Chapter 10
Autumn
Gold leaves twirled in the wind in a majestic autumn dance, falling to the ground. I stopped to pick up a red one and showed it to October, who was pushing Auburn’s stroller.
“One of my favorite reasons of the season.”
“Reminds me of Auburn’s hair.”
“It’s not that red.”
“I know, but when the sun hits it, it brings out a darker red hue.”
We were walking to J.P. Walker Community Park for the annual autumn festival. There were lots of activities, including a hayride, apple cider, and pumpkin decorating.
October led me to a line where we stood for ten minutes before we paid and then climbed on the large wagon and found a seat on a bale of hay. The thirty-minute ride took us through the park and around a few blocks before we returned.
Just as we pulled back into the park, Auburn stretched her little arms out and yawned.
“Are you ready for a nap, Smooches?”
“No, Mommy. Me wanna wide da hay again.”
“No more hayrides, baby,” I replied as I smiled down at her and bounced her on my lap.
She poked out her bottom lip and pouted.
“How about we go pick you out a pumpkin?” October suggested.
“Punkins!” she shouted and clapped her hands excitedly.
“She’s so cute,” the woman sitting on the bale of hay beside us declared.
“Thank you,” I replied.
“She’s a baby doll. Man, you have a beautiful family. Take care of that princess of yours. They grow up all too fast. Trust me,” the man with the woman stated to October.
I opened my mouth to clear up the misunderstanding, but October spoke first.
“Trust me, man, I will. These two are my loves, and my baby girl means the world to me.”
I stared in awe at October, who smiled at me and dropped a kiss on my forehead. He helped me climb off the bale of hay with one hand, while he held Auburn in his other arm.
“Why did you do that?” I asked, grabbing Auburn’s stroller after we had climbed down.
Although she could walk, whenever we walked long distances, I preferred to bring her stroller in case her little legs got tired.
And carrying her for too long could become tiresome, because she would get heavy after a while.
“Do what?”
“Claim her.”
“What part of mine didn’t you understand when I asked you to be mine last weekend, woman?”
“I don’t want her to get attached to anyone who might leave and hurt her in the end.”
“What makes you think that I will?”
“My daddy cheated on my mother for years, and it impacted his relationship with us for a while. Auburn’s father didn’t stick around and care for her.”
“Fuck that nigga.”
“Language, October,” I replied, glancing at Auburn in his arms, who thankfully wasn’t paying attention to us. Her gaze was on the pumpkin patch.
“My bad. But I’m here, and I ain’t going nowhere. Matter of fact, consider her mine. I’m gon’ tell you this one time, and we will not have this conversation again. I love that little girl. And if that bitch-made nigga—”
“Language.”
“If he doesn’t want her, she ain’t sweating for a daddy when she got a stepdaddy right here ready to claim her, love her, and take care of her.”
I slowed my footsteps. “October, sometimes you scare me with the things that you say. I went through a lot with her father, and I cannot spare my heart like that again. Don’t you think you’re moving too fast?”
“Baby girl, I’m at the age where I know what I want. I’m not one of these li’l street niggas trying to figure it out. What I want and need is my wife by my side with her belly filled with my seed. Ain’t no heart-breaking type shit over here.”
“You do realize that I’m not your wife, and you have never asked me to marry you.”
“Not yet. That’s what I’m building between us, Autumn, a lifetime of love, security, promises, and forevers. I’m not in this for the short-term, but for the long haul. So chill out and let a nigga build his family one brick at a time.”
“Oh, okay. I’ma let you be great, Mr. October Rasaun Patterson.”
“Thank you. Now let’s head over here and pick out a pumpkin for our li’l punkin.”
I shook my head and laughed at him. After we selected pumpkins, I set Auburn at the table with the tiny pumpkins they were handing out to the little kids.
She commenced decorating it with the stickers that had been provided.
I turned my attention to carving out my pumpkin while October did his creation.
“Wow. I knew you were an artist, but really, Toby? Did you have to show out the way you did?” I asked after I finished with my pumpkin.
