Chapter 12 #2
Thankfully, Shuga did her hair Sunday ’cause while I can do everything else for my baby girl, I struggle with all her hair.
So, the first thing we do in the bathroom is put on her bonnet.
Then I help her onto her little princess stool and she brushes her teeth and gargles.
The tub is next. While she bathes, I turn her canopy bed down and find a cartoon movie on KidTV.
She likes to fall asleep with the television on but the volume low.
Bath time doesn’t last too long and by twenty minutes to nine, she’s in her pajamas and under her covers. Her little eyes are already heavy; she’ll be asleep before I make it to my room.
“Dream sweet, Daddy,” she mumbles as I kiss her forehead.
“Sweet dreams, baby girl.”
After leaving her door cracked, I walk down the hall to my room. I enter my closet, remove my shoes and Hublot first, then take off my suit. My pile for the cleaners is stacking up and I need to schedule a pickup.
When I’m completely undressed, I enter my bathroom and take a long hot shower.
It’s football preseason, so while reviewing my case files for the week, I turn on the last half of the Sharks versus New York game once I’m out of the shower.
It’s late, and while I’m a true Sharks’ fan, I can’t concentrate on it or my files because my mind keeps drifting to my wife, Mireya.
Taking a chance that she might still be up, I shoot her a text.
Me: You up?
Wifey: Yes.
At her response, I smile, then hit her. She answers before I even hear the phone ring. “Hello.”
“Hey, my beautiful wife,” I respond.
“Well, hey. Let me redo my greeting,” she says, then clears her throat. “Ahem… Hello, husband,” she says.
“I like that better.”
“Practice makes perfect,” she says. “What’s going on?”
“I was thinking about you and hoping you were still awake,” I admit.
“I am. I’m looking at the list Duke sent. Your mom confirmed seventeen for your family, five for your firm, my nine, plus me, you, and Niya is thirty-four, leaving eleven for constituents. His list has twenty-five.”
“You need me to cut some of my family?”
“Oh no,” she rushes out. “Hell no. I’d rather have them there than these politicians,” she says then laughs. “I’m just trying to see who’s more valuable to have there. Plus, Duke told me you paid for everything. You really didn’t have to do that. This is for my election.”
“And to celebrate us. Of course, I was going to pay. Besides, us Bakos run deep and have healthy ass appetites. My nephews alone are going to eat up the food,” I say and she laughs again.
After her campaign manager reached out to Shuga, she called me. Mireya told me earlier today that she was able to secure the winery and asked if she could give Duke my contact info. I agreed but even if I hadn’t, Shuga gave him my info too. He called me with the details and I covered the booking.
“Shuga said the same thing about your nephews,” she says.
“You and my momma talking so much is a trip,” I admit.
Shuga never talked with Janis when we dated and she definitely doesn’t talk to Sade this much and Sade and Ace have been together for almost twenty years.
There’s love between the two but she doesn’t call Sade like this.
Hell, I don’t think they even exchanged numbers until years into Sade’s relationship with Ace.
“I like it though. I think we connected over our love for art at first but she’s cool. She can call me as much as she wants.”
“Please don’t tell her that,” I tease, but only partially. Shuga has no boundaries. The moment she thinks of something, she calls. My busy practice and trials don’t mean shit to her.
“How did it go with Niya? You two talked, right?” she asks pensively.
“I kept it real surface level for her, giving her enough for her little mind to digest. Too much will only confuse her and have her asking a million questions. I basically got her approval though, so we can stay married ’cause a no for her would have killed all of this,” I say, teasing a little.
“As it should be,” Mireya says and I smile.
“She’s my heartbeat and she gave you the ultimate approval.
I told her that you are my new friend who I really like and who’s going to be around a lot.
When I told her that you would be coming to the house, she said you can draw on her wall.
That’s a top privilege she doesn’t just grant to anybody. ”
“Draw on her wall?” she asks.
“Yeah. She’s an artist like Shuga, so she has a dedicated dry erase wall in her room she can draw on.”
“Oh my God! I absolutely love that!” she gushes. “That’s so cool as a daddy.”
“I’m just protecting my walls. Without it, she would have little scribbles and shit all over the place.”
“That’s cute though,” she says. “I can’t wait to draw with her.”
“You draw?”
“Not at all but I’d gladly scribble and do some stick figures.”
“You should come this weekend,” I throw out. Our conversation is flowing and she seems real open to being here, so why not?
“We do need to spend time together before the dinner. We can’t look and act like strangers. I can come over if you’re sure.”
“Real shit, you can come tonight,” I say.
“Yeah…okay,” she says dismissively. “Saturday will do.”
“Actually, Saturday will be for the three of us. You and I still need time together. We have to talk about and figure out the living together situation without Niya.”
“I know,” she sighs. “Duke was all over me about that too. I just feel like I’m disrupting everything for you and Niya.”
“You’re not disrupting anything. We’re married; we should be together. How else am I going to get my wife to fall for me?” I ask. “Wednesday after my hearing, I’ll just stay in Crescent Falls and take you out for dinner. I know you like the winery but what’s your favorite restaurant or food?”
“We don’t have to go out. Since we have so much to discuss, I can order in and you come here,” she counters.
“I’ll bring the food, so my question still stands. What’s your favorite? Let me feed you,” I reiterate.
“I love Creole food so I’ll say Nawlins. I can eat anything on their menu.”
“Noted. I can bring Nawlins.”
“What time is your hearing? My last trial is at two.”
“Late. It’s at four but it’s just an evidentiary hearing. Ace really didn’t have shit to do with the drugs, and I still can’t figure out how they got in the truck, so I’m trying to get them excluded from evidence.”
“What’s your argument?”
“Fourth Amendment and fruit of the poisonous tree with arguments from the dissent in Davis versus the United States. They searched his truck and found the drugs based on information found in a random’s home search.
The home search was warrantless and invalid,” I tell her without having to explain or simplify legal terms.
“Can I offer a different perspective?”
“Hell yeah. You’re a judge.”
“And I’m not presiding over your case so there’s no conflict or misconduct.”
“True. What’s your perspective?” I ask, truly curious about her opinion of my argument.
“Dissent opinions provide great insight but they are only secondary sources of law. It’s a good thing I recused myself because I would deny your motion. I don’t consider the dissenting opinions only the majority ones as a matter of law.”
“No offense but your strict application of law is why I wanted you off the case,” I admit.
“Now, I know, but honestly, your argument is good, really good. Most attorneys would never have thought about Davis. You know what you’re doing,” she says, sounding impressed.
“I know a little something.”
“Clearly but maybe find another primary source just to nail it. With that, the D.A. is going to have a hard time refuting and you have a better chance of getting the drugs thrown out.”
“And the case,” I add. “I’ll see what I can find tonight and get with Aven. Thanks.”
“Any time, husband,” she says and I hear the playfulness in her voice. “I like this.”
“What? Being married to me?”
“Talking legal authority and case law with a person who actually understands. I always found myself simplifying things in my past relationships, but this is different; I really like it.”
“Me too,” I admit. “Not everybody gets it.”
“At all. I can talk the law all night but I’m truly exhausted and you have research to do.”
“I do and you need your rest. I can’t have my wife yawning on the bench and shit.”
“We definitely can’t have that. It’ll make the news. Good night.”
“Good night,” I reply.
“What happened to good night, wife?” she asks, to my delight and surprise.
“Just a slip. Sweet dreams, my wife,” I say and I hear her sexy giggle right before she ends the call.
I’m wearing her down.