Chapter 11
It had been a month since Olivia abandoned Knixon at the hotel and Knox received the paternity test results, which confirmed that he was indeed Knixon’s father. Upon receiving the news, Knox sprang into action and obtained a lawyer.
He hadn’t heard a peep from Olivia since the day of the paternity test, and his lawyer had tried every lead provided, to no avail.
He’d filed for full custody and requested that Olivia’s rights be taken away, but she had a minimum of six months to reestablish contact before the courts would consider permanently terminating her rights.
To say the least, a lot had changed. Knox started football camp, which flowed right into the start of official practice. He’d just become a single father and was doing his best to navigate his new life.
He enrolled Knixon in Little Elm Primary Academy, a private school for kindergarten through fifth grade.
She had a rough start but was finally beginning to adjust. Mr. and Mrs. St. Patrick extended their visit to spend some time getting to know their granddaughter.
Knixon had gotten used to their presence and was sad to see them go.
I wasn’t sure what to call myself, but I’d been doing my best to fill in the gaps in Olivia’s absence. Knixon had only asked about her sporadically so far, and I thought it was strange, but it didn’t seem like she missed her mother.
She spoke with the school psychologist once a week, and based on what she’d shared so far, it didn’t appear that Knixon was physically or sexually abused, but she did experience neglect.
Knixon told the psychologist that her mother didn’t talk to, read to, play with, feed her regularly, or do anything fun with her.
She also stated that her mother didn’t like her.
It had only been a month, and Knixon was only five, so there was still a lot to unpack, but she was finally coming out of her shell.
Although the situations were vastly different, I found myself comparing motherhood at sixteen to motherhood at thirty-eight. When I added in having a son versus having a daughter, the experiences were worlds apart.
Stokely ran, jumped, climbed, flipped, kicked, and screamed his way through childhood. We had two wellness checks from the Department of Children and Family Services before he turned five.
Knixon was the complete opposite, and I realized some of it stemmed from what she’d experienced so far in her young life. She liked to color, play with dolls, and often asked me to read to her.
As she began to let her guard down, I saw glimpses of a little girl who could be rambunctious if given the freedom and opportunity, and I couldn’t wait until she was comfortable enough to express herself more freely.
It was Saturday, and Nyomi’s parents had volunteered to keep the kids for the weekend. The first football game of the season was next week, and Knox and Kilo spent their Saturdays watching film, so Nyomi and I were hanging out on my patio.
The weather was perfect as nineties Hip Hop and R&B set our vibe, Mexican food filled our stomachs, and strawberry margaritas provided the perfect buzz.
“You seem happy, sis, and I’m not saying that you didn’t seem happy before, but it’s different,” Nyomi said as she sipped her drink.
“I know what you mean. There have been very few times in my life where I’ve felt unhappy, and most of those times were centered around Stokely’s raggedy ass daddy.
When I decided to let go of the pipe dream of us being a family and released the guilt of not being able to give Stokely the upbringing I had, it was life changing.
Choosing to be happy . . . I mean, literally making a conscious decision to choose happiness above all else was the best thing I could have done for myself. ”
“I know it was, because you forced me to do the same. It took me a minute to lose the woe is me attitude, but eventually, I came around.”
“And did. We helped each other through all of life’s challenges and continued to choose happiness.”
“So, what’s different now, because your glow is almost blinding?” she asked.
“Do you really have to ask?”
“No, but I want to hear you say it.”
“Oh, you want me to say you told me so and gloat for the rest of the day.”
She fake gasped and clutched her invisible pearls.
“Me? Gloat? I would never.”
“Whatever, heffa! I must say, though, I didn’t know there were levels to this happiness shit.”
“Sis! Me either.”
“Being with Knox has shown me why finding the right partner is clutch. My ass be walking around giddy as hell for no damn reason.”
“Oh, there’s a reason.”
“Yeah, there are several. Bestie, Knox is my person, and being with him enhances so many aspects of my life. I was happy, but sis, I was lonely.”
“Preach!”
“They aren’t mutually exclusive. I had to realize that desiring romantic companionship doesn’t mean I love myself and my life any less.
I lived a peaceful, fulfilling life before Knox came along.
I loved my job, I loved my family and friends, and more importantly, I loved my own damn company.
Being in love with Knox hasn’t changed any of that. ”
“Aww, bestie. You’re in love.”
“And am!”
“I never thought I’d ever hear you say that. Hell, I never thought either of us would.”
“Same, but I love it here.”
“How have things been with Knixon? We haven’t had time to talk about it in detail.”
With work, two kids under a year old, and spending time with her husband, Nyomi didn’t have as much free time as she once did. It was one of the reasons we loved days like this when we could hang out, uninterrupted.
