Aldrich #2
“I’m proud of you, Aldrich. Life threw so much at you and despite feeling out of control you’ve been taking the steps you need to in order to ensure everyone is looked after. And I’m glad you’re also including you in that even in a small way. Your dad would be proud.”
She knew what to say to give me the battery in my back to hold my head up.
I was never a man afraid to show emotions.
My pops always told me there was always a reason to smile and God gave us emotions with names so why not show them?
He instilled in me being able to put voice to how I was feeling so I didn’t turn out to be a man that just went straight to anger because it was the only safe emotion men could feel.
Her words had me fighting back tears because if they started I wouldn’t stop for a minute.
“I appreciate hearing that, Ma. When I pray tonight I’ll have to ask him if you’re right just to get confirmation.”
“You think your daddy is gonna disagree with me even in death? Pfft, you’re not the only one that talks to him and ghost or not I will cuss him clean out.”
I bust out laughing because Sonya wasn’t joking at all. My daddy was the man of the house but he didn’t let that shit make him impossible to live with. He and my mama were a team and I always knew I wanted to find that for myself one day.
You could have that with Sterling.
I shook off the voice whispering in my ear not wanting to listen to it. Right now I wasn’t about to entertain anyone, especially not someone close to my daughter. No matter how fine her ass was.
“You right. I’ll take your word for it and thank him again for knocking you up and making you my mama.”
She sighed but I knew it was the playfully annoyed sound when I was getting on her nerves. “I swear you were given too much attention growing up. We should’ve had your brother and sister sooner.”
“Yeah well you didn’t so all that only child-ism stuck. My job doesn’t help much either.”
She laughed and then, when I glanced up toward the house I thought I saw the blinds in the dining room shift.
“You’re right. That big-ass head of yours is only getting bigger with each season. Just remember, mijo, the same people talking all this noise right now will be clamoring to shower you with praise in a few months. Continue to be you and they won’t help but sing your praises.”
“I hear you, ma. But listen, I need to get inside. I've been out here so long I think Sterling is worried I’m paparazzi or something.”
“No, she’s not. I texted her and let her know it was you in case she couldn’t tell.”
“Always got my back don’t you, Sonya?” I might have been mildly spoiled, but I appreciated how my mother looked out for me.
“I do. In more ways than you’ll ever know, mijo. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mama.” I hung with my mama with a grin on my face and felt like I was on top of the world.
I hit the garage opener and watched the door raise with more confidence than I’d previously had.
This conversation wasn’t going to be easy but it was necessary.
I pulled my truck into the first garage bay that was attached to the house.
My truck was among the first purchases I made with my NIL money.
It hadn’t been nearly as lucrative then as it was now for players but I was smart with what I had.
I had been driving the same truck for the last four years while guys in the league were getting new leases every two.
Despite having a good salary, I didn’t purchase a second car until the endorsement money rolled in.
The best advice I’d been given was to live off that money and keep my salary for emergencies only.
The last thing I wanted to be was a broke man unable to live comfortably because I spent my money on stupid shit.
I had my fun, but I also was smart enough to know I had better things to spend my money on.
Besides ensuring my mother, brother and sister were good, I had an additional reason to be as frugal as I could be.
If Ami and any other children I might have one day didn’t inherit enough money for their great-grandkids to be straight, I failed as a father.
I grabbed the bags that were sitting on the passenger seat and slid out of the car with a smile on my face.
Hitting the fob that was near the entrance to the house, I put the door down and then pressed the code to get into the house.
The only people who had this code were Sterling and me.
The idea of keys didn’t seem as secure to me and when I requested the best security system, Jacoby put me on to the one he had set up at his house.
He said a friend of his designed it and the dude was a genius so I was more than happy to pay the price.
It was crazy how Jacoby and Billy always had a friend who did some shit but judging by the circles they ran in, I shouldn’t have been surprised.
“Where y’all at?” I called out into the house as I put my keys on the hook by the door. Since I wasn’t sure if Ami was napping because of the time of day, I didn’t want to be too loud and wake her up.
“Back here!”
Hearing Sterling’s voice coming from the hall near her bedroom I took a left through the room off the kitchen and headed that way.
My shoes had been kicked off at the door and I made a mental note to grab them and put them away later.
Sterling made it clear that shoes in the house were a no since Ami was going to spend so much of her time near the floor.
Keeping it as clean as possible was key.
I glanced in their rooms as I walked by and found them empty so the only other place they could be was the den.
