15. Royal
Royal
“Y’all come on in,” I said to my mama and Ashanni.
They had come a little early to start cooking. When they left work, they went to my parents’ house and got the groceries, then came straight here. My mama kissed my cheek and Shani did the same.
“How are y’all, baby?” my mama asked.
“We’re good.”
“Royal, Mister Red been talking about you since the other day. He is so impressed by how you treat Liyah. I knew you would be great in a relationship once you settled down, so I expected it.”
“Thanks, Shani. What are y’all cooking?”
“I’m gonna smother some chicken thighs with rice, snap beans, Hawaiian rolls, and potato salad.”
“That sounds good, Mama. You cooking the rice in the pot with the chicken?”
“Yep. That’s why we won’t need a bean or gravy. It will have all the seasonings the chicken does.”
“Mmm. I can’t wait for that. Sounds good. You’ve cooked it that way before though, huh?”
“Yeah. You just never asked.”
I nodded. “Y’all need anything?”
“Nope. Your dad, Asad, and the kids will be here in a little while.”
“Is Crew coming?” I asked.
She slowly shook her head. “I don’t know, baby.”
I nodded and headed upstairs to be sure Aaliyah didn’t need anything.
I didn’t go to work today, because I wanted to be home to cater to her and make sure she didn’t want for anything.
The minute she felt like she wanted a snack, I wanted to be here to get it for her.
I was gonna go ahead and take my paternity leave now.
It wasn’t like they needed me to function anyway. I was extra help, basically.
I didn’t want to just keep “calling off” or just not calling at all. It was still my job, despite it being the family. I needed to respect it as such. Anybody else would demand I take leave. On the days I didn’t show up or call, a normal job would have fired my ass.
When I got to the room, Aaliyah was propped up on pillows, watching TV. She smiled. “That was a good nap. I had drool on the side of my face when I woke up.”
I chuckled. “You do that all the time. I’m just usually there to wipe it off your face.”
Her eyebrows lifted and scrunched together. “Royal, you really do that?”
“Yep. I love you, girl. I just want to cater to you for the rest of your life.”
“Damn.” She closed her eyes for a moment, then reopened them. “After my six-week checkup, I’m gonna fuck you so damn good you won’t be able to go to work. Your dick is gonna be so damn tender you gonna have to be on bedrest for a couple of days to recuperate.”
“Liyah,” I grabbed my dick, begging him to chill. “I can’t wait for that shit. In the meantime, you can’t talk to me like that, or my dick gon’ end up down your throat, girl.”
She chuckled. “Shit, she didn’t say you couldn’t orgasm, Royal. Come do that shit.”
“Nope. If I do that, I’m gonna want to be in your fat ass pussy right after. I’d rather not get anything. Na, stop talking about it.”
She giggled. “I’m sorry, baby. I love you.”
“I love you more. Mama and Ashanni are down there about to start cooking. Dad, Asad, and the kids will be here within the next hour.”
“Is Crew coming?”
“Who knows. I’ll be surprised if he shows up. He had the opportunity to apologize for his bullshit earlier, but he didn’t. He offered his congratulations on the babies, and that was it.”
“Does he have issues apologizing?”
“I don’t know. Honestly, he’s never really had to as an adult. He didn’t have an issue with that as a kid though. We’ve never really got into it as adults until now. He’s only twenty-two though. I guess this is the start of our new normal.”
“Don’t say that. Maybe he’ll come to his senses.”
“If he doesn’t know how to respect you or watch his fucking mouth, this will definitely be our new normal.
If he has issues with apologizing, that’s a him issue, not a me issue.
It doesn’t mean that he still doesn’t owe us one.
One thing about me . . . I’m going to hold him accountable for the shit that falls out of his mouth just like I hold myself accountable for shit I say and do.
He not getting off because he has issues. ”
I was getting angry, so I stood and paced a bit, trying to get rid of that energy. Aaliyah’s eyes were following me back and forth. “Come here, baby.”
I slid my hand down my face and went to the spot on the bed she patted. I eased in, being sure not to make the bed shift or bounce too much. She grabbed my hand and put it to her belly to feel my kids moving around in there.
“Hey, Ravi. Hey, Rasha. I can’t wait to physically meet y’all.
I love you already, so I know when y’all get here you’ll have me wrapped around your little fingers.
I’m sorry for raising my voice and probably upsetting y’all.
It wasn’t directed at y’all or your mother.
