Chapter 13
1116 Words
I walked into my sister's house, expecting to be met by my nieces and her husband, Red, but instead I was met with silence. I was relaxed though, if something was wrong, I would've sensed it by now. I walked into her living room where I found her already seated with her legs crossed.
She smiled when she saw me, standing and rushing over to me before she wrapped her arms around me and took in a deep breath. I felt her sigh into my chest, before she started to cry and I frowned.
If Red did something to hurt her, then he's as good as dead.
"Did Red hurt you?" I asked her, voicing out my thoughts so that she'd tell me why she was crying. I decided to wrap my arms around her, providing her with the comfort she was so clearly seeking.
"No," she said into my chest, "he wouldn't hurt me."
"Then what is it?" I asked and she sighed and leaned back, wiping her face of her tears before she took my hand and led me to the couch where we both sat down.
"I need to talk to you," she said to me and I watched, waiting for her eyes to reveal the secret.
Over the years my sister's gotten weaker. She's easier to read because she wears her emotions and feelings on her sleeves.
"You know dad's sick, right?" she asked me as she sat on the couch with her legs criss-cross and her hair down. I didn't answer because she was stating the obvious.
"I don't know how to say this," she paused as she looked down at her hands that she was nervously fiddling with, "but I think it's long overdue, Czar."
I watched as she looked down again, avoiding my eyes as she sat there biting her bottom lip. I wanted her to just say whatever she wanted to say. She finally looked up and looked me dead in the eye, "I want to leave the family business."
I tilted my head, taken aback at her statement, "I've been wanting to leave for some time, Czar, but now I'm sure of it. I know dad's worked hard to build this empire and I've been in this world my entire life, but now, now I've had enough. I can't keep doing this. I want to give my daughter's a normal life. I want them to not do cocaine and h****n and struggle with addictions like you and I did. I know this is our life, Czar," she reached out to hold my hand and I let her, "but we know our life is f****d up."
"Besides," she paused, a small smile coming on her face, "I feel like God's given me another chance at changing my life and I think I should."
I raised an eyebrow, "and what exactly does that mean?" I asked her and I watched as she let go of my hand and moved to place her hands on her stomach.
"I'm pregnant," she announced with a smile, "four months pregnant," I looked at her stomach, wondering why I never really noticed and that was because every time I was with her she'd wear oversized clothing. But not oversized to such an extent that you'd notice she's hiding something. I just thought it was a new thing she was trying out.
I let out a smile, happy for my sister, "congratulations, Natalya," I said, meaning every word and she grinned at that.
"I'm so scared. There's been a lot of ups and downs with this pregnancy because of my age. I mean, I'm 42 years old now, so I'm really surprised that I fell pregnant."
"Does Kimia and Malia know?" I asked her and she nodded.
"Red, Malia and Kimia all know, and you of course. I didn't tell mum and dad yet."
"I'm happy for you," I told her, glad that she was happy and content with wherever she was.
"You do understand that I have to leave the family business right?" she asked me and I gave a small nod. I wanted to be upset that she was leaving but she'd managed to weaken me with her pregnancy.
Besides, I could see how withdrawn she was from the family business… for years now.
"I'm taking Red with me," she told me and again, I nodded.
She sighed, relieved, "thank you for understanding," she paused and shifted closer to me, "do you want to feel my little baby bump?"
~~~
I was distracted on my way back home.
I'm a focused man, always have been and always will be. Or so I like to believe. It seems these days that small things bother me and stay on my mind for days after.
I couldn't help but think about myself and my future. I thought I was perfectly content with the kind of life that I lived. Even at 38 years old, I was ok with not having a family, or a spouse, or in the very least, be in a serious relationship. Like I said before, I didn't think I'd ever find love and truth be told, no woman has ever captured my interest, until now.
Sabrina England.
Her name sends chills down my spine, and I swear I feel the corners of my lips move whenever I think about her.
I start to wonder about her. Not actually wonder, but wish.
I think about how my sister and Red are. How in love the pair seem to be and I've never wanted that before, but with Sabrina, I do. I want to watch her as she cooks in the kitchen or stitches up my arm from a bullet wound. I want to see her wide smile as she tells me that she's pregnant with my child. I want to see her in the throes of ecstasy and I want to feel her womanly touch all over my body.
I want to hear her laugh, and when I think about how she cried last night I want to murder Leonardo. I want to listen to her rant on and on about stupid or smart s**t and I want to just sit across from her as we eat take out and sip on lemonade.
I want to see her roll her eyes at me when I say stupid s**t and I want to have her lay in my arms as we stare up at the sky.
All the corny s**t I never wanted, I wish I could have with her.
When I pulled into my driveway and sat in my garage, I realized that Sabrina England was definitely going to become Sabrina Hutcherson.
~~~
- Writer