I thought it was cute that Sterling had set this spot up as a play area for Ami.
I couldn’t wait to get the kid-sized chair I’d seen when I was looking for baby furniture and get her name put on it.
I’d already plotted on putting a big ass dollhouse for her in the corner and getting a cushion for the window seat for when she learned to read.
I almost tripped when I realized that despite how things were, I’d made my plans for my daughter subconsciously.
I’d have to talk to Doc about what that meant in the long run, but I felt good realizing it.
Maybe I was making my pops proud for real.
As I stepped into the den, I saw that Sterling was reading Ami a book as she sat in her baby seat.
This was the type of care that money didn’t buy.
I was sure that most nannies didn’t read to their nine week old charges but Sterling was doing it like this was a part of their routine. Something else I gotta copy.
When she finished the book, she swung her legs around from where she sat on the floor and glanced between my face and the bags I held.
I knew I was supposed to be focused on giving her this stuff but her face had me stuck.
Sterling was just…pretty as shit. It had to be that dip in her chin that made her look so untainted by the bullshit of the world.
I hated the word innocent cause that was a word associated with kids and I felt like grown ass men started using it on purpose to describe women.
Sterling wasn’t innocent, she was wholesome.
Adorable and pretty as hell in a damn I wanna make her smile kinda way.
Give her the bag then stupid.
For once, I listened to the voice in my head and walked toward her, holding out the bag that held her gift. “I wanted to tell you that I was sorry again. The words didn’t seem like enough so I swung by and picked something up for you.”
I held out the box to her and she eyed it before looking back up at me.
“What is this?” Her pretty round browns were narrowed and she watched the bag in my hand like a snake was going to pop out of it.
“I’m apologizing.” I held it closer to her and she moved back slightly. Well, damn.
Her arms folded over her chest, and I was wondering how I fucked up now. “Okay you did that, but what is this?” She pointed to the bag, its presence offended her and I almost pulled it back.
“A gift.”
“You’re…you’re buying me something to apologize?” The way her top lip curled I knew I should toss this shit into the pool out back and get it out of her sight but now I was curious.
“Well…yeah why is that a problem?”
“I don’t want a gift that just means you think you can buy forgiveness.”
“Hold up. I’m not even sure how we got here. I don’t need to buy forgiveness for anything. I apologized, I fucked up and now I’m coming with a peace offering.”
She pulled her hair out of the bun she’d had it in and I got distracted watching it cascade down her back.
She raked her fingers through her hair at her temples like she suddenly had a headache and I caused it.
“What do you mean a peace offering? You know what I would prefer over whatever is in this box?”
Now I stood up fully, not offended but realizing this wasn’t something she was going to accept. “No, what?”
“I want you to figure out what is wrong. That’s the best gift you can give me — yourself and Ami. Whatever is in that box is something that you want to give me to make this blow over, but you were disrespectful and ungrateful—”
“I didn’t ask you to—”
“You didn’t have to ask me to do anything. I’m not the type of person who sees someone in need and ignores them. If I were, I doubt you’d have me here with your daughter.” Sterling’s brows rose like she dared me to challenge her words but I couldn’t.
“You’re right.”
“Like I was saying, You have everything at your disposal to be the person who you want to. Time, money and access. That’s more than many people get in this world.
If you want to squander it because you’re being stubborn there’s nothing I can do about that.
But please don’t think that you’re going to buy me.
That’s something we need to make apparent right now.
I’m always going to look out for people because that’s the type of person I am.
You need help and I’m sure you have a way to get it.
But thinking something material is going to undo a harm that you’ve caused will never be the way we’re cool. ”
“What nigga fucked up and kept buying you gifts to think it was going to make everything better?” I’d asked only half joking but with the way her face got tight I realized I’d hit that shit on the money.
“My father.”
My stomach dropped because that was the second time a playful question had gotten a serious answer. “Gotdamn, Sterling, I didn’t even mean to—”
Her hand went up and my mouth shut because she had that maternal authority down pat.
“Don’t. You didn’t know and we’re not going to fall out over that.
Just don’t ever disrespect me again or call me out of my name and we’ll be good.
If you do, I’m done. That was the only chance you’ll ever get. Understood?”
The thought of her not being here when I got home and having to acclimate someone else to Ami had every fiber of my being set on edge. Sterling was synonymous with peace of mind and spirit so her not being a part of our lives set me on edge.
“You’ll never have to worry about me disrespecting you in any way ever again. You mean too much to me, to us, for that to happen. You got my word on that, Ling.”