Saint And Sinners (112 page)

“What?! I’m just playing, Xenia…he knows it!” Saint slowly closed the door, knowing
he’d been serious but now trying to cover it up.

“Mmmm hmmm.” She rolled her eyes and turned away. “I’m going to start dinner.”

“A Daddy!” Dakarai called out. “What’s a pussy finger?”

“What?!” Xenia stopped in her tracks and covered Isis’ ears. Saint figured it was
instinct. The woman shot a disapproving glance at Saint and marched away with their
daughter in tow.

“I know you aren’t blaming me for this, Xenia!” Saint called out, his hands on his
hips. She didn’t respond and before he knew it, she was completely out of sight.

“What are you talking about, Dakarai. Where did you hear that?” Saint asked calmly.

Dakarai turned bright red.

“Reading minds again…” Saint grimaced.

“Nuh uh, Daddy! Dat’s not how I know.”

“Well, spill it.”

“Angel said it when he was over here last week, when we was playin’ basketball in
the playroom. He told me to stop throwin’ the ball all sloppy at him, that I was gonna
fuck up his pussy finger.”

“Don’t let me ever hear you use the f word again, do you hear me?!”

“…Yes, Daddy. I was just repeatin’ what—”

“I know what you were doing…and we both know you just wanted to say it. Well, wasn’t
that very kind of Angel to teach you that.” Saint dramatically rolled his eyes but
before he could respond to Dakarai’s inquiry, his cell phone rang. “Hold that thought,
Day-Day. “…Hello?”

“Saint! Traci is in labor!” Jagger screamed into the phone, the man seeming more than
beside himself from the cracking, loud tone of his voice.

“But she’s only seven and a half months. Shit! Okay man, try to be easy. Relax…calm
down…we’re on our way!”

*

J
agger stood in
Mt. Sinai Hospital, rubbing his fingers nearly raw. Before Saint, Lawrence and Donna
could even get inside the place, Traci was fully dilated and had given birth to a
five pound, ten ounce baby girl. He saw the tiny child, and broke out into hysterical
tears. She was so beautiful, so petite, and fighting for her damn life. Saint and
the rest of his friends stood in the waiting room. Jagger’s mother was on her way,
as well as Traci’s parents, too. His world was completely spinning. No one saw this
coming, had no clue that his baby girl, now named Justice Simone, would be on ventilators
due to her early arrival.

He decided to leave Traci’s side once she fell asleep and joined the small group.
Xenia popped up first, racing towards him and giving him a warm hug and kiss on the
cheek.

“How is she doing, Jagger? And Justice?” He could tell she’d been crying. Xenia was
so sensitive to others; it was one of the things he really loved about her.

“Traci is fine, she did a great job. Uh…” He ran his fingers over his buzzed hair,
trying to not lose his train of thought and speak coherently. “Justice is—”

“She’ll be breathing on her own soon,” Saint interjected as he sat slumped in his
chair, his hands folded and staring down at the ground. “I just picked up on it… She’s
going to be fine.” Everyone sighed with relief. Xenia took Jagger by the hand and
led him towards their tented out section of the lounge where they’d conducted a stake
out, equipped with hot coffee, stale honey buns, the low roar of a soap opera, and
the occasional magazine placed here and there.

“You know I had Dakarai early, right?” Xenia began as she continued to hold his hand.

“I forgot, actually.” Jagger squeezed her fingers a bit tighter.

“I was scared out of my mind, Jagger. And you see him now, he is perfectly fine! He’s
still small, but that’s just how he’s built. It has nothing to do with him being born
prematurely.”

Saint grinned as if he knew a secret.

“What?’ Jagger asked, smiling at him, needing to know anything the man knew, anything
to continue to put his mind at ease.

“I had a dream,” Saint stated as he looked up into Jagger’s eyes. “It was some time
ago, not long after we moved here.” He cleared his throat and set his cup of hot tea
down. “I saw all of my children as adults.” Saint waved his hand in the air and looked
off into the distance, as if floating in a daydream. “Dakarai was the biggest.” He
chuckled. “He wasn’t as tall as Hassani, but he looked like…well, hell, like
you
, Jagger!” Saint cracked up. “Just straight muscle busting out everywhere, healthy,
strong as an ox.”

“You never told me this,” Xenia said softly with a smile as she glanced at her husband.

Saint nodded. “It was mine, my little gift I suppose but under the circumstances,
I wanted to let Jagger know that, so he can continue to have faith Justice is a trooper.”

They all sat down, held hands and bowed their head in silent prayer but before they
could finish, a nurse walked in.

“Is there a Mr. Jagger Stagliano here?”

He immediately got to his feet, wiping his sweaty palms on the front of his stiff
jeans.

“Your daughter is doing just fine. We just spoke to your wife, woke her up to tell
her the good news. Justice is off the ventilator but we’d like to observe her for
at least another forty-eight hours. Thus far, her heart rate is excellent. She is
breathing a little fast, but other than that, she is doing quite well. If she checks
out fine, and nurses give the okay, we can release her in your care but we require
a home visit one week afterward.”

