Jacoby gave me a smirk since he could empathize well. “Have you met my wife? You know I, above anyone else know how you feel. People were trying to call her a groupie, a whore, and unprofessional all because we fell in love with each other. We kept shit low key because of that but it didn’t stop us wanting to be together. The love never stopped and I for damn sure wouldn’t have missed out on my present because someone back then had a problem with who decided to love me.”
“Facts. But Billy good though. She had thick skin long before y’all got together. And she’s probably the most laid-back woman when she’s not in the middle of a negotiation.”
He frowned at me like I ain’t ever met his wife before. “Billy is good with y’all because y’all get the big sister vibe from her. Y’all were her people before I was in some cases. None of y’all were on the level to challenge her or what she said.”
I looked at Jacoby like he was damn right because I enjoyed being alive. “But of course you do cause you must not enjoy living.”
“I see her when she’s working too hard. Hell, before we got together that’s all her ass did was work. She was too dedicated to her business to have time for herself. That shit isn’t healthy. I understood where she was coming from. But she was also the one in her family who looked to have everyone else lean on her. To be the person that everyone could count on so she kept her shit bottled up. It almost broke us and I played a major role in that.”
“You would suck the dookie out of her ass if she asked you.” I was flabbergasted because this man loved his wife down I couldn’t imagine that he’d ever done anything but be a perfect husband.
“Bruh, what the fuck kind oftwo girls one cupshit have you been watching?” Jacoby glanced around and I knew he was looking to make sure that Ascher wasn’t nearby.
“Your even knowing that reference tells me everything I need to know about you.”
He sidestepped the question, and frankly I didn’t want an explanation. “I would do anything for her, yes. But that’s from a long, hard-fought road of basically begging her to do better. Like when she got Destiny and I wasn’t around like I should’ve been—”
“You were a deadbeat?”
“Nah. Well, yeah but not really. Before we adopted her we hadn’t been doing well. I know you know about the adoptionbecause you follow football but some people don’t. Especially since she looks like us.”
I nodded because I wouldn’t have known she wasn’t. “Definitely does.”
“But I messed up. I was emotionally withdrawn because I couldn’t handle the number of emotions I was feeling. I’ve earned her trust back, her love, and her respect, which was hard. But I wouldn’t have given up. That’s the mentality that you have to have when you’re in love.”
“Ling is hyper-independent as fuck. Will use her money to stock the fridge despite my giving her a card to take care of that kind of stuff. I hate that she feels the need to constantly prove herself. And I never put that on her; she just does it.”
“Drives you crazy, doesn’t it?” Jacoby was smiling like he’d been through the same thing and he’d just decided to love that about his wife and work around it.
“Yeah.”
“But what are you doing to make it any better?”
“What?”
“I’m thankful in a lot of ways because even though I never met the man, Billy’s father showed her that she had the ability to see a good man and could depend on one until he passed. How about Sterling’s father?”
“He fucked that up and is still trying to fuck her up. Asking her to come to the game to check me out like he’s doing his job as her dad.”
“Muhfucka wanna get flewed out like a bitch on his daughter’s dime?” Coby’s disgust matched mine and I was irritated all over again about her father.
“Yep.”’
“He ain’t gotta to be in the stands to find shit out about you. That’s weird behavior.”
“They don’t have a good relationship. Hell, any relationship from what I gather but you know some parents just don’t give a fuck.”
“I was blessed to find my pops and my mother by all accounts was an amazing woman. Mina’s mama has been integral to our family and I hate that Sterling doesn’t have that.” When I followed his eyes, he was looking toward Sterling with newfound respect and empathy.
“Yeah it’s fucked up her not having a good dad and shit. I want to be the type of father my pops was to me for Ami. Took me a second to get my mind wrapped around the situation.”
“And now?”
I smiled as I looked at the two of them and spoke from my heart. “I’m happy. I’m moving past the bad and focusing on all the good that came from it.”
“And the other situation?” I knew he meant me manning up and making it clear how I felt about Ling and I was definitely going to get there.
“I’m not quite sure what I should be doing with her. I feel like I’mma make the wrong step no matter what.”
