Jahlil scoffed. “Y’all love her so much, why y’all never stepped to her?”
“That divorce got your head fucked up. That’s our sister. Our jobs are to love and protect her from the sharks swimming around her. Your job was everything else. But I’m not going there, I came to see how you were gelling with the team but it looks like you running shit,” Kyrie replied.
“I can ball. It’s the rest of the shit that’s giving me issues. Sanaa won’t stop cussing, bruh. She cuss so good, she cuss in her sleep.”
Kyrie laughed. “She was born to be a cusser, look at who raised her.”
“How Andrew turn out better than my five year old?” Jahlil laughed before stopping. “Never mind.”
“He had E. There, I said it. Homecoming, you got to make the shit worth it. You gon’ let her marry him?”
“I’m going to let the shit play out,” Jahlil lied.
Aunt Violet was right, seeing her, smelling her, watching her get engaged all made him sick. Playing alongside of the man who loved the idea of having her, made him sick. For years, he found his mind drifting off on her, scrolling through her socials and watching an interview or music video too hard and too long.
Yes, his ex-wife didn’t want children. But it was living inside the marriage with Emani as the ghost. She wasn’t big enough to fit the space Emani left behind when she walked away. Jahlil was as much at fault for the demise of their marriage and the wasted time.
“Don’t be running down the aisle talking about baby please, in two weeks.”
“Boy, fuck you,” Jahlil huffed before laughing. “I’m not even the type to let her touch the aisle.”
“Yeah, we’ll see. I’m going to her rehearsal, you coming?”
“Nah, I got a tea date with Sanaa. I’ll get up with y’all in a couple days.”
When Jahlil got home, the only thing on his mind was taking a shower and dropping his tired body on the couch. What he walked into was Q and Aunt Violet having a stand down and Sanaa crying in the corner behind Aunt Violet.
“The fuck is going on in here?” Jahlil asked, wasting no time scooping up his daughter and standing by his aunt.
“I walked out to meet the damn delivery man at the gate for Sanaa’s bed. I get back and she’s popping her in the mouth. So I popped her ass in the mouth and the bitch better be happy she’s standing upright,” Aunt Violet said, cocking her hand back to hit her again.
“The fuck she still standing here for?” Jahlil barked, entering another realm as he examined Sanaa. “You okay, baby? Where is Andrew?”
“Down the street at Fahad’s,” Aunt Violet said chest to chest with a crying Q. “You wasn’t crying before Jahlil got here, don’t cry now, bitch.”
“Why is her ass still here?” Jahlil asked.
“I was going to let her leave but I thought having her dumbass stand in a corner and get smacked every time I thought about it would make me feel better.”
Jahlil looked at Q’s reddened face. “Go ‘head and get your shit before I change my mind and have her call the homies to run down on your ass.”
With that, Jahlil hiked the stairs with a whimpering Sanaa in his arms. Once he got upstairs, he placed her on his bed and examined her face again.
“I didn’t even cuss that time,” Sanaa whined. “She told me to shut up and stop singing so loud. I hate her.”
“Don’t worry about her. Daddy will handle it. She won’t be back here.”
“Who’s going to do your business?” Sanaa questioned. “Another girlfriend?”
Jahlil’s face frowned. “Another girlfriend? When have you seen me with a girlfriend.”
“Mommy was your girlfriend then she didn’t want to be anything anymore. No girlfriend, no mommy. It’s bullshit.” Sanaa huffed, crossing her arms. “Q wanted to be your girlfriend and I said no way, hoe.”
“Sanaa, you got to stop cussin’,” Jahlil said, trying to muffle his laughter at her last comment. “Do you miss your mom?”
Sanaa shrugged. “I can lose mommy. I can’t lose Daddy or Drewy.”
“How do you feel about daddy going to homecoming with your uncles and Aunt Donnée?” Jahlil asked, praying she’d think that was bullshit too.
