Chapter 25 #2
His hands slid down my back and rested on my hips while I wrapped my arms around his neck, and after a few minutes of that he guided me toward the couch without breakin’ the kiss.
We ain’t even make it all the way laid out properly before we ended up knockin’ out.
One minute we was talkin’ about random stuff and laughin’ and the next minute we was both dead asleep right there in the middle of the afternoon like two people who hadn’t slept good in weeks.
And when I say we was sleepin’, I mean we was out. It was that good type of nap where you wake up confused about what day it is.
At some point I opened my eyes and realized the sun had moved across the room and the TV was still playin’ low in the background. My head was laid across Kay’Lo’s arm and his other hand was still restin’ on my stomach.
I pushed myself up a lil’ and looked down at him. Hewas sleepin’ so hard his mouth was open and his chest was risin’ slow like he was in the deepest sleep of his life.
When I moved my head his eyes cracked open and he looked at me for a second before squintin’ like the light from the TV bothered him.
We took a long shower together and by the time we came back down the house felt calm again.
Kay’Lo had on some royal blue silk pajamas, and the shirt was open so his chest was out the way it always is when he wear those. I had slipped into one of my long gowns that hugged my body and showed my stomach.
Every time I walked past him, his eyes followed me.
After a while he went into the kitchen and started pullin’ stuff out the fridge.
Kay’Lo didn’t cook, and he’d tell you that himself. But one thing he could make was a good salad.
He grabbed a huge bowl and started buildin’ it like he was puttin’ together some masterpiece.
First he chopped up fresh romaine and baby spinach, then he added sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, red onion, avocado chunks, and roasted corn.
Then he tossed in quinoa and a lil’ bit of farro along with sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and crumbled feta cheese.
I leaned against the counter watchin’ him while he worked.
“Look at you,” I said.
“Gotta feed my babies,” he replied without lookin’ up.
After that he grabbed two dressings from the fridge and drizzled them over the top, a lil’ balsamic vinaigrette and a honey mustard blend he always used, and then he mixed everything together until the bowl was big enough for both of us to share.
We carried it back to the couch and turned the TV on.
Kay’Lo sat beside me with the bowl in his lap and the fork in his hand, and every couple bites he would lift the fork toward me so I could take one too.
Sometimes he ate first and then turned around and gave me the next bite.
Sometimes he fed me first and then took the next one himself.
And every now and then he leaned over and kissed me like he couldn’t help himself.
When the bowl was finally empty, we both leaned back into the couch again, and Kay’Lo shifted until he was stretched out with the side of his face restin’ against my stomach.
One of his hands slid over my stomach while the other rested on my leg, and I started rubbin’ the top of his head while we watched whatever show was playin’ on the TV.
Every now and then he leaned down and kissed my stomach, not sayin’ much.
Then I felt a little thump under my skin.
Kay’Lo froze.
He lifted his head slow and looked straight at me like he was tryna figure out if that really happened.
Before either one of us could say somethin’, My’Love kicked again right under his hand.
His eyebrows shot up so fast it made me start laughin’.
Kay’Lo looked down at my stomach and then back up at me like his brain needed a second to catch up.
His eyes was wide and glossy, not like he was about to cry but like he couldn’t believe what he just felt.
His lips pressed together in this tight smile and his cheeks lifted while he stared at me like he was amused and shocked at the same time.
Then another little movement brushed against his palm.
He shook his head and laughed under his breath before droppin’ his forehead against my stomach.
“Yo’ ass don’t even know what to say,” I teased.
He looked up again and smiled before leanin’ down and kissin’ my belly over and over like he had been waitin’ his whole life for this moment.
“A’ight lil mama,” he murmured into it. “So, you finally decided to show me some love.”
My stomach moved again and Kay’Lo started grinnin’.
“Oh, now you active,” he said, rubbin’ my belly with both hands. “You been playin’ with me this whole time.”
Then there was another kick.
He laughed and kissed my stomach again.
“Yeah, I feel you ‘Lo’Lo. You ain’t actin’ shy no more. You hear yo’ daddy talkin’ to you.”
I was watchin’ him with the biggest smile on my face ‘cause the look on his face was priceless.
He kept talkin’ to her like they was already havin’ a whole conversation, and every time she moved his eyes lit up like he had just discovered somethin’ amazing.
“Yeah, you strong too,” he murmured, rubbin’ slow circles over my belly. “That’s good.”
My heart felt so full in that moment I ain’t even know what to do with it.
After a while he slid back up the couch until we was both layin’ on our sides facin’ each other.
I placed my palm against the side of his face, and he leaned into it before kissin’ me slow.
“I love you,” he said low.
“I love you too.”
He kissed my cheek, then my lips, then the side of my neck while pullin’ me closer until our legs tangled together.
And we stayed like this for a long time on the couch, just holdin’ each other while his hand rested over my stomach like he ain’t wanna miss another one of his daughter’s kicks.