Childish Games We Play

Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty-Eight

King

“So… how you propose to Rellianah?” I asked Cream, taking the blunt from his fingers.

Today was our baby shower and gender reveal. So far everything had been going smooth. Now time narrowed down for me to pop the million-dollar question. Just thinking about it had my stomach tied in knots.

These last few months with her had been the best time of my life, no exaggeration.

I stayed mad at myself for not claiming her sooner.

All the stupid games we played in the beginning could’ve cost us everything.

We damn near missed out on a real love that most people spent their whole lives searching for.

I was in love with Layloni. Not just surface-level love either, this shit was deep, bone-deep type of love. The kind that made a nigga change how he moved, thought, and breathed.

Everything about her did it for me. The way she talked, the way she walked, the way she looked at me like I was worth something more than what the world had made me out to be. Her beauty was just a bonus. It was her ambition, her heart, her strength that kept me hooked.

She matched my fly without even trying. Matched my grind too. Working alongside Layloni made me see how much passion she poured into business. My baby had been through hell. I just wanted to give her heaven on earth for as long as I lived.

On so many nights she put me before herself without even thinking about it.

I’d come home exhausted from grinding all day and night, and she’d already have dinner cooked, along with my shower running.

She’d sit me down, rub my shoulders, ask about my day until I actually talked, something I never did before her.

She had a tight bond with my mom, the two of them adored each other. Watching them laugh together healed something in me I didn’t even know was broken.

We both got closure too… her mom’s murder, my dad’s death. Pain, we thought would swallow us forever somehow started loosening its grip. I couldn’t imagine life without her.

Not even for a second.

That’s when I knew Jehovah placed her in my path for a reason. She wasn’t just my woman. She was my soulmate. I slept through the night with her in my arms. No nightmares. No waking up drenched in sweat. No silence hanging over my life like a cloud.

“Nigga,” Cream said, pulling me out my thoughts. “It doesn’t matter how I proposed. Everybody shit different.” He took a slow drag before passing the blunt back.

“But speak from the heart,” he added. “Tell her why you want forever with her. That’s what matter.”

I nodded slowly, the shit sounded easy but seemed hard to do right now.

My nerves were fried. This felt bigger than any deal I’d ever closed, any move I’d ever made in the streets.

I had been planning this for weeks… actually months.

I was supposed to do it earlier, but everything got postponed when Layloni and Rellianah ran off to check on Shadonna.

Layloni’s heart was too big sometimes. Always hurting for people who didn’t even care enough to help themselves. I wanted to marry her before our baby entered this world.

Every time the moment came though… I froze.

“You made sure Rita got my baby sizes right?” I asked Hussle, needing anything to focus on besides my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

He nodded confidently.

I had asked his girl to pick out a gown for Layloni. This wasn’t just about revealing pink or blue smoke. This was about forever.

I glanced across the backyard of Layloni’s house and my chest tightened at the sight of her. She was laughing with my mom and Rellianah, hands flying as she talked, eyes shining. Seeing her happy did something to me. It made everything worth it.

“When the pastor getting here?” I asked, my voice tight.

Hussle groaned dramatically.

“Nigga, hit the weed and chill the hell out. You messing up my high,” he said, shoving the blunt toward me. “I gotta do this same shit next month.”

I took a long pull, trying to slow my racing thoughts.

My future stretched out in front of me, clearer than it had ever been.

I had money. Businesses. Opportunities. I didn’t need the streets anymore.

For the first time in my life, I didn’t want the streets involved in my life anymore.

I wanted to be there when my child took their first steps, said his first words, along with his first day of school.

My father never got that chance.

He had everything a man could want, but it was never enough. The streets had a grip on him like a toxic lover he couldn’t walk away from. I refused to repeat that story.

Losing him taught me one thing for sure. Trust was rare in our world, but if you lived right… maybe you could trust a few people.

Layloni was one of those people I trusted with my life.

My stomach tightened as I stood up and dusted off my jeans. I had on white denim, a Gucci tee, with matching loafers, I looked clean and simple. My hands trembled slightly as I opened the small velvet box.

