“Damn, my little man is looking fly. Mommy is gonna have to run interference with these fast ass little girls now. I might need to make you a regular at that shop.” Nyelle smiled at her son and kissed the top of his freshly cut head.
“Here, Mommy. East said to give you this and that I have to come back there to get my haircut. He’s my friend now. It’s fly, right? He said I can only see him.”
Nick excitedly handed off the business card East had given him. “Oh, really? And you’re okay with that?” Nyelle stared skeptically at her son but smiled when he did. It stretched across his face, causing hers to do the same.
“I like it there. He didn’t cut me. My daddy can take me there if he wants to.”
Nyelle’s face softened and she kissed her son on the cheek. “Give Auntie Joi a hug and tell her thank you for taking you to get your haircut. Then I want you to go clean up all those toys you left out this morning.”
Nick ran right to Joi and threw his small body against hers. He hugged her legs and she leaned down to hug him back. “Thank you, Auntie Joi. I had fun.”
“Me too, Small Fry.”
“I’m not a French fry.” He beamed before taking off running to his room.
“You good, sis?” Joi saw the shift in her girl’s mood. She knew Nyelle was catching it since Reese had been MIA, which was the main reason she didn’t mind stepping up.
“Yeah, I’m good. I just hate his trifling ass, like for real. Nick just wants his father and he’s too busy trying to impress the next hoe with how good of a father he is while neglecting his son. It’s all good, though. Karma is a bitch.”
Haircuts were something her son usually experienced with his father and Nick was always excited about the time they spent. However, since the birth of his baby sister, whom her trifling ass baby father created while cheating on Nyelle, Reese hadn’t come around much. He deposited money in her account monthly but kept his head up his new hoe’s ass because she forced him to.
Nyelle didn’t blame her because her issue was with Reese. It was up to him to be a man, and if he was one, no woman would have the power to control his moves or keep him from his kid. Reese hadtwochildren, even if he had recently forgotten about the fact that he had Nick.
“Karma is a bitch, but that doesn’t protect you from hurt feelings.”
“I’m not hurt behind him. Well, not like that. I’m hurt behind my baby wanting time with his dad that he can’t get.”
“I feel you, but he didn’t just leave Nick. He left you too, Ny. You put in five years with him and he just dipped.”
“I’m good. I’m just doing me. Thank God I didn’t listen to his stupid ass and skip school like he wanted me to. I can support my son and we’re good over here.”
Reese was a street dude. He brought in decent money, so he wanted a woman who was at home keeping house and raising their kid. Nyelle gave him that but also found a way to go to school in the process, refusing to solely rely on any man. One of the biggest lessons her father taught her due to his absence was to never put all her trust in a man, no matter how much he tried to convince you that he would be there for you. Nyelle had seen the fallout too many times for women who made that mistake, her mother included.
“Facts, baby. And what you don’t have, I have, so we’re real good. You know I’m always gonna be here for whatever.”
“Girl, your broke ass.” Nyelle smugly rolled her eyes at her girl. “But I know you always got my back.”
She had only known Joi for five years. They met through Reese because Joi was with his boy at the time. Unfortunately, they didn’t last. Joi wasn’t the type to put up with nonsense and Reese’s boy Krass did not have the word faithful in his vocabulary. Even after Joi left Krass alone, the two women built a bond and had been rocking ever since.
“So, Reg called me when I was on the way to take Nick to get his cut…”
“Ahh, hell, what he do?” Nyelle knew her girl better than anyone and instantly saw through her tone and blank expression.
“It’s not what he did, it’s what happened when he called. As soon as he said ‘what’s up, babe,’ some female in the background spoke up all loud, saying, ‘Damn, baby, I didn’t know you were on the phone. My bad.’”
Nyelle angled her head to the side then walked away.
Joi frowned as she followed her.
“Where you going?”
“To put my shoes on. Reg is about to catch this damn fade.”
Joi smiled hard, almost laughing. “Sit your hood rat ass down. We’re not about to go anywhere. Let me tell you the rest.”
Nyelle turned, placing her hands on her hips and waiting. Joi laughed again at the serious look on her face but wasn’t surprised. Nyelle played no games with any man who was cheating. Reese had her on a thousand with that.
“I’m listening.” She pursed her lips.
