A/N: I hope everyone is staying safe and you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think and leave a review.


Christina sits in the hospital next to her best friend's bedside. She checks her watch as she tosses one of her long box braids over her shoulder. It was just after 7 pm She could stay for another few hours so she pulled out the latest copy of Essence magazine. She had been reading an article about the best destinations for Black Women to travel to her best friend Beatrice who lies in the hospital bed in front of her. They often talked about their girls' trip that they had never taken but it didn't stop them from dreaming about it. She hated the smell of the hospital, the scent of disinfectant that was only a mask for the death and despair within its walls but this was her routine every other day for the past two and a half months. She would suck up her dislike of the hospital any day of the week for the woman lying in this bed. She and Beatrice had been best friends their entire lives along with her husband Uriah. They had done everything together since they were in diapers. Their family circle was tight-knit with their parents all growing up together and Tris and her friends had the same experience. Their fathers, Andrew, Max, and Reggie were best friends and their mothers, sisters Natalie and Hana, and their friend Stephanie were all pregnant together the same summer and their birthdays were all the same week in October. Uriah and Bea were first cousins and Christina and her family were close family friends and the three had been inseparable growing up with all of their families living on the same street their entire lives.

Christina stops reading for a second and looks over the room and at the hospital walls of Beatrice's hospital room were filled with pictures from Christina's children and flowers from folks in the neighborhood. Beatrice's normal tawny complexion was dull and flat, her eyes were glassy, her lips were blue, her breaths short and choppy. Her long curly hair didn't have the same shine as her body was starting to let go. The oxygen pumping through the tube in her nose was necessary to keep her breathing. Beatrice had been in and out of the hospital since she was 12 when she was first diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Over the past 10 to 12 years it had been evident that if she was going to live, she would need a heart transplant. The thought of Tris not being with her and her friends was excruciating, she needed a heart transplant, and everyone was starting to lose hope that she would actually get one.

Christina is shaken out of her thoughts when she hears Beatrice stirring. When she looks and it appears that she's trying to tell her something.

"What is it, Sis? Do you need some water? How about I raise you up a little bit" Christina soothes as she pushes the button to move the position of the bed.

"You can go home, you know" Beatrice wheezes out to her best friend. "Go be with Uriah and the boys". Beatrice had always thought Christina was the prettiest girl she had ever known. Her smile against mocha skin always lit up any room she was in. Even with two kids she still had the perfect figure. She could tell her best friend was tired, it wasn't like her to have dark circles under her eyes.

"Oh, I'm fine right here with you. They were with me all day today since I was off, they need time with their dad too"

"Promise me you'll take care of my daddy" Beatrice lets out with a raspy voice, struggling to get the words out between her short staccato breaths. Even though everyone had hushed conversations around her and tried to be overly optimistic when they talked about her condition, Beatrice knew her time was running out.

"Stop talking like that Bea," Christina says, not trying to show the worry in her eyes. Every time they had been here before, Beatrice had recovered and gotten stronger and been able to at least go home. This time was different and everyone knew it. She had been in the hospital for almost three months and the prognosis wasn't good. She may only have a few weeks maybe even less left if a heart doesn't come through. Christina could hear the death rattle in her chest every time she gasped for a breath.

Just then there is a soft knock on the door and Uriah pops his head in and slowly opens the door.

"Hey, there are my two favorite girls," he says softly as he walks over to Christina and gives her a kiss. A soft smile appears on Bea's lips. Uriah had always been handsome, taking after Hana and Natalie's side of the family. Beatrice had always thought Uriah and Chris were one of the most beautiful couples. Their two boys favored Uriah and his brother with their warm tawny colored skin and deep brown eyes. All of them sported the signature Pedrad smile that came with a brave and mischievous spirit. You could tell they would be charmers just like their father and uncle.

"I was just trying to keep our best friend here in good spirits," Christina says squeezing her husband's hand.

"I may never get a heart," Beatrice says with another raspy breath.

"You are going to get a heart, I know you are, I feel it in my spirit and then we are going to visit all of these places that I've been reading to you" Christina whispers before she settles in to continue reading the article.

"And we have a whole list of things we still have to do and don't you forget it," Uriah says playfully.

