Chapter 9
“Knox just asked us to meet him at Nyomi’s,” I told Stokely.
He’d come home for my party and would be here for two more days before returning to Texas.
“Did he say why?” he asked.
“No. If you don’t want to come, I can tell him you were busy.”
“I’ll come, but I know he ain’t proposing, because that hasn’t been cleared yet.”
“Cleared? By who?”
“Your one and only son. Who else?”
“Umm, excuse me. I think it may be more important for him to ask my daddy.”
“Oh. I forgot about granddad. I guess Knox will have to go through two people before he can pop the question. Either way, whatever this is, it ain’t that.”
“I never thought it was. Are you coming with me or not?”
“I’m too nosy to decline, Ma. Did it sound serious?”
I didn’t respond until we were in my car and backing out of the garage.
“It did, but he told me there was nothing I needed to worry about.”
“Did you call Titi Nyomi?”
“As soon as I ended his call, and she has no idea what this is about. Apparently, his parents are meeting us there too. I’m trying not to be nervous, but it’s a little hard not to be.”
“He said not to worry, so listen to him.”
“I’m trying. How is your internship going?” I asked, hoping the conversation would distract me.
“It’s fine. I wish they would let me do more, but considering this ain’t a paid internship, I’m good.”
“Have you thought anymore about getting your masters?”
He sighed. “I have, but I’ll probably come home and go to BEU. They have a great program.”
“I’m surprised to hear you say that since you’re always talking about me cramping your style.”
“Yeah. We should talk about that. I’ll be twenty-two. Can you loosen up on the rules a bit?”
“Stokely, I barely fuss at you about your comings and goings when you visit, but you can’t be coming in my house at all hours of the night.”
“What about overnight company?”
“Boy, you’ve clearly lost your mind.”
“If Knox can spend the night, I should be able to have a girl stay over on occasion. Times have changed, Ma.”
“Times ain’t changed that damn much.”
“I can’t afford to live on my own and pay for grad school.”
“That’s true, and you’re more than welcome to come home, Son. Let’s table this conversation for now. Once you decide what you want to do for sure, we’ll discuss more.”
“Bet. Maybe I’ll talk to Knox, and he’ll convince you to loosen up a bit.”
“Knox ain’t running nothing in my house, but it doesn’t hurt to try.”
We arrived at Nyomi and Kilo’s house, and I noticed Knox pacing the driveway. Stokely and I got out, and he went inside, while I went to Knox.
Before I could greet him, he pulled me into his arms. I could feel the weight of whatever was bothering him in his embrace, and I remained in his arms until he was ready to release me.
“You’re scaring me. Are you okay?”
“Physically, I’m good, but I found out something today that fucked me up.”
“Maybe talking about it will help. Let’s go inside.”
“Not yet. I want to tell you first.”
“Okay. Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Walk with me.”
He took my hand, and we walked down the driveway to the sidewalk. We turned to the right, putting him closest to the street, and continued down the block. A minute passed before he finally spoke.
“I have a five-year-old daughter,” he finally said.
I didn’t speak immediately, giving myself a moment to process his words.
“I’m guessing there is more to this story?” I eventually said.
“The ex-fiancée I told you about a couple of weeks ago showed up at my office today with a little girl she says is mine.”
“And you believe her?”
“She has my whole face, but the DNA test is tomorrow.”
“Good. Why did she wait five years to tell you?”
“She confirmed my suspicions about her cheating on me with the man she ended up marrying. He thought he was the father until she broke the news during their divorce proceedings when he filed for full custody.”
“Wow.”
“My thoughts exactly. Anyway, she got nothing in the divorce, which led her back to me.”
“Damn, baby. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how fucked up this situation is.”
“I haven’t seen, talked to, or thought about Olivia in years until I told you about her a few weeks ago.
What’s crazier is my mother brought her up when we went to lunch today, and a few hours later, she knocked on my office door telling me that her and my daughter needed my help. This is some wild shit, baby.”
“It is. Where are they now?” I asked.
“I got them a room at Black Elm Suites for a few days. Once I get the DNA results . . . shit, I don’t have a plan.”
“You just found out, baby. You don’t have to figure it all out tonight.”
“Are you cool with me having a daughter?”
“I have a son, Knox. Why wouldn’t I be cool with you having a daughter?”
“Stokely is grown, baby, and you’ve only recently embraced the idea of having another child. I’m sure you weren’t thinking it would be a five-year-old.”
“Baby, slow down. Let’s take this one day at a time. Once you establish paternity, you can go to court and file for joint cust—”
He began shaking his head. “I want full custody, but I know I can’t do this alone.”
“Full custody? You want to take her from her mother?”
“Olivia doesn’t have a job or a place to live. Plus, she kept her from me for five years. Am I supposed to just let my daughter live on the streets?”
“No, of course not. Full custody makes sense. Let’s get back to the house. I’m sure everyone wants to know what’s going on.”
“I knew she couldn’t be trusted,” Mrs. St. Patrick said, obviously upset.
