didn’t want to laugh, but it was funny, so he did anyway. “I had been playing Keyona to the left hard as hell since Z has been dissing me, but since I know that’s over, I might as well make the best out of what I got, huh?”

  “Can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.” Congo quoted the line his mother used to tell them all the time.

  “I’ve been trying, but Keyona’s ass is so irritating sometimes. It’s bad enough she still living with her sister, but the hoe m
essy as hell. It takes her ass days to get up and clean something up.”

  “Your spot with Z was always spotless.”

  “Nigga, don’t I know it? Then Keyona won’t even make a nigga a hot meal when I get there from work unless she wants something.”

  “I know you hate that shit. Z used to make your ass breakfast, lunch, and damn dinner.”

  Toro looked at Congo. “Bruh, is you trying to make this shit worse or what?”

  Congo shook his head and laughed. “My bad, my boy. I’m just telling your ass.”

  Toro slid his hands down into his pockets. “I fucked up bad.”

  “I told your muthafucking ass. You ain’t want to listen to me.”

  “I should have.”

  “Hell yeah, you should have. Now your girl pregnant by another nigga and looks happy about it. While you’re stuck with a girl that won’t even feed your hungry ass.”

  Toro shook his head at how stupid he had been to let Arizona go. Congo didn’t have the slightest bit of sympathy for him. He had done everything but get on his knees and beg Toro not to fuck around with Keyona. He didn’t listen, and now he had to suffer the consequences. The love of his life had moved on and didn’t look like she planned on looking back.

  “You think she’ll talk to me?”

  “Nigga no. Just let that go. She’s with another dude now. You holla at her on some exclusive shit and you know she with Zay, homies or not, you asking for trouble. She may be your ex, but she’s his current. You can’t go professing your love to another nigga’s girl, especially a nigga like Zay. He’s a serious nigga. He ain’t gon’ have that shit.”

  “What I’m supposed to do then?”

  Congo looked at Toro like he was crazy. “Nigga, move on. You got Keyona and your baby. Go play house with their ass.”

  “What if I don’t want to?”

  “Shit, you ain’t got to, but you ain’t about to be with Arizona. So you might as well try to make it work with the woman you lost her for. Hell, maybe once you come to terms with not having Arizona you can make it work with Keyona for real.”

  Toro didn’t look like he wanted to do what Congo had suggested, but it wasn’t much he could do at that point. His time was up. At the most unexpected time, his life had gotten flipped and switched up into something he didn’t recognize, nor did he like it, but he had to deal with it.