5. River
I didn’t mean to be gone for as long as I was, but Alana had my dick in a chokehold. It was close to midnight when I entered the kitchen through the garage door, and scared Erissa to death.
“My bad. I assumed you were asleep,” I said when she jumped.
“I just got Riverlynn back to sleep. She woke up cranky and fought with all her might to stay awake.”
“Damn. You don’t think she’s sick, do you? Why didn’t you call me?”
“She doesn’t have a fever, so I don’t think she’s sick. You hired me to take care of her, so I didn’t think calling you was necessary.”
“Erissa, I’m her father.”
“The same father who had something more important to do on the first night his daughter is with a new person? She’s fine now, but if she wakes up and you don’t feel like dealing with her, I’ll be in my room.”
She pushed past me, but before she could get too far, I grabbed her arm. She turned around with her eyes narrowed, then looked at my hand on her arm and snatched it away.
“What’s your problem?” I asked.
“I don’t have a problem. I’m tired, and I’m going to bed.”
I watched her ass sway as she walked away, and I shook my head, then rubbed my hand over my face. It was only the first day, and I’d already pissed her off, although I didn’t understand why. I’d hired her to watch my daughter when I wasn’t around, so in my opinion, her attitude wasn’t justified.
It was late, and I had to be up sooner than I’d like, so I pushed thoughts of Erissa to the back of my mind and went to bed. Hopefully, I didn’t piss her off enough to quit, because her services were still very much needed.
“Damn, baby girl. All these trinkets Erissa got you make things so much easier.”
Riverlynn had everything from a diaper bag that changed into a changing station when needed to a baby monitor with a camera and screen to a personal showerhead, and everything in between. A lot had changed in the seventeen years since my sister was born.
It had been about a month and a half since I’d become a single father, and two weeks since Erissa started as the full-time nanny.
Riverlynn had finally gotten used to me and didn’t have as many random, seemingly unwarranted crying spells.
We’d gotten into somewhat of a routine, and it was vastly different from the life I was used to.
Each morning, I usually left between six thirty and seven. Riverlynn could sense when I was awake because she usually stirred not long after I showered. After feeding, changing, and playing with her, I took her to Erissa.
I got home around six, and so far, Erissa had cooked several times, and there was always enough to have leftovers the following day. I’d only ordered takeout twice since she’d moved in.
After the night I came in close to midnight, I’d kept my extracurricular activities to a minimum. Women hit me up all the time, but I didn’t take them all up on their offers, and when I did, we met up before I came home.
I was headed out to practice, and Riverlynn was babbling away while I changed her diaper. She still had no bedroom furniture, but I did get a changing table to set up in my room. I was too tall to keep bending over so far to change her diaper, and my back thanked me immensely.
Erissa suggested that her nursery be decorated in a ‘Melanin is Magic’ theme, and I had no preference, so I went with it.
She connected with a local Black interior decorator on Flikstagram, and for the past two days, she’d come to the house to work on the nursery.
It seemed to be coming together well, and she was projected to finish soon.
After washing my hands, I grabbed my gym bag and swung it over my shoulder, then picked up Riverlynn from the changing table. I kissed her chubby cheeks on my way to Erissa’s room.
“Come in,” she said after I knocked.
I opened the door, and she was still lying in bed, which wasn’t the norm. Usually, when I brought my daughter to her, she was already up.
“Hey, you okay?” I asked.
“Yeah. I have cramps, so I’m moving a little slower this morning.”
“Oh, umm, do you need anything?”
“No. I’m good. I took some meds, and I’ll be fine in about thirty minutes. Thank you for offering. How is she this morning?”
I smiled as I looked at my baby girl, and she smiled right back at me.
“She’s her happy-go-lucky self. I fed and changed her, so she should be good to chill with you until you’re ready to move around.”
Erissa slowly sat up and reached for Riverlynn. Once she had her, she kissed her cheek, then laid her on the bed next to her.
“Hey, pretty girl! Did you get some good sleep last night?”
Riverlynn responded in her baby talk, and I watched for a moment. Erissa might not have had any experience with babies, but she was a natural, and thus far, I had no regrets about hiring her. I turned to leave but paused when I heard Erissa’s voice.
“Oh, this afternoon, I have to meet the guy who cuts my grass to pay him because he only takes cash. Is it okay if I take Rivvy, or would you rather me ask him to come at a different time? I want to check on the house while I’m there, too, so we may be gone for about an hour.”