I love your mommy too. I will do whatever I have to do to take care of all three of y’all. I promise.”
I leaned over and kissed her belly as she rested her hand on the back of my head.
I was sure to kiss it twice, then lifted my head and kissed her lips.
“Thank you, baby. You’re my peace without even trying to be.
Thank you for being wise and knowing me enough to know how to bring me back to the present.
Whenever you’re ready to go downstairs, I’ll take you down there. ”
“I’ll wait until it’s closer to the time we’re gonna eat. I don’t want to overdo it.”
“Okay, baby. Do you need anything right now?”
“No. Thank you, Royal.”
“Of course.”
I lay next to her, just staring at her and her stomach.
The time was winding up quickly. I had some things I wanted to buy for the babies, but I wanted to wait to see what gifts we would get at the baby shower first. Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I took a couple of pictures of her, then lay closer to her to get selfies.
She took my phone from me and took pictures of me close to her stomach and kissing it. “That way I can show them how much you loved them before they even got here.”
I kissed her lips, then pulled away from her and gently stroked her cheek.
“I couldn’t have picked a better woman to fall in love with.
I wasn’t even looking. These babies are a true blessing.
They forced us to reevaluate what we were doing.
Had you not gotten pregnant, we probably wouldn’t be together.
Just still fucking around without a care for our futures. ”
“I know. I think about that all the time. However, I do believe we would have eventually come clean about our feelings for each other. They were only getting stronger every time we were together.”
“You right.”
I got out of bed. “I’m gonna go make sure they don’t need anything down there. I’ll be back when they’re almost done. Okay?”
“Okay.”
I left the room and took a deep breath after closing the door.
My dick was so damn hard it was ridiculous.
I knew if I was in the same room with my mama and my sister, it would give him a reprieve.
When I got down there, they were team cooking like only they could.
I watched them clown around and dance to the music they had on.
They were more like sisters these days instead of mother and daughter.
My dad and I were the same way. Maybe Crew was jealous of that too.
He could have a similar relationship with Dad, but he never really wanted to hang around him as much as I did.
He always wanted to chill with Ryder J and Kane.
He could have the same closeness with Dad if he hung around.
Dad wasn’t the type to force himself on anyone, not even his kids.
Of course, when we were little, we had to be with him.
Once we were older teenagers, like sixteen and seventeen, he gave us the choice.
My choice was always to be with him, even if I was just sitting in the barbershop.
I went into the kitchen, and my mama smiled at me. “How’s Aaliyah? She okay?”
“Yeah, she’s good. She had just woke up from a nap.”
“The food ought to be ready in a little bit . . . about thirty minutes,” she said as Dad and Asad walked in with the kids.
“Hi, Uncle Royal!”
“What’s up, Jay? How you feelin’?” I asked as I picked him up.
He was getting big. It seemed it was just yesterday when he came into our lives. He was already almost six years old. He gave me a fist bump, then I lowered him to the floor. I shook my dad’s hand, then Asad’s and reached for my niece. She smiled at me as Asad handed her to me.
She was about seven months old now. She was so gorgeous.
Ashanni always had her dressed like a little doll.
I stared at her, wondering if my baby girl would look the same way.
They would surely have similar genes, since Ashanni was my sister and Asad was Aaliyah’s brother, although the two of them didn’t have the same mother.
“Hey, baby girl. How are you? You look so pretty.”
She smiled and put her hand to my face. I kissed it and hugged her. She was the perfect mix of Ashanni and Asad. She had Shani’s slanted eyes, but Asad’s smile. They were about the same complexion, but she was a tad bit lighter.
“Royal, don’t be tryna get attached to my baby. You got your own coming in a couple of weeks, probably.”
I chuckled. Whenever I held her, Ashanni said the exact same thing.
She knew this lil girl was irresistible.
How could I not get attached? “I do have my own coming soon, but this lil angel is my only niece. We gotta establish that relationship for when y’all are getting on her nerves, she can come to Unc. ”
“Whatever, fool.”
“Royal, go get Liyah and get her situated. The food will be ready by the time you’re done,” my mama said.
I nodded and handed Azariah back to Asad, but before I left, my dad said, “Let me holla at’chu right quick before you go.”
We walked toward the sitting area and sat on the couch. “What’s up, old man?”
“I got’cho old man, nigga.”
I chuckled as he slid his hand down his face. “I told Crew today would be a perfect day to make things right with you. So, he might show up.”