Surprise, Surprise!
SMOKE’S HOUSE
It was my father’s birthday, and we’d spent most of the day turning up with his old ass.
It felt as good as it always did to be around my people.
Whenever we got together, it was always a good time.
Currently, my siblings and I were having a lil’ pool party at Smoke’s.
Since he and Romi were on baby duty with the twins, we brought the party to them.
I couldn’t believe this nigga went from no kids to four in a little over a year. He was Big Papa and took that shit seriously. Nobody could tell him that Romi’s first two girls weren’t his. I mean, with all the bodies he dropped all over the city for her, nobody better tell him different.
While the girls were gossiping on one end of the pool, the fellas were having a smoke session about twenty feet away.
Donna and I were in the deep end of the pool talking.
I couldn’t help but be a little extra affectionate with her right now.
We found out last week that we were expecting, and a nigga couldn’t contain his excitement.
Discreetly, I rubbed her belly in the water. “We really have a baby in there, man.”
She giggled. “I don’t know why you’re surprised with as much as you fucked me when we got the go to try.”
“I was on a mission.”
“Well, mission accomplished.”
I smiled as I leaned in to kiss her. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to keep thanking me, Kerrion. I want this baby as much as you do.” She covered my hand on her stomach. “I love you for giving me this. You’ll always have a special place in my heart.”
“You know the feeling is mutual.”
She sighed. “I’m not looking forward to sitting out of work for so long, though.”
“You just focus on baking my lil’ man. I got everything else.”
“What makes you so sure we’re having a boy? I’m not even that far along.”
“I just know. That’s my junior in there.”
“If you say so. I know my mom was hard on us, but she really is excited to be a grandma. It’s all she’s been talking about.”
“I knew she would warm up to it.”
“When are we telling your people?”
I looked around, noticing my brothers, Quaid, and Titan had joined the girls.
“Let’s test the vibe first. Come on.”
As we swam back over to join the others, I could hear Smoke talking his shit to Jaeda.
“Don’t be telling that nigga all our business, Jae,” Smoke said. “Ol’ pillow talking ass.”
She shot him a look. “I know you aren’t talking. All of y’all pillow talk with my sisters, so keep it cute.”
Quaid waved him off. “He’s just mad his baby loves me already. When I marry your sister, I’m gonna be her favorite uncle.”
“Bullshit!” Deuce said. “I’m the favorite uncle.”
“Cap!” Maceo yelled. “Those kids love Uncle Mace.”
“All of y’all can calm that down,” I said. “Everybody knows I’m the favorite uncle. All of y’all’s kids love me real bad.”
“Nigga, fuck you,” Deuce said, splashing water in my direction. “You over there cupcaking and being antisocial and shit. You’ve been up Donna’s ass all day, my nigga. No offense, Donna.”
Donna giggled. “No offense taken.” She looked at me. “Should we tell them?”
Everybody’s ears perked up.
“Tell us what?” Shar asked.
A grin spread across my face. “We’re having a baby.”
All the women screamed, while the guys clapped for us. I was sure it finally made sense now why Donna wasn’t drinking, even though they kept offering her shot after shot.
Jaeda broke away from Quaid and threw her arms around me, tears streaming down her face. She knew how bad I wanted to be a father. In our private conversations over the years, I’d expressed that to her time and time again. She was the only one that really knew just how much this meant to me.
“I’m so happy for you,” she said, cupping my face. “You are going to be an amazing father, Kerrion.”
“Thank you, Jae.”
She kissed my cheek and moved over to Donna. “Congratulations! I guess we are family now.”
Donna squeezed me tightly. “I love that. I had to admit I was a little nervous to meet you all, but Kerrion told me there was an abundance of love . . . and insults, here.”
Jaeda laughed. “Endless insults, but all love.” She reached out to rub her stomach. “Hi, auntie’s baby!”
“I’m glad you finally said something,” Maceo said. “It was hard as hell holding that shit in. No cap, I do love pillow talking with my wife.”
Shar smacked his arm. “So you knew!”
“He told us they were trying, not that they were pregnant.”
“Oh! So y’all were gossiping and sharing secrets, huh? Who else has a secret? Quaid? Titan? Either of y’all knocked my sisters up?”
“Hell no,” Titan said. “Did you not see the way she was throwing those drinks back today?”
Mia mushed his head. “As if I would ever let you impregnate me, nigga. You aren’t even my man.”
Titan kissed his teeth. “You say that, but look where the fuck I am. How many other niggas are you bringing around your family? None. You don’t even like other niggas, and if you do, you better keep that shit on the low before they come up missing.
As far as a baby . . .” He chuckled. “You let me do everything that can result in a pregnancy. If you don’t want my seeds, you better tighten up, and I ain’t talking about them walls, love. ”
Mia tried to swing at him, but he grabbed her and dunked her in the water as she screamed.
His antics prompted all the men, except for Smoke, to do the same thing.
An all-out water fight broke out. Hair clips were everywhere.
Shar’s wig slipped off, and then we had a field day throwing it around while she cursed us all out.
I couldn’t wait for my baby to get here.
I wanted them to have this type of relationship with their cousins. Sure, we got on each other’s nerves, but my siblings were my niggas. I’d run down on anybody behind them. My baby was going to get all this love . . . and aggravation.