”My parents are paying for it. As long as they’re footing the bill, my mom can have an opinion,” he sternly replied.
“It’s not an opinion when she gets everything she wants. At this point, you might as well marry her, and I can be a guest ‘cause y’all not finna make me lose my mind over this wedding when it doesn’t have to happen.”
“Here you go with that stupid shit. Every time you get mad, you want to throw a hissy fit. Grow the fuck up, Juniper. I’m aware you don’t know what a healthy relationship looks like. I know your soon-to-be ex husband wasn’t shit, bu-”
“Ant-ant, watch ya mouth when you speak about my brother.” Frankee poked her head to the side, checking Kojo. “Nice to see you, Mr.Smith.” Frankee finished with a fake smile on her face.
“Mrs.Mckinny, I wasn’t aware you knew my fiance.” Kojo tried to feign innocence, but I could read right through his fake ass acting.
“But I’m sure you know who my brother is,” Frankee replied with a frown.
“Not until recently,” he vaguely answered her and I wondered if he remembered Frankee from the night with Faheem or if it was a coincidence that he’d ended up going through Frankee’s realest company.
Kojo turned back towards me with a frown as he said. “Listen, Juniper, I didn’t offer to babysit so you could catch up with old friends. Since you aren’t going to be doing anything that is concerning our wedding, Ryver can come with you,” Kojo stated in a matter of fact tone before going over to the back passenger door.
Opening it, he unbuckled Rye from her car seat. She was happily watching her tablet. When Kojo turned it off, the cutest frown appeared on her little lips. She fussed at Kojo in her baby language, but once she saw me, her frown turned into a smile, melting my heart.
”Mama!” Rye called with her arms extended out and her fingers doing the come here motion.
“Hey, Mama’s baby,” I cooed once she was in my arms. I hoped Kojo didn’t think he was doing anything by bringing me my daughter. I would never be too busy for her. If anything, he was making my decision to call off this wedding a hell of a lot easier. “Okay, bye,” I shooed Kojo who was standing in front of us just staring. I assumed he was waiting for a reaction he wasn’t going to get.
“That’s it?” he asked, shocked that he didn’t get a bigger reaction from me.
”What? Am I supposed to be mad you dropped my daughter off because your crazy ass mammy called you?” I sarcastically asked him.
“Iii mean… wwwell, how are y’all going to get home?” he stuttered, sounding as dumb as he looked.
“Don’t worry about it. You can go.” I waved him off dismissively. There wasn’t much for me to say to him. Kojo tried to do some bullshit, and it backfired on his ass.
I would bet my last dollar Margret called him and gave him the idea to bring me Rye since I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to be doing. Margret loved to remind me Kojo wasn’t Rye’s dad like I was the one in denial about it, and it wasn’t like Kojo really did a lot for Rye. Yeah, she liked him because he always gave her what she wanted whenever he came around, but he didn’t do stuff for her like a real father would do. Changing diapers, feeding her, bathing her, etc., I did all that, and I financially took care of her on my own. Kojo had offered, but because Margret and her slick comments, I peeped what time they both were on. It was another thing he would try to use against me. I never let him do more than the bare minimum.
“I’ll be by your place around seven, make sure you’re there,” Kojo demanded in an attempt to save face in front of Frankee. He shut his back door staring at us, and I gave him my back. I wanted to bend over and tell him to kiss my ass, but Rye was here.
“Junipeeerrr…Please tell me you didn’t,” Frankee whined with her eyes glued on Rye.
“Frankee, this is Ryver, or Rye as I like to call her.” I rubbed Rye’s back, ignoring the dread on Frankee’s face.
“Don’t do this to me. I have a great life, Juniper.”
“Rye, this is your auntie Frankee. Can you say hi to your auntie?” I asked Rye in a soft voice, and she looked up at me then to Frankee. Then she shyly waved at Frankee.
”Welp, you did it. Rye, it’s nice to meet you, but I hope you know this is going to be your first and last time seeing me. Your dad is going to kill me and your mom. That is if Toi doesn’t get to us first.”
”He’s not going to be that mad, is he?” I nervously questioned.
I mean, of course Faheem was going to be upset, but the way Frankee was acting had me second guessing the level of anger I thought he was going to be at. How mad could he really be?
“Bitch, she looks just like him.” Frankee chuckled, unbelieving. “Juniper, you really did it with this one. My niece is beautiful.” She twirled Ryver’s barrettes in her head. “Faheem is going to fuck you up.”
“Are you gonna tell him?” I kind of hoped she would have.
“And ain’t. He isn’t gonna take my head off. But I will watch my niece when you do tell him. She don’t need to see her mama getting fucked up.” Frankee snickered playfully.
”Frankee,” I groaned. “I’m being serious. How mad is he going to be? And why aren’t you mad?”
“Mad isn’t the word for what my brother is going to be, and do you want me to be mad? ‘Cause I can be. You did hide my niece from us. But I get why you did. I’m sure if I was in a situation like yours, I would have done worse. She probably wouldn’t be here if I was her mama, sooo, I’ll cut you some slack.” Frankee gave me the reassuring smile that she always did when I needed it.
“We have our first court date in two weeks. I can tell him then.”
