Authors: Charmanie Saquea
We pulled up to the hospital and I follow
ed her to a room. I saw a little boy lying in the bed, who I assumed was that nigga’s son. No lie, lil man looked just like his daddy. I stayed back by the door while Neicey talked to the doctor. The doctor gave the okay on everything, gave her his discharge papers, and we were out of there.
We all got in the car and I asked lil man
if he was hungry. He said yeah, so I headed out to get something to eat. He waited a few minutes before he asked the million-dollar question. “Are you my mommy’s boyfriend?”
I didn’t know how to answer that question so I looked at Neicey for help. “Maybe, if he plays his cards right
, and if my lil man approves.”
“Hi
, I’m MJ, the man of her life.” I laughed because I used to be the same way about my mom, overprotective.
“
Wassup, lil man, I’m Kamil.”
“MJ
, you know me and your dad are going to sit down and have a talk with you about what happened. But I’ma let you rest today.”
“Alright
Mommy.”
We went out to eat and the more I hung around little man
, the more I liked him. It would be real petty of me to have a problem with him or not like him just because his dad and I had a problem with each other. I sat back and watched in amazement at how Neicey interacted with lil man. She had stepped in at eighteen years old and played the mother role to him. I knew it had to be hard sometimes seeing how she lost her mom, but she did an excellent job.
Someday I want
ed that for us. To see her be a mother to my kids. I knew I said I would play daddy to that nigga’s baby, but I didn’t think a man should ever miss out on raising their kids. Shit, my donor was never there for me. My mama taught my brothers and me how to be men, something she should have never had to do. I was going to have to talk to her about that situation.
That bitch done fucked with the wrong one. I couldn’t believe she shot my ass, but where she messed up at was not killing me. The other day, some chick approached me with an offer to helping me take that bitch Reneice down. She would rather do business over the phone because she didn’t want to meet up face to face anymore. I said fuck it, why not? My other resource had been slipping. In due time, I would expose their ass for the snake they really were.
Before we left the restaurant, Kamil pulled me to the side to talk to me. “You know I did some thinking, and you should allow Mykell to be in his baby's life. I know you’re mad at him, but like you said, your baby shouldn’t have to suffer because you two don’t want to be together. If you intentionally keep your child from him, he or she might grew up and resent you.”
Ugh!
Curse that man for being so damn fine and smart. He was right though, even if I did hate to admit it. I didn’t want my child being mad at me. I knew what it was like not to have a father so why would I put my child through the same thing? Damn, damn, damn. See that was why I kept him around, he helped me make decisions.
I sighed heavily
. “Alright Mil Mil. I hear you; I’ll take that into consideration.”
“That’s all I ask that you do.” He kissed my forehead and flashed that sexy smile that
I was starting to fall in love with. My mind flashed back to MJ’s question.
Do I consider Kamil as my boyfriend? Would it be too soon to be in another relationship, especially while I’m pregnant? Would my child be confused about who its father was?
So many thoughts were clouding my mind.
After we took MJ out to eat, it was time to take him to his father.
It had been a month since I’d been in that house. I really didn’t want to be there but it was not about me. It was about MJ. I unlocked the door with my key and didn’t miss the displeased look that I got from Kamil. Whatever, as long as I had a child, well, two children by that nigga, I would use that key whenever I wanted until he asked for it back.
I walked expecting to see something I didn’t want to see and I didn’t
. Well, I kind of did. Mykell was knocked out on the couch in the den in some basketball shorts and no shirt. His ass looked so sexy; I almost forgot what I was here for. I hit him on the chest and the nigga jumped up with wild eyes.
“Surprise!” I laughed.
“You finally decided to come home?”
“Nope
, but I have something for you.”
Kamil walked in the room holding a sleeping MJ. He fell asleep on the ride
there. Mykell didn’t look too happy to see Kamil holding his son but what... the... fuck... ever! “His room is up the stairs to,”
Mykell cut me
off. “Nah, I’ve got him. I don’t know this nigga like that to be letting him all up in my house.”
I just rolled my eyes at
that nigga. He was just jealous.
He fucked up, so I’ma let a real nigga make it right.
He came back down the stairs and mugged Kamil, then turned his attention to me. “Wassup,
baby mama
, how you been doing?” he asked smartly. I just knew he didn’t have an attitude.
“I’m fine baby daddy how are you?” I decided to play nice.
“Wonderful now that I have my son back. Where did you find him?”
“Actually
, he found me. The hospital called and told me he’s been there for three days. They tried calling you and couldn’t get an answer, so MJ gave them my number.”
“Thank you
.”
“You don’t have to thank me for taking care of my son.”
There was an awkward silence in the air. I looked over at Kamil who was standing by the door acting incognito. He gave me a reassuring head nod. I took a deep breath and said what I had to say.
“I have a
doctor’s appointment once a month because of the pregnancy. My next one is in two weeks and I thought you should be there seeing as how you are the father.” It felt like it took all my breath away to tell him that. I didn’t know why I was looking at the ground all nervous and shit. I had been in love with that man, he was my first, and even though I was not in love with him anymore, I still loved him. It was kind of crazy.
