On her trail, he stomped into the street, picked her up by the arm and carried her into the house.
“Hey, put me down, Daddy! You didn’t let me say byyeee,” Sanaa whined loudly, making Emani move from the couch and meet them at the door. “Mani daddy is a hating-”
“Watch it,” Emani softly corrected, taking her from Jahlil. “Don’t be holding my girl like that.”
“Your girl is letting little boys hug up on her. Got her skipping into the middle of the street and shit,” Jahlil fussed as Emani adjusted Sanaa around her body.
“I mean look at her, Jah. She so cute. Tell me about your first day.”
“Did you get cookies?” Sanaa asked Emani in response.
“I did you one better, I made your daddy buy the red velvet ones from your favorite bakery by the beach,” Emani shared, carrying her into the kitchen. “Did everyone like your dress?”
“Everyone loved my dress and my hair. Especially Aryn,” Sanaa excitedly shared with Emani who sat her atop the kitchen counter.
“Ohhh, Aryn. Give meee the teaaa, girl. Is he cute?” Emani questioned.
“Is who cute?” Andrew quizzed, walking in from outside.
“My boyfriend,” Sanaa said waving him off.
“You got a boyfriend, ugly?” Andrew mused. “He wear glasses or something?”
“Drewy, please, you don’t even have a girlfriend or a door,” Sanaa shot back, making Emani scrunch her eyes in laughter.
“Find another one. I’ll have a door before you ever have a boyfriend,” Andrew shot back.
Sanaa scoffed. “Lies, nigga. I got a boyfriend right now.”
“Not for long. I’m going to beat that little nigga down with his stuffed teddy bear,” Andrew shot back, making Jahlil whoop in the hall.
“I know that’s right. Let’s go jump his ass right damn now!” Jahlil stated.
“Alright y’all, that’s enough,” Emani said, laughing. “Let’s reset. We got dinner reservations in an hour and a half, go clean up.”
Andrew started toward the stairs while Jahlil ear hustled to hear what his girls were going to mutter about behind his back.
“So little Aryn really likes you?”
Sanaa took a chomp into her cookie and nodded. “Mhmm.”
“You want to know a secret?” Emani asked, smoothing down a swoop of baby hair she’d laid in the morning.
“Mmhmm.”
“Make them work. If he likes you, make him work. Snack times and lunchtimes, and playtime and naptimes, okay? Not too much too fast, alright?”
“Okay,” Sanaa buzzed. “I trust you. And I didn’t say any bad words today at school.”
“How many did you say in the car?”
“A lot! Your man was stressing me out, girl, and I didn’t have any markers.”
Emani laughed. “My girl, we got to work on this habit. Finish your cookie and go get ready to go.”
Emani left Sanaa swinging her legs and eating her cookie to find an eavesdropping Jahlil in the hall. “Jump a toddler for real?”
“I’m not above it,” Jahlil muttered. “Him and his daddy. I’ll knock both of them out.”
