Ameer (The Brothers Ali Book 5) Read online

  M-O-V-E- W-I-T-H – M-E

  Those letters marked every struggle, every battle, every fight she had to win to achieve something, to advance despite it all. Tyrese wouldn’t be allowed to get in the way of her next move, even if it was a simple business call.

  Reaching in her purse and pulling out her phone, Siobhan unlocked it with the swipe of her hand. Within seconds, his name appeared across her screen. This time, Siobhan didn’t think or allow rumination. She simply pushed the button.

  Only after Siobhan placed the phone to her ear and heard the first ring did the moment of defiance and bravery feel like a bad idea. It felt like a kaleidoscope of butterflies descended into her belly, fluttering wildly. By the time the phone rang the second time, Siobhan could feel the thump of her heart at the base of her throat. She thought about hanging up. Then, the ringing stopped.

  When Ameer heard his cell phone ring, he looked at the screen. There was no name associated with the number. He thought about letting the call go to voicemail. Then he thought better of it for no special reason and decided to answer.

  “Hello?”

  The apprehension Siobhan felt began to dissipate as the smooth of Ameer’s voice traveled through the phone.

  “Mr. Ali?”

  A smile started at the corners of Ameer’s full lips as the sweet sound of her voice filled his ear.

  “I thought we agreed you would call me Ameer,” he suggested.

  The smile on his lips transcended the distance between himself and Siobhan, and the technology that connected them.

  “You remember me?” Siobhan asked, flattered before Ameer even responded. The mere thought that a man of his stature and position remembered her voice seemed pretty unlikely in Siobhan’s estimation.

  “Of course, Siobhan,” Ameer crooned. “You and your voice are unforgettable.”

  Siobhan colored fiercely as heat rushed to her cheeks. She couldn’t stop smiling. Catching a glimpse of herself in the rearview mirror, her smile resembling a Cheshire cat, Siobhan lifted a hand to her face, placing fingers on both sides of her cheeks, gently pushing against them to stifle the wideness of her grin. Siobhan fell quiet, but Ameer was a patient man.

  “Uhm,” she pondered, trying to get her words and her thoughts to align. “You asked me to call,” Siobhan uttered.

  “And I’m glad you did,” Ameer assured, leaning back in his executive chair. There was a part of Ameer that felt Siobhan blushing on the other end of the phone. The lilt in her voice reinforced that.

  With yet another compliment, Siobhan found it even harder to stay focused on what she was trying to say.

  “Well,” she began, fiddling with the steering wheel as she spoke. “Messiah and I had a conversation about the engineering program.”

  “Mmhmm,” Ameer hummed, pleasantly interfering with her train of thought.

  A light giggle passed through her lips as she continued. “He was excited about participating.”

  “And you?” Ameer asked.

  “Are you asking am I excited about my son participating?”

  “Yes,” Ameer answered.

  “I think it could be good for him,” Siobhan agreed.

  “Just one thing, Siobhan, I may have failed to mention before,” Ameer began.

  Ordinarily, she would be instantly suspicious behind a cautionary comment like that. Yet, the way Ameer said it, the man she saw working with the children, she didn’t feel mistrustful of what would come next.

  “What’s that?” She hummed in response.

  “We require that the parents of all our participants actively participate in the program as well.”

  The smile returned in earnest.

  “I don’t have a problem with that,” Siobhan smiled.

  “Good, because I will personally be heading up the meetings at Messiah’s school,” Ameer replied.

  “Is that what you ordinarily do, involve yourself personally with the program?”

  “Absolutely,” Ameer said. “I have a vested interest in the success of the program and all the scholars who participate. We’ve found, Siobhan, that when families, parents are involved, our scholars do exceptionally well.”

  Maybe she was feeling extraordinarily brave, or maybe Siobhan wanted to understand clearly what was transpiring.

  “Mr. Ali, are you flirting with me, or is this the speech you give all the parents?”

  “Every parent gets this information,” Ameer defended. “You, though, are hearing it from me,” he affirmed.

