I bust out laughing because Sonya wasn’t joking at all. My daddy was the man of the house but he didn’t let that shit make him impossible to live with. He and my mama were a team and I always knew I wanted to find that for myself one day.
You could have that with Sterling.
I shook off the voice whispering in my ear not wanting to listen to it. Right now I wasn’t about to entertain anyone,especially not someone close to my daughter. No matter how fine her ass was.
“You right. I’ll take your word for it and thank him again for knocking you up and making you my mama.”
She sighed but I knew it was the playfully annoyed sound when I was getting on her nerves. “I swear you were given too much attention growing up. We should’ve had your brother and sister sooner.”
“Yeah well you didn’t so all that only child-ism stuck. My job doesn’t help much either.”
She laughed and then, when I glanced up toward the house I thought I saw the blinds in the dining room shift.
“You’re right. That big-ass head of yours is only getting bigger with each season. Just remember, mijo, the same people talking all this noise right now will be clamoring to shower you with praise in a few months. Continue to be you and they won’t help but sing your praises.”
“I hear you, ma. But listen, I need to get inside. I've been out here so long I think Sterling is worried I’m paparazzi or something.”
“No, she’s not. I texted her and let her know it was you in case she couldn’t tell.”
“Always got my back don’t you, Sonya?” I might have been mildly spoiled, but I appreciated how my mother looked out for me.
“I do. In more ways than you’ll ever know,mijo. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mama.” I hung with my mama with a grin on my face and felt like I was on top of the world. I hit the garage opener and watched the door raise with more confidence than I’d previously had. This conversation wasn’t going to be easy but it was necessary. I pulled my truck into the first garage bay that was attached to the house. My truck was among the first purchases I made with my NIL money. It hadn’t been nearly aslucrative then as it was now for players but I was smart with what I had. I had been driving the same truck for the last four years while guys in the league were getting new leases every two. Despite having a good salary, I didn’t purchase a second car until the endorsement money rolled in. The best advice I’d been given was to live off that money and keep my salary for emergencies only. The last thing I wanted to be was a broke man unable to live comfortably because I spent my money on stupid shit. I had my fun, but I also was smart enough to know I had better things to spend my money on. Besides ensuring my mother, brother and sister were good, I had an additional reason to be as frugal as I could be. If Ami and any other children I might have one day didn’t inherit enough money for their great-grandkids to be straight, I failed as a father.
I grabbed the bags that were sitting on the passenger seat and slid out of the car with a smile on my face. Hitting the fob that was near the entrance to the house, I put the door down and then pressed the code to get into the house. The only people who had this code were Sterling and me. The idea of keys didn’t seem as secure to me and when I requested the best security system, Jacoby put me on to the one he had set up at his house. He said a friend of his designed it and the dude was a genius so I was more than happy to pay the price. It was crazy how Jacoby and Billy always had a friend who did some shit but judging by the circles they ran in, I shouldn’t have been surprised.
“Where y’all at?” I called out into the house as I put my keys on the hook by the door. Since I wasn’t sure if Ami was napping because of the time of day, I didn’t want to be too loud and wake her up.
“Back here!”
Hearing Sterling’s voice coming from the hall near her bedroom I took a left through the room off the kitchen and headed that way. My shoes had been kicked off at the door andI made a mental note to grab them and put them away later. Sterling made it clear that shoes in the house were a no since Ami was going to spend so much of her time near the floor. Keeping it as clean as possible was key.
I glanced in their rooms as I walked by and found them empty so the only other place they could be was the den. I thought it was cute that Sterling had set this spot up as a play area for Ami. I couldn’t wait to get the kid-sized chair I’d seen when I was looking for baby furniture and get her name put on it. I’d already plotted on putting a big ass dollhouse for her in the corner and getting a cushion for the window seat for when she learned to read. I almost tripped when I realized that despite how things were, I’d made my plans for my daughter subconsciously. I’d have to talk to Doc about what that meant in the long run, but I felt good realizing it.
Maybe I was making my pops proud for real.
As I stepped into the den, I saw that Sterling was reading Ami a book as she sat in her baby seat. This was the type of care that money didn’t buy. I was sure that most nannies didn’t read to their nine week old charges but Sterling was doing it like this was a part of their routine. Something else I gotta copy.
When she finished the book, she swung her legs around from where she sat on the floor and glanced between my face and the bags I held. I knew I was supposed to be focused on giving her this stuff but her face had me stuck. Sterling was just…pretty as shit. It had to be that dip in her chin that made her look so untainted by the bullshit of the world. I hated the word innocent cause that was a word associated with kids and I felt like grown ass men started using it on purpose to describe women. Sterling wasn’t innocent, she was wholesome. Adorable and pretty as hell in a damn I wanna make her smile kinda way.
Give her the bag then stupid.
For once, I listened to the voice in my head and walked toward her, holding out the bag that held her gift. “I wanted to tell you that I was sorry again. The words didn’t seem like enough so I swung by and picked something up for you.”
I held out the box to her and she eyed it before looking back up at me.
“What is this?” Her pretty round browns were narrowed and she watched the bag in my hand like a snake was going to pop out of it.
“I’m apologizing.” I held it closer to her and she moved back slightly.Well, damn.
Her arms folded over her chest, and I was wondering how I fucked up now. “Okay you did that, but what is this?” She pointed to the bag, its presence offended her and I almost pulled it back.
“A gift.”
“You’re…you’rebuyingme something to apologize?” The way her top lip curled I knew I should toss this shit into the pool out back and get it out of her sight but now I was curious.
“Well…yeah why is that a problem?”
