Hitting the Right Note (23 page)

“O
kay, I'm here and I brought gifts!” JJ announced as she breezed into Sheree's hospital room around midday the next day.

Sheree clapped her hands excitedly. “Ooh, let's see!”

“I've got a copy of the latest
Essence
magazine and also, against my better judgment, the newest
Enquirer
magazine,” JJ said, pulling both out of her black canvas shopping bag and laying them on the bed.

“Don't hate,” Sheree said, grabbing the
Enquirer
magazine first. “This is where I saw that infamous picture with you and Mr. Hill.”

JJ grimaced and kept digging in the canvas bag. “I also have a bar of Cadbury dark chocolate, approved by your doctor; Essie nail polish in Beach Bum Blu, as requested; socks; new headphones; and the
Soul Food
season one DVD, which, by the way, was the hardest thing to find on this list!”

“Thank you, my-baby's-favorite-auntie! You're the best,” Sheree said, blowing kisses at JJ. “Now bring your butt over here and come try out my new bed.”

JJ squinted as she examined Sheree's sleeper more carefully. “Wait, you got a bigger bed?”

“Yup,” Sheree said with a grin as she scooted over, making space for JJ beside her. “They brought it in yesterday.”

“Wow,” JJ said, settling in beside Sheree. “This is nice. My whole butt can actually fit on it this time.”

“Yeah,” Sheree said. “And I still got tons of space. Awesome, eh?”

“Okay, spill,” JJ said with a smile. “Who hooked you up? Nurses stole a bed from the VIP wing for you? I hear you're in with them like that.”

“Nope,” Sheree said, shaking her head. “Dean got it done.”

JJ's eyebrows went up. “Dean!”

“Yup,” Sheree said with a smile. “And he didn't even tell me. I went to have some tests done, came back, and it was here. No one would tell me where it came from. But you know me, I started doing some digging and I found out he arranged it. I don't know how, but I know it's him.”

JJ squinted at Sheree for a long moment. “Okay, so I feel like I'm missing out here,” she said. “I know that he's been visiting and you guys have been spending time together, but are you two . . .?”

“No,” Sheree said, shaking her head. “Too much has happened for us to just get back together without some serious third-party intervention. But we're both committed to this kid having the best parents in the world, and for that to happen, we have to at least have a decent relationship with each other. That's what we're working on.”

JJ smiled. “Is that the rehearsed speech you're giving everyone?”

Sheree sighed. “Yes.”

JJ laughed. “I knew it!”

“I can't lie,” Sheree said. “I love that man something terrible. Always did, though it might seem hard to believe, given what I did. But if I could take it all back, I would. I would do anything for another chance to make it right with Dean.”

“I don't know,” JJ said. “I don't want to get your hopes up, but it looks like he might be opening the door to that.”

“Yeah, but what if it's just all this baby stuff?” Sheree asked, worry lining her forehead. “You know how people get at the prospect of a child. And then the baby comes. . . or doesn't, given my state . . .”

“Stop,” JJ said, sitting up suddenly. “Don't let me ever hear you say anything like that again.”

“I'm sorry. I can't help it. I'm just so afraid that something will go wrong with the baby.” Sheree brushed at the tears that trickled down her cheeks. “I don't deserve something so precious, and I love this baby so much already. If I lose it. . . I feel like I have to prepare for the worst or I might not survive it if it happens.”

JJ wrapped her arms around Sheree, who laid her head on JJ's shoulder, sobbing.

“It's okay,” JJ said. “Nothing is going to happen. This baby is going to be born completely healthy. We have to believe that God is going to see us through this.”

JJ knew she needed to stay strong for Sheree, but her own worry was not far from the surface, and as Sheree buried her pain in JJ's shoulder, JJ began to cry herself. Wow, they were a mess.

“What's going on? Did something happen?”

“Oh my God, is the baby okay?”

Sydney and Lissandra rushed into the room, looking equally disturbed at the sight of the two women on the bed, crying.

