Sam is standing outside of Yemi's truck, talking to her while she sits in the driver's seat. "... Imma go over there, then."

"No, 'cause you're not gonna wanna go home."

"Yemi, cut me some slack. Had I known you had a key to my place, I probably wouldn't've had my guard up that night. Think about it. The only person I knew that had a key was Veronica, and she always left that shit at home. So, when I go to sleep alone, I expect to wake up alone."

Yemi stares into his eyes as she contemplates his words. "So it had nothing to do with you having a dream about her?"

"About who? My ex?"

She nods and Sam sighs.

"Alright, look. Yes, having a dream about the day she cheated did play a role in how I responded to someone being on top of me. But I didn't know it was you, and I'm sorry. I really am. It fucked me up knowing you had a bruise because of me. You know I would do anything to protect you from any harm. So that really fucked me up."

She nods.

"Do you think you can have faith and trust it won't happen again? I don't want our relationship to be stagnant, ma."

"... How about I sleep in the guest room?"

He sucks his teeth. "Yemi, come on."

"What?" She asks, giggling. "That's better than nothing. And you can just walk right next door, rather than you using your gas to come to my apartment."

"Imma walk right next door, alright. Right into that kitty."

Yemi rolls her eyes. "Bye Sam." She starts the engine. "Don't forget to check if Veronica called."

"Alright. And make sure you come straight to the loft."

"Yes, papi," she responds flirtatiously as she puts the truck in Reverse.

Sam smiles at her as he pulls his cell phone out from the deep pocket of his sweat pants. On his phone's lock screen, he doesn't see anything from Veronica, but he notices missed calls and voicemails from his father and Stephen. He unlocks his phone and checks the messages.

Stephen: "Man, I just landed and got a message from pops saying mom is in the hospital." Sam furrows his eyebrows in shock. "I'm headed straight there. I'll tell you what I find out as soon as I can."

"What the fuck?" He says to himself before pressing the play button on his father's voicemail.

Larry: "Sam, this is your father. I had to take your mother to the hospital, and she needs all her kids here with her. We're at NewYork-Presbyterian."

Sam calls him back, but Larry doesn't answer. He then calls his mother, but it goes straight to voicemail. "What the fuck, yo?!" He calls Veronica, and her phone is still turned off. He shakes his head, angrily, and then calls Stephen.

"Hello?"

"Why the fuck isn't anyone answering their phones? They're getting me real tight, B."

"I don't know. I called pops, but he didn't pick up for me either. I just parked at the hospital, but I think visitation hours just ended. Not sure if they'll let me up."

"Has Ma told you anything about her health?"

"Nah. Nothing." Stephen hops out of his car and then looks over at Nate who is walking around from the passenger side. "Nate, Ma told you anything about her not feeling good?"

"Nah, but I did notice how distant she was last night when we went to go see her."

Stephen nods, thinking back to that time. "Damn, she was distant with us, huh? I just realized that."

Sam chimes in. "Imma go ahead and fly out there then."

"Wait... you talk to V, yet?"

"Her phone is still off."

"Alright, so should we be concerned, now?"

"Yeah," Nate answers.

"I swear y'all on some shit over there. I'll let you know when I find a flight."

"Alright."

They end the call.

___

SHORT WHILE LATER

"Damn, I can't believe nothing's opened up, yet." Sam is scrolling through flights on his phone while Yemi cooks dinner.

"People are probably heading back home from the holiday weekend."

"I forgot it's a holiday."

"When is the next flight available?"

"In the morning. 5:45."

"So you'll get there around 11 their time?"

"Yeah," he shakes his head. "I hope it's nothing deadly."

"You want me to go with you?"

"Nah, I don't want you to get fired." He finally looks up from his phone. "Imma call my brothers, and see if they know anything, yet." He kisses Yemi on her forehead before walking away to the table.

He calls Stephen. "Please tell me you found a flight," Stephen says as soon as he answers the phone.

"Everything is booked until the morning. Why? What's the update?"

"Pops is not telling us anything until you get here. And Ma is knocked out."

"Just tell him to tell y'all. What the fuck? Where is he? Are you near him?"

"Yeah."

"Let me talk to him."

Stephen goes inside the patient room and hands the phone to Larry. "Who is this?" He asks Stephen.

