Me: I’m not even going to ask how you got my address.
Nicholas: The same place I got your phone number since you forgot to give it to me. Get dressed, I’ll pick you up.
Me: After not hearing from you in days you can’t expect me to drop everything and run to you.
Nicholas: Tell me you missed me then.
Me: I didn’t say all that.
Nicholas: I missed you too, habibti, but I wanted to give you a little space to accept that I’m not going anywhere. I hope you had time to clear your roster.
Me: Roster?
Nicholas: Booty calls, exes, anyone who thought they had a chance with you. I wanted to give you time to let them down easy because I’m not backing down off my pursuit.
Me: Is that right?
Nicholas: I have no problem pursuing you, Jameela. I’m about to go even harder to show you that I mean everything I said. What do you have a taste for?
Me: Maybe another time. I can’t get a sitter by then.
Nicholas: Bring her with you, or I’ll bring the two of you lunch. I want to see you again, Jameela.
Me: I’m not sure if I’m ready for you to meet my daughter.
Nicholas: Understandable. Can I buy you lunch?
Me: Nicholas, you don’t have to buy me anything.
Nicholas: Have you eaten lunch, Jameela?
I knew there was no talking to him after he bought me a car against my protest, so I didn’t bother responding to his message.
“You hungry, Bella?” I asked my girl as she crawled over to the couch.
I was so ready for her to start walking, but I knew she was going to tear my house down when she finally did. I picked her up and kissed her face while she climbed all over me. I hugged her little body against me before letting her go.
You couldn’t tell Bella that she wasn’t a big girl sometimes. She didn’t like being babied, so she wouldn’t let me hold on to her for too long. I picked up the remote control and turned the TV to one of her cartoons, then stretched out on the couch, letting her cuddle up with me to watch.
Right when I started to doze off, there was a knock at my door. Bella clung to my arm, so I picked her up before walking over to see who in the world it could be. I frowned when I saw aface I didn’t recognize but quickly noticed the plastic bags in his hand. Taking a step back, I opened the door to greet him.
“Jameela?” he asked when the door was open.
“Yes.”
Once I confirmed I was me, he handed me the bag and scampered away without waiting for me to react. I closed the door behind me and headed to the kitchen with Bella on my hip. The logo on the bag gave it away before I could open the containers.
I put Bella on the couch and placed the bag on the table before removing the contents. The aroma of fried catfish made my mouth water as I removed the Styrofoam container from my favorite hole in the wall eatery.
Cheesy grits were the perfect addition to the deep-fried fish. Like me, my baby girl loved fish. I was gradually learning to expect Nicholas to go overboard, so I wasn’t exactly surprised that he had sent enough food to feed a family of four.
I took Bella to the kitchen and placed her in her high chair before returning to the living room to get the food. Once I had Bella’s plate set up and set aside to cool, I grabbed my phone and called Nicholas.
“Thank you, Nicholas,” I said as soon as he answered the phone.
“Oh, wow! I wasn’t sure you knew that phrase.”
“Well, I do. My baby loves fish just as much as I do.”
