Chapter 30 #2
“Oh, you think you’re going to ignore me?” Sloane’s question accompanied a laugh- the kind that made me stand up because she was about to take her tantrum up a notch.
“Blue is the only thing saving you. Instead of projecting your failures on me, find a nigga to scam or actually do the fuckin’ work to be a better mother. Trying to rewrite history is impossible, and wasting my fuckin’ time. Keep it up, and you won’t come within ten feet of Blue or my baby.”
Then she did the thing I least expected.
“You really do love, Vie.”
“Sloane, get out,” I sighed, massaging my temples because five minutes alone had given me a headache. At this point, I needed to employ her to irritate terrorists because she was that fuckin’ annoying.
“Look, Vie loves you, and believe it or not, I am trying to do better. So that means tolerating you, too.”
“Next time, start there.”
“Oh, this isn’t a truce. I still have my eyes on you, but you love my baby, and I can’t ask for more than that. For now ,” she grabbed her purse off the couch and headed for the door on her own volition.
“We have dinner tonight at my grandmother’s house. Bring this, Sloane. Not the maniac that stormed into my office.”
She narrowed her eyes and flipped me the bird, then snatched the door open. She purposely left it open to piss me off after losing the battle and the war. Shaking my head, I got back to work so I could leave on time to go home and shower.
I left the office later than I expected, but thankfully, Navie was asleep when I crept into the house.
She looked so peaceful, resting on her side, hand on her belly, and mouth open like she’d just finished a twelve-hour shift.
I wasn’t complaining because pregnancy seemed like more work.
She didn’t hesitate to share every change, ensuring I was aware of it too.
Thirty minutes passed before I pried Navie from her sleep to get ready. I knew she was tired because she didn’t put much thought into her outfit, considering we’d be filming tonight.
She waited until we were in the car, pulling off, before she asked, “How do you think she’ll react?”
“A lot of hooting and fuckin’ hollering,” I laughed, imagining Evelyn’s excitement. “And touching. I’ll do my best, but prepare yourself now.”
“Why is she so pressed for you to have a grandbaby?”
“I’m the only one who doesn’t stress her out. I don’t need to be bailed out or move back into her house. At most, I’d need a babysitter, and that’s a treat for her.”
“Wow, they must be giving her hell if you’re the favorite.”
“Watch your mouth,” I gritted, clenching her thigh, “What are you thinking? Boy or girl?”
Navie giggled. “I don’t know. I’m just here for the ride.”
She claimed it didn’t matter, but I think Blue was team girl.
“Rayven and I have a bet going. She thinks it’s a girl.”
“Using my baby to gamble,” Navie dramatically shook her head while sucking her teeth. “Y’all really need to grow up.”
“You need to get more excited.”
“Are you excited?”
“What kind of question is that?”
Blue shrugged, picking at her fresh set from Rylo.
“You’re busy these days. Just making sure nothing changed.”
“You’re stuck, Blue. That’s never changing.”
“Lucky me,” she rolled her eyes, trying to disguise her smile.
My hand used her thigh as a resting spot until we parked at Gram’s. Sloane ascended from a black vehicle dressed the opposite of Navie.
“Whose car is that?” Navie asked.
“Mine,” Sloane quipped, cutting her eyes at me before shifting the focus to Navie, “How are you feeling today?”
“Pregnant, so please behave tonight.”
“I’ll play nice.”
After Sloane’s verbal consent, the three of us walked to the door. I also had a key to Gram’s, letting us inside. Two-thirds of my favorite people were in the kitchen chatting and laughing so hard it made them easy to locate.
“Wassup, Gram?”
“Hey, baby,” she kissed my cheek before turning to hug Navie. She made sure not to hug too tightly and give away the surprise we planned.
“This is Navie’s mom, Sloane. This is my grandma, Evelyn.” I didn’t bother sharing her nickname because that was only for friends and family. It was clear that Inez shared her reservations with Evie from her clipped tone and barely acknowledging Sloane’s presence.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Thanks for having us. What are you cooking?” Sloane asked.
“Turkey wings,” Evie replied, barely even looking up. “What’s in the bag?”
“We brought dessert since you cooked. The least I could do,” Blue volunteered.
“Aren’t you so sweet. What is it?”
“Cupcakes,” I replied.
“Cupcakes,” Evelyn sighed, disgusted. “I know I look young, but I’m not ten. Why the hell would you get cupcakes for dessert? When is the last time you’ve seen me eat a cupcake?”
“They’re really good. I promise,” Blue jumped to my rescue.
Danielle arrived shortly after, accompanied by one cameraman who was setting up while she gave us a rundown of the shots.
Evie was still in the kitchen, so she didn’t know she had been set up yet, but dinner almost ruined it.
The smell of cabbage nearly made Navie throw up on the table, but she controlled it long enough to make it to the bathroom.
“It’s time for dessert!” Navie announced, rounding the corner.
“Yay, cupcakes,” Evie groaned.