  “Was that a yes,” Siobhan laughed.

  This time Ameer laughed. “Yes, Siobhan,” he trilled. “I am flirting with you.”

  Those words sizzled over the ether resonating in Siobhan’s core.

  “Is that okay with you,” Ameer asked.

  “It is,” Siobhan surprisingly admitted, her eyes widening in response to her eager responsiveness.

  “Good, because I don’t plan on stopping until you agree to go out with me,” Ameer crooned. “And I probably won’t stop after that.”

  “Well, Mr. Ali, appreciating you flirting and going out with you are two different things.”

  “Touché, Ms. Greer,” Ameer acquiesced. “I will make sure to be direct when I ask.”

  Siobhan shrugged her shoulders and smiled even though Ameer couldn’t see it. She wasn’t sure what to say.

  “Okay,” she managed.

  “Okay,” Ameer echoed, sensing possible apprehension. He didn’t want to push too hard, too fast. Ameer didn’t want to blow it with her before he had a chance to get to know her. Ameer thought it might be a good idea to redirect the conversation back to business in hopes of making Siobhan more comfortable and keeping her engaged.

  “Our first meeting is this Friday, at the school at 3:30,” Ameer advised. “We’ll get the paperwork signed then if that’s good with you.”

  “It is,” she replied. “We’ll see you Friday.”

  “See you both Friday.”

  Chapter Nine

  Even after the phone call disconnected, Siobhan still held the phone. The conversation was unreal. Ameer’s interest felt unreal. Something positive, lighthearted, something that genuinely made her smile outside of her son, and her studio certainly felt unreal. That unexpected positive thing happening made Siobhan want to dance. That’s how she expressed herself best. And she wanted to do it before the negative crept in. It’s not like she wanted it to happen, but history, her history said that when something good happened, something bad was soon to follow. So, before that happened, before the good vibes were overshadowed with negative ones, Siobhan would dance.

  Climbing out of her car, Siobhan was light on her feet as she walked to the front door, unlocking it, and crossing the threshold. The large windows in the front of the studio cast long stretches of light across the floor, creating shadows and shade. Seeing the intricacy of the natural pattern, Siobhan decided not to turn on the overhead lights. It didn’t take her long to change out of her street clothes and into something she could move in. On her way to the center of the dance floor, Siobhan turned on the sound system, filling the space with the voice of one of her favorite artists, H.E.R. For Siobhan, it didn’t matter what the song was. There was something about the artist's voice that moved her. Feeling the cool of the wooden floor underneath her bare feet, the boom of the bass as it echoed, the melodic intonations of H.E.R.’s voice caused Siobhan to move. She felt free as her body swayed and flowed, flexed, and stretched, narrating the lyrics of the love song with her movement, her language, when words were difficult.

  Earlier, thoughts overwhelmed Siobhan, the absence of thought making it challenging to focus. Challenged thoughts frustrated her. She didn’t want to think. Siobhan didn’t want to have a conscious stream of thought. Just as her body experienced such freedom when she danced, she wanted the same kind of freedom for her mind. So, she didn’t intentionally think about anything. She let the music dictate her movement and silence the activity of her mind. The music made her feel good. Dan
cing made her feel good, and before long, Siobhan’s unconscious offered up memories that made her feel the same way.

  Six Years Ago

  She had been on pins and needles since the night before. She didn’t sleep. It was too hard. She was wide awake when the sun came up, and all she could think about was the baby. That had been the predominant thought for everybody since the moment Safiya got pregnant. Just getting pregnant had been a task, and carrying a baby to full term was a miracle. The family was on the cusp of that miracle coming to fruition. Siobhan tried to keep herself busy doing everything she could to help her sister prepare for the baby, from throwing the baby shower, to making sure the nursery was ready, to helping Safiya pack her bag for the hospital, Siobhan was right there every step of the way, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

  When the phone call came that Safiya’s water broke, Siobhan panicked. Although she meticulously planned for the day, all her planning went out of the window. She was flooded with excitement and nervousness simultaneously.