“I don’t know how you're so calm right now,” Kilo commented.
“In these kinds of situations, cooler heads prevail. What are you planning to do, Son?” Mr. St. Patrick asked.
Knox had just told everyone the news, and as expected, they were shocked.
“Do you think Olivia has an ulterior motive?” Nyomi asked.
“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Mrs. St. Patrick muttered.
“Her motives don’t matter. If the DNA test proves Knixon is mine, I’m filing for full custody.”
“She named her Knixon, and that other nigga still thought she was his kid?” Kilo questioned with a chuckle.
“Kilo, this is no laughing matter,” his mother scolded.
“My bad, Ma,” Kilo responded.
“Full custody is a tall order, Son, but I’m proud of you being so eager to take care of your responsibilities if she turns out to be yours,” Mr. St. Patrick said.
“Coming from someone whose father wanted nothing to do with me, this is great to see. I say go for it,” Nyeem added, lightening the mood.
“I second that for similar reasons,” Stokely agreed.
“Skye, you’re awfully quiet. How do you feel about all this?” Mrs. St. Patrick asked.
“I’m as shocked as everyone else and here to support Knox in whatever way he needs.”
“Even as a full-time stepmother?” She continued.
I looked at Knox, and he already had his eyes on me.
“Yes, ma’am. Even as a full-time stepmother.”
Knox’s phone rang, grabbing everyone’s attention. I caught a glimpse of his screen before he answered, and it was an unsaved number.
“This is Knox.” Pause. “What do you need, Olivia?” Pause. “No. I told you I’d be there tomorrow to pick y’all up for our appointment.” Pause. “Black Elm Suites is not a cheap hotel.” Pause. “I don’t care what you’re used to. I’m not paying for you to stay anywhere else.”
He ended the call, understandably annoyed. The silence was loud until he spoke again.
“She’s gonna be a problem.”
Mrs. St. Patrick and Kilo didn’t hesitate to agree with him, while Mr. St Patrick kept his comments to himself. We discussed the situation a bit longer before those who didn’t live there headed home.
“Why don’t you let Stokely take your car home, and you come home with me?” Knox asked before we reached my car.
“Are you sure? I’ll understand if you want to be alone. Today has been a lot to process.”
“It has, but that has nothing to do with me ending my night with the woman I love.”
He said that word again. The word he said at my birthday party. The word we hadn’t discussed. The word he hadn’t said again until now.
“Okay. I’ll come home with you. Let me tell Stokely.”
“I already told him, but he needs your keys.”
I looked toward my car, and my son was standing on the driver’s side, looking at us.
“Toss me your keys, Ma. I’ll see you in the morning.”
I shook my head at the two men in my life, making plans for me without my input. When I found my keys at the bottom of my purse, I gave them to Knox, who tossed them to Stokely.
“Don’t you have that lil hot ass girl I heard you on FaceTime with in my house, Stokely,” I shouted before we walked away.
“I love you, Ma.”
He was in the car and pulling away from the curb before I could return the sentiment. A minute later, Knox and I were in his car, headed to his condo. We sat in comfortable silence, without even the radio as background noise, holding hands.
“Did you have dinner?” I asked when we entered his condo.
“No, but I’m good.”
“I’ll make you a sandwich while you shower.”
He didn’t argue, just kissed my lips, then disappeared into his bedroom. I made what he now called my world famous turkey sandwich. When he returned to the kitchen, he sat at the breakfast bar, and I placed his sandwich and a bottle of water in front of him.
“Meet me in the bedroom when you’re done. I’m going to shower.”
He thanked me, kissed my lips, and slapped my ass as I walked away. In the shower, I stood under the hot water for at least five minutes before I bathed.
As the water soothed my tense muscles, I thought about how much my life had already changed since I gave love a chance. It had only been two months, and I’d enjoyed every minute thus far. Knox satisfied my needs and wants in ways the three men I’d been dating couldn’t and then some.
If the paternity test proved that he was the father of a five-year-old girl, and he filed for and gained full custody, my life would change drastically. This wasn’t what I signed up for, but I hadn’t once considered abandoning him and our relationship.
“This has got to be love,” I whispered.
I stepped out of the shower and was startled by Knox’s presence. He was standing in front of the sink, preparing to brush his teeth. I guess I was too deep in my thoughts to notice.
After drying off, I stood next to his naked frame and grabbed my toothbrush. I was naked as well, and we eyed each other in the mirror with longing, as we completed our oral hygiene routine.
He stood behind me, with his semi-hard dick brushing against my back, as I washed my face. As soon as I finished, he turned me around and lifted me to the counter. When his mouth covered mine, I felt the neediness in his kiss.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. As our tongues intimately danced, his dick hooked under my clitoral hood and poked at my clit. As amazing as it felt, tonight was about pleasing him.
My goal when we arrived at his apartment was to take his mind off all that had transpired today, if only for a little while, and that was exactly what I planned to do.