23. Khalil #2
“It means onions have a lot of layers.” I shrugged.
“You’re the onion. Every month, you peel back a layer, and I see more of the inner parts of you.
I honestly came home to think long and hard about some shit because I didn’t want to hurt you, but at this point, you gave me a reason not to give a fuck about your feelings. ”
“No. I won’t let you do this! I’m sorry about what I just said, but you know I’m not wrong, Khalil. Kiyanne doesn’t like me, and she gets smart with me every chance she gets.”
“You ever tried to understand why? Don’t even answer that, because I know you didn’t.
You don’t kick it with her or do anything a potential stepmother would do.
All you do is critique her and judge her.
But none of that shit matters anymore. My daughter ain’t feeling you, and honestly, I’m not feeling you no more either. ”
“So that’s it? You’re dumping me because your daughter doesn’t like me?
She’s a child! She will adjust! You and your family fail to realize that you’re a celebrity now.
Every day that she walks out of that door, she is a representation of you.
What she wears, how she styles her hair, and the way she smells and talks, it’s all being judged and critiqued!
I’m only preparing her for the real world—something you seem not to want to do! ”
“Yo, you tweaking the fuck out, Ana. Don’t project the way you were raised on my fucking daughter.
She’s allowed to be herself. Whatever she chooses to do or be, I’m going to support it because that’s my fucking seed.
” I walked over to the bed, grabbed her overnight bag, and handed it to her.
“It’s time for you to bounce, shorty. We gon’ end this shit here. ”
She snatched the bag from my hand. “You’re making a huge mistake, Khalil. I hope you rot in hell!” she screamed, then rushed out of my room.
“And don’t bring your slut ass back around here!” I heard Kyani yell. I walked out of the room to see my sister, my moms, and Kiy standing on the stairs, watching Anais rush down them.
“Oh, shut up, lesbian!” Ana exclaimed. Moms had to hold Ky back from going after her.
“I’ll show your ass a lesbian, bitch!”
“She’s not worth it, Daughter. Calm down,” Moms said, blocking her path. I shook my head and waved my daughter to me.
“You should have let her loose,” I told my moms as Kiy walked into my arms. I hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead. “I missed you, lil’ baby.”
“Missed you too, Dad. I’m glad that wicked witch is gone.”
“I’m sorry, baby girl. I should have gone off your vibes and not your words. I figured you only said you were okay with us being together because you thought it would make me happy. But for future reference, always let me know how you feel. Okay?”
She nodded. “Noted.”
“Go get your pajamas on then meet me back in my room. I want to kick it with you about some things.”
“Okay. Good night, TT Ky. Good night, GG.”
“Night, baby.”
“Good night, Niecey Pooh.”
Moms and Ky said simultaneously. Kiy kissed their cheeks, said her I love yous, then headed down to her room. I looked at my moms and Kyani, and they both burst into big smiles before laughing.
“Y’all childish,” I said, smirking at them.
“Boy, please. You already knew you didn’t want that fake-ass Paris Hilton wannabe. You can stop googling and lurking on my sister-in-law’s IG now and bring her home,” Kyani said.
I shook my head and shushed her loudmouth ass. “Tell the house, why don’t you?”
“She ain’t wrong, baby boy. I can’t wait until you bring her home so I can cuss her ass out too, just like I did you. Crazy-ass, young-ass, indecisive-ass kids. Boy, I tell you. Y’all must want to send me to an early grave.”
“Don’t say that, Mommy,” Ky said.
“Oh, you be quiet too. Did you tell your brother that you’re seeing his teammate—” Ky tossed her hand over my moms’ mouth, and I frowned.
“What? Who?”
“Nobody. Mama is a snitch and delusional.”
“Don’t play with me, Kyani.”
“I swear, it’s nothing going on between us. We only talked once, and that was for him to give me his sister’s information to get my hair braided.”
“Who?” I asked again.
“Lucas Barber.”
I nodded. “Yeah, a’ight. I’m tired, so I ain’t gon’ get in ya ass tonight. I love y’all. If y’all staying, I’ll see y’all in the morning. If not, I’ll talk to y’all tomorrow.”
“Love you, baby,” Moms said, stepping up and kissing my cheek.
“I love you more.”
“Love you, Bro. I swear, it’s not what you’re thinking.”
“It’s all good. See y’all later.” They left, and I went to take a quick shower and put on my pajamas.