The diamond caught the sunlight, nearly blinding me. My heart slammed against my ribs.

“Damn,” I whispered to myself.

I snapped the box shut and started walking toward the woman who was about to become my wife. Hussle and Cream thumped their chests and nodded at me, pride written all over their faces. They knew what this meant.

Changing wasn’t easy for men like us. We built our reputations on never settling down. Never needing one woman.

When I stopped in front of Layloni, she looked up and smiled.

Her skin glowed, soft and radiant from pregnancy.

She wasn’t even trying to be sexy, but she still took my breath away.

No makeup. No fake nothing. Just natural beauty.

She wore a flowing white Gucci dress with matching sandals, gold bamboo hoops brushing her neck.

Her hair was slicked into a high ponytail, baby hairs perfectly laid across her forehead.

She looked like peace. I stared a little too long. Cream nudged me hard in the back, snapping me out of it.

Before Layloni could ask what was wrong…

I dropped to one knee. Her gasp sliced through the air.

My mom clutched her chest, eyes wide. Rellianah stayed calm as always, just smiling softly.

Tears filled Layloni’s eyes instantly.

“Layloni…” My voice came out rough. “We started off playing childish games… but now all I want is big steps. Real steps. Steps that make our family solid.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks and I reached up, wiping them away with shaking fingers before pressing a kiss to her face.

“We gonna have ups and downs. I ain’t perfect… but on my son, I swear I’ll spend every day trying to be better for you.” My throat burned.

“I love you so much it scares me,” I admitted. “Thinking about losing you…” My words trailed off.

The lump in my throat exploded into tears that I couldn’t stop from falling down my cheeks.

“You helped me become the man I am today,” I choked out. “I don’t know where I’d be without you… and I don’t ever want to find out.” I laughed weakly through my tears.

“I got way more to say, but if I keep going, I’m gonna ugly cry in front of these niggas… and they’ll never let me live it down.”

A soft laugh broke through her sobs. I opened the box, hands still shaking.

“So on some real shit… please marry me, baby. Be my wife.” I said with pleading eyes.

Her hands flew to her mouth.

“Yes,” she cried. “Yes, baby, I’ll be your wife.” She screamed the words with tears blinding her vision.

I slid the ring onto her finger then stood to pull her in for a tight hug. I turned and nodded my head at Cream and Hussle. Quietly, they disappeared to grab the pastor.

I wasn’t waiting months, not even weeks. I was marrying her beautiful ass today.

“We doing this tonight.” I told her.

She looked stunned as the makeup artist popped up out of thin air to whisk her away to get dressed. I changed into my white tux and waited outside, heart still pounding.

I wanted our son to enter this world with two parents united as one.

When Layloni finally stepped back into the backyard…

I broke all over again.

She looked like an angel descending straight from heaven.

‘All My Life by KC & JoJo’ crooned through the speakers.

Girl, you are close to me you’re like my mother, close to me you’re like my father, close to me you’re like my sister...

I balled right there and couldn’t stop, as she made it close to me.

Said, I promise to never fall in love with a stranger... you’re all I’m thinking of I praise the Lord above... for sending me your love I cherish every hug... I really love you...

I mouthed the words, as she approached me. I couldn’t help but to embrace her as tightly. I rubbed her belly to let my baby know I loved him too. She smiled, and I felt my soul warm up.

You’re all that I ever know. When you smile, my face glows. You picked me up when I was down... and I hope that you do love me tooo....

When the song ended, we held hands tight, refusing to let go. The pastor held a black balloon in his right hand, bible in left hand. Cream stuck a needle in the balloon revealing that we were having a boy. Blue confetti went everywhere. I dropped to my knees and kissed her stomach as I rubbed it.

“My boy...”

I smiled with pride, I bit back my laugh. Layloni squinted her eyes at me and giggled at my theatrics. My momma would kill us if she knew we both knew the sex of her grandchild for months without telling her.

