Chapter 21
My mother eyed me suspiciously as we sat in her living room watching KJ and Emmy play. She was practically staring a hole in the side of my head, and I was pretending not to notice.
“Yes, Tavia?”
She threw a pillow at me. “Don’t use my name like that. I’m mama to you.”
I chuckled. “Why are you staring at me?”
“Because something is different about you. You look lighter, and I’m not talking about your complexion.”
“I’m just happy, Ma.”
She smiled. “That makes me happy. Come here.”
I stood and walked over to her. She patted her lap, and I had to laugh.
“Ma. Be for real. Any other time, you’re yelling at me about sitting on you.”
“Boy, sit your ass down.”
I shook my head as I sat. She wrapped her arms around me from behind and rested her head on my back.
“I’ve been praying for you,” she said. “You haven’t been yourself in a long time, Kerrion.
The boy I raised was always so sweet and loving.
For years now, you’ve been walking around carrying pain and soothing a broken heart with weed and women that were never for you.
You might be big as hell, but you’re my baby, and it hurts me when you’re hurting.
I was so happy when you found Donna. She brought that softness back to you.
“I knew it was never going to be anything serious, but she allowed you to open your heart again. Even if she was just a friend, like you claimed, you loved her enough to share a piece of yourself with her forever.”
I stared at my son as she spoke.
He’d given me a new purpose in life and healed a part of me that was broken for so long. I loved him and his sister more than I thought was ever possible.
“The only thing I would change is Donna still being here to see him grow up,” I said.
“I know. She was a good girl, and I know she would have been a great mother.” She peered around to look up at me. “My grandbaby told me she and her mama had a little sleepover this past weekend.”
“Damn, Ma. You pumping my baby for information?”
She slapped the back of my head and pushed me off her. “First of all, Yelli tells her granny all y’all’s business and hers. I know she wants to see you and Neha together, and she said she saw y’all kissing.”
I shook my head as I sat on the floor between her legs. “I’m raising a snitch.”
She laughed. “She’s hopeful. I mean, I get it. Baby girl is trying to secure her family. What about you?”
I looked up at her. “I still love her, Ma.”
“Naw, really?” She sarcastically rolled her eyes. “I know that. I’m not blind, Son. You could very well pick Nayelli up and spend time with her, but you keep taking your ass over to the house. I’m sure you’ve been watching Neha like a hawk. You know you love them thick, and baby is thick.”
I smirked. She was right about that. As mad as I was, I sat up in the house partially because of spite, and partially because the moment I saw her outside that school, my heart didn’t know the difference in the eighteen-year-old me and the twenty-nine-year-old me.
“I wanna give things a chance,” I admitted.
“You positive?”
I nodded. “Even after all these years, . . . even after everything that happened, she still feels like home to me, Ma. I know we were kids, but the moment I met her, I knew I found my soulmate.”
She smiled. “Life can throw you curveballs, baby. Sometimes it isn’t fair, and the Devil is a busy man, as your grandmother would say.
If you believe she’s your forever, work it out.
Have open and honest communication. Don’t jump to conclusions or assume anything.
Talk to each other and keep other people out of your business.
The worst thing you can do is involve outsiders.
Protect her from any and everything. You know that husband of mine?
As quiet and reserved as he is, Hershel would protect me, you, and your siblings in the face of any danger.
I confidently walk around with my head held high because I know how that man is coming behind me. ”
I smirked. “You know Pops is coming like that behind you too.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know. I give him hell, but I’ll forever have love for Senior for how he’s taken care of me and our children. I pray he finds himself a good woman one of these days.”
I laughed. “Now you know he still wants Mama Steph.”
She shook her head. “Oh, I know it. Speaking of which, your aunts said they are gonna kick your ass for not introducing them to Nayelli. Make it happen.”
“I hear you. I’m picking her up from school today, so I’ll stop by.”
“No need. They are coming over for dinner, so swing on back by after you grab her.”
“I got you.” I looked down at my watch. “Since y’all are demanding my time, I guess you won’t mind keeping your grandson while I get his sister?”
“Nope. Grab Jaiden too.”
“I will. It’s crazy how my boy is the same age as his auntie. You know what that tells me?”
“What?”
“You and Hershel need to stop being grown.”
She slapped the back of my head. “Get your ass out of my face, Kerrion.”
“Mama, no hit!” Emmy fussed, wagging her finger at her. “Mama nice.” She came over and grabbed my head. “Bubba otay?”
