Chapter 17 #2
I pulled him closer and wrapped my arms around him.
He hugged me.
I felt him kiss the top of my head. I looked over at Nyrobi. She wasn't looking at us anymore. She was staring down at the table.
I smiled.
“You okay?”
Her head came up.
“Yeah.”
“You sure?”
“Girl, stop asking everybody that.”
I laughed.
“Fine.”
Ms. Juanita walked over and kissed Nyrobi on the side of her head.
“My baby having a baby.”
“Mama, don't start.”
“I can start if I want.”
“It ain't mine.”
“I know that.”
“Then stop saying it like that.”
“It's growing in my baby. I'm celebrating.”
I smiled.
“Thank you, Ms. Juanita.”
“You welcome, baby.”
Nyrobi looked between us.
“See, this what I'm talking about. Y'all done formed a team.”
“We did,” I said.
“Against me.”
“Not against you.”
“Feels like it.”
The front door flew open.
“NOBODY WAS GONNA FUCKING CALL ME?”
Nyrobi closed her eyes.
“Oh, Jesus.”
Nysheca came around the corner like she paid bills there. She had balloons. Where the hell she got balloons that fast, I didn't know.
One said IT'S A BOY.
The other said IT'S A GIRL.
I stared at them.
Nyrobi stared too.
“Nysheca.”
“What?”
“We don't know what it is.”
“Exactly.”
“So why you got both?”
“I covered all possibilities.”
Billion laughed.
Nyrobi pointed toward the balloons.
“And why the boy one blue and the girl one pink? You couldn't just get congratulations?”
“These was on sale.”
I lost it. Ms. Juanita was laughing. Even Billion was laughing now. Nysheca walked over and stared at Nyrobi's stomach.
“So you pregnant for real?”
“No. We all just lying.”
“Damn, why you gotta be smart?”
“Because you ask dumb shit.”
Nysheca reached toward Nyrobi's stomach.
Nyrobi slapped her hand.
“Don't touch me.”
“Kaizleigh got to!”
“That's her baby!”
Nysheca looked offended.
“I'm your sister.”
“Exactly. You touched me enough growing up.”
Nysheca turned to me.
“Can I touch your baby?”
I laughed.
“Ask Nyrobi.”
“I just did!”
“Then there's your answer.”
She sucked her teeth.
“Everybody acting funny.”
She sat down at the table.
“So when the baby shower?”
Nyrobi almost choked on her cereal.
“Nysheca!”
“What?”
“We just found out!”
“So? Y'all rich. We can plan early.”
“We?”
“Yes, we.”
Billion looked at me.
“That's your people.”
I pointed at Nyrobi.
“That's HER people.”
Nyrobi shook her head.
“Nah. Don't put that shit on me.”
For a little while, everything was perfect. Everyone was laughing, happy and cheerful. Exactly how finding out about a baby should've been.
I didn't think about miscarriages, blood or hospitals. I let myself have it. For once, I let myself believe my baby was coming. Billion told me not to call his father until we had another blood test. I called him before we left Nyrobi's house. I couldn't help it.
Daddy Stylez answered on the second ring.
“What happened?”
I frowned.
“Why something gotta happen?”
“Because you calling me in the middle of the day.”
“I call you all the time.”
“No, you text me.”
“Whatever.”
“What happened?”
I looked at Billion.
He shook his head.
I smiled.
“She's pregnant.”
The phone got completely silent.
I checked the phone.
“Hello?”
“When did you find out?”
“Today.”
“Confirmed?”
“Yes.”
“The clinic?”
“Yes!”
Another pause.
Then I heard him moving.
“Where Billion?”
“Right here.”
“Put me on speaker.”
I did.
“You hear me?” Billion asked.
“I hear you.”
“Don't start.”
I looked at my husband.
Daddy Stylez laughed.
“Start what?”
“You know exactly what.”
“Kaizleigh, how far along?”
“Daddy, we literally just got the positive test.”
“Good.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I have time.”
Billion rubbed his forehead.
“Here we go.”
“Time for what?” I asked.
“The trust.”
My mouth dropped.
“Daddy!”
“What?”
“We JUST found out.”
“And?”
“We haven't even had the first ultrasound.”
“And?”
Billion shook his head.
“I told you.”
Daddy Stylez kept going.
