Still thicker than water (35 page)

She turned and looked down at Ree, who had woken up and was looking at her perplexed.

“
What’s up…everything okay?” He asked, his voice raspy.

“
E…E died… he was shot…”

Ree stared at her for a few seconds in silence. Although he looked at death a little more differently than average people, and with more understanding and less emotion towards it, he definitely regretted the news. E was someone who he had worked with, he knew that he was a good person, and was very loyal to Chauncey.

“
Damn.” That was all Ree could reply with.

“
Yeah, Sasha said Chauncey’s really fucked up about it, and I know he is…I just can’t believe it.”

Ree nodded solemnly.

“
Yeah, it’s a fucked up situation. E was good people… But it’s all apart of the game baby.”

Ree rubbed her back and kissed her on her bare shoulder, which was only decorated by the strap of her silk nightgown.

“
I’m so glad that you’re out of
that
game,” Tatum said with a content sigh. “I don’t know what I would do if anything ever happened to you.”

Ree remained silent in contemplation, but then stood up and slipped on his boxers, his perfectly sculpted and tattooed body making him appear as an Adonis god.

“
Yeah well, you wouldn’t have to worry about that anyway.”

Tatum didn’t like that response, and it showed all in her expression. She tilted her head at him.

“
I wouldn’t have to worry about
that,
because you’re out of the game… for good, right?”

Ree stared into her eyes in an assuring way. Yes, his body was physically out, but his mentality, his way of being, would always be…street.

“
Yeah, I’m out,” he affirmed.

And then he turned and walked away, before Tatum could see any hesitation in his face.

As if the day could get any worse, Sasha walked out of the hospital cafeteria and sucked her teeth when she noticed the woman from Child Services approaching.

“
Hello Mrs. Bernstein,” the woman greeted neither warm nor testing. “Your husband told me that I could find you down here.”

Sasha chuckled and placed her hand on her hip.

“
You mean my daughter’s father.”

The woman snapped her fingers as if remembering something.

“
Dammit, that’s right, I’m so absentminded…I have to remember that.

Husband…daughter’s father…husband…daughter’s father…two separate people…”

“
What do you want lady?” Sasha demanded with more than a little attitude. “You don’t like me or something?”

The woman’s face turned serious.

“
No, Mrs. Bernstein I like you fine…It’s just that I like Aubrey, a little bit more. And I’ll tell you, one thing I don’t like, is liars.”

Sasha furrowed her eyebrows and jerked her head back.

“
Liars?”

“
Liars,” the woman repeated. “You said you didn’t leave your daughter at home alone, Mrs. Bernstein. You said you left her in fact, with an Amanda Bernstein.”

Sasha nodded matter of factly and the woman shook her head in disappointment.

“
You’re still lying… Listen, I know for a fact that you did not leave your daughter with a babysitter, and in fact you left her alone, and this was not the first time that you did so.”

Sasha cut her off in anger and felt herself about to explode.

“
That’s bullshit! You
don’t
know that because I would never do that…there are no facts! I would never leave my baby. Never!”

“
Yes you would. And I have several witnesses that will attest to it.”

Sasha shook her head as if this was a terrible nightmare, as Chauncey made his way up to them.

“
Who?” Sasha screamed.

“
I don’t have to reveal that.”

“
What’s going on?” He asked, feeling the emotion in the hallway filled with tension.

“
Your
daughter’s mother
, made a big mistake…and until I get to the bottom of everything…Aubrey can not return home with her.”

Sasha felt her heart drop to her stomach and could simultaneously taste the egg sandwich she’d just eaten about to come up. Her body began to shake.

“
What! Why are you doing this? You can’t do this! I don’t even know what’s going on? Chauncey…don’t let her do this…she can’t do this!”

Sasha began to cry hysterically, placing her hands over her face.

“
Nah, fuck that, you can’t do that shit!” Chauncey challenged.

The woman rolled her neck.

“
I can and I will…Several sworn statements from incredibly reliable sources saying that you, Sasha Bernstein, left Aubrey alone, a one year old who was poisoned, while her mother shows up to the hospital dressed for the nightclub, smelling like champagne, who openly admits to leaving a half open bottle of pine cleaner in the kitchen…”

Sasha lunged at her wildly and Chauncey had to restrain her.

“
You fucking bitch!”

“
Mrs. Bernstein! You better get a hold of yourself before I have you arrested and you’ll be in jail throughout this entire investigation.”

“
You stupid ass bitch!” Chauncey barked. “Get the fuck outta here on ya power trip, yo!”

“
Mr. Mills, I advise you to calm down before you make things worse.” She pulled out a packet of paper from her briefcase.

“
This here is a court order that allows Aubrey Mills to reside at the premises of her biological father, Chauncey Mills, from the time of her release from the hospital, until the investigation is complete and the decision is made on whether the mother is fit to have the child returned to her.”

Sasha stood, a little more calm, with her arms folded and her lip quivering as tears rolled down her face. Chauncey put his arm around her and assured her, “It’s gonna be okay princess.”

“
This is only based upon the assumption that Mr. Mills abides by all of his rules and regulations in regard to the Parole Board and his parole. In the event that you don’t Mr. Mills… well I guess you can just assume what would happen.”

