Strength

18.1

Merry 'early' Christmas!!!! ❤️🎄

Excuse any mistakes. Khalil in the mm.

LA

"I am learning everyday to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be, to inspire me and not terrify me."

Tracee Ellis Ross

—

     Scarlett walks through the doors to the hospital with an unreadable expression on her face. She looks calm on the outside, but on the inside she was losing it.

Sure, she's been in these moments before When she represents clients and their families. Obviously this was different. She isn't a lawyer in this moment.

   She is a mom. Her child has just been shot and she is praying that he's okay.

When she received the call from Mara, she'd just gotten off her flight and was ready to go home to relax. But, relaxation couldn't find her. At least not right now.

       As she walk to the front desk, she taps her hand against her thigh, a technique she learned years ago when her mom placed her into therapy.

It was supposed to help maintain decent anxiety levels, but it wasn't working.

    "Excuse me." She says, but it barely hit above a whisper.

"Mrs. Persad, your son is currently in surgery. The rest of the family is in the waiting room."

     Scarlett nods her head, thankful that the receptionist already knew her. She couldn't say the words out loud.

Her son was shot.

     She continues tapping her hand as she goes to the waiting room. When she opens the door, she met by nearly everyone. Roman Sr. gets up to console her, but she holds up her hand to stop him.

"He's not dead." She looks at him, trying to reassure him and herself. "I don't need to be consoled."

     She was upset with him anyway, but that would have to wait. Roman ended up telling her what their dad said about Scarlett being a distraction.

She wasn't pleased with the statement. But her son was her only concern right now.

    "What happened?" Scarlett finally look towards the kids. She hadn't gotten the details either because Mara didn't tell her or she blanked out after hearing the word shot.

The room was quiet and Khalil had his head down, literally scared to even explain.

    "Someone better get to explaining because my nerves are shot." Ascaria blurts out. "Khalil Iman Persad. Speak."

Khalil sighs sadly. "We was in Venic—" Before he could even finish, Scarlett drops her purse and her arms fly up in anger and disbelief. "Smooth did it." He mumbles.

    "Why the hell were y'all there?" Roman Sr. yells causing Khalil to flinch.

"Because he is so damn hardheaded." Scarlett answers for Khalil, glaring a hole into him. "Look at me." She demands. Khalil slowly raises up his head. "Finish."