“Of course! Of course, thank you!” He swiped a tear away. The nurse smiled kindly
and walked away. Before he could turn back to the crowd, Donna was giving him a large
hug and everyone stood on their feet.

“I wonder if we can see her? Look through the window?” Xenia questioned as she ran
her hands together, no doubt itching to get to that baby. He watched Saint smirk and
take his wife by the hand, leading her out of the lobby. Jagger and the rest were
not far behind. There Justice lay…in the front, a crocheted pink bow around her peach-colored
face. Her eyes were closed as she slept peacefully, her tiny stomach moving up and
down and her head covered in dark brown hair, spiked up all over her head.

“Oh my God!” Xenia rested her trembling hands on the glass. “She’s gorgeous, Jagger!
She looks like you
and
Traci, both.”

Jagger nodded proudly in agreement.

“She’s beautiful, Jagger. Congratulations.” Saint offered in a solemn voice as he
stood behind his wife, placing his arms around her waist and resting his chin on the
top of her head.

Next came Donna, who peered down and did a rather strange inspection of sorts, as
if the baby were some sort of science experiment to chart and observe.

“Yes, I believe this is a good match.” She looked sternly at the baby, peering from
various angles. “I’m not psychic, but I think she’ll make a good wife for our son.
You have my blessing.”

Jagger practically choked on his own spit.

“What?!”

*

Saint removed the
large olive green bowl of clam chowder from the table, and heard Xenia in the near
distance, on the phone with someone. The children were making so much noise, they
sounded like they were a three-person parade.

“Pam, so…” He wasn’t sure what to say and how to say it, so his words simply began
and drifted into space, with no structure and no ending. The woman’s bags were packed
by her side and she looked downtrodden and disturbed as she ran her fingers reflectively
over the edge of the table cloth. “I suppose this is goodbye for now.” He took a seat
beside her. “We’ll see you soon, though. Besides, Ira is home now and Xenia will be
flying out next week to see her brother.”

“I know… It’s just, this is hard for me. I know I got into a little trouble at Macy’s,
but I got lucky and got out of the store as soon as the rain stopped without anyone
seeing me. Xenia been a bit perturbed with me ever since…I think that’s why she don’t
want me to stay. I guess I worry her to much.”

He’d never seen Pam look so serious, so dejected. He took her hand, wrapped it in
his.

“You know you happy to see me go.” She pouted.

“No I’m not, Pam. I love you and you are so good with my children. They love you so
much and we will all miss you. I had no idea you were thinking of moving here, but
I think Xenia is right, Mama Pam.”

“Of course you do.” She rolled her eyes, moved her hand from his and folded them over
her lap. “Xenia say it ain’t good for me to be in all this cold at my age, and me
moving here isn’t a good idea.” She spoke softly, something Saint wasn’t accustomed
to.

“Mama Pam, for right now, let’s just get you back home and who knows?” He shrugged.
“Maybe a few years from now, you moving here would be perfect! Maybe Porsche and her
daughter and even Ira can come too, if they want!” He threw up his hands, emphasizing
the possibility.

“Yeah…maybe.” She continued to sulk.

“How about this?” He scooted in closer to her, wrapping his arm around her chair.
“How about every two months, like clockwork, I fly you down for one week? You can
stay with us or go back to your most favorite hotel.”

He saw her fight a smile and lose.

“We will have it pre-scheduled, and that way, you kind of get the best of both worlds.
Does that sound like a plan?”

She looked into his eyes and nodded. “Yes it does. I’d like that. I could go for that.
I must admit, this winter here in the Big Apple has been ruthless. I’m not used to
weather like this. I do miss my friends, too. I miss my granddaughter and Porsche.
Ira just got back there last night, so I need to go home and see my son…ain’t seen
him in so long.” She wiped a tear away. “I talked to him on the phone last night.
He wants to meet you, see his nieces and nephews.”

“Well, now that he is out of the military, he can come with you when you return in
a couple of months. I’d like to meet him as well; he and I have a lot of catching
up to do. Come on now, give me a hug! Don’t make me beg.”

He smiled widely and got to his feet. After a few hesitant seconds, his mother-in-law
joined him, placing her big, warm arms around him, making him feel comfy and cozy.
The woman tapped his back and pressed her head against his shoulder.

“Thank you for taking such good care of my baby, Saint. And bein’ a good father. Men
like you ain’t common. I’m glad she has you.” Saint stroked her back in return.

“That’s very nice of you to say, Mama Pam.”

“It’s true. And Saint?”

“Yes?”

“I have a very important question…”

“And I’ll try my best to answer.” He hugged her a bit tighter.

“Since you’re a doctor, I figure with your fancy degree, you may know this!”

Saint braced himself.

“I been thinking about getting on a diet, losing some weight. I thought about swimming
as a way to get active. Is swimming a good exercise for someone like me?”

“Yes, it is! That sounds very good, Mama Pam. It’s a low impact exercise and can be
done indoors, all year round and can also be a stress reliever.”