Chapter 11
“Something on your mind, Daddy?” Jaeda asked.
I’d come over to see her and Lil’ Stanley, only to find Mia and TJ here.
The boys were running around the living room chasing each other while their mamas gossiped.
Mia was curled up against me on one side, while Jaeda was curled up on the other.
I didn’t mind. They were my babies, and I would always be available for them to use as a cushion.
I blinked, pulling myself out of my head, to find them both staring at me.
“I’m fine, baby,” I assured her.
“You’re awfully quiet.”
“Just thinking about something.”
It had been a few days since I spent the night with Stephanie, and she’d been ghosting me all fucking ready. I knew she had reservations about this because of Deuce, but my son was going to have to get over this shit. I’d called and texted her. No response. I’d gone by her house. No response.
The crash out in me wanted to let myself in, but I fought the urge. I was too old for that shit. I’d leave it to my sons, but even they had the type of women that didn’t play that shit either. So here I was, in my fucking feelings because I missed her.
“What are you thinking about?” Mia asked.
I sighed heavily. “Y’all wouldn’t understand.”
Mia snorted. “Must be a woman.”
Jaeda gasped. “Daddy! Are you dating? It’s about damn time. I was wondering how long you were gonna hold out.”
“I don’t need a woman, baby girl.”
She and Mia looked at each other before breaking into laughter.
“Daddy, please. You always have a woman for one reason or another. Honestly, I was proud of you for holding out the last year and a half. That was some real restraint.”
“Girl, who you telling,” Mia said, sitting up. “I don’t wanna sound insensitive, but I just knew with Mr. Aaron gone, he was holding out for Ms. Stephanie.”
She looked at me, but I didn’t say anything.
“Oh. My. God!” she exclaimed. “You did, didn’t you?”
“Daddy, please don’t tell me you preyed on Mama Steph,” Jaeda pleaded.
“I didn’t prey on her, Jaeda. You know I love Stephanie.”
“Yeah, so much so you cheated on my mama with her,” Mia reminded me.
I hated that she knew that information. She’d come to me not long after we got back from Paris to inquire about the little back and forth her mother and I had at the breakfast table one morning.
I thought she’d forgotten about it given everything that went on over there, but she didn’t. I confessed everything to her.
She told me I was wrong and selfish to lead her mother on for so long, knowing where my heart was. I had to give that to her. I was wrong and selfish. I did love Maddie. Genuinly loved her. But Steph was my heart. Always had been.
“Be that as it may,” I said. “It just kind of happened.”
“How?” Jaeda asked.
“Well… it all started on Maceo’s birthday. That dance just stirred up all kids of feelings and emotions.”
Mia snapped her fingers. “I did see you walk out and she went behind you. Deuce went looking for y’all and looked real annoyed when he came back. Did he see something?”
“Nah. We were in the maze.”
Her eyes widened, then a smirk spread across her face as she looked over at Jaeda.
“I guess everybody is getting some action in that maze, huh?”
I frowned. “Whatchu mean everybody—”
“Nothing, Daddy!” Jaeda said, throwing a glare at her sister.
Mia giggled to herself. “My bad. I must have been mistaken. Continue, Daddy.”
After eyeing her suspiciously, I cleared my throat and finished telling them what happened.
“Y’all know Blake is still running after Jeanie. I went with him last weekend so he could spy on her for the umpteenth time. Steph was there alone. We got to talking, then dancing… then we shared a kissed. One thing led to another and I was back at her house.”
“Oh my God! Daddy!” Jaeda exclaimed.
“You still have stamina at your age, Daddy?” Mia asked.
I frowned. “Girl, watch your damn mouth.”
She shrugged. “I’m just saying. So… you think it’s gonna work out this time? I mean, y’all rekindled that flame several times from my understanding and it didn’t work.”
“It’s gonna work,” I answered. “It has to work.
She made a face. “Okay. Anyway, Deuce is about to flip his shit.”
“Oooo!” Jaeda said, making a stank face. “Yeah, Daddy. He’s not gonna be happy about this.”
“I don’t give a damn what he’s happy about,” I said, sitting up. “I keep telling that nigga, I’m a grown ass man. I don’t need his permission to date his mama.”
“Maybe not, but he’s not going for this, Daddy,” Mia said. “He is adamant about y’all never being together again. All that he-he, ha-ha is gonna go out the window when he finds out.”
I sighed. “I know. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
I love that woman. I’ve loved her almost my entire life.
Maybe I wasn’t perfect. Maybe I wasn’t everything she needed, but I’ve always loved her with everything I have.
Together or not, nothing about that will ever change.
If I gotta hand my son his ass over his mama, then I just have to hand my son his ass over his mama. ”
They both stared at me. Jaeda smiled softly as she rubbed my back.
“You love her that much, Senior?”
“My heart doesn’t function right without her, baby girl. Letting her go was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but she deserved more than I could give her at the time. I’m ready now. This time, I’m determined to be the man she wants, needs, and deserves.”
Jaeda kissed my cheek. “Then I hope you two work out. We won’t say anything to Deuce, right Mia?”
Mia scoffed. “This ain’t my business to tell, Jae.”
“You know how pillow and gossiping talk leads to secrets being spilled.”
Mia laughed. “Like Shar telling us about you and Quaid in the—”
Jaeda lunged and covered her mouth. “Mia!”
I frowned. “You and Quaid where?”
“Nowhere, Daddy. I don’t even know what she’s talking about.”
“ Mmm hmm. Don’t piss me off, Jaeda Janelle.”
“Daddy, please. You could never be mad at me. That one…” she pointed at Mia. “Absolutely yes.”
Mia grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. “Oh hush!”
Jaeda hit her back, catching the attention of the boys.
They stopped running after each other and picked up pillows of their own.
Running full force, they each helped their respective mothers in the pillow fight.
Somehow, I got caught in the crossfire. Lil’ Stanley had a mean arm.
He knocked the hell out of me with that pillow.
“Aye now!” I said, snatching him up and holding him in air jail. “What did Pop Pop do?”
He giggled, showing all of his teeth as he pushed his glasses up on his face. It was crazy how much this lil nigga looked like his daddy.
“Sorry, Pop Pop!”
“Pick me up!” TJ demanded, raising his arms.
I maneuver Lil’ Stanley to one hand, and lifted him with the other. They both squealed as I held them in the air.
“If they throw up, that’s on you,” Mia said.
“Y’all throw up on me and we are gon’ have a problem,” I said as I lifted them like I was bench pressing weights.
“Don’t drop my babies, Daddy,” Jaeda said, stretching her arms to catch them.
“Girl, ain’t nobody gon’ drop these two knuckleheads. Tell her Pop Pop got this.”
“Pop Pop got it!” Lil’ Stanley said.
“Him got it, TiTi!” TJ agreed.
My mood lifted as I rough housed with my boys.
Shar, Salima, and Romi ended up coming over with all the kids and the little ones took turns running my ass ragged.
They had me all on the damn floor, running all over that house and the backyard.
This was the reason I worked out every morning.
Next to being a father, I took the greatest pride in being a grandfather.
I wanted to be around for this as long as I could.