Chapter 7
Hudson
During moments of extreme transition, rest tends to become uneasy.
My decision to stay here in Millers Point wasn’t only dependent on Greene, though she was part of my deciding factor.
The truth of the matter was, I liked who I was and how I felt being here.
I liked the sense of family and the idea that being here wasn’t because these people wanted things from me.
Shit was kind of weird, but the more I was here, the more I felt like I belonged.
Even though there was a slight slowness here, it was necessary in order to not get caught up in chasing a moment that had already passed.
Life here wasn’t lonely and unfulfilling, and I couldn’t see it ever becoming that.
Because here I had people who actually gave a fuck without me having to fund their lifestyles or be what ensured their direct deposit.
I slowly peeled Greene’s body from mine, sure to not wake her, as I needed to make a call before she and lil homie woke up.
“Where are you going?” Her sleep-laced voice caught me before I could exit her bedroom.
“To make a call. Go back to sleep; I’ll be right back.”
“Mhmm,” she moaned before balling up and resuming the light snoring she had been doing before I got up.
Moving toward the kitchen, I scrolled through my phone for Perry’s contact.
When I found it, I clicked it and mashed the phone against my face, taking in the sea of children’s art that lined Greene’s refrigerator.
It was then that my eyes landed on a check for twenty thousand dollars addressed to Greene with a notecard pinned above it.
From what it said, I could tell it was probably from that nigga.
I shook my head, feeling heat rise to the top of my head.
This was typical nigga shit when a woman didn’t stick around.
Nine times out of ten he was trying to reel her back in, not giving a damn about his kid.
Perry finally answered with concern etched in her tone.
“Hudson, it’s late. Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Then what’s up? First you drop off the face of the earth and have these people calling me like you died. Now you’re calling me in the middle of the night. Something has to be wro—”
“Nothing is wrong. And you always know where I am, Perry. It was up to you to tell them or not.”
She laughed. “They didn’t need to know. You said you needed time, and given all you’ve been through, you deserved that much.
Now I know you didn’t call to ask an old woman how she’s doing.
Tell me what you need, Hudson.” Though my mother wasn’t shit, she had made one good decision when I was too young to make it myself and had gotten into some trouble.
My mother hired Perry to represent me and she had been doing it ever since, even though she was halfway across the world.
“I want you to do what we talked about before I left.”
There was a brief silence on the line before she spoke again. “Are you sure? Because once we do this, there is no turning back.”
I nodded as if she could see me. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I’m where I should be. Now I want all that I’m owed behind that bullshit.”
“Okay, and if it matters, you sound better.”
“Thank you, I feel it.”
“I’ll get to working on the paperwork first thing in the morning. Hopefully they settle and don’t try to take this to court.”
“They should.” Footsteps behind me made me turn around. As angelic as the moment when I first laid eyes on her, Greene stood in the doorway, her robe tied tightly around her waist as if I hadn’t already seen every inch of her. “But, aight Perry, hit me up if you need anything leading up to that.”
“I will.”
We hung up and I slid my phone into the pocket of my shorts then leaned back against the counter.
“Are you okay?” She was in front of me seconds later, too much space between us for my liking.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
She shrugged. “I was thinking, you said you were tired of people always wanting something from you, right?”
I nodded, not knowing where she was going with this.
“Then this may not be a good idea, you staying here in Millers Pointe.”
“Why not?” Now I was extremely confused.
“Because I may fall into the category of somebody who wants and expects something from you.”
I just looked at her, about to respond, but she held her finger up for me to wait.
“I want all of you, Hudson, and I expect you to give me that.”
I smiled so fucking hard my cheeks hurt. “That shit was corny as hell, Greene with an e.”
“It has your big ass smiling, doesn’t it?”
A quick kiss later, she was moving toward the fridge. “Now do me a favor and take a bite of this cookie.” She held it over her back for me to take.
I laughed because those were the cookies Ethan had baked for Santa after we finished decorating. I accepted the cookie, took two bites, and the motherfucker was gone. Damn.