He walked up to me and lifted my head, “Why you looking at the ground? So
does this mean when I call you’re gonna answer? I understand you don’t want to be with me, I got that part, but I at least want to be in my child’s life. And I still want you to be in MJ’s life. I know you moved on and I can accept that. Let’s just be parents to our children and put all the bullshit behind us.”
He stuck out his hand f
or me to shake so we could call a truce. I just laughed and we shook on it.
“I told MJ that we need to sit down and have a talk with him about the incident
, but I didn’t want to do it today. I just wanted him to enjoy being back home. So call me when y’all are ready to have that talk.”
“Aight.”
I left Mykell’s house feeling better than I did when I got there. I didn’t know what to expect when I went in there. I was happy that we were on good terms for the sake of our children, that’s what was important.
I noticed Kamil was quiet and that was unusual for him. I had to know what was up with him. “Wassup? Talk to me.”
“Help me figure something out real quick.”
“What?”
“Why do you still have keys to that nigga’s shit?”
I was a little taken
aback by his question and the way he asked it.
I just know his ass is not jealous.
“Because he hasn’t asked for it back yet,” I said thinking it was no big deal.
“Is that right?”
“Sure is!”
“He shouldn’t have to
. The moment you left that nigga, you should have given him his keys back.”
“Why? What’s the big deal about me having keys to his house? I’ve had the key for almost three years
. Hell, I had a key before I even moved in. If he didn’t want me to have a key to his house anymore, I know for a fact that he wouldn't hesitate to ask for it back.” I was getting annoyed with the conversation. He was tryna make a big deal out of nothing.
I met a girl about a month earlier named Lisa. She was not Neicey and she damn sure didn’t have shit on her, but she helped me keep my mind off her. Pops called and told me he was having a little get together at his house since it had been awhile since we’d all gotten together. I asked him if it was cool if I invited shorty and he said yeah.
“So I’m meeting the family already huh?” she asked on the way to the house. I looked at her before answering, “Uh yeah I guess so.”
I hope her ass don’t get the wrong impression. I’m not even tryna go there with her ass. Hell she gotta get through Lani’s crazy ass before she even thinks she’s in the family.
When I got to the house Mack, Lani, Mone, and Pops were chilling. When I saw Ramone, I remembered that Neicey might be coming.
Damn, I forgot all about her, I wonder how this shit gonna play out.
I saw Lani looking at Lisa funny and knew she was gonna be on some other shit. She just didn’t want to like her because she wasn’t Neicey. “Wassup everybody, this is Lisa. Lisa, that’s my dad, my baby sister Lani and my two brothers Micah and Ramone.”
It was dead ass quiet for a minute; everybody was looking at me as if I was crazy. Finally Pops spoke up, “Hi Lisa, nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, all of you.”
“My other sister should be here soon, and then it should get real interesting in here. We’re the queens of this family,” Lani said. I couldn’t even be mad at her because she had always been that way whenever Mack and I had females around.
We were in the basement in the theater room for about twenty minutes before I heard the front door close. “Pop-Pop!”
Oh shit, here we go.
“Aw shit, my sisters here!” Lani gave me a dirty look, and I gave her lil ass one right back.
Neicey waddled her pregnant ass down the stairs with MJ. She was now five months pregnant and at her last appointment we found out she was having a boy. To say I was happy would be an understatement. I couldn’t help but smile at her. She was glowing and her hair was growing like mad.
“Okay everybody, the life of the party is here so let’s get it cracking.”
“It’s about time yo fat butt got here, we’ve been waiting on you forever.”
“Mack don’t even go there! If yo nephew wasn’t sitting on my bladder I would have made it on time,” she said and laughed.
“MJ, you not gonna speak? You’ve been around Neicey all day and now you acting funny. She’s starting to rub off on you,” I joked.
“Hi Dad.” He kept it short and I just shook my head.
“Don’t even go there punk.” Neicey threw a pen at me.
“You have a son?” Lisa asked. Neicey looked at her like she just noticed her for the first time.
“Oh, let me do the introductions,” Lani said. “Lisa, this is Neicey my sister, Neicey this is Lisa she’s Mykell’s. . .”
“Girlfriend,” Lisa cut Lani off. I looked at her like she was crazy and Lani looked at her like she was ready to beat her ass. “Hi, are you the baby sister?” she asked her.
“Something like that, I’m the baby and he,” Neicey said pointing at me, “he's the father of my child.”
Before I could say anything, that bitch ass nigga came down the stairs. “Wassup everybody.”
“Hey Kamil,” everybody spoke but me.
He hit Neicey on the ass, “I thought I told you to wait for me Fat Mama.”
“I know but you were taking too long.” She giggled like a damn schoolgirl.
“I need a fucking drink,” Ramone said getting off the couch and heading upstairs. That was my cue. “Make that two,” I said following him.
“How about three,” Mack followed suit. I knew Pops wasn’t going to leave Lani down there with Lisa and I knew that nigga wasn’t about to leave Neicey’s side.
When we got upstairs to the kitchen, Ramone went in.
“She just gonna bring that nigga up in here like he family or something. Then she looked right at me and didn’t even speak. Her ass been acting real funny towards me for a couple of months and I’m tired of the shit,” he said, pouring himself a glass full of Hennessey.