“I already have the attorney. We just need the proper documentation once everything is confirmed.”
“Dad.”
“What?”
“Calm down.”
“I am calm.”
“You talking trusts.”
“Because my grandchild will have one.”
I smiled. I couldn't help it.
“What else?” I asked.
Billion looked at me.
“Don't encourage him.”
Daddy Stylez ignored him.
“The property I told you about years ago is still sitting.”
Billion's face changed.
“What property?”
“Don't act stupid.”
I looked between the phone and Billion.
“What property?”
“Dad.”
“No. What property?”
Daddy Stylez laughed.
“I purchased property years ago with the intention of transferring it to Billion's first child.”
My mouth fell open.
“WHAT?”
“See,” Billion muttered.
“You knew about this?”
“I knew he was talking shit.”
“I don't talk shit about legacy.”
Daddy Stylez sounded offended.
I started laughing.
“You bought our baby property before we even had a baby?”
“I bought my future grandchild property.”
“That's crazy.”
“No. That's planning.”
Billion shook his head.
“Baby ain't even got a heartbeat confirmed yet and you dividing assets.”
“As I should.”
“Dad.”
“My grandchild ain't coming into this world needing a damn thing.”
That shut Billion up shit it shut me up too.
Daddy Stylez's voice changed.
“The Stylez name means something because the people before you made sure it did. I'm going to make sure that child has everything I can give while I'm here to give it.”
My eyes filled again and Billion noticed.
“See what you did?”
“What?”
“You got her crying again.”
“I ain't do nothing.”
I laughed and wiped my face.
“I'm happy.”
“Good, you deserve to be,” Daddy Stylez said.
“Thank you.”
“Now put my son back on.”
“You're on speaker.”
“Oh.”
Billion laughed.
“Old ass.”
“I heard that.”
“You were supposed to.”
“I'm calling the attorney.”
“NO,” Billion and I said together.
Daddy Stylez hung up.
I stared at the phone.
“He hung up on us.”
“Because he's calling the attorney.”
“He better not.”
“He is.”
I smiled.
“The baby has property.”
“We don't even know if the baby got arms yet.”
“Don't ruin this for me.”
“I'm just saying.”
“Our baby owns land.”
“Our embryo might eventually own land.”
I slapped his arm.
He laughed.
That night, I couldn't sleep.
Billion could.
Or at least I thought he could.
He was lying beside me with his back against the headboard while I had my phone six inches from my face reading the same message from the clinic for probably the twentieth time.
Positive.
I kept going back to that word.
It had never felt so beautiful.
“You still looking at that?”
I glanced over.
“I thought you were asleep.”
“How I'm asleep sitting up?”
“I don't know.”
He took my phone.
“Billion.”
“Go to bed.”
“Give it back.”
“You read it enough.”
“I just wanna look.”
“At what?”
“The numbers.”
“You don't know what the numbers mean.”
“The doctor explained them.”
“And then you Googled them.”
I got quiet.
He stared at me.
“Didn't you?”
“Maybe.”
“Kaizleigh.”
“I wanted to understand!”
He put my phone on his nightstand.
“No more Google.”
“You can't tell me what to do.”
“I just did.”
I rolled my eyes and slid underneath the covers. He turned the lamp off. The room went dark. I moved closer to him. Billion wrapped his arm around me automatically. That was my favorite place. Always had been. Right there against him where everything felt quieter.
I rested my hand on his chest.
“Billion?”
“What?”
“We're really having a baby.”
He didn't answer immediately.
I lifted my head.
Even in the dark, I could make out his face.
“Why you taking so long to answer?”
He pulled me closer.
“Because I'm trying not to get ahead of myself.”
“You don't believe it?”
“I believe it.”
“You happy?”
His arm tightened around me.
“Of course I'm happy.”
“Then say it.”
He kissed my forehead.
“Yeah, baby. We are.”
I smiled and laid my head back against his chest.
For once, I didn't correct myself. Didn't say if everything goes right. Didn't remind myself that it was early. Didn't think about all the ways this could still be taken from me. I just laid there listening to my husband's heartbeat, thinking about the tiny life growing inside Nyrobi.
My baby. Our baby.
The Stylez baby everybody had been waiting for.
I fell asleep smiling against the man I trusted more than anybody in this world. And for the first time in years, I wasn't afraid of what tomorrow might take from me.