9. Ritz “Radar” Monroe #2
The last two weeks have been nonstop. If I wasn't in meetings, I was back at the estate changing, rearranging, and getting everything ready.
Oats had my black ass inside every baby store in Magnolia Valley, buying things we didn't even know how to use. We'd load the trucks, drop everything off at the house, then turn right back around and buy some more.
Could I have paid somebody to do all the shopping? Hell yeah.
But I felt like I had already missed enough.
Standing at the window overlooking the lake, my eyes landed on the newest addition outside. A bright yellow, green, blue, and red eyesore…a swing set. Impossible to miss.
I wanted him to have something to do whenever he came over. Most nights, once I made it back to the estate, I didn't even feel like leaving again. The lake got pitch-black after sunset, and the town was over twenty minutes away.
The whole damn house had been transformed.
A child-safety company came through and toddler-proofed everything from top to bottom.
I walked into Revv's room and couldn't help but smile.
Yureni's interior designer had worked pure magic. I told Yureni and Honor what was going on because I needed help, and that Italian lady had taken my vision and ran with it. Well, I shouldn’t say vision. It was more along the lines of making him his Daddy’s son.
Opening the door felt like stepping into a toddler's version of a casino.
A black toddler bed sat against the wall with oversized plush dice and card-suit pillows scattered across it.
A colorful rug designed like a casino floor featured slot machines, poker chips, dice, and playing cards.
One wall held a playful mural of smiling slot machines, stacks of cartoon money, and poker chips, while shelves displayed books, stuffed animals, toy cars, and miniature slot machines that lit up and made playful sounds.
A child-sized poker table doubled as his coloring and snack table, complete with tiny matching chairs.
His closet was packed with little sneakers, hoodies, designer clothing, and miniature suits.
I already had plans for my little boss.
Shawty really brought the whole theme to life.
On the opposite wall, his name stretched across it in bold letters.
REVV MONROE.
Global could keep Jamerson to herself.
Matter of fact, she needed to hurry up and make that change. Sooner or later, the blogs were gonna find out I had a son, and when they did, my boy wasn't about to be walking around with her last name.
I quietly closed the bedroom door, hoping he loved it when he got here.
Walking back up the long hallway, the aroma drifting from the kitchen instantly grabbed my attention.
The chef I'd hired for today was pulling food from the oven, plating everything like he'd been running my kitchen for years.
“Smells good.”
“Thank you, Mr. Monroe.”
Today was the day.
Global and Revv were coming over.
As if that wasn't enough, my family was finally meeting my son.
I wanted this first visit to be just us after everything that happened at the cabin, but the second I told my mama, she shut that idea down.
According to her, she wasn't taking nobody's word for it. She was coming to lay eyes on her possible grandson herself. Let her tell it; this girl could've been after my money.
I had to damn near kick Oats out the house because his loud ass was ready to tell Mama that shawty clearly didn't need a dime from me. With that house alone, it proved she was not broke, and she paid cash for it, but I definitely knew why now. My baby mama was part of the bank heist bandits. She really didn’t have to say it out loud.
There were millions of BBWs worldwide, but how many of them were robbing banks?
Hearing the intercom, I went to the wall to press the button. The guard at the gates informed me that my family was on their way up. I thanked him and headed to the door to let my family in.
Of course, Bronco was the first to speak up.
“Mama said we coming to give a DANA.”
The smack that went upside his head told me everything I needed to know.
He was telling the truth. I didn’t bother because the woman probably had a damn DNA at-home kit tucked away in her purse.
I gave my baby sister a hug, who was too engrossed in her phone, headphones over her ears.
I swear her generation knew nothing but technology.
If they didn’t get I.T. jobs, they were gonna be a lost cause.
I hugged my mama and left Bronco hanging.
“Oh, it’s like that?” he questioned.
“Just like that.”
“Ritz, when is this gal supposed to be coming?” My mama started.
“Woman, you literally just walked into the house. Can you get comfortable?”
It was just like her to do the complete opposite. She roamed around the open space and mugged her face at every outlet that was now covered for Revv. My mother was far from being a stuck-up or bougie woman, but she was protective of all of us.
“You sure about this, Ritz?”
“I will let you be the judge.”