When she finished setting up, she came back for the cookie, which was already swallowed. When I shrugged, she mugged me slightly before walking back to grab another cookie from the microwave. This time, instead of asking me to take a bite, she broke a piece off. I chuckled.
After she finished setting up the toys and things under the piss poor ass tree I had cracked several jokes about, she settled in next to me on the couch. For a while we just sat there, both in our own heads.
“What do you want for Christmas, baby girl?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head.
“Gotta be something.”
“Nothing at all. I’m quite content right now.”
“Yeah, aight. Tell me something though.”
Those slightly slanted eyes of hers were on me seconds later. “Anything?”
“Has ol’ boy tried to contact you besides the chump change ass check he sent in there?” I threw my head in the direction of the kitchen.
She shrugged. “I wouldn’t know for sure. When I left Arizona, I changed my number. I mean, my address hasn’t changed, and it’s technically public, but not by any other means that I know of.”
I nodded. I was about to respond, but a knock at the door happened at the exact same time my phone began to vibrate in my pocket.
She got up to get the door while I pulled my phone out to see why it was vibrating.
To my shock, the moment I looked at the phone I saw an incoming call from my pops.
That made me look at the time, because what the hell was he doing up?
It was five in the morning, so not nearly as late as I assumed it was, but instead early as hell.
“Yeah, Pops?”
“What did you do to have that lady cursing me out at the top of the morning on Christmas?”
I laughed because I knew exactly who he was talking about. My mother.
“Don’t laugh, that shit isn’t funny. Got her calling me ’bout your adult ass.”
I shook my head. “Ain’t buy her nothing for Christmas. I’ma ship her ass a crockpot.”
Now it was his turn to laugh. “And have her toss that shit upside your head when she lays eyes on you? Yeah, you’re on your own with that, son.
I’m not even married to the woman anymore and she calls me.
” He sighed. My father and I had long ago spoken about my mother and her ways.
Crazy enough, by him being so laid back, he just let her do whatever.
But when she realized she’d rarely get a reaction out of him, that’s when she decided to leave and take me. That warranted her a reaction.
He went on for a while longer before ultimately telling me he’d see me at the Jubilee and hanging up to, as he said, go see a woman about a shot. I didn’t know what that meant, but I guess I’d see later.
Greene reentered the living room a few seconds later with a goofy smirk on her face. She wasn’t alone, with her was shorty from Guuds the other night, and she had a big ass smile on her face. This was her sister, I could tell by the similar features.
“Hudson, this is my sister, Raev. Raev, this is Hudson.”
“Damn, you’re fine up close. Sorry sis, but damn.” Raev was definitely the funny, more extroverted of the two.
I chuckled, watching Greene shoot daggers at her sister with her eyes.
“It’s nice to meet you too.”
“I definitely summoned that Christmas miracle for you, ’cause damn.
They don’t walk into the Pointe looking like him and stay.
” She then shook her head. “Anyways, I came to see if my nephew was awake, but I see the adults are playing. Call me when he gets up and you’re about to take him to meet his new bestie. ”
“Will do. Now go get some sleep, because I just know you haven’t had any.”
Raev laughed and turned to leave. “Alright then, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, enjoy the rest of your morning. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
My eyes lived on Greene’s thick beautiful frame, completely enthralled with everything about this woman from the moment I spotted her in Guuds. The sound of the door closing snapped me out of my thoughts.
“What are you thinking about, Hudson?” Greene asked.
“How I wouldn’t mind being Mr. Claus for you and lil man, baby.”
She giggled, finding her way into my lap. “That doesn’t sound half bad, but I don’t want you to feel obligated.”
I shook my head, gripping her neck and pulling her face closer to mine. “No such thing. I know this shit is happening fast, but on my life, I mean everything I say.”
She agreed before tears slowly slipped from her eyes. “I hear everything you’re saying and I believe you. I’m just not used to this, to anybo—”
“Then get used to it, Greene. I meant what I said. I’m not going anywhere. I’m standing ten toes here with you and Ethan. I’on know ’bout the mini cow though, ’cause that shit is creepy as fuck, but I’m here, baby.”