10. KO
The drive back to my place from the airport felt quiet as hell.
Hell, the whole flight back to Azalea was quiet—well, except for Jaylen’s loud-ass snoring.
I actually missed Dakoda’s little voice asking me questions every five seconds.
I missed his little cartoons playing too loud in the background.
I even missed Lyrius watching me every time she thought I wasn’t looking at her.
They’d only been in my space for about thirty-six hours, and I could already feel the difference.
By the time I pulled into my gated community, it was a little after ten and nearing twenty-four hours since Hurricane Imani had touched down.
The streets were quiet, as usual for this time of night, and appeared virtually untouched except for a few tree branches that were scattered around the neighborhood.
I pulled into my driveway and immediately killed the engine before sitting there for a second, staring at the house I’d bought four years ago.
As soon as I was out of recovery, I’d put my other house up for sale and bought this one.
It was twenty miles south of Downtown, Azalea County, in Oleander Crest, and it was quiet.
The majority of people who lived out here were tied to the Mercyr family, and nobody ever tried them.
I grabbed my bag from the passenger seat and headed inside. The second I walked through the door, Ali’s filter greeted me, and his ass had the nerve to lift his head from his rock like he was expecting me to have snacks or some shit.
“Greedy ass.”
My eyes landed on the box of Froot Loops still sitting on the kitchen counter, and suddenly, I was thinking about all the snacks I’d promised Dakoda I would buy.
I made a mental note to add Froot Loops, Takis, and gummies to my grocery list. I didn’t know when his mother would allow him to come over, but I would be ready when the time came.
I stared at the shit longer than I should’ve.
I’m somebody’s daddy. I dropped my bag by the island and walked deeper into my house.
I needed a shower and some sleep and just a few minutes to clear my head, because everything about today had flipped my entire world upside down.
I loosened my shorts as I headed upstairs.
Every step up felt slower than the last. By the time I made it to my bedroom, I was already pulling my shirt over my head.
I stripped down and headed straight for the bathroom.
I barely remembered cutting on the water and stepping inside.
I closed my eyes and let the warm water hit my shoulders as I tried to sort through everything in my head.
A few days ago, I was just KO, and Lyrius was far in the back of my mind.
Now we shared a son. Images of Dakoda played in my head on repeat.
He was a little mini me, and I could tell by the few hours I got to spend with him that I was his hero.
I leaned my head back against the shower wall and scrubbed my wash towel over my body.
What if he woke up tomorrow thinking I wasn’t coming back?
Thinking I’d disappeared on him already?
“Nah,” I said immediately, turning the water off and stepping out of the shower.
There was no way in hell I was going to let my son think I’d abandoned him by choice.
I grabbed a dry towel and wrapped it around my waist before exiting the bathroom and heading straight to my closet to pull out two huge duffel bags.
If my son was in Shoreline, then I was going to be in Shoreline.
I grabbed a few shirts and basketball shorts and tossed them into the duffels along with whatever else I could grab fast enough without thinking too hard about it.
Shit, my mind was already six hours back down the highway.
Before I could zip the first duffel bag, my phone started buzzing on the nightstand, making me pull it out of my pocket and gaze at the name blinking across the screen.
It was a video call from Pops and Jalen.
I answered quickly, already suspecting that something was up.
Unless I had a fight or was training, Pops and Jalen rarely FaceTimed me together.
Besides, Pops wasn’t usually awake after 7 p.m.
“What’s the word, old man?”
“What’s this shit Jalen talking about? You got a kid?”
“Dude, you couldn’t wait to snitch on me.” I huffed a laugh under my breath as I eyed Jalen and continued packing. I should have known Jalen’s ass was going to snitch me out.
“Man, you knew I was telling Pops.”
“So it’s true?” Pops asked.
“Yeah.”
“How old?”
“Five.”
Pops leaned back in his chair slowly. “And Lyrius the mama?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.” He shook his head. “I got a whole grandson out here.”
“His name is Dakoda.”
“Lil’ man cool too.” Jaylen grinned.
“He smart as hell, too, and he’s already obsessed with boxing,” I admitted before I could stop myself.
“Lyrius alright?” Pops asked.
“She straight, I guess.” I stuffed a few pairs of socks in my bag. “Working a lot. Raising him by herself.”
Pops nodded slowly. “Is she in trouble?”
“Not that I know of.” I shrugged even though that was still yet to be determined.
“She showed up at the training facility looking for shelter during the hurricane. Never even planned to tell me about him.” I explained the course of events to him, and he just sat there and listened with a slick grin on his face.
“She always was a sweet girl,” Pops muttered, making me side-eye him.
Back in the day, Pops liked Lyrius. That was one thing I loved about her, but sweet girls didn’t set niggas up to get shot.