  “I’m on my way,” she spoke into the phone and hung up before her mother, Catherine, could say more.

  Siobhan scurried around her apartment. What she was looking for, she wasn’t sure, but she felt like she needed to have some things with her to take to the hospital. In all the planning and preparing, she hadn’t packed her hospital bag, so it took her a few minutes to grab the gifts and a few essentials. Siobhan wasn’t sure how long the birth would take, but she wanted to be prepared just in case. Once she had her things together, she locked up her place and scrambled to the car, popping the locks, and jumping in as fast as she could. Thankfully, the hospital wasn’t far, but it was morning, and there was a chance traffic downtown would be an issue. But she couldn’t let possibilities get in the way of her excitement. She was going to be an auntie. Just the thought brought the biggest smile to Siobhan’s face as she backed out of the driveway.

  The side streets leading from her neighborhood were golden. Traffic moved smoothly, and Siobhan was well on her way to getting to her sister. She turned on the radio and filled the Honda with good music as she navigated onto the interstate. She was pleasantly surprised to see traffic moving at the speed limit, which in Atlanta meant more than sixty-five miles an hour. It was good. It was really good, and Siobhan bopped to the music as she pushed the speed limit, trying to get to the hospital safely but as fast as she could.

  Then, traffic came to a sudden halt, causing Siobhan to slam on her brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of her.

  “Shit!” She yelled as she pushed the brake hard, missing a tail end collision by inches. She was excited before, but adrenaline poured through her veins from what could have been. It took a minute for Siobhan’s nerves to settle to the already heightened state they’d been in from the phone call. Traffic didn’t move for several minutes, and then when it did, the movement was miniscule at best. Siobhan tried not to let the situation frustrate her, but all she could think about was not being there for her sister.

  “Mom, how’s she doing?”

  “Safiya’s doing okay,” Catherine reported, but in the background, Siobhan heard noises that concerned her.

  “What’s going on?” She pressed.

  “Your sister is in some pain, Siobhan, but that’s to be expected,” Catherine reassured.

  Siobhan knew that was the commentary from a woman who birthed two children, but from the sounds she heard even over the phone, it didn’t sound good at all.

  “How close are you?” Catherine asked.

  “I’m not far, but I’m stuck in traffic,” Siobhan huffed.

  “Listen, daughter,” Catherine began. “Do not rush. Take your time. We need you to get here in one piece. You understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Siobhan accepted. “Just tell my sister she can’t have that baby without me.”

  “I’ll make sure to tell her,” Catherine replied. “Now, let me go see about Safiya, and I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Love you, mom.”

  “Love you, too.”

  The conversation with her mother helped ease some of Siobhan’s nerves, but the sounds coming out of her sister’s mouth nullified any ease she felt. She shifted her focus to the cars in front of her, easing up every inch when traffic moved. It took what seemed like forever for the exit to come, but finally, she was able to get off the highway. It only took a few minutes after that to pull into the hospital parking lot. Siobhan couldn’t get to the labor and delivery floor fast enough. She wanted her sister to know she was there for her, so Siobhan hoped there were no more delays.

  Once on the floor, she quickly padded down the long hall to the nurses’ station, realizing she didn’t get the room number from her mother.

  “Safiya Roger’s room, please,” Siobhan sputtered.

  “Let me check for you,” one of the nurses on duty replied. It took her a moment to find the information on the computer screen.

  “Room 459,” the nurse began. “Take this hall, turn right, and you’ll see the room on the left-hand side.”

  “Thanks so much,” Siobhan’s voice trailed off as her feet moved before the thank you ended.

  Determinedly, Siobhan made her way down the hall, stepping past other people moving in the same direction. Turning the corner, she eyed the placards on the wall that offered the room numbers, mentally counting down to her sisters’ room. She opened the door to the birthing room. There was a plethora of activity with nurses moving about and her family doing their best to stay out of the way. Yet, Siobhan didn’t stop walking until she was by her sisters’ bed.

  “You made it,” Safiya breathed.