"Sam."

Larry hesitates before taking the phone from Stephen. "You get a flight?"

"I'll be there in the morning. What's going on with Ma?"

"She's going to tell you guys all at one time."

"Well, put me on speaker."

"She's sleep."

"Wake her up," he commands, irritably.

"Sam, she needs to tell you in person, alright? Just get here as soon as you can."

"So, it must not be deadly, then. Because if it was, I know you wouldn't make us wait to find out."

Larry drops his head in guilt. "I'll see you in the morning."

Larry ends the call, not allowing Sam to say anything else. Sam looks down at the phone in shock.

___

NEXT MORNING

9:30AM EST

Stephen excuses himself from the hospital room, and walks outside to get some fresh air. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials Darrell.

"Darrell speaking."

"Darrell, what's up? How're you doing, man?"

"I'm good. Is everything alright?"

"Not really. Veronica is missing, and I can't look into it, right now. I'm going to text you her full name and the Make and Model of her car. Can you find her license plate number, and see if you can get her location?"

"I'm on it."

"Appreciate it." Stephen ends the call, and then shakes his head at the situation.

___

1 HOUR LATER

Veronica is watching TV in her hotel bed wearing a plush robe and a towel wrapped around her head. The room phone rings and she looks at it suspiciously, deciding to ignore it. The phone continuously rings for almost a minute, disturbing Veronica's peace. She sighs, and then finally picks it up.

"Yes?" She asks annoyed.

"Ma'am there's a Stephen Carter at the front desk for you," the Attendant tells her.

"Shit."

"He says it's very important."

"Damn, I keep forgetting his ass can find anybody." She takes a deep breath. "You can send him up."

"Are you sure ma'am?"

"Yeah, he's my cousin. He's fine."

"Okay ma'am. I'll give him your room number."

Veronica hangs up the phone and then kicks a pillow off her bed in a brief tantrum. She continues watching TV until she hears a knock on the door. She slowly gets up and mumbles profanity while on her way to the door. She opens it wide and comes face to face with Darrell.

Darrell looks her up and down, admiring her beauty. Veronica crosses her arms across her chest with her lip curled. "Good morning, Veronica. I have Stephen on the phone for you."

Veronica snatches the phone from him. "Why did you send him here?" She asks Stephen.

"Well, by the sound of your attitude, I can see no one has kidnapped you. Why are you at a hotel, V?"

"It doesn't matter. You can go on about your day, now."

"I wish I could, but I'm here at the hospital trying to figure out what's wrong with my mother."

"She went to the hospital?" She asks in shock.

"You would know that if you weren't out there being a thot."

A sharp gasp escapes Veronica's mouth. "Fuck you." She ends the call and throws the phone at Darrell, causing it to drop on the floor in front of him. "Goodbye Darrell."

"I know you don't want me here, but I can clearly see you need some type of outlet. If you need to punch on me, you can."

Veronica smirks while giving him the side-eye. "Don't you have to be at work?"

"I do. But that doesn't matter, right now. I'll go back when I know you're good."

"I'm good, so you can leave."

"I don't believe that. So, you're gonna have to call the police to get me to leave."

"I'm not calling your homies."

He chuckles at her sarcasm. "I'm going to sit right here, until you're ready to talk." He starts to sit in the middle of the doorway.

"Just come in and sit on the damn chair, Darrell," she commands, pointing at the desk chair.

He gets back up and steps inside, closing the door behind him. "I'll just stand, right here. Don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

Veronica squints at him as she sits down on the bed. "Why are you being kind to me when I don't want you around?"

"Because I know that behind every closed door, is a story that needs to come out."

"So, you're trying to save me or some shit?"

"No. I'm trying to get to know you."

"There's nothing to get to know."

"I beg to differ. You told me you're the Pitbull of the family, but I can tell that the Pitbull needs a break."

Veronica turns her whole body around, afraid her emotions will show up on her face.

"I want to know that part of you Veronica... the part of you that needs a break."

___

Sam's plane lands and he immediately calls Stephen. "Yo. I just landed."

"Good. Ma's not doing too well, and she just asked for you."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Just get here, man."

"She still hasn't told you anything?"

"Just hurry up, man." Stephen ends the call, leaving Sam anxious and upset.