“Stop letting my mother’s words get in your head. Your kids are a part of you. If I’m saying I got you, I’m saying I got them too.”
I sat there silently for a second, then my shoulders dropped. “Okay.”
“Thank you.” He winked at me with a smile that eased every nerve in my body. “Now where am I going?”
I texted him both of the addresses, and he headed to get KJ first since that was closest.
We stayed on FaceTime while he drove. “Does their father always flake on them like this?”
Sighing, I nodded. “Yeah. It’s one of the main reasons why I left him. It’s gotten worse since we broke up.”
“Why? He’s not taking the breakup well?” he asked with a raised brow.
“After twelve years, I don’t think he believed that I was serious about the breakup, but he believes it now.”
That was an understatement, but I refused to allow Kodi to cause any tension in what felt like a perfect relationship. But ever since Kodi and I had that conversation, Kodi had become colder. He barely spoke to me. When he did, it was short, and he kept flaking on me and the kids.
I just hoped that he would soon get over it.
Soon, Sincere pulled up to the after-school program. He grabbed his phone and got out of his car.
Inside, the lighting changed and voices echoed in the background. He approached the front desk, and I heard him speak.
“I’m here to pick up KJ,” he told the woman.
“Kobe Hendricks,” I corrected.
Sincere smiled with a hint of embarrassment. “I’m here for Kobe Hendricks.”
“Are you on the pickup list?”
“Give her the phone,” I told Sincere.
Once he handed it over and the receptionist saw me, she smiled. “Oh, hi, Rhythm.”
“Hey, girl. Sincere is my boyfriend and he has permission to pick up KJ.”
“Okay. Thank you for confirming. I’ll go get Kobe.”
She handed the phone back to Sincere, and a minute later I heard footsteps and then Kobe’s voice.
“What’s up, big man,” Sincere greeted him.
He turned the phone toward Kobe. “Say hey to your mom.”
Kobe took the phone and stared at the screen. “Hi, Mama.”
“Hey, baby. Sincere is my friend. He’s going to take you and Kinsley home for me because your daddy couldn’t make it. I’ll be there when you all get there.”
Kobe’s eyes slid up to Sincere. “Okay,” he said, still looking at him like he was trying to figure him out.
I giggled under my breath.
Sincere walked him outside while I stayed on FaceTime. Kobe climbed into the backseat and buckled up. Then he leaned forward between the seats, looking into Sincere’s phone. “Mama, his car smell like rich people.”
KAI RICHARDSON
I walked into my house at the end of the day, dropped my keys into the bowl by the entryway, and reached for the light switch.