“You can take her, as long as you don’t drive your car,” I reminded her.
She rolled her eyes.
“Whatever! My car is just fine, but if you insist, I’ll drive your luxury SUV.”
“See you later.”
When I arrived at practice, as always, it was nonstop until we broke for lunch, usually sometime between noon and one thirty.
“Aye, have you heard from your baby mama?” Jaxon asked.
“Not a peep.”
“Damn, it’s been over a month,” Desmond said.
“Yeah. It’s kinda crazy when you think about it, but men go without seeing their kids for months at a time all the time, and nobody says a word,” I pointed out.
“True, because my pops left when I was two, and didn’t come back around until right before the draft,” Boris shared.
“Mine showed up a little sooner, but it was only because he saw my potential. He showed his true colors before I was drafted, and I dodged a bullet,” I told them.
We didn’t speak for a minute as we scarfed down our food.
“Men really don’t be shit,” Jaxon blurted out.
We all laughed at his observation, but I couldn’t let him group all of us together like that.
“A lot of us are fucked up, but there are some good ones out there. Jaxon, your parents have been married for forty years. Desmond, your parents aren’t married, but your pops has always been around, ain’t he?”
“We ain’t all fucked up, but don’t nobody talk about the good men out here, which makes us all look bad,” Desmond responded.
“Did you connect with the private investigator?” Boris asked.
I shook my head as I finished downing the food in my mouth.
“Not yet. I’m not sure if I want to.”
“Shit. Why the hell not?” Boris questioned.
“Man, if she left baby girl in front of my door, she did it for a reason. Clearly, she’s not ready to be a mother.”
“You got a point, and honestly, if she wants to see her, she knows where to find her,” Jaxon reasoned.
“Exactly. Plus, what am I supposed to say to her when I find her? I honestly don’t care why she left her, because this shit could’ve been handled a number of ways other than leaving her at my door and running away.
If I find out who she is, she’s not getting my daughter back, so there’s really no point. ”
“We hear you, bruh. Calm down,” Desmond said,
“I’m calm, man, but I get pissed every time I think about the shit. It’s not like I denied the baby. We could’ve figured this shit out had she told me what was up.”
“Everything you’ve said is on point, bruh. We’re on your side,” Jaxon said.
“Shut the fuck up, man. Y’all had plenty of jokes when I told y’all about this.”
“We did, and we got plenty more where those came from, but we still got your back if you need anything,” Boris said.
“Except a babysitter,” Jaxon added, and we all broke out in laughter.
A few hours later, I was headed to my car after practice, and my phone rang. Erissa’s name appeared on my screen, and I quickly answered.
“Wassup?”
“Can you come to the address I’m about to send you?”
“Yeah. Y’all good?”
“Yeah. We’re fine, but my ex showed up at my house, and he won’t leave. He’s already tripping about me driving an unfamiliar SUV, and I don’t want to—”
“No need to explain any further. Are y’all safe?”
“Yeah. We’re inside with the doors locked. I’m sending the address now.”
I hopped in my car and started it just as the address came through. When I put it in the GPS, it said it would take twenty-five minutes to get there. I drove like a bat out of hell and made it in twelve.
I parked in the driveway behind the SUV that Erissa had been using and noticed a man leaning against the passenger side door of a car parked in front of the house. As soon as I stepped out, he pushed himself off the car and walked toward me.
“Who the fuck are—hold up? River Westmore? What the hell are you doing here?”
I didn’t bother answering him and continued to the front door of the house. After ringing the doorbell once, I knocked on the door, then announced myself.
“Erissa, it’s me.”
Seconds later, I heard the locks turning, and the door opened. She looked a little flustered, but more annoyed than anything. I pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head, something I’d never done but felt so natural.
“Oh, you fucking this nigga now? Is that why you ain’t got time for me?” the man asked angrily from behind me as I stepped inside.
“Jeremiah, please go away. We aren’t together, so who I’m fucking ain’t your business.”
She slammed the door in his face, and he continued to talk shit from outside.
“Aye, man, she’s broke as fuck with nothing going for herself. She ain’t the kinda woman you want. Hell, if her pussy wasn’t so good, I wouldn’t want shit to do with her.”
“He’s such an asshole.”
“Don’t worry about him. How are you feeling? Are you still cramping?”
She looked confused for a moment, then she smiled.