“Where are we going?”
“I don’t want you to laugh, but I started seeing this woman to help me with my stress. She’s a healer.”
“You brought me to a voodoo shop?”
I shrug. “Sort of. Just follow me.” I open the door, and the bell chimes over the stop. The young salesclerk looks up, smiles, and then goes back to reading the magazine she holds. I take Noah over to the jewelry case and point. “Each stone represents what you need. For instance, I have an amethyst that I carry when I have to go to the lawyer or when I have to talk to Elena. I find that it helps, and I’m not angry all the time. Maybe it’s my mindset or thinking the gem works, I don’t know, but I wasn’t a believer until I came here on a whim. I’m not saying this could help Peyton, but it might.”
“Julius, hi. You brought a friend.”
Madame Keisha steps out from behind the curtain. She eyes Noah for a long while and then shakes her head. “I have something that can help with that ache you’re feeling.”
“I’m sorry, what?” he asks after his head pops up. “I feel fine.”
She nods and says, “Okay.” Keisha disappears behind the curtain and then is back with a small jar of what looks like a white cream. “Put this on before bed. Nothing is wrong, but your body is telling you to stop and listen. This will help.”
Noah takes it but does so with great reluctance.
“Now, you’re looking for,” she takes his hand in hers and smiles. “Baby. Do you desire to have children?”
He nods. “My wife is having trouble conceiving.”
Still holding Noah’s hand, her smile fades. “There was trauma. She’s hurt.”
Noah nods again. “She was in a bad accident. I almost lost her.”
“You did lose her, but she came back.”
I stand there in awe of Madame Keisha. Maybe people don’t believe in her craft, but I do. She sets Noah’s hand down and goes to her case. She starts putting gems together on a string and then slips them into a bag.
“Give this to your wife. She must wear it until the babies arrive.”
Noah coughs. “Babies? What are you talking about? She’s not pregnant.”
“Yet,” Madame Keisha winks. She looks at me and says, “Julius, I have something for you.” She hands me another small bag. “Give this to your love. She will need it.”
“What—”
“You’ll find out in time.” With that, she goes behind the curtain and leaves us standing there until the clerk clears her throat. I direct Noah to the cash register where we cash out. Back in the car, Noah looks confused.
“Sorry for bringing you. I didn’t think you’d freak out.”
“It’s not that. It’s what she said about Peyton ‘she’s hurt.’ She said it in the present tense like something is wrong with her now.”
“The babies part doesn’t freak you out?”
He shakes his head slowly. “No. Peyton’s doctors have told her the chances of conceiving naturally would be hard. The damage from the car accident left her scarred. But we try. And we’ve talked about doing IVF or looking for a surrogate. The surrogate is out. She doesn’t want to use one. Peyton’s read too many horror stories where the surrogate wants more money or decides to keep the baby.” He looks down at the bag in his hand and smirks. “This shit is just propaganda.”
“Then how did she know that stuff about Peyton?”
He looks at me, and I swear he rolls his eyes. “I’m sure your friend there knows who I am, by way of you. If you look me up on the web, Peyton’s story is well documented. It's not hard to fake it.”
Noah’s right, but I don’t want to believe it. I drop him off at his place and tell him to have a good trip. He thanks me and asks that I not say anything to Autumn about the gems because it’s unlikely he’ll give them to Peyton.
“Does this mean you won’t tell your mom about it?”
“Hell no,” he says while standing on the curb. “She’d believe it and start rubbing the stones anywhere she can. Both moms are crazy for grandkids. No one is going to know about this little trip except for us. Got it?”
I salute him and pull away once he shuts the car door. I suppose he’s right about keeping our excursion to the voodoo shop a secret. I haven’t told anyone but him, even when Autumn has commented on the stone I keep in my pocket.
When I get to my apartment, Roxy comes running to me and tells me that Autumn is sleeping. “Autumn is at work, sweetie.”
She shakes her head fast with her eyes wide. “Au-um has the ickies.”
Autumn didn’t say anything about staying home today. She spent the night last night and went for her run this morning and then took Roxy to the park after dropping Reggie off at school. She’s taken over for Miss Meghan this week because she’s on vacation, and Autumn wanted to help out.
I head down to my bedroom with Roxy on my hip. I open the door slowly and find a lump in my bed. “I’m going to set you down. Please don’t jump on Autumn.”
“I won’t, Daddy.”
Putting Roxy on the edge of the bed, I go to the side and place my hand on Autumn’s shoulder. “Hey.”
She moans.
“What can I get you?”
“Ginger ale,” she whispers.
I pull my phone out and order groceries via an app. I request as much stuff as I can from Pedialyte to Pepto, including the ginger ale. Then I take Roxy out to the living room and set her up with a movie. When I get back to the bedroom, Autumn is rushing to the bathroom. I don’t know what to do except offer to hold her hair back. She kneels in front of the toilet, expelling whatever contents she had left in her stomach.
“I have groceries coming. They should be here in a minute.” I leave her side, grab a washcloth, and wet it down. I set it to her forehead and hold it there. “Hopefully, it’s just a bug, and it’ll pass soon.”
“Good thing you don’t have a game this weekend.”
She’s right. We have another weekend off because of Christmas. It’s rare when our schedules align, but I’ll take it. “Stomach of steel right here. I’m more concerned about you right now.”
Autumn tries to stand up. I help her and decide to pick her up to carry her back to bed. “I can walk,” she says.
“I know, but I can carry you.” I lay her down and pull the blankets back over her. “What can I get you?” I set my hand against her forehead to check for a fever.
“I’m not sick, Julius.”
I look at her oddly. “I saw you get sick.” I hate pointing out the obvious, but I was in the bathroom with her a moment ago.
“Julius,” she says my name and then sighs. “I’m late.”
“Give me your phone. I’ll call Leon and let him know you’re sick and can’t come in. I’m sure someone can cover for you.” I reach for her phone, but her hand stops me.
“I’m not that kind of sick.”
“How many kinds of sicknesses are there?” I feel like Autumn is talking in riddles here.
“I’m the kind of sick that happens to women when their period doesn’t show up on time,” she pauses and looks at me. Autumn starts to cry. “I’m pregnant, Julius.”