We grounded ourselves after receiving a bunch of congratulations from our friends and family. Next the pastor proceeded with wedding us. We went through our vows and when we said, “I do,” I felt like my whole life was now complete.

“Baby...” Layloni spoke as if she was in pain. Her caramel face was a shade of red. I looked down to her feet and noticed she peed on herself.

“Baby! What’s wrong?” I asked quickly losing my damn mind in the process.

“My water... my water broke King!”

I looked around in desperate need of help. Panic rose inside of me, and suddenly I didn’t know what the hell to do. I became so overwhelmed that I turned to the side and threw up. We went over this a million times and I still didn’t feel prepared enough.

“Reality to King! We got to get her to a fucking hospital before we have to give birth ourselves!” Rellianah snapped at me, causing me to go in action. I didn’t think it would happen like this, but I was blessed and happy, nevertheless.

My son was finally here… and life had never felt this full.

I stood still for a long moment just watching my wife in the hospital bed, cradling our nine-pound, two-ounce chocolate baby boy against her chest like he was the most precious thing in the world.

Because he was.

My chest swelled so hard it almost hurt.

Dy’lon King. A perfect mix of me and his momma.

His skin was smooth and chocolate like mine, he had a head full of hair which explained all of Layloni’s heartburn during pregnancy.

Watching something I helped create breathe, move, and exist, was worth more than anything.

Layloni barely let anybody hold him. Nurses, family, whoever, she watched every single move like a lioness guarding her cub. My soft-hearted wife was finally showing a little bit of selfishness, and honestly, I loved every bit of it…Except when it came to me.

She watched me like a hawk every time I picked him up, ready to snatch him back if I so much as breathed wrong. Only person she stayed gentle with was my mom, and even then, her eyes never left Dy’lon.

Yeah… I already knew my house was about to be chaotic as hell. Between my mom, Layloni, and everybody else ready to spoil him rotten, my son wasn’t gone want for nothing in this life.

I walked over to the bassinet and scooped him up carefully, supporting his tiny head the way the nurse showed me.The moment I sat down and started rocking him, he opened his eyes and hit me with this big gummy smile.

My heart melted straight through my chest.

“This my boy right here,” I murmured, brushing my thumb gently across his cheek. His skin was as soft as silk. Everything about him felt fragile and pure.This tiny human was mine to protect, mine to teach and mine to love. My world revolved around Layloni, and this little king in my arms.

I looked over at Layloni, who barely had her eyes opened. Tomorrow they would be releasing her from the hospital, and I was impatient for it. I was ready to get my wife home, to tend to her properly.

“Thank you,” I whispered even though she couldn’t hear me.

My son fell asleep in my arms as quick as I picked him up to rock him. I got up carefully, placed him back in his glass bed close to Layloni and just looked down at the both of them until my eyes burned. My chest felt tight as I stepped out of the room, giving them a moment to rest.

Soon as the cool night air hit my face, I felt like I could finally breathe.

POP! POP!

Champagne sprayed into the air as Cream and Hussle stood in the parking lot with wide grins on their faces.

“Welcome to club, cuzzo!” Hussle yelled, shoving a Cuban cigar into my hand. “This shit hard as hell… but it’s worth every second.”

Cream took a long drag from his cigar, smoke curling around his face.

“Man… imagine if y’all dumbasses kept playing them childish games,” he said, shaking his head.

I exhaled slowly, watching the champagne drip down onto the pavement.

“I’m glad I got my head out my ass when I did,” I admitted.

I took a slow pull from the cigar, letting the smoke fill my lungs before releasing it into the night sky.

“She stuck with a King now,” I said with a smirk.

~The end~

Well, well, well!!! That’s it for “Childish Games We Play” hopefully this re release can hold y’all over until “A Don’s Love” lol.

I came a long way and I am very proud of myself.

The goal for me as an author is to become better with each book I release.

Reading over this book proved to me that I’ve gotten way better with storytelling.

Thank you everyone! Please leave a rating and review on ! – Masterpiece.