“What’re you talking about, baby?”
“I’m over here with my little pumpkin, thinking I did something, and here you are with Charlie Brown’s Great Pumpkin.”
October laughed. “Quit tripping, baby. You did a good job with your black cat pumpkin.”
“It’s not a black cat, Toby. It’s supposed to be a wolf.” I pouted as Auburn started crying, and October laughed.
“What’s wrong, baby girl?” I asked.
“No more stickuhs, Mommy.”
“Here,” he replied and passed her the extra pack he had purchased for her.
“Now, about my so-called black cat. It’s a wolf,” I repeated.
“Oh, my bad. It kinda looked like . . . well, I can see where you tried to . . . uhm, well right here you at least . . . damn, baby.” He burst out laughing at my stricken expression.
October squeezed my thigh and kissed my lips before he dropped one on Auburn’s forehead, who sat between us. She leaned into him and yawned.
“I told you that you were sleepy.”
She looked up at me and pouted before she got out of her seat and climbed onto October’s lap. October set his paintbrush aside and wrapped his arms around her while bouncing her.
“You okay, sweetness?” He kissed the top of her head, and she smiled and nodded. She had my whole heart jealous, but it didn’t last too long. The way this man interacted with my baby and treated her with tenderness had me wanting to throw my panties at him.
“You’re not slick. Why didn’t you tell me you were about to show out like that? I would have saved my paint-by-numbers skills. I’m sitting next to you and the Great Pumpkin looking like a fool.”
October laughed. “Baby, there’s nothing wrong with your pumpkin.”
“It doesn’t look like yours.”
“Tell you what, baby. We can put my pumpkin on your stoop and your pumpkin on mine.”
“That’s something I can get with.”
“Spoiled ass.” He kissed me again.
“Mommy’s punkin is pwetty.”
“Thank you, baby,” I replied and kissed the top of her head.
After October finished his pumpkin, we grabbed some apple cider and walked back home. Auburn had fallen asleep in her stroller.
“You gonna head back to my place or yours?”
“We usually go to mine. We can go to yours tonight. You got something special planned?”
“I cooked. Let me feed you, ma.”
“I’d like that, Toby.”
He reached out and grabbed my hand as we continued walking down the colorful leaf-strewn sidewalk closer to our home. The temperatures were warm, but there was a light breeze. I’d dressed in a pair of jeans, an off-the-shoulder sweater, and some loafers. October wore a simple running suit.
“I need to get home, shower, and get out of these clothes before I go to your house though.”
“Why?”
“I like looking and feeling pretty for you, October. We’ve been outside all day, and I don’t want to smell like a puppy dog.”
“Never that. Shiiid, how ’bout you let me get you out of them tight ass jeans? I swear I’ve been trying to figure out all day how you squeezed all that ass in them jeans.”
I blushed and replied, “My secret.”
“I can tell you one thing. It won’t be no secret how I get ya ass out of ’em.”
“I just hope you know what to do with all that’s contained in these jeans, baby. Don’t let a big girl fool you. I can throw it back.”
“I’m counting on that shit. Need to get into something wet and warm with this cool breeze blowing through.”
“Speaking of blowing,” I mentioned as I subjectively licked my lips.
He chuckled. “Chill ya ass out before you get fucked up on this sidewalk. I’ma prop ya ass against a tree, and you gon’ get a citation for indecent exposure. They’ll be taking Auburn down to child services for neglect.”
“Wait a minute. How does neglect play a part, sir? I would never neglect my child.”
“Neglect to hear her cries because her mother’s pussy’s about to be decimated, so you ain’t gon’ hear shit. Neglect to remember her gahdamn name. I suggest ya ass quit all that licking and shit,” he explained and pointed at my lips.
My pussy pounded so loudly between my thighs that I wondered if he could detect it from his place by my side. It had been so long since I’d had sex, and I was tired of using my toys to fulfill my needs.
He was talking real big. I only hoped that he could and would back it up. I needed to break my involuntary abstinence streak bad as hell. And I knew the perfect roughneck to break it up for me.