5. DaVinci
5
DaVinci
P hysical therapy was a bitch. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. However, having a wife like Clover definitely helped me get through it. I spent two and a half months inside of that rehab facility, learning how to do shit that I already knew how to do. The entire time I was staying there, my mother only came to visit a total of three times. I didn’t expect her to be there every single day like Clover, but the lack of visitation was a little surprising. Especially considering the circumstances. Whenever she did come up there, it was for no more than fifteen minutes, and she had an attitude the entire time.
Clover and I hadn’t spoken again about my mother being the one behind the shooting. Tonya’s behavior raised my antennas though, so I had Monty, Jason, and D looking into her whereabouts the day of the funeral and the night before. Something was up, and I was gon’ get to the bottom of it before Lake had the entire state of Virginia laying in a damn cemetery.
“Good morning,” Clover smiled, rolling over on her side, showing me her protruding five-month bump.
I had been home for two weeks, and there was nothing better than waking up to Clover. It was better than waking up in that facility and damn sure waking up to Olga’s manly looking ass. Don’t get me wrong, Olga was cool as a muthafucka, but she had a face that only a mother could love. I fucked with her though. I even invited her to the lavish ass wedding Clover and I planned to have. But if I never had to see her again after that, I’d be perfectly cool. She got me through a tough time, so I was grateful for her, nonetheless.
Since I had been home, I made Clo move out of her house so that I could lay up under her every second of the day. She was carrying my seed, so the last thing I needed her to be was unprotected and vulnerable at her house. At some point, she planned to turn it into an AirBnB, but it really didn’t matter to me. As long as she was wherever I was, then I was 100% good.
My hands instinctively touched her belly. “Good morning, wifey.”
“Are you excited about today?” She grinned, sliding her hands underneath her head.
“Can I be honest?”
“Always.”
I sighed, sliding my hand back and forth against her stretched stomach. “I’m ready for this party to be over already. I hate that I still have to use a cane to walk around like some old ass nigga, so I don’t want people to see me like that.”
“Mm,” she nodded, but I didn’t miss the disappointment in her eyes. “Vin, I asked you about this party though and if you were okay with it.”
“I know. I didn’t want to let you down because of my own bullshit.”
“Okay. Don’t go then,” she rolled her eyes before pushing away from me and getting out of the bed.
When she went into the bathroom and slammed the door, I let out a frustrated sigh and stared at the ceiling. Charm had been finalizing the details of a gender reveal for us after finding out the gender of the baby three weeks ago. The only reason I agreed to the stupid ass party was to make Clover happy. Now that the day was here, I was severely regretting agreeing to it. I didn’t want to be out since I wasn’t 100% back to myself. Eventually, I wouldn’t need a cane to move around but until that day came, I planned to stay in the house.
If something else popped off, I wouldn’t be able to protect Clover like I wanted to. Granted, we had security on top of security, but as her husband, it was my duty to make sure she was good. With me not being able to move around as quick as I used to, I felt like I was no good to her right now. Hell, my dick didn’t even work, so I really felt useless as her husband.
Imagine your wife trying to get your dick hard and nothing happening. That was embarrassing all on its own, but Clover with her patient and understanding ass was…well, patient and understanding . She didn’t make me feel like less than a man, and I appreciated her for that. However, adjusting to our “new norm” had been proving to be harder than I thought. Mentally, it was fuckin’ me up. I was used to being this larger-than-life ass nigga, and life was definitely larger than me right now.
Releasing another aggravated sigh, I flung the blanket back and sat up, slowly swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. After staring at my cane for a few moments, I shook my head and snatched it up before putting weight on my feet and the cane and standing up. Though the cane was temporary until I got full strength back in my legs, that didn’t make it any less annoying.
“Clo Baby,” I turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. I found her sitting on the toilet crying. “Shit,” I muttered, easing over to her, grabbing her chin, and pushing her face up in my direction. “Baby, you know I hate to see you cry.”
“So get out,” she pulled away from me and sniffled hard.
“Don’t do that.”
“DaVinci,” she scooted to the side and stood up so that she didn’t bump into me. “I just want to cancel the party altogether. If you’re not gonna be there with me, then I don’t even want to have the shit.”
“I can’t let you cancel that party. You’re excited about it and so is Charm.”
She shrugged and started crying even harder. “It doesn’t even matter if you’re not there!”
“Com’ere,” using one arm, I pulled her into my chest. I knew it was just a mix of her hormones and disappointment kicking her ass. “Stop crying, mama, for real. I’ll…I’ll go to the party,” I forced the words out of my mouth, knowing that was the only thing that would get her to stop. I never wanted to see her cry.
She peered up at me instantly. “You will?”
“I just want to be sitting down and chilling, Clover. I don’t want to be doing a bunch of walking around and shit.”
“Baby, this cane really isn’t as bad as you think it is. Everyone knows you got shot. Just because you have a cane that doesn’t make you weak,” she spoke softly, clinging to my wife beater with both hands.
“It’s not about being seen as weak,” I lied through my teeth. “It’s about not being able to protect you if something happens.”
She sucked her teeth and glared at me with her tear-filled eyes. “That’s what the security is for. Vinny, when I’m with you, I always feel safe. I know that you’ll never intentionally let anything happen to me.”
“Clover,” my jaw muscles tensed and then relaxed. “Aight.”
I decided not to even get into it with her. She didn’t understand my position as a man, and I wasn’t about to force it on her either. It took less energy to just agree and go on with my day.
“I love you,” she held my face and gently kissed my lips over and over. “So much.”
“I love you, too,” I dimly smiled.
This was part of the reason why I never wanted a relationship, let alone a marriage. The thought of Clover being hurt because of some shit that I was into angered me every time. Now, let me be very fuckin’ clear, I love my wife and would choose her in this life and the next. Part of me just wish I was living a 100% legit lifestyle so that I wouldn’t be associated with people who got shot at. Especially with Clo carrying my seed. Her safety was my number one priority, so I made a mental note to let Monty know we needed extra trucks with us today. We hadn’t been out since I got home, and I wasn’t taking any chances.
After a few more kisses, she started a shower, and we got in together.
“Clo,” I grabbed her hand as she took hold of my dick. “Don’t.”
Again, that shit was embarrassing. I’d be damned if she tried to get me hard a third time and nothing happened. My plan was to beat my meat in private to see if I could get that muthafucka to come to life. Once I successfully did that then I was going to surprise her with a night of passionate love making. I did not want her to keep trying just to be let down.
“Baby, if we don’t try then you won’t know,” she said in a soft tone with her hand still on my dick.
“I will know ‘cause I’ll find out on my own, Clover,” I ran my fingers across my forehead in vexation. “I don’t need you to. If you want some dick, I can take you in the playroom and we can use a toy. I’m sorry that I can’t give it to you.”
She sucked her teeth and released my flaccid dick from her grip. “DaVinci, it’s not about that for me! I just want you to start getting back to your usual self, and I feel like sex is part of that for you. It’s a big part of it, actually, and I want to help in any way I can.”
“Clo Baby, just stop , aight?” I urged her, my tone sharper and more irritated than I intended. “I need to fuckin’ process this shit for myself. I appreciate you wanting to help, I do, but I don’t need that right now!”
With tears in her eyes and hurt decorating her face, she drew in a deep breath and nodded. “I’ll see you at the gender reveal if you decide to show up.”
Blankly staring at her, I watched as she stepped out of the shower and left the bathroom altogether. Frustration was at an all-time high in my household, and I had to figure out how to fix this shit. And quick.