Chapter 15 #2
I didn’t bother responding. There weren’t any time restrictions when it came to Ever and I. I’d never try to explain that shit to anyone, either. Whatever happened between us and whenever that shit happened was our business.
I lifted the lid on the plate that Ever had brought over.
Greens, cabbage, and baked chicken were underneath.
I placed it in the microwave before washing my hands and heading for the pantry again.
I grabbed the bag of caramel popcorn and poured it into a large bowl.
I also grabbed the cheese and caramel popcorn mix and tossed it into another bowl.
With them both in-hand, I headed to the girls.
“We found a movie. It costs dollars,” Essence told me as soon as she saw me.
“Well, I’m glad we’ve got dollars to spend. Go ahead and order it.”
“OK!”
They’d chosen a minion movie. Though I was utterly uninterested, I would watch every second of the movie with them. I hadn’t watched a kids’ movie since I was a kid. Even then, I wasn’t interested in many of them.
I sat the bowls down on the table and headed for the guest bathroom right down the hall. Before getting all up in their space, I wanted to wash their mother’s scent from my body. As much as I loved it, I found it disrespectful to Essence and Emorey.
When I returned, everyone was already laying down and ready to start the movie. I hopped over the couch and landed right beside Ever. Emorey got down and ran over to my side once she noticed me.
“Can I lay on you side?” she asked before climbing up.
Kids never respected adults’ boundaries, so seeing her restrain from what came naturally to her made my heart ache.
I knew it was because there was once a sucker in her presence that didn’t allow her in his space or possibly made her scared to even desire to be in his space.
In return, she felt the need to suppress her true desire for human touch when it was the very thing that kept kids learning and growing rapidly.
“Yes. You can lay on my side, Emorey.” I pulled her up and sat her beside me.
She leaned into my side and pulled my arm over her little body. I warmed inside as I wrapped my other arm around Ever. Essence was already laying in her lap.
I tapped the screen on my phone once my eyes had adjusted to the dark. The movie credits were rolling and everyone around me was asleep. Emorey laid in my lap, now, and Essence remained in Ever’s lap. It was just after ten but it felt like it must’ve been midnight.
The big yawn that followed a smaller one let me know I was due for a goodnight’s rest. I took a look around me and admittedly, there was no feeling in the world I’d experienced that was better than the one I was experiencing at the moment. Pure bliss was the only way to explain what I was feeling.
I thought I loved seeing Ever sleeping but seeing her and the girls resting around me was the real fucking highlight of my week. As much as I hated to wake them, I wanted everyone comfortable and in bed. Ever was the first I nudged.
“Hmmm?” She stirred in her sleep.
“Let’s get them to bed.”
The room next to mine was their destination. We’d already filled the drawers with their clothes and added the necessary items to the bathroom to make their time at my home easier. The kid toothpaste, small toothbrushes, and pink towels were small additions, but meant a great deal.
“OK. Take Emorey. I’ll get Essence.”
“You sure? Essence is heavier. We have to go upstairs.”
“You’re right.” She yawned. “Let me grab Emorey and you can grab Essence.”
She reached over me and grabbed Emorey from my lap. I slid Essence toward me and then lifted her into my arms. Ever and Emorey took off for the stairs and we followed. As Ever grew tired as we ascended, I felt the need to relieve her of Emorey, too.
“Here, let me take her, too.”
“You sure?”
“There’s enough room in my arms for them both. Go ahead to bed. I can handle them.”
“I can help.”
“I got it,” I assured her as I pulled Emorey into my arm.
“OK.”
Ever waited on the same step as I continued.
I cut on the light in the hallway before entering their room so that I could keep the light off when I laid them down.
However, I wasn’t familiar with my surroundings, so I needed to be able to see where I was going.
Once I had Emorey down, I laid Essence down next.
Neither even stirred a little. Hard ass sleepers, I concluded as I backed out of the room.
When I made it to my bedroom, Ever was already in bed underneath the covers.
I climbed in after her and pulled her closer to me.
And just as we were, we both fell into a deep sleep.
“Wake up, guys. It’s morning time.” Emorey’s little voice woke me from my sleep.
