“Because, my giant friend, you were no longer an option and you know like I know the girl hates being alone. Thanks for staying with her.”
“It’s nothing. Make sure at some point today she gets a break to sleep, she was up all night.”
Donnée offered him a thankful expression and left the house. Showered and in bed, Jahlil stared at the ceiling, trying to make a play in his mind. Yeah, he came back because he wanted to raise the two kids he had on the west coast, but the driving force was her. He needed to get back to his roots, to the things and the people that made him. Emani was at the epicenter.
As his lids floated closed, his phone rang. No one other than Sanaa FaceTiming him. Sacrificing ten minutes of sleep for her was a no brainer. Answering the call, he took in his five year old, legs crossed, bright pink robe clutched in her hand and a tumbler in the other.
“You didn’t call me last night,” Sanaa sniped. No hi, hello, I miss you. Not even a ‘nigga, where you at’.
“Ah, damn you’re right,” Jahlil said. “My bad. Daddy got caught up.”
“Damn right, I’m right.”
“Sanaa,” he warned, as she rolled her eyes.
“I mean, yes, Daddy, I am right. I’m always right. Soooo what you do?” Sanaa asked. “Did you do the hop?”
Jahlil laughed. “Yeah, I did the hop.”
“Drewy showed me. Wanna see?” Sanaa propped the phone up and started hopping and chanted. “I say I’m a fly veta apple. Fly, fly, fly. Grrr.”
Jahlil laughed and shook his head. “Tell Andrew to never show you that again.”
“I’m going to be a fly veta too,” Sanaa assured, sitting down out of breath.
“Nah, you’ll be a fine Sigma Zeta Delta.”
“Ohh like E.Rose and Auntie D?!” Sanaa squealed.
“Yeah, just like that.”
Sanaa gasped. “I love pink!”
“I know you do, I still got that pink confetti all in my suitcase,” Jahlil pointed out.
“Oh, I put in more so you wouldn’t forget me,” Sanaa admitted.
Jahlil laughed more. “Just like a woman already. Thank you for that. But I’ll never forget you. You know that right?”
“I know because if you do I’ll have to pop your head off and put another one on. Just like Andrew does my dollies and I remember to leave him alone,” Sanaa spoke, smacking on an apple slice.
Jahlil shook his head. “You keeping a good eye on Drew?”
Sanaa stretched her eyes open as wide as she could, moved into the camera and whispered. “Two good eyes on him. Little sneak.”
“I haven’t even done nothing,” Andrew grumbled tiredly. “Tell her to get out of my bed. She has her own room.”
Jahlil watched as Sanaa wiggled closer to Andrew and held the phone up.
“Nope, your bed is better. Too bad we can’t play the game.”
Andrew groaned. “Yo, Sanaa, it’s six in the morning.”
“And Auntie said you have training so chop chop muhfuckaaaahhh!”
“Sanaa!” Jahlil and Andrew bellowed.
She offered them both an innocent look. “What? I meant muhsuckkaaaa.”
