Chapter 6
A Moment Held
Me: You ready to quit yet?
Thyri: Lol. Why would I be ready to do that?
Me: Cause I know my son bad as hell. That’s why my mama don’t wanna watch him no more. She say he wear her edges thin.
Thyri: well, he’s been good with me. We read two books, played blocks, and now we’re just talking. He’s doing most of the talking though, and I’m just trying my best to put everything together. I think I’m doing a good job, by the way.
Me: Lmao. Oh, he puttin’ on a show.
Thyri: Well, I did set the rules up front. We haven’t had any issues… yet. If he get to cuttin’ up, I’ll make sure I’m outside of the cameras.
Me: They won’t find your body. I’ll let you get back to your duties.
Itexted Thyri’s phone after a few hours to check in on EJ, and it seemed that they were getting along well.
My mother had returned my call, letting me know she wouldn’t be able to make it.
When I told her that Thyri had it handled, she was shocked that I’d left her alone on her first day.
Once she was over the shock of it all, she commended me for stepping out of my comfort zone. It was a big step too.
“So, what you think we should tell the family?” Aura asked, staring straight ahead.
We were parked outside of an industrial building in Long Island.
What I thought was going to be a quick in and out hit turned out to be a meeting/interrogation to determine if a hit was necessary.
It was a sensitive matter that Aura could’ve handled solo, but he needed a second opinion.
Someone under the Sullivan umbrella had attempted to go rogue right under our noses with hopes that they could fly under the radar while doing so.
We valued family, both close and distant.
So, to have one of our own go against the grain was a hard pill to swallow.
Having to put them down because of it was too… at least it was for Aura.
“You don’t have to tell the family shit. The only person you owe an explanation is your sister. It’s her nigga laying in there with his brain matter on the ground.”
“I really don’t owe her shit either. I might yoke her ass up for even bringing this nigga in my presence. How you gon’ try to do your own shit under my shit?”
“I can’t answer that question for you. I don’t partake in ho ass nigga thoughts.
” My phone chimed in my lap. It was a text from two of my cleaners.
“The girls are pulling up now. I trust that they’ll have everything done in two hours at the most. They’ll wrap the body, but you gotta do the disposal. ”
“Why you telling me like you not gon’ be here to see to it that they do?”
“Cause I’m not. I don’t do clean up. I put the bullets in niggas.” Stepping out his car, I paused. “Besides, I gotta get back to the crib. I got a nanny I gotta relieve, remember?”
“Forgot all about that shit. Aight, cool. Yo, don’t forget we’re doing that Secret Santa shit this year for the Christmas party. And don’t act like you don’t know nothing bout it, nigga. Kyiris said she went to your house and had you pick your person.”
I chuckled at him calling me out before I could lie. “And you know what’s crazy? I picked her ass. I can’t wait to get her some shit from the Dollar General just for putting my business out there.”
He laughed, slapping his hands together. “Do it. You know how that girl feel about Christmas. She might spazz on yo’ ass. But the party is at the diner this year. I paid to have it all decked out.”
“Aight, cool. Hit me if you need me before then. Love.”
“Love.”
I hopped back in my car and made the hour and a half trip back home.
I thought about calling Thyri to let her know that I was en route but decided against it.
I didn’t want her to think that I was monitoring her.
As I drove with Meek Mills’ latest EP playing low, my phone rang in the center console.
Thinking it was Thyri calling, I reached for it.
It wasn’t Thyri. The words Private Caller danced across the screen, and I let the call go to voicemail.
I thought for sure that the person on the other end had the wrong number, but the phone rang again a few minutes later. This time, I answered.
“Fuck is this?” My greeting was anything but pleasant.
“Hey, Enzo.” The voice on the other end came through, and I could feel the anger building up inside of me that I tried to suppress daily. “You there?”
“Why you callin’ me, Kennedy?” I asked EJ’s egg donor whose voice I hadn’t heard in two years but could make out in a room full of people.
“How you been?” She acted like we were old friends from high school who happened to bump into each other in the mall.
Crazy to me because the last I checked, we were parents of a child she abandoned.
“Kennedy, don’t make me disrespect you. State your business.”
There was an awkward silence before she responded. “I wa… Listen, I didn’t call to fight with you or tie your line up. I’m calling about EJ. How is he doing?”
“Did it hurt, Kennedy?”
