Chapter 3 #3
“K.K., I want cakes,” the little guy insists, turning around so fast in his chair that he almost falls off into the floor. Kierra is already anticipating the move and steadies him before he tumbles over the side. These two clearly spend a lot of time together, their actions practiced.
“I know, kiddo. We’re going to get pancakes. I promised, remember?” Kierra grins down at him.
“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite customers.
What are you guys up to today? Nash, did your K.K.
bring you for some pancakes this morning?
” Berta queries, excited to see my girl and the kid.
Showing a familiarity that I wasn’t expecting, especially since we come here often and I have never seen Kierra while we’re here.
“Good morning, Berta. Can we get our regular please, and keep the coffee coming? It’s going to be a long day.” Kierra pouts her lip at Berta and earns a sweet grin from the redhead.
“You got it, sweetie,” Berta replies, patting her shoulder.
“What’s your name, little guy?” Legend asks the kid.
“Nash. My K.K. gets me pancakes.” I have to admit; he’s a pretty cute kid.
“You have a very nice auntie,” Rock remarks suggestively, full of innuendo, and at my glare, he chuckles but turns to look out the window. That’s what I thought fucker. He’s really starting to push his luck lately.
“Yes,” he squeals, clapping his hands when Berta comes over with some kid cup covered in cartoon characters and a kid’s mat and crayons. “K.K., I can color?” He looks up for permission. It seems someone has been teaching this little man some manners. I’m impressed.
“Yeah, baby boy. You can color. Just keep it on the paper, okay?”
“K.K., I’m a big boy. Not a baby,” he grouses, causing the table to chuckle at his insistence.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. You’re right. You are a big boy. How could I ever forget?”
Watching these two interact is a side of Kierra that I have never seen before, and it’s throwing me off kilter to see her so relaxed and playful with the kid.
My feelings are changing towards her, and it confuses the fuck out of me.
It’s not her, it’s me that is complicating things, and that is fucking maddening.
“What are your plans today, baby?” I push her hair off her shoulder as I wait for her to answer. I have a compulsion to know where she is going to be at all times, but it’s nothing new, which is why she doesn’t hesitate to tell me.
“Taking Nash to the aquarium. He’s been wanting to go for months, and my sister kept promising to take him but would then turn around and make excuses as to why she couldn’t.
So, I told him that I would take him today.
I didn’t want to step on her toes and take him on the days I had him but since she’s pulled this shit; fuck her.
I’m not going out of my way to be considerate to someone who has bailed on her responsibilities again and left her child without a word to anyone about where she was going. ”
“I’m sure he’ll like that. No sense in him missing out on it because she keeps putting off fulfilling her promise.”
“My thoughts exactly,” she agrees, yawning.
Looking her over, I can see the dark circles under her eyes that indicate she hasn’t been getting enough rest, which is mostly my fault.
I feel like an asshole for some reason which hasn’t ever happened before.
All these things I’m learning about Kierra are showing me that I didn’t know shit about her like I thought I did.
When she leans her head onto my shoulder, I have an overwhelming sense of responsibility come over me, that I need to take better care of my girl. Leaning down, I brush my lips across her temple and pull her into my side so she can rest for a minute.
“I need some more coffee,” I hear her whisper. Raising my hand, I grab Berta’s attention and point down to Kierra’s coffee mug. A soft smile crosses her face when she takes in Kierra’s sleepy state. Berta nods in understanding as she heads back toward the coffee maker.
“K.K., I scared sharks,“ Nash declares, leaning almost completely into Kierra’s lap.
“There’s no reason to be scared of the sharks, buddy. They’re in a big glass cage, and they can’t get out,” she assures, caressing the side of his face. I don’t know what the kid’s relationship is like with his mother, but it’s clear that he thinks Kierra holds the moon.
“K,” he says simply, turning back to his coloring paper and scribbling teeth on what I’m guessing is supposed to be a shark.
“Thanks, Berta,” I mumble when she tops off Kierra’s coffee.
“No problem, sugar. Are you guys going to be on the same check?” she inquires, nodding to the two additions to our table.
“Yes,” I say at the same time Kierra is telling her, “No.” Squeezing Kierra’s thigh under the table, I warn her to stop being a pain in the ass and confirm that, yes, I’ll be paying for theirs as well.
“I got it,” I tell them both, and thankfully, Kierra keeps her mouth shut.
“I can pay for our breakfast,” she insists, looking up at me once Berta has left.
“Know you can, but you’re not,” I tell her, making her roll her eyes which is usually when I know I’ve won the battle.