Honey

17.) I Need Air

When Honey left the hospital, she stayed with her father. He had told her boss she would be out of work for a couple weeks because of medical issues and got her doctor to write a note of medical leave for her. She had been working there since she was eighteen and had rarely taken a sick day. Fortunately, the bank did rollovers, and whatever sick days she hadn't used before became vacation days that she used as a block, but she hadn't done much of that either. She had planned on it a few times, but things came up.

Every day, she had to sit on her breathing machine for an hour. She really hated to, but Ross promised to kill her if she didn't do what she was told.

Lea had surprised Honey by dropping by with Anastasia. "I hope you don't mind. Adina was just coming to see your dad, and she's my ride home, so I asked about you, and your dad said you were here."

"I don't mind," Honey assured her, smiling as Anastasia reached for her. She took the toddler in her arms.

"Nee," the baby said with a wide grin, wrapping her arms around her and resting her head on her shoulder.

"You can sit down, Lea," Honey invited.

Lea sat in the desk chair and watched Honey with the baby.

"She loved the gift you left her," Lea said. "Thank you."

"It was nothing. How are you liking the apartment so far?"

"Liking? I'm loving it!" Lea told her, laughing. Honey had let her keep all of the furniture because she had no use for it. "Girl. You a princess."

"Yes. Yes, I am."

"So how are you feeling?" Lea asked more seriously.

"I've had better days. I been trynna get around my daddy some good—"

Honey wanted to watch her words in the presence of the baby and motioned as if she was smoking.

"Aye, well, when you can again, let me know. My mom and dad are going to Sea World and they wanna take the baby. We can light up together!"

"Don't give my Honey no ideas, Miss Lea. She can't light up for a long time," Ross called, walking in.

Lea smiled innocently. "I did say when she can. No rush on things. I have a kid at home, so I'm not exactly baking my brains every evening."

"That's good for you, sweetheart. Well, Honey, Adina cooking, so when you hungry, y'all come on down."

"Cool."

Ross left, and Anastasia fell asleep. Honey lay her beside herself.

"Tristan misses you," Lea told her. "When I went to get the baby today, you shoulda seen him, Honey. I didn't mean to start no trouble. Me leaving seemed to cause what I thought staying would," she said sadly.

"Lea, I'ont blame you at all. At first, yea, you was a li'l messy. I'ont think it was on purpose. You just don't have no filter. You think, therefore you say. It didn't bother me that you was staying in his house because you have his daughter, and he said nothing was going on and you seem so determined to let him be happy. I admire that. Not a lot of women would be as strong as you to watch that for three months and just breathe it off."

Lea nodded. It killed her slowly inside to watch Tristan and Honey, but it didn't make her any happier to see them apart. She wanted Honey to go back to him because she made him happier than she had ever seen him. She would get the love meant for her in time, and she believed that Honey was meant for Tristan.

"You told me that you wanted to move out because it was hurting you, and I understood that. I feel for you. So when I knew I wouldn't be staying in my apartment, I thought it was the least I could do to help you. You say you paid your dues, and I believe it. You made a mistake and you watched him with someone else every day. You deserve your happy ending, too. If that entail leaving his house, then I would help you out. But I woulda been fine if you stayed, too, as long as you was happy for yourself. Not just him. If you gotta cry yourself to sleep every night, you right. It's time to take care of yourself."