When they turned 20, Beatrice had been hospitalized for their birthday week. She had been feeling down that week about Uriah and Christina not being off doing something fun even though they had taken a short honeymoon that summer and were content to keep her company. Uriah had started a list of things they would do when Beatrice got a new heart. It started off as simple things like go on a plane ride, sing karaoke, run a half marathon, get matching tattoos, but they kept adding to it over the years and some of the items had gotten crazier, to include ziplining, and white water rafting.

After about another 15 minutes Beatrice falls asleep. Christina stares at her best friend and lets a tear slide down her cheek and Uriah walks over and pulls her into a hug. Christina tries to keep her sobs quiet as she buries her face into Uriah's chest. They knew time was running out and it sucked that someone had to die in order for their best friend to live but Bea had so much that she had missed out. Life couldn't be so cruel to let her die like this now, she had to have a second chance.

"Why don't we go grab some dinner? She probably won't wake up for a while. She's been sleeping more and more these days." Uriah says softly.

"Yeah, I just don't like her to be alone right now" Chris whispers as she moves to wipe Bea's forehead with a washcloth.

Uriah silently grabs Christina's bag and sets her chair back against the wall quietly as Chris leaves a kiss on Bea's forehead and whispers that she would be back in about an hour. Uriah ushers her out and closes the door softly, grabbing Chris's hand as they walk to the elevators.

"Where are the boys?" Christina asks as they wait for the elevator to arrive wondering where their two sons were if Uriah was here but knowing there were only a few places they could be.

Christina had gotten pregnant when they were 16 after she and Uriah had been secretly seeing each other for a year. Their parents had been strict about not officially allowing them to date until they were 16, but being close friends growing up, their friendship had blossomed into love early on. No one had known except for Bea, her older brother Caleb and Uriah's older brother Zeke until Christina realized she was pregnant. Their parents had been shocked and disappointed but eventually, the shock wore off into excitement. Their oldest son Jalen was born the summer after their junior year of high school. Everyone pitched in to make sure that Chris and Uriah were both able to graduate high school. They were married when they turned 20 and their second son Justin came a year later. They had been trying for another baby the past few months because Christina really wanted a girl. The boys loved their Aunt Bea and Chris and Uri were having a hard time helping them understand how sick she really was. Bea was pretty sure Chris and Uriah were going to have five or six kids before they were done.

With Christina getting pregnant in high school, she and Uriah had stayed close to home instead of going off to college with Uriah choosing to become a firefighter. Everyone thought he would follow Zeke after high school who was a police officer and was hoping to become a detective. Zeke was on the right track after joining the drug crimes unit. Uriah recently passed his test to become a lieutenant and was making headway to one day be captain of his own fire station. Christina worked at the family restaurant part-time doing booking keeping and waitressing when needed. She had gone to community college to study accounting. She and Bea had always known they would take over running the restaurant from thier parents. It was their family legacy that Christina and Uriah hoped to pass on to Jalen and Justin one day.

"With Shauna, she wanted us to have some time alone and be able to spend as much time with Bea since we aren't sure how much longer we might have with her"

Chris takes another deep sigh as they step into the elevator and leans into Uriah's embrace as the doors close.

"Come on we gotta keep the faith," He says rubbing his hands up and down her arms slowly. "Let's just go to the cafeteria for a few then we can come back. She'll probably sleep the entire time we are gone" Uriah encourages trying not to let his wife see how anxious he was that this really might be the last week they get to spend with Bea.

Chris nods in return as Uriah plants a kiss on her forehead as they head down to the hospital cafeteria. They needed a miracle at this point.


Andrew Prior putters around the kitchen of his restaurant, the familiar sounds of dishes clinking, and his best friend Max works the grill in the kitchen while the radio blasts the sounds of Bob Marley. He peeks out of the kitchen door at the dining room. It's packed even for a rainy Friday night with every table occupied and barely any space to sit at the bar. He makes his way out to a table to drop off an order to a table of regular customers.

"Here you folks go, Alligator Po Boy with fries and Oxtails with cabbage and rice and peas," he says, dropping off the hot plates to his smiling customers.

"Tell us, Andrew, how is Beatrice? We've been praying for her" the woman at the table replies with her eyes full of concern. All of their regulars knew that Andrew had lost his wife to heart failure and now his daughter was on the transplant list for a heart after having the same degenerative heart condition as her mother. Bea had grown up at the restaurant even though she had been sick most of her life. All of the neighborhood regulars looked out for them, helped organize fundraisers when the hospital bills stacked up but many of them didn't know that her time was running out.