  “How you doing, sis?” Siobhan asked, leaning in for a quick hug and kissing Safiya on the cheek.

  “It hurts, girl, a whole lot,” Safiya uttered, her eyes tightening and her nose wrinkling as another labor pain hit.

  “Can’t they give you something?” Siobhan saw the pain not only in her sister’s eyes but in the way she held herself.

  “I want to do it on my own, Siobhan,” Safiya mumbled. “It hurts, but I want to feel all of it.”

  Siobhan understood. They’d talked about it, and from the time Safiya knew that she was pregnant, she said she wanted a natural childbirth.

  “I told her if it gets to be too much, she should take something for the pain,” Tyrese added. He stood on the other side of the bed directly across from Siobhan.

  “And I told him like I told the nurses, I want to do it myself.”

  Tyrese shook his head, knowing there was no talking Safiya out of what she wanted, no matter how much it hurt her. He didn’t want to see his wife in pain, but like she said, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “I’ll be right back,” Siobhan said.

  “Don’t go far,” Safiya said, concerned.

  “I’m not leaving the room, sis, just going to speak to the folks.”

  Safiya smiled, relieved that her sister was with her. She loved her parents. Safiya loved her husband, and she appreciated them all being there with her. But Siobhan being there made everything alright. Crossing the room, Siobhan walked into the arms of their father, Daniel.

  “Glad you’re here, Bhan,” Daniel spoke against her hair as he wrapped his arms around his youngest child.

  “I wouldn’t be anywhere else, dad.”

  Daniel knew that to be true as he squeezed Siobhan one more time before releasing her to hug her mom.

  “Hi there, daughter,” Catherine smiled, hugging her child.

  “Hi there, mother,” Siobhan smiled as she wrapped her arms around her mom’s neck. “Is she doing okay for real, mom?” Siobhan asked, speaking lowly, so Safiya didn’t hear.

  “She’s good,” Catherine affirmed. “I know it might not look like it.”

  “It didn’t sound like it either,” Siobhan sighed.

  “It’s just a part of the process,” Catherine replied. “You’ll find out soon.”

  “Mom, don’t put that on me,” she objected. “I’m
good with being an auntie for a while.”

  “You say that now, but we’ll see,” Catherine chuckled.

  “Gotta have a man first, mom, and you know I’m not even thinking about that right now.”

  “We’ll see,” Catherine warned.

  “Let’s stay focused, mother dear,” Siobhan countered lovingly. “This is all about Safiya.”

  “We can do that,” Catherine agreed. “Today is all about Safiya and my new grandbaby, of course.”

  Hours passed. The doctors came in and checked several times.

  “You are eight centimeters dilated, Mrs. Rogers. Just a little bit more, and you’ll be able to push,” Dr. Carter reassured.

  At one point, Tyrese and their parents stepped out of the room, leaving the two sisters alone.

  “Bhan,” Safiya whimpered, still baring the pains as best she could.

  “What you need, Fiya?”

  “If something happens, I want you to take care of my baby.”

  Siobhan didn’t know what to say. She was caught off guard, staring at her sister trying to understand.

  “Promise me, Siobhan,” Safiya said, reaching for her sister’s hand.

  Siobhan searched Safiya’s eyes and saw that she was serious. She folded her hand into her sister’s and didn’t flinch when Safiya squeezed it tightly.

  “What are you saying, Fiya?”

  “I’m saying if something happens to me, I want you to take care of my baby, Siobhan.”

  “Everything is going to be fine, sis,” Siobhan replied. “Don’t talk like that.”

  “I’m serious, sis. Promise me,” Safiya insisted, covering their hands with her other one.

  “What about Tyrese?” Siobhan asked, entertaining the comment as a courtesy, not that she expected the situation ever to come up.

  “It has to be you, Bhan. It has to be you.”

  There was no question in Safiya’s eyes. There was no speculation in her voice. There was no doubt in the way she held her sister’s hand.

  “I’ve got you, Safiya, whatever you need, okay? But we don’t need to even talk about that because you are going to be here for your baby.”