She turned on her heels with a smirk and made her way back down the hall.

“
Have a great day,” she added, and Sasha and Chauncey stood there wondering what the hell was going on.

Two Days Later

With all that was happening, Tatum convinced Ree to extend their stay for a little while longer. It actually didn’t take much convincing being that Ree totally understood – between Aubrey being hospitalized, then her recovering, E being killed, and then the whole Child Services thing; he knew that Tatum wanted to be there for Sasha.

And then in addition to all of that happening, he still had the news that Trinity had thrown on him weighing heavy on his mind, and he was in no rush to get back and face that situation. All in all, making this a twisted series of events.

Tatum had been traveling back and forth between the hotel and the hospital, Ree’s big bodyguard friend by her side every step of the way. She had managed to calm Sasha down a little, letting her know that it would all work out and convincing her to be thankful that they had allowed Aubrey to stay with Chauncey when she was released. Jayde also assured Sasha that she would get to the bottom of things. Jayde knew too many people in high places to not be able to find out who these supposed witnesses of these blatant lies were. She would find them, and then, they would be sorry.

Sasha rested assured more, knowing that Jayde would get some answers, and knowing that Aubrey would be safe with Chauncey, but more than anything, glad to have her best friend, Tatum, there with her. Regardless of how many times she was questioned, Aubrey seemed to have no recollection of anything that had occurred, and while the doctor said that was perfectly normal, it made it difficult to figure out what happened. Sasha believed in her faith though, that everything would work out, it just had to. Mike was still worried about what had happened to Amanda and the whole event seemed to be a big mystery.

Regardless of the circumstances however, when Tatum had revealed the news of her and Ree’s engagement, Sasha was thrilled for her. It was hard for her to be as happy as she normally would have been, but either way, she was definitely happy for her. She was actually upset that Tatum’s joyful event was overshadowed by all of the horrible occurrences. And she promised herself that when it all worked out, she would throw Tatum a proper celebration. Tatum held off about the news of Trinity being pregnant, she felt that could definitely wait.

Meanwhile, Chauncey was trying to simultaneously figure out what exactly had happened with his daughter and what exactly had happened with E.

He went over the night with Sasha a million times, and he went over the details of the shooting, with Jayde, about the same amount. He knew his friend was gone, and he knew a problem was coming, but apart of him couldn’t help but be thankful that his little girl had survived. Today was the day that he would bring her home.

“
So don’t feed her anything with too much sugar, oh and don’t let her drink late at night, Chauncey…make sure she has her Pedialyte every night, the doctor says it’ll help, oh, and try to read to her, it helps her sleep… and the doctor said she may be a little traumatized so keep the night light on, or maybe, sleep with her. Rub her ointment on before you put on her pull-up at night…and oh, she really likes those cookies, with the strawberry flavor…” Sasha began to tear up thinking about not having her baby home with her and she stopped. “Why is this happening? This is torture,” she painfully admitted.

Chauncey stood there, with a solemn look. They were upstairs in his house, and Mike was outside, waiting on Sasha so that they could go to a lawyer and try to fight this whole thing. They wanted to find out some information, and try to get Aubrey back home.

“
You wanna take her?” Chauncey offered. “How would they know she wasn’t here?” He hated seeing Sasha so miserable.

“
I can’t risk losing her, Chauncey. We need to follow the rules…”

“
Then, stay here with me… move here with me…be here with me, Sash.”

She looked into his sad eyes and she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know if she could ever forget the pain Chauncey had caused her, but something inside told her that he was a changed man. A street man still, but a changed man.

Just then the horn blew, and she knew Mike was waiting. They had to be on time.

“
I need to think, Chau-”

He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers and holding the back of her head firmly, as he kissed her with enough passion to try and prove a point. She squirmed in objection, but then, submitted.

He pulled away and stared at her and she ran her fingers over the tattoo of her and Aubrey on his arm.
He loves us.

“
Again. Kiss again,” Aubrey laughed, sitting up in her bed.

Sasha walked over with a smile and hugged her tight, and then kissed her repeatedly.

“
I love you baby girl. And mommy will be back, okay?”

Aubrey smiled and hugged Sasha, laying her head on Sasha’s chest.

“
No Mommy, stay.”

Sasha closed her eyes tight and kissed the top of her head.

“
I…I will be really close, okay? And I’ll be right back.”

Her voice cracked and she had to force herself away before Aubrey saw her cry. Then she knew Aubrey would get worried and probably cry too.

“
I love you Bri-Bri,” she added, at the doorway, her heart breaking into a million pieces.

“
I love you Mommy.”

Chauncey stood there and watched his girls with love, and as Sasha was almost out of sight he heard her whisper something.

“
I love you, Chauncey.”

A few seconds later he heard her make her way down the stairs and close the front door.

“
I love you too, Princess…I love you, too.”

And then he heard the car pull off.

Trinity lay in her bed sobbing, a box of Kleenex as her only companion. She thought of how dismissive Ree had been with her, even after learning she was pregnant. She had figured that when he realized that she was carrying his child, she would have surely won him by default.

More than the obvious however, she thought of how she would pull off this whole scam.

A blood test?

The most apparent thing had completely gone over her head.