Crown’s eyes drifted from Nyla up to hers, and Nivéa blushed. They stared at each other until his gaze shifted, and he brought Nyla closer. He swayed her gently, mimicking what he’d seen Nivéa do, and she stared up at him for almost ten minutes before the pacifier fell from her lips, her eyes shutting. She let out a soft little burp and went limp against him, fast asleep.
He chuckled. “Damn, she’s out already. Seems like all she does is sleep.”
“That’s what they do when they’re fresh out of the womb. She has her moments, though. She’s been up since five this morning, so she’s exhausted. I just fed her not too long ago. Her tummy must’ve been hurting. I thought I burped her enough, but I guess not. You can put her in the crib, so I don’t wake her with this music.”
Then, softer and more serious, she added, “Lay her on her back, baby. Please.”
“Aight.” Crown stood and headed down the hall.
Nivéa watched on the monitor as he gently lowered Nyla into the crib, making sure she was snug. He pulled the blanket up, then stepped back softly, trying not to stir her.
When he returned, Crown strolled over to Nivéa, draping his arm around her neck from behind and tucking his head into the curve of it. She closed her eyes, savoring the warmthof his presence as she swayed her head to SZA oozing from the computer speakers.
“Spent your life bein' hopeless.
Chokin' on insecurity.
I know all this is bad.
But please, put a leash on me anyway.”
Nivéa felt every lyric inside her chest. “I love this song, baby.” She expressed.
“I see. You love you some SZA, Tink, and Adele.” Crown told her.
“How you figure?”
“The couple of times I came by your shop, that's who you were playin’.” He kissed the side of her face. “And you begged me to fuck you to Tink.”
She cracked up, recalling the first time she visited his home. “And did,”
“You see how relaxed you are today?” Crown acknowledged, strumming her right dimple. “This how I always want you to be, aight? It looks good on you, ma. Let me do the worrying. Let me do the figuring out.”
Nivéa turned to look up at him as she stood from the chair, her eyes filled with emotion. He had no idea how much she adored him.
“Okay.”
As Crown’s body towered over hers, their lips connected, and their tongues mingled in a slow kiss. He began exploring her body, squeezing her hips, ass, and thighs. He couldn’t wait to make it back home to her.
“I’mma make it back home to y’all, aight?” He promised.
All Nivéa could do was smile as she gazed up at him. “Alright, I’ll be waiting with open arms.”
∞∞∞
The cemetery was quiet. Dew clung to the grass, soaking into the knees of Crown’s dark jeans as he knelt. The sun hadn’t fully risen yet; only a faint stretch of light slipped across the headstones as morning slowly approached. Crown touched his forehead, then his chest, making the sign of the cross as he paid his respects.
Four headstones sat in front of him: his grandmother, his grandfather, and his father. Just beside them was a fourth, a newer one.
Moesha “Lil Mo” Renee Jackson-Knight
Fresh flowers surrounded her headstone. Crown knew Danger had been bringing them every day since they laid her to rest a few weeks ago. They never had time to wilt or look forgotten. His brother wouldn’t allow it, and neither would he.
Crown paused, placing his own bouquet gently in front of her stone. The loss still didn’t sit right with him. Lil Mo had been young and full of life; she shouldn’t have been buried among their elders. His eyes watered all over again at the sudden tragedy.
This was his routine.
Once a week, Crown visited his loved ones before work, before the city woke up, before his phone started ringing, and problems had to be solved. No matter how late the night beforehad been or how heavy things felt, this was his first stop. Here, he grounded himself, remembered where he came from, and reminded himself who he was still doing all of this for.