“Knixon is great and as sweet as can be. Little girls are so different from little boys. It’s only been a month, and she’s still getting used to her new life, but I already love her and being her mother, or whatever I am.”
“Girl, you’re her mother, and based on what we know, you’re probably the first real mother she’s had. Olivia is trash for the shit she’s done.”
“Yeah, but I worry about her coming back. I’ve literally been counting down the days until she officially loses her rights.”
“If she brings her trifling ass back here for that baby after abandoning her, I will be the first in line to beat her ass,” Nyomi declared.
“You’d have to get behind me because I’m itching to get my hands on her.”
“We might have to tag team her then, sis, because I want parts in the ass whupping.”
We laughed but were serious as hell. I got angry every time I thought about Knixon being left in that hotel room. When we picked her up, she was visibly shaken and ran into Knox’s arms as soon as she saw him. It was simultaneously the sweetest and saddest thing I’d ever seen.
“I don’t think she’ll come back, but anything is possible. If she does, Knox will do everything in his power to make sure y’all don’t lose her.”
“He loves her so much, Ny. Tell me why seeing him be a father turns me on. Is that shit normal?”
“If it’s not, then we’re two abnormal ass hos. I love when Kilo is in daddy mode. Motherhood is a lot more enjoyable this time around because he takes fatherhood seriously.”
“I know that makes a world of difference.”
We sat outside on the patio and talked for hours. By the time Knox got home, we were tipsy as hell.
“How many margaritas did y’all have?” he asked when Nyomi and I couldn’t stop giggling for no reason.
“Only a couple,” I responded.
“Only a couple, my ass. Let me call my brother so he can come and pick up his drunk wife.”
Nyomi laughed before saying, “I’m not drunk, but I’m feeling real good. Oh, shit. Skye, this used to be our jam.”
While Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” played through the speakers, Nyomi and I held our invisible microphones up to our mouths and sang our hearts out. When Knox held up his phone as if he were recording, we laid it on thick.
Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You,” Mario’s “Let Me Love You,” and Ashanti’s “Foolish” played back-to-back, and we had a full-blown concert. Kilo arrived at some point and was thoroughly amused by our performance.
“They claim they only had two margaritas, but I don’t believe that shit for a minute,” Knox told his brother.
“Nah, they’re drunk as hell. Let’s go, baby.”
“Thank you for coming to get me, baby. I think I drank a little too much,” Nyomi said, hugging Kilo around his waist and resting her head on his chest.
“I know, baby.”
He chuckled as he put her arms around his neck, lifting her and putting her legs around his waist. I sat on the patio swing and let my head fall back. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but when I opened my eyes, Knox was putting me on my bed.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” he greeted when I opened my eyes, then kissed my lips.
“Hey, baby. Is Nyomi gone?”
“Yeah. Kilo picked her up because you two sat around here and got drunk.”
I smacked my lips and sat up on the edge of the bed. He sat next to me and draped his arms over my shoulder, pulling me into his side.
“I’m nowhere near drunk, but I’m definitely tipsy. You want to shower with me?”
I was shocked when he said, “Nah. I already showered, and I want to call the Kurries and check on Knixon.”
“They’ve been sending me updates, but I understand. I’m sure it feels weird not coming home to her.”
“It does, but coming home to a drunk you makes up for it.”
“Boy, I’m not drunk. I’ll be out in a few.”
We hadn’t slept at Knox’s condo since Knixon had been with us. He only had two bedrooms, and the second one was an office. Although she wasn’t a toddler, his condo wasn’t child friendly.
I had two extra bedrooms other than mine and Stokely’s. One of them I used as an office, although it was furnished with a twin-sized daybed that I used as a couch if I wanted to be more comfortable while I worked.
The room Knixon used was the guest room, and we decorated it to her liking the first weekend she was with us. Knox said my house felt like home, and I couldn’t agree more. I loved my house and had no plans on moving any time soon.
After finishing my skincare routine and brushing my teeth, I stepped into the shower. It felt good after being outside all afternoon and into the evening. When I finished bathing, I instantly felt more energetic and couldn’t wait to ride my man’s face and dick.
I dried off, stepped into the bedroom, and the scene before me stopped me dead in my tracks. I gasped, covering my mouth with one hand, while holding the towel around my body with the other.
“Knox, what are you doing?”
He smiled.
“I’m on one knee holding a four-carat solitaire diamond ring. What do you think I’m doing?”
“Oh my God, Knox. You play too much.”
“Maybe I do, but one thing I don’t play about is you and how much I love you. You were happy living the single life, but you gave me a chance to make you happier, and I want to continue doing so for the rest of our lives. Skye Daniels, will you marry me?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes! I’ll marry you.”
For someone who wasn’t interested in getting married a few short months ago, yes fell from my lips so damn fast. My mother said there is something about being loved by the right man, and Knox was the right man for me.