“What? Did what hurt?”
“When you bumped your fuckin’ head before dialing my number. Or maybe somebody pushed you to do it. Cause you ain’t checked on my son in two years.”
Hearing her sigh heavily, I found myself getting even more pissed off.
“I’m calling because my husband thought it would be nice if EJ spent Christmas Eve with us. We’re doing a holiday photoshoot with our son and our parents. It’ll be a great time for him to meet his little brother and the rest of the family.”
I laughed, but the tone of my laughter was humorless. “It gotta be coke,” I let out. “Let me make sure I’m hearing you correctly. This was your husband’s idea to reach out to your son for the holidays? Cause fuck his birthday that was a few months ago, huh? My bad, the last two birthdays.”
“Enzo…”
“Nah,” I cut her off. “You and yo’ family not bout to use MY fuckin’ son as a photo op, so y’all can portray the perfect family. Your nigga clearly don’t know who the fuck I am, but it would do you well to educate him.”
“That’s not fair, Enzo,” she said weakly. “I’m his mother. I have just as much right to Enzo Jr. as you do.”
“You left your rights at the hospital on September 8th, 2023. Elephants, grizzly bears, cheetahs, wolf spiders, dolphins, and honey badgers are mothers. You, Kennedy, are an egg donor. You gotta know the difference.”
“I’m just try…”
“That’s the shit I’m talking’ bout! You don’t get to ‘try’ at your convenience. You don’t get to ‘try’ at EJ’s expense.” I couldn’t believe that I was on the phone that I paid for arguing with this silly ho. This shit wasn’t P at all.
“At my convenience? How about you can’t string a woman on for two years, making her think you were building something, and then decide we’re not at your convenience! You abandoned me, Enzo,” she cried out.
“And you abandoned my son. Only difference is, I’ll be around to wipe his tears when he realizes it. I could give a fuck about yours. Fuck off my phone.” Ending the call, I picked up my phone to block her number. She had me .38 hot.
I hoped that it was the last I heard from Kennedy. If she knew like I knew, she’d play in traffic before playing with me about EJ. After tonight, it seemed like I might have to remind her of that.
I pulled into my driveway, jaw tight, my mind replaying the conversation with Kennedy – if I could even call it that.
The anger I felt wasn’t just because she abandoned EJ, but also because she felt that another child deserved her presence more than her first born, like my boy wasn’t good enough to stay.
Some shit was just unforgiveable. This was one of those things.
Entering the house, I expected it to be quiet due to how late it was.
What I didn’t expect was the peace that came over me once I came in.
It was like my anger had dissipated, and my jawline relaxed immediately.
The silence was different. Settled. Almost as if it had been awaiting my arrival to partake in the stillness.
Taking my boots and coat off at the door, I walked farther into the house and froze at the sight before me.
Thyri sat upright, asleep with her read rested on the cushion.
On her lap, EJ lay stretched out, fast asleep, with his mouth slightly open.
Her hand rested on his back protectively, as if this were how they normally slept.
It was a Kodak moment, only it would have been odd for me to snap a picture of my son asleep with his new nanny.
As I stood there, watching, the contrast of what Kennedy refused to give my son versus what a stranger was willing to offer blew my fucking mind. Moving carefully, I went to lift EJ from her lap, and her eyes popped open – alert and protective.
“It’s me. Y’all good,” I said gently, my words matching her demeanor.
The recognition set in, as she blinked slowly. “Oh, shit,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” Still holding onto EJ, she sat up straight.
“You good. Let me put him in bed real quick.” Careful not to wake him, I lifted EJ from her lap.
“Okay.”
EJ’s room was cleaner than I’d left it earlier.
The toy cars and wrestling figures that littered the floor were put away, and his mini library was organized by book size.
I nodded my appreciation while tucking him in.
Pulling the comforter over his little body, I dimmed the light and headed back out front.
Back in the living room, I caught Thyri mid-stretch.
The sweater she had on lifted just enough to expose her small back.
Shit looked soft as hell. I could see the remnants of stretch marks that had faded away over time on her brown skin.
It was sexy, real woman shit that I admired.
Not in a lust filled, “I wanna fuck you” kinda way but in appreciation of her motherhood.
Dropping her hands, she turned slowly, and we locked eyes. She tilted her head to the side a little, and her mouth formed a sly grin, like she’d caught me staring.
“Everything okay?”