I picked up my phone from the nightstand, seeing one missed call and a text from Piper. I smiled and opened it up.
Mi Amor:
I’m sure you’re probably asleep, but I wanted to tell you that I love you and goodnight. I hope I get to see you tomorrow. If not, then I hope you have a good practice.
Me:
You’ll be seeing me real soon, baby. About to kick it with baby girl before I knock out. I love your heartbreaking ass more.
I put my phone on the charger just as soft knocks came upon my door.
“Come in, mi corazón.”
Kiy entered, ran, and did two cartwheels before diving in my bed. I chuckled and shook my head.
“You got a lot of energy at ten o’clock at night.”
She laughed. “I’m not sleepy. Daddy?”
“Yes, princess.”
“Why your bed so big? You’re the only one that sleeps in it.”
“Because I’m a big man and very tall. I need the room.”
“That’s true. Can I sleep with you tonight?”
I nodded. “You can if you want.”
“Yes!” she exclaimed. “Oh! Daddy?”
I laughed and sat up against my headboard. “Yes, Kiyanne?”
“I don’t want to do gymnastics anymore. Basketball tryouts are this fall, and I want to try out.”
My eyebrow lifted.
I wasn’t surprised.
Kiy looked up to me more than I thought she would. While she had a girly side, due to her aunt and grandmother, she also had some tomboy ways too. I had been her only parent for a long time, so I got why she was interested in basketball.
“Oh yeah?”
“Mmhmm. I’m going to be the next Angel Reese,” she said, pretending to shoot an imaginary ball.
I smiled. “I can see that. When school starts back, we can make that happen. Come here,” I said, summoning her to me. She crawled over and tucked herself under my arm like she always did.
“I want to show you something.” I opened the drawer on my nightstand and pulled out an old photo, holding it out for her to see.
“Hey, that’s me when I was a baby,” she said, sitting up to get a better look.
“It is.”
“Who is that lady holding me?”
I waited a moment before I answered her. “That’s your stepmother.”
Kiy looked back at me, confused. “Stepmother?”
“Yes. She’s my wife, which makes her your stepmother.”
“Daddy, when did you get married? You can have more than one wife?”
I chuckled. “In some countries, it is legal for a man to have multiple wives, but no. She’s the only one I’m married to.”
“Wow. What happened to her? Did she die?”
“No, baby. She’s very much alive, and we recently ran into each other again. We dated for a minute in college before we decided to get married. Some things went down, which made her leave, but now the universe brought us back together.”
“Is she nice?”
“She is. And loved you like you were her own.”
“Then why did she leave?”
“I don’t want to go into detail, but maybe you can ask her that question when you see her.”
Kiy stared at the photo for a moment before saying, “She’s really pretty, Daddy, but I’m confused.”
“What are you confused about, baby?”
“If you’re already married, how were you going to marry that other lady if you can’t have multiple wives?”
My baby was smart, always had been. She had advanced classes since she was in the second grade, and she was already speaking Spanish and some Chinese. So I wasn’t surprised that she knew shit and spoke so maturely.
“I was going to divorce her and marry Anais, but I realized that I don’t want to do that anymore. I love my wife, even though she broke daddy’s heart when she left.”
“Oh. I don’t know if I’m going to like her then.”
I laughed. “Why?”
“Because she hurt you. I don’t like nobody that hurts you.”
“We’re working it out, baby. I won’t force you to like her, but I’m hoping you’ll be open to having a conversation with her so she can explain. I really love her and want this to work, but your comfortability is what matters most.”
“What if I don’t like her?”
“Then I’ll try to figure something out. I want to be with her, so I’m hoping you’ll give her a chance.”
“Is she like that other lady?”
“She’s nothing like her, which is why I want her back in my life—our life.”
“Can I sleep on it?”
I chuckled and kissed her forehead. “Take as much time as you need, baby girl. No rush.”
She took the picture from my hand and laid her head on my chest. “What’s her name?”
“Piper.”
“That’s different and pretty.”
“She’s different and pretty.”
“And you’re corny.”
“Who corny?” I asked, tickling her sides.
She laughed. “Nobody!”
“That’s what I thought. I love you. Get some sleep.”
“Love you too. Good night.”
“Good night, mi corazón.” I kissed her forehead, placed the photo back in the nightstand, and shut off the light.
One problem down. A few more to go.