"Thank you for your prayers, keep them up, it will do this old man some good to know that God will hear someone else praying for her" he replies as he places a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder.

The restaurant, The Pit, which was started by Andrew, his wife Natalie, his sister-in-law Hanna and their friend Max had been a staple in the Southside of Chicago for 15 years. Andrew and his brother Harrison had immigrated to Chicago from Grenada when he was 14 years old in 1979 when their parents fled the island due to a revolution that overthrew the government and resulted in the prime minister being executed. He met his best friends, Max and Reggie, at the community center near their housing project, the infamous Cabrini- Green Homes, that had an after school program for kids in the neighborhood. Max and his family had just moved to Chicago from Georgia and Reggie was a Chicago native who showed them the ropes around town. Reggie, Andrew, Harrison, and Max met Natalie and her sister Hana that summer when they moved to Cabrini-Green from New Orleans. The five of them had been thick as thieves as they navigated the living conditions of Cabrini-Green. As they grew up and started their families, they all stayed close never living more than a few blocks away from each other. From raising their kids together and opening a restaurant that specialized in food that represented all of their cultures, the four friends formed a bond that would transcend time. He knew would marry Natalie from the first time he laid eyes on her at 15 years old. She was so innocent and beautiful with her dark hair pressed straight, hanging down her back, and her hazel eyes that complemented her caramel skin. This had been her dream, even though she wasn't here to live it out with him. Reggie and Hana had been taken with each other as well. Their family was destined to become one large family with kids running around from that very first summer.

Now, Harrison, Andrew, Hana, and Max were all each other had along with their kids. Those years had been rough and filled with grief but it made them closer than ever. Natalie had died when Caleb was 9 and Beatrice was 5. Hana worked as a waitress in the restaurant and also helped with the books. Reggie had been a CPD officer killed in the line of duty when Zeke was 8 and Uriah was 4. Max's wife Stephanie passed away in a car accident 5 years ago leaving Max and his daughters Christina and Rose devastated. With their spouses dying when most of the kids were younger leaving them all to support each other in running the restaurant and raising their families. Every time they lost someone, they made it through but the thought of losing Beatrice was almost too much for all of them to process. The restaurant was not only their business but their place of refuge in troubling times.

"Hana, Can you take this out to table 7?" he asks his sister-in-law who breezes into the kitchen. Andrew loved his sister, she and Natalie looked so much alike most people thought they were twins since Natalie was only 9 months older than Hana. They both had vibrant green eyes which they passed on to Zeke and Caleb.

"Sure, give me a minute" Hana replies as she drops the dishes she was carrying.

The three friends continue the hustle and bustle work of the kitchen serving their specials of gumbo, etouffee, Po Boys, Fried Chicken, Oxtails, Jerk Chicken, Curry Chicken, and shrimp and grits throughout the evening. Everyone in the neighborhood loved the eclectic family-style restaurant that the friends had started. It had become one of the true treasures of the Northside and a go-to place for those looking to get out of downtown Chicago. Tonight the bar was filled with familiar friendly faces as it usually was on Friday night even though it was pouring down rain. Many of the customers had known the families that owned The Pit for many years and had been there for all of the ups and downs over the years.

As Hana yells out for Max to make another order of Oxtails and mac and cheese everyone stops still when the phone in the kitchen rings. No one would ring that number at 10 pm on a Friday night but the hospital in the event there was some sort of emergency. Even with cell phones, Andrew always kept that phone open in case someone couldn't get to their cell phone while they were dealing with a customer.

Andrew nervously wipes his hands on his apron as he rushes to grab the phone.

"Baby Girl, please tell us it's good news," Andrew says with his thick Caribbean accent he still possessed after all these years in the United States.

"Yes, Daddy, it's happening" Beatrice wheezes out over the phone. "Christina and Uriah are here with me"

"Here's your Uncle Max and Aunt Hana, I'm coming Baby girl!" Andrew replies excitedly with tears in his eyes as he passes the receiver to Max and Hana rushes over so she can hear too.

"Bea, you got a heart, Thank God!" Max eeks out as Hana wipes her eyes. Everyone had been praying for this miracle to happen and now Beatrice Prior was going to get her second chance at life.