“No, no, nothing's wrong,” JJ said, wiping her eyes and pulling herself together first. “Sheree was just worried about the baby, that's all.”

Sydney and Lissandra turned their eyes to Sheree, who had lifted her head from JJ's shoulder and was wiping her cheeks with a tissue.

“The baby's going to be fine, Sheree,” Sydney said, slipping into a chair at Sheree's bedside and taking her hand. “We just have to keep praying and keep believing. In fact, let's do that now.”

Sydney grasped Sheree's hand and reached for Lissandra's. Lissandra rolled her eyes but took Sydney's and then JJ's hand, even as JJ put her arm around Sheree's shoulders.

“Dear God, our father, our creator, and the designer of every human being on this earth, we bring to you this baby and its mother. We know that nothing is too hard for you and so we pray that even now you reach down and touch them. Bring healing and health to their bodies. May this baby be born healthy and strong, and may everyone know from this that nothing is impossible with you.”

Sydney squeezed Sheree's hand and the woman took up where Sydney left off.

“Dear God. I know we haven't been that close, but thank you for showing yourself to me through these women, this family that has accepted me even though I have done them so much wrong. Thank you for your love, which is greater than anything I could understand. I know my life has been a mess, but it's not this child's fault.”

Sheree begin to sniffle again, and JJ rubbed her shoulder.

“Please do not punish my baby for all that I've done wrong. Please let my child be born healthy and strong and grow in fullness, and I promise I will do all that I can to help him to know you and love you. Give him to me, Lord, and I will give him back to you.”

“Dear Daddy,” JJ began, tears springing to her eyes. “Thank you for sticking it out with me even when I wandered away from you. Thank you for loving me through these people, even through Sheree, though she doesn't know it. Thank you for this grace you've given to all of us. We are here because of this child. This child who is a gift from you to us in so many ways. This child you have used, through sickness and health, to bring our family closer to each other and closer to you. And if that is the reason that you have allowed this to happen, Lord, then help us not to miss the lesson. But, Lord, I pray now that you put your hand of healing here and bring our sister Sheree to full term with this baby. May this child be born without difficulty in full and complete health. And may he be yours completely.”

There was a pause as they waited to see if Lissandra would say anything. JJ knew her sister was rarely the praying type, but they always gave her a chance just in case she surprised them. This time she did.

“And, God, help us to forgive each other, so we can love this child and teach this child how to love. We're trusting you. Don't let us down. Amen.”

“Amen,” the other women echoed.

The stillness of the moment wrapped around each woman, and none of them said anything for a few minutes.

“Don't worry,” Lissandra said finally, settling into a chair beside JJ and propping her feet up on the foot of the bed. “The Isaacs family's got strong genes. That boy's gonna be a fighter.”

“Boy?” JJ asked, perking up. “Is there something I need to know?”

“Only that Lissandra's sure that it's a boy,” Sydney said, rolling her eyes.

“I know these things,” Lissandra said smugly. “When Mom was pregnant with Josephine, I said it was going to be a girl, and it was.”

“Mom already had four girls,” Sydney said dryly. “That wasn't a guess. That was a reasonable deduction.”

“And,” Lissandra continued, ignoring Sydney, “when our neighbor was pregnant four years ago, I said it was going to be a girl, and it was.”

“Maybe you just prefer girls,” JJ said. “It doesn't seem like you ever predict boys.”

“Until now,” Lissandra said, raising a finger. “Trust me. It's a boy. Sheree, you can go ahead and pick out boys' names.”

“Actually, me and Dean agreed on Dominique,” Sheree said. “It means ‘belonging to God.' It's good for a boy or a girl, so either way it works.”

“Dominique Isaacs,” JJ said. “I like it.”

“Dominique Royce Isaacs, if it's a boy,” Sydney said. “All the men in our family have the middle name Royce.”

Sheree sighed. “I wish my family had traditions like that.”

“They do,” Lissandra said dryly. “She just said all the men in our family have the middle name Royce. That's your family too, now. Regardless of what happens with you and Dean, you and Dominique are stuck with us.”

