Chapter 4
Solana Thomas
A Few Weeks Later
“Mama, can I pleeease get the doll?” Sunshyne relentlessly begged me.
I felt horrible because I really didn’t have the money to get the doll she wanted.
My baby didn’t ask for much so when she did and I couldn’t get what she wanted I felt horrible.
I didn’t get paid until next week and the little money I have had to be saved for food and gas.
As much as I loved my skoolie it could be expensive when it came to driving it.
I saved money in the long run. However, my money was still tight.
Gas being one of my major expenses, I didn’t care to drive it unless I had to.
Since I was off for three days, we’d been sleeping in the parking lot of Lilly’s Mega Mart, the store we were currently shopping in.
It was convenient because Sunshyne’s preschool was in walking distance as well as being close by a bunch of other stores if we needed anything and it was more cost efficient for us to use the bathroom inside of Lilly’s too.
With this parking lot being so big it was easy for me to blend in with all the other buses and trucks, so I didn’t have to worry about us getting towed.
We were only supposed to be running in here for a few snacks.
Tonight was our improv girls night. We’d already done each other’s toes and nails.
Made root beer floats and now we were supposed to end our night watching movies on my iPad that we used as a makeshift tv.
Somehow, we ended up in the toy aisle instead of the snack aisle.
Even though the snacks were going to be a little bit of a splurge they were going to cost me a lot less than the seventy dollar price tag on this doll.
“Maybe for Christmas boo,” I smiled at her hoping Sunshyne would be understanding but the defeat in her eyes were unmatched and my heart broke even more.
Sunshyne stomped her foot on the ground, as she slammed the doll down to the ground. “It’s not fair, you always say that and I never get the toys I want,” Tears pooled in Sunshyne’s eyes.
I went to bend down to scoop her in my arms when I saw tears falling down her face.
Sunshyne darted passed me running away from me.
My heart dropped when I got to the end of the aisle and I couldn’t see Sunshyne anywhere.
My heart felt like it was going to implode as I turned looking to see if I spotted her anywhere.
“Sunshyne!” I screamed running down each of the toy aisles hoping to see one of her puff balls.
Please God, I’ll get her the toy just bring my baby back to me safely.
I really began to panic when I got to the last toy aisle and she wasn’t there.
Her little legs couldn’t have made it that far.
I was right behind her when she took off.
In a panic I ran over to the automotive center, it was right next to the toy area.
Out of breath and tears falling down my cheeks, the worker looked at me like I was nuts.
I went to open my mouth when I caught a side view of Sunshyne’s profile, but she wasn’t alone.
A man was in front of her. They were in a row of tires, running over to them like my life depended on it.
“Sunshyne!” I yelled, causing the man and another little girl to turn around.
The man stood to his feet, and it felt like time was moving in slow motion as I got stuck in his dark chocolate gaze. Shaking myself lose from whatever spell he was casting on me.
“Mommy, mommy!” She jumped up and down, her mood had done a complete 180. “Mr. Suuh-er,” Sunshyne had been learning how to sound out her words, it was something she did whenever she didn’t know how to properly say a word. “Said he would give me the toy if I promised not to run from you again.”
“Thank you,” I quickly replied to the fine ass chocolate man in front of me.
I pulled Sunshyne over to me as I squatted down to her level.
“Don’t ever do that again. Do you understand me?
” I wanted to assume this man was trying to be nice but, in this day, and age you couldn't put anything past anybody, no matter how fine they are.
“Yes, mama.” Sunshyne’s bottom lip poked out.
“Umm…” I said standing up, turning to look at the man who I thought was a lot shorter when he was easily 6’3 and made me look like a midget. I didn’t know what his name was and I was hoping he’d catch on and tell me.
“Marlo,” His deep baritone voice sent shivers coursing through my body. I didn’t know this man from a can of paint but here he was making me forget what I was trying to say to him.
Marlo, that was a different name, I liked it.
“Marlo, thank you again, for keeping her safe.” I nervously said as I held on to Sunshyne’s hand for dear life.
“Fa’ sho. I got two daughters of my own. I couldn’t leave little mama out here on her own. When she bumped into me cryin,’ I had to help.” Marlo gave me a big smile showing off his pearly white teeth. I swear I felt my panties melt off my body.