She just nodded and went to the back, looking out at the lake. Once her eyes landed on the swing set, she looked back at me with a raised brow.
“You’re moving fast, son.”
I nodded. I would let the face of Revv be the fire that would thaw out the ice around that wall. This was a protective mother, but we all know a protective grandmother was a different beast. I was gonna get a kick out of how fast she was about to switch up.
It hadn’t been ten minutes, and the intercom sounded again, and this time I knew it was them. Once I reached the wall, security confirmed.
“Mr. Monroe, I have a Global Jamerson here.”
“Send her up.”
I went to let the chef know to get Revv’s high chair ready. I’m glad she told me he was allergic to mango, not that they would have been in here anyway, because I, too, was allergic to mango. This boy was me down to a T.
“Cova, take off your headphones at the table.”
“Yes, sir.”
My little sister was so sweet, and the respect she showed me told me she valued the life I provided for her. I went to the door and let them in.
All you could hear was…
“Daddy’s house?”
“Yes, little man. Daddy’s house.”
Someone sucked their teeth, and if I had to bet… it was Ma’Dukes. Barbed-wire fence just as high as a maximum-security prison.
I ignored her.
It was clear I had been out of the house too long because my mother knew I didn’t move recklessly.
I knelt down and scooped his little butt up.
Then I tried my hand at giving Global a side hug; she came in right under my shoulder.
I’d be lying if I didn’t notice she fit in that spot like a nigga’s rib.
When I turned around and made the introductions, the mouths hanging wide open were laughable. So much so, G-baby let out a low laugh.
“Look at Granny, baby.”
New world record.
That time, Bronco sucked his teeth.
“Mama, I thought...”
She cut him off.
“Oh, boy, hush. Girl, you is beautiful. But, hunni, your genes didn’t even pinch this baby.”
Global chuckled.
“My family says the same thing.”
“Go have a seat. The food should be ready.”
“Smells good in here.”
“All thanks to Matt, the chef on duty tonight.”
“I would have cooked,” she said with a wink. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you, shawty.”
She smiled.
I smirked, and she walked over with a mean-ass walk. One thing was for sure: she was going to be labeled down with some heels on. Looking at Revv’s clothes, he rocked nothing but the best, too.
Revv was such a sweet baby; he just let them bounce him all over the room. Going from person to person. My little sister took so many pictures that I could create an album. I didn’t have to tell her not to post them; she knew the drill.
Once we finished eating, the sun was starting to set.
Revv was getting sleepy, but I wasn’t about to let them leave; her ass was staying here tonight.
This night showed me so much a nigga like me needed to see…
I needed my family. If she had a dude, homie, better find something safe to do when it came to my family.
I swear, tonight we were gonna ask each other some different questions. I needed to know everything.
“Alright, son. Bronco, it’s time to head out. I gotta get back home. I gotta call Sherry.”
Mama just couldn’t wait to get out of here and call folks up.
“Ma, I gotta move different with this one,” I said, letting her know this information was sensitive and didn’t need to be in the headlines. We would share this information with the public on our own time.
“Boy, I’m telling Sherry bout my grand.”
Cova snickered.
“Can you hold his name?”
“Now, I can do that much.”
“Okay, thank you.”
She gave Global a hug and kissed Revv on top of the forehead, and rallied the gang up so they could head out. I told Global to wait while I walked my family out.
“You let me put my foot in my mouth, knowing that boy got your whole face. It’s so bad I thought me and your sad sack of bones of a father made another baby.
” She started, and I just listened while we walked to the car.
“I’ma tell you, son, I thought you had a baby by one of the IG hookers Cova be watching; she’s a beautiful BBW, looks like a model.
Confident too, son. You’re better than your father. I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you, Ma.”
“Listen, figure out how to make something work with you and that girl.”
“Dang, Ma, now you want them together,” Bronco fussed.
“Baro, you betta slow down yo’ damn pecker gonna fall off.”
“Pecker? This a...”
“Try your luck, Bronco,” I warned.
“Man, I wasn’t gonna say it.”
I dapped my brother, kissed my mother and sister, and headed back into the house.
Back to my family because this was a package deal, G-Baby better get on board, or I had a plan for that ass.