I opened my eyes to find her bouncing on the bed beside us. Essence sat at the edge, swinging her feet and looking up toward our direction. Ever’s eyes were open, but she still hadn’t said a word. It seemed as if she’d rather be sleeping than watching her toddler jump around in bed.
“It’s morning time. It’s morning time,” Emorey repeated over and over again.
It was apparent that no one was getting any more sleep. Emorey wasn’t having that shit. Essence hadn’t said much, but I could tell that she wasn’t having that shit either. The sun was up, and they were both ready to get their day started.
“Alright.” I laughed, finally realizing how my parents must’ve felt.
Emorey and Essence were my first glimpse into fatherhood, and though it had only been a few hours, I was loving the shit. Down to the squeaky voice of the little girl who refused to let anyone be.
“You get up?”
“Yes. I’m going to get up. You want some breakfast?”
“I do!” Essence yelled, raising her hand in the air.
“Me too,” Ever agreed.
“Then, let’s get washed up and go grab something to eat.”
“They’re supposed to be headed to school.”
“Unfortunately, they aren’t,” I informed Ever. “They’re taking the day off to hang with us.”
“Luca,” Ever warned. “I don’t think you’re ready for Thing One and Thing Two.”
“Then I’d better start getting ready. What better day than today?”
“I have missed them so much since they’ve been away. Maybe I need this day with them, too.”
“See.” I shrugged.
“Come on, girls. Let's get you guys dressed and your teeth brushed, and I’m going to see what I can do about these heads.” Ever touched Emorey’s brownish blonde hair and shook her head from side to side.
Essence was already at the door waiting. I’d been around them for enough hours to determine their personalities. Emorey was the outgoing one, and Essence was the chillest. I could rock with Essence. That’s exactly how I lived my life, observing instead of engaging.
The three of them disappeared, leaving me to do something with myself.
Before I began, I wanted to clear my head and have a few drags of my blunt.
I stepped out onto the balcony and lit fire to my spliff.
Channing was the most beautiful city with an undefeated skyline.
My view from the hillside allowed me to see almost 80 percent of the city from my balcony. The view was one of a kind.
I peered into the distance with the blunt to my lips.
If my life for the last week was any indication of how my life would be outside of the FEDs, then I was in love with this motherfucker already.
Not only did I have more money than I did when I went in, but I had the most beautiful soul at my side, and she came with two children that looked just like her ass.
I was winning in every realm that I considered priorities.
My family was good. Neither of them were stressed or worried about a fucking thing.
My only goal as far as they stood was releasing the guilt Lyric felt for my incarceration. By breaking those chains and releasing that hold on her, she could finally fall in love again. I wanted that for her. She was a good woman. She deserved it.
After a few puffs, I smashed the blunt into the concrete and headed inside.
I needed to shower and get myself together before the girls started to get impatient.
It was going to be a simple day, so I opted for a Nike shorts combination with a pair of black and white Ones to match.
Once my clothing was chosen, I headed for the shower.
Just as I emerged, Ever appeared in the bathroom, naked and ready for her shower as well. It took everything in me not to bend her ass over the counter and fuck her until she came, but I knew that would only cause me to have to shower again and keep the girls waiting longer.
“I just need two minutes in here, and I’ll be out.”
“Aight,” I responded, pulling my briefs over my ass.
With children present, I knew that there were some precautions I had to take to protect us all.
Like, making sure I was decent before leaving the bathroom in the event they were in my room when I exited.
And fucking Ever any and everywhere I could, would have to be cut to a minimum.
When the children were around, I’d try to limit it to spaces with doors and locks so that we could have total privacy.
By the time Ever put on her clothes and met us downstairs, we were all waiting by the door and ready to roll.
We stepped out as a unit, the girls in some of the new pieces I’d bought them and Ever looking as fly as ever in the gray two-piece short set that matched mine.
She wore slides to match. I imagined her wobbling beside me in a few short months as she carried my seed everywhere we went until I could hold him in my arms myself. Even the thought got me excited.
“The truck is this way,” she redirected me, but I still managed to pull her in the opposite direction.
“I got something to show you right quick.”