Andrew pushes the button on the elevator three times anxiously tugging his hat off his head and glancing down to notice that he still had on his apron from the restaurant. With the rain that night it had taken him much longer to get to the hospital than he anticipated. He prayed he would be able to see Beatrice before they wheeled her off for surgery. He had gone through this with Natalie 15 years before but it didn't make it any easier. All he had left were his children and his son Caleb had left as soon as he could when his sister's health declined and Beatrice started to exhibit the same heart defects and complications as her mother. He needed his daughter, he needed to tell her he loved her in case she didn't pull through this.

The hospital had become so familiar to him, going through so many appointments with first Natalie and now Beatrice. Andrew feels as though he can navigate everything from the parking garage, the family waiting rooms, and the cafeteria like his own home or the restaurant. When he reaches the floor, the nurses are wheeling the hospital bed toward the elevators with Christina holding on to his daughter's hand and Uriah standing next to his wife smiling. The nurses know their family well and stop so he can spend a few minutes.

"Here I am Baby Girl" Andrew soothingly greets his daughter, holding up her hand to plant a kiss with one hand and strokes her hair with the other.

"I'll be right here when you wake up, you are going to do great. I love you."

"I love you, Daddy, Thank you for always taking care of me. If I don't wake up..." she wheezes out through her blue lips.

"Hush now, none of that" Andrew replies, his voice heavy with emotion.

Andrew places a kiss on her forehead and steps out of the way for the nurses to wheel his daughter to the elevator to head to the operating room. He, Uriah, and Christina all wipe the tears they had been fighting back from their faces as they watch the elevator doors close.


Christina fidgets looking at her watch. It had been two and a half hours since Bea had been in surgery. Shauna and Zeke had come and brought the boys who had been asking questions all night and were too excited to go to sleep. Max and Hana had brought food for the group from the restaurant as they took over the family waiting room. They were a lively bunch on a regular night but between the nervous energy as they waited for the surgeons to do their job there was organized chaos with all the family.

Max, Uriah, and Zeke were discussing the upcoming NFL draft and who the Bears should take in the first round while Shauna, Christina, and Hana were going over what help Andrew would need when Bea was released from the hospital and how to balance at the restaurant.

"Seriously, Daddy, we have talked about this and this is a hospital you can't even have that in here!" Christina exclaims as she gets up and snatches Max's cigar out of his mouth.

"Hey, I wasn't going to light it" Max defends as everyone shakes their head. Max had been working on quitting cigars for over a year but it had become a habit to pull them out without lighting them when his nerves were on edge.

Zeke had a shift that morning and Shauna, who was a high school teacher and coach had a track meet in the morning, start packing up to head home. Hana could see her grandchildren were getting restless and decided to get them to bed too.

"Come on you two, I'm taking you home" she announces and Christina starts to pack up the coloring books and toys Justin had on one of the tables.

"I want to go with Auntie Shauna and Uncle Zeke," Jalen complains, causing everyone especially Zeke and Shauna to chuckle. The boys loved their aunts and uncles and weren't shy about always wanting to be with them. Chris and Uriah were also thankful that their large family was happy to always have the boys so they could have much needed alone time and help out with their work schedules.

"And I want to see the new heart" Justin huffs as he crosses his arms. Uriah comes over and picks him up tossing him over his shoulder causing him to giggle. He looked just like Uriah and Zeke but he had the stubbornness of Beatrice. Christina wondered sometimes how she even gave birth to him.

"You'll see it when it comes home, now you two are going to Grandma's end of discussion," Uriah tells him. "I'll pick you up in the morning because you, me, and your brother all need to go to the barbershop."

"I hate having to go to the barbershop, it takes forever" Jalen whines as Hana motions for him to come to her.

"Chris where is your Uncle Andrew?" Hana asks helping Jalen into his raincoat.

"He's in the chapel, I think" Chris replies as she plants a kiss on Jalen's head and reminds him to mind his Grandma.

Andrew sat in the small hospital chapel on a pew. He loved his family but he needed some quiet time. He didn't want to think his daughter wouldn't make it out of this alive but he didn't dare be bold enough not to turn his back on his religion during this hour. He bowed his head and started to pray fervently for his daughter to make it through this operation. While he prays for Beatrice he also prays for the family that just lost a loved one so his daughter could live. This would be a difficult time for them but he hoped that whoever this soul was would be at peace.


A/N: Cabrini-Green was one of the more well-known housing projects in Chicago. The show Good Times was based off it as well as the movies, Candyman, Cooley High, Hardball and so many more.