“Are we still gonna get my toy?” Sunshyne innocently asked Marlo, peering up at him like a superhero.
“As long as ya mom is cool with it little one.”
“Oh, no. No. You don’t have to get her anything. Not with the way she ran off like that.,” I cut my eyes down at Sunshyne and she avoided my gaze.
“Me and little mama had a talk about the dangers of running off from you. I’m sure she understands why she can’t do that now.” Marlo gave Sunshyne a look a father would give a daughter he was correcting.
“Yes!” Sunshyne answered, hoping up and down excitedly slipping her hand into Marlo’s. The way she was reacting to him, you would think she’d known him for years.
“See, little mama good and I made her a promise. Mason, What I say about promises?” He asked looking over to the little girl, who was clearly his daughter because she looked just like him.
“My daddy never makes promises he doesn’t keep.” Mason smiled proudly showing her missing two front teeth.
I returned her smile then looked over at Marlo. “I appreciate it but really I can’t let you buy that doll.” As nice as Marlo’s offer seemed, I wasn’t a fan of taking things from strangers.
Even the ones that looked like a walking chocolate Greek God.
I didn’t even know I liked dark skinned niggas, but Marlo had me wanting to try a chocolate nigga in the worst way.
His tall muscular body was covered in a silky smooth espresso complexion.
Marlo’s eyes were as dark as his skin, not Black but a deep brown.
When I looked him in his eyes it was like he was reading my soul with his intense gaze.
He had perfect naturally thick eyebrows, and his eyelashes were just as luscious and thick.
The neatly trimmed thick beard he sported complemented his defined cheekbones and square jawline.
By his stature and his presence, I could tell he was a boss.
There was power in the way he carried himself.
How he controlled everyone’s attention when he talked was unmistakable.
Dressed down in Black sweats and a white tee, Marlo screamed head nigga in charge.
Men like him were the ones I stayed away from.
He reminded me of a better, upgraded version Sonni.
If I didn’t learn anything from Sonni, I learned nothing was free.
Niggas were weird now a days. They’d pretend to do something out the kindness of their hearts.
Then want some pussy when things are all said and done.
I appreciated him for talking to Sunshyne and keeping her safe but that was as far as things were going to get.
“Good thing you can’t stop me,” he said, winking his eye at me with a tantalizing smirk that made my pussy leak on her own accord.
I was chalking up my whorish behavior to the fact that I hadn’t had sex since Sonni died.
He’d left such a bad taste in my mouth that no other nigga could get my attention if they tried.
In my eyes all niggas weren’t shit and nobody had proven me wrong yet.
There was always something with the niggas I came across, and I was sure Marlo was no different.
“Come show me the toy little mama,” I watched, my mouth agape as Sunshyne happily led him where the toys were, his hand still in hers and his other hand holding Mason’s. The three of them walked away leaving me like I was the stranger.
With seemingly no other choice, I trailed behind contemplating if I should go off on Marlo for just taking my child.
For all I knew he could be out of his mind and was slick trying to kidnap my baby.
No, that wasn’t it, Marlo kept stealing peaks behind them to make sure I was following them.
Besides, I didn’t get those types of vibes from him.
“Here it is!” Sunshyne yelled once we made it back to the aisles she’d taken off from. She bypassed the doll she’d previously thrown on the ground and got another from the shelf.
“My sister has the entire Oh Gee Girls doll set.” Mason said matter-of-factly. She wasn’t saying it in a bragging way, more like she was just telling everyone.
“Oh, my goodness, she gotta be the luckiest girl in the world,” Sunshyne said dramatically, making her eyes bigger.
“Yeah, my mama likes her a lot more than me, so I guess so.” Mason shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and I tried to hide my shock from what she said.
“Mason, ya mouth. You know ya mama love you.” Marlo had a slight frown, and his eyes told how much her words bothered him. Although he’d tried to hide it.
“Sorry daddy,” Mason huffed in a way that said she didn’t mean it.
“You gettin’ anythin’?” Marlo asked Mason who still had a sad look on her face. Without him being told to he picked up Mason hugging her deeply, and my heart went out as I saw her tiny shoulders shutter and her cries came out muffled.
“Is she okay mama?” Sunshyne asked with worry all over her face.