Girl, chill out. I already dealt with your shit this month.
“Yeah, baby give me a second. I’ll be right there.” I turned to Ray and she was already giving me a look like I bet not fuck my man on one of their lounge chairs.
“Don’t do nothing I wouldn’t do, Tay.” She shifted slightly and the cashmere lounge set I’d gifted her during the baby shower looked like the perfect backdrop for her sleeping son.
“Since this is your house and you got a baby that has Stewart DNA on your chest, I’d think there was very little I could do that you haven’t, Rachelle.” I stuck my tongue out at her before standing up and I noticed Parker looking around me toward Ray.
“It is okay if I walk around outside, right?”
Ray just shook her head at his question because no matter how hard they tried, he still did that overly formal shit not wanting to impose on their house.
“Parker I keep trying to tell you that you’re family. Just go out there. It’s a pool and some landscaping. You don’t steal.”
His eyes widened even as we laughed and I knew he was still getting used to how blunt Black people could be. Bless him. He didn’t realize that bluntness only came with love and acceptance but he was getting there.
With red-tinged ears, he smiled back at her like he knew she was teasing him but still couldn’t get over his upbringing yet.
“I love how you forget I’m white, Ray, but stealing land is kinda what we do.”
It was my turn to crack up because, hell; he wasn’t wrong.
Ray grinned at his words before she nodded in appreciation of his joke. “True. Don’t touch shit out there that don’t belong to you.”
Parker was now grinning back before he gave her a nod as he walked toward the back door to wait on me. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Girl, I hope you’re on birth control.” Ray’s eyes were on Parker as he walked through the door but her words were directed toward me.
“Uh, I am but why?” I stretched grateful that I’d packed a similar lounge set to the one Ray was wearing so I could be comfortable today. It was harvest gold in keeping with the holiday colors and Ray was wearing the cream version.
“Did you not see the way he was looking at Dougie? He’s plotting.”
I looked at the space that Parker had occupied trying to figure out what I’d missed. Damn my uterus might have been reacting to something that he was throwing out in the atmosphere.
“You sure?”
She laughed again before leaning back against the pillows snuggling her milk-drunk baby. Being able to watch this baby come into the world and then being named his godmother was an honor I don’t think would ever be topped. I was thankful that Stew was okay with sharing space with me in the delivery room but he wanted whatever was going to allow hisPuddin’ to deliver happily and safely. He knew I had no issue with advocating for anyone, especially not my sister-cousin, so he wanted me there to ensure everything went smoothly. Parker volunteered to stay with the boys while their mother was in labor because my aunt and uncle wanted to be at the hospital and…damn was he plotting?
That realization hit me full force and Rachelle laughing behind me let me know I was wearing my shock on my face.
“Mmmm hmmm. Gone see what that man wants. I bet it’s going to be that he would like to have one of these little combined DNA nipple terrors for himself. I would warn you that you in danger girl, but I think you kinda like it.”
“You good,Puddin’?” Stew strode into the room without the hitch in his step that he’d had before his reconstructive surgery. He immediately kissed Ray and then his son not bothering to wait before he lifted him off his mother’s chest.
“I told you I was good, Stew, you don’t have to cater to me.” She was trying to hold Dougie’s legs but he was doing the little newborn baby scrunch that had me reach to squeal.
“You gave me three beautiful sons, Ray, I’m for damn sure going to give you everything I possibly can. And what I can’t, I’ll figure out a way to make it happen.” He was looking at Dougie with the same love that he looked at Jace and Javon and Ray was looking at him like he was the greatest thing in the world. I felt like I was intruding so I made my way to where Parker had been easing out of the room when I had to throw one last shot.
“Stew, she gotta rest until six weeks, bruh. I can already tell you’ve got the fever.”
“You worry about your coochie and I’ll worry about mine.”
I threw my head back and laughed because she was gonna pop up pregnant at her six-week checkup and I wasn’t going to say shit butI told you so.
“Whatever, let me go see what my coochie minder needs from me. I stuck my tongue out at her and crossed the room.
I walked out of the arched, Spanish-style wood and glass patio doors realizing that I’d kept Parker waiting. I pulled off my mask and saw he was standing in the middle of the grassy portion of the backyard directly behind the pool looking up at the moon.
I didn’t bother to ease my way to him since he was expecting me but when I reached his side he kept his eyes on the sky.