“You really need to let your beef with cupcakes go,” I added.
“I’m just saying cupcakes are for children, and I haven’t been a child for a long time.”
Sloane’s chest poked out, ready to defend Navie, trying to make up for lost time.
“Then stop acting like one and have a cupcake,” Mom fussed.
“It’ll be worth it, I promise. Trust me,” Navie urged.
There was a new favorite, and apparently, she trusted her judgment more than mine, willing to open the box. It was Blue’s idea to put the ultrasound on the cupcakes. Evie flipped the top, then put on her glasses so she could accurately talk shit until she realized.
“You’re pregnant?”
Blue nervously nodded, trying to decipher if Evie was as excited as we thought. Then the hooting and hollering began.
“Thank you, Jesus!” She yelled, clapping her hands before throwing them in the air. “I knew when I met you! You’d be the one to change his mind, and you didn’t let me down! Get over here!” Evie pulled Navie in for a real hug, their bodies pressed together.
“The other way around, it was all him,” Blue said, throwing me under the bus.
“You had me stressed thinking I wouldn’t get my great-grand for nothing!” Evie wacked me on the back.
“Mama! Cut it out before we end dinner early,” Mom warned.
She leaned back in her chair, elbow perched on the arm, mocking Mom, “A girl can’t even be excited in her own damn home.”
“You can be excited without being dramatic.”
“How far are you? Am I allowed to ask?” Evie rebutted, voice dripping in sarcasm that irritated Mom.
“Sixteen weeks. We should find out the sex at my next appointment,” Blue replied.
“It’s a boy. I can feel it in my bones.”
“Another Treason? I thought you were my girl. Why would you wish that on me?”
“You laid down with him. Or did you do what I told you?” Evie countered, bouncing her eyebrows.
“I like her,” Sloane added, laughing with the rest of the room.
“Aye, what’s wrong with you?” I scolded.
“Baby ain’t even here yet and you’re already being strict,” Gram groaned.
“Blue doesn’t want anybody to know yet, so don’t call Pastor Wilson to announce at church,” I warned.
“I vouched for you. Can you keep a secret?” Blue asked, offering her pinky.
“For you, I will,” she replied, curling her finger and sticking her tongue out at me.
“How the mighty have fallen. This has to be a record,” I joked.
“You can be the apple of your mother’s eye, but this baby is mine. And Blue , of course.”
Blue blushed at Evie singing her praises.
I couldn’t help but admit that I was a little jealous.
I had always been Grandma’s special baby.
She hid my secrets and always slid me extra dollars compared to the other grands.
Usually, I wouldn’t give up without a fight, but I didn’t mind being replaced by Blue.
Nobody loved you like your grandma on your mother’s side. A beautiful combination of teacher and friend. A voice of reason and the answer to all your worries. When you’re down, she’ll lift you and carry the world on her shoulders because a grandmother’s love has no bounds. Blue never had that.
That was all Evie cared about the rest of the night, ordering me around for Blue’s every need.
After dinner, she pulled out the old family albums showing off my baby pictures while Danielle filmed the intimate moment.
Evie wasn’t worried about me making it easy to dip outside.
I laughed at the old oak tree. June, Ward, and I had been beaten with plenty of switches hanging from it.
One day in particular, she sent us to get our own switches.
June always thought he was so damn smart and picked the smallest one. He learned a lesson he never forgot.
The storm door creaked as Mom stepped outside, standing next to me. She didn’t say anything, just gave me that signature ‘I’m proud of you’ look.
“What are you grinning at, woman?”
“I can’t believe my baby is having a baby.”
“I haven’t been a baby in a long time,” I replied, sounding like Evie.
“After forty-two weeks and thirteen hours of labor, you will always be my baby. You’ll see.”
“I didn’t always make it easy either, but all this is because of you. Long days of teaching and taking care of kids that weren’t yours never stopped you from being there for me. Pushing me. Sacrificing. Never accepting less than my best, even when it got on my nerves.”
“Whatever you chose to be, I wanted you to give it your best. What’s all this deep talk about? Are you and Navie okay?”
“Yeah, I haven’t messed it up.”
“Good. I like her for you.”
“Why is that?”
“She’s got you thinking, and that’s a good thing. Are you sure that’s it?”
“I’m scared. Having a kid is a big responsibility.”
“You’ll be fine, Tre.”
“That’s all you’ve got for me?”
“If you’re scared, that means you care enough to get it right. It’s the people who think kids and parenting are easy that scare me. You and Navie will figure it out and have plenty of support.”
I peered over my shoulder at the door opening, “Here she comes now.”
“I thought you snuck away to reply to an email, sorry I interrupted,” Blue admitted, curling into my side, the cool night hair brushing against her skin.
“Look at you. I’m just talking to Mom.”
“Don’t apologize for running a tight ship. He needs a break sometimes.”
“You heard her. I’m right,” Navie smirked.
Tonight, when I closed my eyes, I planned on reminding God I needed a boy to level the playing field around here.