Sheree smiled. “Thanks, Lissandra. I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.”

“M-hmm,” Lissandra said. “And if you give us back our money, we could get along even better . . .”

“Lissandra!” JJ and Sydney said at the same time.

“What? I'm just saying . . .”

“Anyway,” Sydney said, moving the conversation along, “I'm surprised you're here, JJ. Thought after last night you'd be with Simon.”

“Whoa, what happened last night?” Sheree asked, looking back and forth between JJ and Sydney.

“Go ahead and tell her,” Lissandra said. “Tell her how you were making out with Dr. Massri on the roof last night.”

“I was not making out with him,” JJ protested. “It was one kiss!”

“Two, actually,” Sydney corrected.

“And I'm sure there was some action going on this morning, since you disappeared with him at the crack of dawn,” Lissandra said.

“He kissed you!” Sheree squealed, slapping JJ with the magazine repeatedly. “How could you not tell me he kissed you! That should have been the first thing out of your mouth when you came in here! And where did you go with him this morning?”

“We went swimming at Centennial Pool in the West End,” JJ protested. “It wasn't a big deal.”

“M-hmm, that's why you can't get that grin off your face,” Sheree said.

“Girl, please, she's been grinning like a cat with a canary since last night,” Lissandra said. “That man's done turned her into a dang fool.”

“Shut up, Lissandra,” JJ said with a laugh.

“You know it's true.”

“This is awesome,” Sheree said, clapping her hands together. “And to think, you might never have run into him if I hadn't moved into your house and fainted that fateful day in May. You know you better make a toast to me at your wedding.”

“Whoa! You guys need to slow that train all the way down,” JJ said. “We haven't even gone on a real date yet!”

“And when will that be?” Sydney asked dryly. “Tonight? Or better yet, the moment you leave here? In fact, I bet he's waiting for you in the parking lot.”

“Ya'll are trifling,” JJ said. “Every last one of you.”

Just then JJ's phone rang. Sheree snatched it out of JJ's hands and tossed it to Lissandra.

“Guess who's calling?” Lissandra held the phone out so they could see the screen. “Dr. Massri himself.”

“Give me that,” JJ said, reaching for the phone. Lissandra tossed it to Sydney, who answered the call.

“Hello, Dr. Massri. How are you?” she asked.

JJ rolled her eyes and leaned back in the bed beside a laughing Sheree, knowing it was no use trying to get the phone from her sister.

“Judith?” Sydney repeated, looking over at JJ. “Oh yes, she's right here.”

Sydney held the phone over to her sister. “It's for you, Judith.”

JJ grabbed the instrument and put it to her ear to the laughs of her sisters.

“Hey, Simon.”

He chuckled. “Your sisters giving you a hard time?”

“Yes,” JJ said. “Sheree included.”

“You still want me to come and get you?” he asked.

“Yup. In an hour, maybe?” JJ said.

“Make it two,” Sheree said. “You're gonna do my nails and watch
Soul Food
with me.”

JJ sighed. “Sheree says two.”

He chuckled again. “Okay, that's fine. See you in a couple.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

“Bye, Simon!” the other three women chorused. JJ could hear his laughter as she ended the call.

“You all are terrible,” JJ said, getting up off the bed. “I'm going to use the washroom.”

“Great. By the time you come back, Lissandra should be done setting up this DVD,” Sheree said, handing the case to Lissandra.

“Season one?” JJ heard her sister say as she headed to the bathroom off Sheree's room. “Season three was the best.”

She paused and looked back at the three of them, Lissandra trying to figure out how to work the DVD player attached to the TV, Sydney and Sheree hunched over the magazine. It reminded her of how it was when all her sisters used to have their girls-nights-in. It reminded her of family. Sheree was part of their family now. Instinctively JJ knew that whatever happened with the baby and with Sheree's marriage to Dean, the woman would always be a part of them, for better or for worse. In many ways, Sheree had been lost in the life she had been living before, hurting people to get what she wanted. But God had brought her to them and taught them all something in the process.