“I’m fine, Emmy,” I said, picking her up and kissing her cheeks. I looked back at my mama with an evil grin. “I know who will protect me.”
“Get out of my house, boy.”
I laughed as I placed Emmy back on her feet and stood to mine. One thing was for sure: None of my sisters, big or little, played about me.
It was about eight when I got Nayelli home from dinner with my aunts. Mama Steph and Mama Allison fawned all over her. They showered her with love and compliments of how beautiful and respectful my baby was. Then they turned on me with those damn dish towels the moment she was out of the room.
“How dare you not introduce us to our niece?” Mama Steph snapped.
“Ma, she was at Sunday dinner last week. You fell back from showing up so much after you got married.”
She scoffed. “Out of respect for my husband. You and your brothers have shown up to my house and eat my food several times a week for years, but you can’t show up for me to meet my niece? Don’t make me get my belt.”
“Right,” Mama Allison agreed. “You ain’t too grown to get your ass whupped.”
I palmed my face. “Ma, a little help here?” I said to my mother.
“Oh, no. I’m on their side because I’m still mad you knew about my grandbaby for so long without saying anything to me but told your bighead ass daddy.”
Both of my aunts’ heads snapped in my direction. Mama Steph laughed as she pulled out her phone. She tapped away on it for a moment before my father’s voice came through the speaker.
“Baby mama number one.”
“Senior, why didn’t your baldheaded ass tell me and Allison Kerrion had a daughter?”
“Because it wasn’t my business to tell. Don’t y’all be over there ganging up on my son.”
“Your son? I do believe we all raised him and four of your other kids. That’s practically our grandchild too. Please don’t piss me off.”
“Too late for that.”
Mama Steph glared at the phone. She said something to him in Swahili that almost made me gag.
“Hii ndio sababu niliacha kukupa.” (This is exactly why I stopped giving you some).
“Ma!” I exclaimed. “I don’t wanna hear that shit.”
My mama nor Mama Allison spoke the language, but we did, and I understood everything.
“Shut up, Kerrion,” Mama Steph snapped.
Pops was on the other end cracking up.
“See how you revert when you get mad at me?” he said. “You know I love it when you get spicy with me, baby.”
No this nigga wasn’t flirting right now.
“Watch me tell Deuce you being disrespectful,” Mama Allison said.
“I ain’t scared of a nigga that used to swim in my balls. Y’all better ease up off my boy over there.”
“Don’t worry,” Mama Steph said. “We’ll all be at Sunday dinner next time. Keep that same energy.”
“I get to see all three of your beautiful asses? Damn, I’m a lucky man.”
Mama Steph hung up the phone at that point. She turned to me.
“This may not seem like a big deal to you, but it is to us. We’re family, and we want to be a part of her life just like we are part of all of your lives.”
I sighed. “I hear you and I’m sorry. I didn’t intentionally exclude you. It’s just been a lot going on. I promise I will do better.”
That seemed to satisfy them for the time being. They loved KJ, so I had no doubt that they would love Nayelli.
Baby girl and I headed up the front steps of the house. No sooner than we reached the top one did the door open. Neha stood there with a smile on her face, dressed in a T-shirt dress that I was anxious to see from the back.
“Hey, baby,” she said, hugging Nayelli. “You had a good time?”
“I did. Mommy, I met Uncle Deuce, Uncle Maceo, and Uncle Smoke’s moms and stepdaddies. They said they are my aunties. Mommy, they were so nice.”
“That’s good, baby. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. Did you do your homework?”
“Yes, ma’am. Me and Jaiden did it while Grandma Tavia cooked.”
“Awesome.” Neha’s eyes drifted to me, and she blushed. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, baby.”
I slid my arms around her waist and pulled her into a kiss. Nayelli stood there stifling her squeals of excitement. Dinah rounded the corner and leaned against the wall with a smile on her face.
“Well, well, well. Don’t you two look cozy,” she said.
Neha and I parted lips, but I still held her in my arms.
“Hey, Dinah,” I said, grinning.
“Hey, Kerrion. Where is my fat little friend?”
“With his grandma for the night.”
“If you ever need a babysitter, you can always bring him to me. I mean, we are practically family now.”
“You would be KJ’s auntie if Mommy and Daddy got married,” Nayelli said, matter-of-factly. She looked at us with sparkles in her eyes.
“You are determined to marry me off,” Neha said, pinching her cheek. “Say good night so you can go get ready for bed.
She came to me with her arms raised. I picked her up and hugged her to my chest.
“I love you, baby girl.”
“I love you too.”