He didn’t know that part about her, though.
“Go easy on her,” he said, and I waved him off.
“Scared people make bad decisions every day, Son.”
I zipped the duffel harder than I meant to. He’d be singing a different tune if he knew what she’d done. “She still should’ve told me about my son.”
“She should’ve,” Pops agreed immediately. “Ain’t saying she right.”
That helped more than it should have. ’Cause I didn’t need anybody that didn’t know the truth trying to force forgiveness down my throat.
“And if she’d told you back then?” Pops asked calmly. “What would you’ve done?”
I sighed because I knew the answer to that question. I probably would’ve done some shit I’d regret.
“Exactly,” Pops said, as if my silence proved his point.
“It just feels weird.”
“It should. You found out you’re somebody’s daddy overnight,” Jalen said, making a laugh slip out of me before I could stop it.
“You don’t gotta know everything today,” Pops said. “Just gotta decide what kinda man you gonna be now.”
That sat with me for a second, and it confirmed what I had already decided. I had to go back. There wasn’t going to be another day where my son didn’t wake up to his father.
“I don’t know how to be nobody’s daddy,” I admitted quietly. “What if I’m already too behind to catch up?”
Pops shrugged. “There was no manual when your mom and I brought y’all boys home either, and you two knuckleheads were damn near teenagers. You just figure it out.”
I nodded as silence filled the call. I was too busy grabbing my sneakers out the closet to respond.
“Hold on.” Jaylen squinted at me. “Nigga . . . why you packing?”
“I’m going back.” I stuffed a few pairs of my shoes in the duffel.
“The fuck you mean, you going back?” Jaylen barked.
“To Shoreline?” Pops asked. Both of them started talking at once.
“My son there,” I said simply. “And I’m here. Don’t feel right.”
Jaylen leaned closer to the screen. “Nigga, you just left Shoreline.”
“I know.”
“We already sent the pilot home. How you gon’ get there?”
“I’m driving.”
“Driving!’ Jaylen roared. “It’s still some flooded areas out there.”
“At least wait ’til the morning, Son.” They were talking at the same time again. I ignored them both and grabbed another hoodie.
“I wanna be there when he wakes up. I’ll take the truck.”
“What about training on Monday?” Pops asked.
“I gotta move it back.”
“And the media schedule?” Jaylen added.
“Gotta move it back.” I grabbed my keys off the dresser. “I’ll call Cherry.”
Pops stared at me for a second before nodding once. “You making the right decision.”
I nodded. Having Pops’ support meant the world to me.
“Be honest.” Jalen cut in. “You going back for your son, or you just miss hitting Lyrius from the back?”
“Man. Shut the fuck up.”
“I still don’t know why you even took them back home. I would’ve moved them straight into my damn house!” Jaylen declared dramatically.
“Nah,” I said immediately. “Dakoda got a home already. School starts next week. Friends. Routine. I ain’t taking him away from all that just ’cause I’m finding out about him a little late.”
“I guess.” He shrugged. “So what? You just gon’ commute between Azalea and Shoreline?”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“You need to call Cherry and push your schedule back,” Jalen said. “Media too.”
“I know.”
“You want me to hit her?”
“Nah,” I said, zipping the last duffel shut. “I’ll hit her now.”
“Aight,” Jalen replied. “Keep your location on just in case I have to come get your ass on a boat again.”
“Whatever.” I smirked as Pops laughed loud as hell. “I’ma hit y’all when I make it to Shoreline.”
“Drive safe, Son.”
“Yeah,” Jalen added. “And try not to fall in love with being somebody’s daddy too fast.”
“Too late.” I grabbed the two duffel bags off the bed and started out of my room and down the stairs.
“Damn,” Jalen muttered. “Nigga growing up on me.” I ended the call as I made it back downstairs and immediately pulled my publicist Cherry’s contact information. Jalen and Pops were right. There was no way I was going to train on Monday morning.
Me:
Push training camp back a week. I’m staying in Shoreline longer.
The three dots appeared almost instantly.
Cherry:
Everything okay?
I stared at the message for a second before typing back.
Me:
Family situation.
I shoved my phone into my pocket, adjusted my duffel bags, grabbed the keys to my truck, and headed for the door. Ali lifted his head the second I walked by him. He stared at me through the glass like he knew damn well I wasn’t leaving him again.
“Don’t start, Ali.” I stared at him for a second before deciding his ass was coming with me. I didn’t know the next time that I would be home. “You coming too.” I grabbed his travel tank from the storage cabinet, transferred him over, then tossed a container of food into my bag.
“We doing this shit together,” I told him as I headed out the door. I’d spent my whole life wondering why a parent would leave their kid behind, and I wasn’t about to become one.