They stayed in the same position for a good 5 minutes before Dave finally lifted his head up. She looked down at him and wiped away the tears that were cascading down her cheeks. She didn't expect him to speak but he did.
"Why you keep saving me, man? I ain't shit."
She examined his tear stained face and almost broke down again. To see a man cry, always touched a soft spot for her.
"Why do I keep saving you? I keep saving you because you need saving, and nobody else has even attempted. I keep saving you because I know you're not a bad dude, and regardless of your current situation, you're a great a man. And I don't know why, but I care about you." She took the time to caress his face. "I've been drawn to you ever since you've stepped foot in my hospital and I'm not gonna let you get mistreated anymore."
"I feel like you my mama right now," he chuckled deeply, slowly getting up off of his knees. Using the back of his hand, he cleared his face of tears.
Sema shifted her head upwards. With him being on his knees, she had became unaccustomed to his how much taller than her that he actually was.
"Are you okay?" She questioned him, even though she knew the answer. No one would be okay after what he just went through.
"Imma be iighh." Sema just nodded.
"Let's go. The kids are gonna be so happy to see you."
- - -
"I have a surprise for y'all when we get home," Sema told her kids. She was picking them up from Millie's house. She had decided to drop Dave off at her house first so he could get cleaned up and what not before the kids came.
"Ooh mommy! What is it?!" McKenzie questioned. Whenever a surprise was mentioned, her kids always got hyped. Hell, whenever a surprise was mentioned she always got hyped too. That's probably where they got it from.
"You'll just have to wait and see."
"Can we have a hint, mama?" Kieran asked her.
"Nope. Like I said, wait and see. We'll be home in just a minute."
"Aww man," they both sighed and snapped like Swiper the Fox, causing Sema to chuckle.
"Y'all are silly." Sema shook her head and pulled up in the driveway. She could hear the kids removing their seatbelts already. They both sat up looking out their windows.
"Where's the surprise, mommy?" McKenzie asked.
"Yeah, I don't see nothin'," Kieran added.
"It's inside," she told them, putting the car in park and killing the engine. "Come on." She opened her door and got out, getting ready to open McKenzie's but she had already beat her to it. Kieran did also. They both got out without even closing their doors and raised up to the porch.
"Y'all can't even get in yet," Sema reminded, shaking her head and closing their doors. Making her way to the door, she pulled out the keys to unlock the door. After fiddling with them for a few minutes, she finally found the right key, which she always had trouble doing, and the door unlocked. McKenzie and Kieran both ran in looking all around.
Sema looked around in search of Dave too, afraid that might have left again. But when Dave came walking into the kitchen that eased her worries.
"Woah! Dave!" Kieran exclaimed. Both he and McKenzie's eyes lit up as if they'd just met Santa Claus in person. They ran to him and bombarded him with hugs.
"I missed you!" McKenzie told him, holding on to his leg tightly.
"Yeah, me too!" Kieran seconded.
