The world sees what I show them and judges accordingly. As if I give a fuck about their opinions. If I did, I wouldn’t be pierced—my eyebrow… or my dick. My tattoos would be artistic or organized or non-existent—whatever elsetheythink it should be.
Instead, I have what I want. Iamwhat I want. That’s the only thing that matters.
That and family.
“You’re going to be your own person, you know,” I say quietly to the slight weight asleep on my chest. “Your dad is a good man. Don’t go crazy when he’s overprotective. It’s just who he is. Your mom is the most talented woman on the planet. If you get even a fraction of her creativity, you’ll be lucky. There’s no way you won’t be exceptional. Talented, of course. Beautiful, undoubtedly. Brilliant, for sure. You’ll end up caring and kind like your Uncle Ci too. He wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I pause, stroking her small back which practically spans my whole palm. “That’s not me, but?—”
“I beg to differ.” My sister takes the lounger next to me, sitting a bit more gingerly than usual. “How’s she doing?”
“We’re doing just fine.” I look at the sleeping baby, her mouth popped open in a little O, wishing she were old enough to toss in the air and get into mischief with. Returning my gaze to my sister, I add, “She’s perfect, you know.”
“Of course, she is. I made her.”
“We made her,” a voice registers behind her. “And I’m the appropriate amount of protective.”
My chuckle bounces the baby on my chest, but she barely stirs. “How long have you been listeningthere?”
“Long enough to know you’re teaching my daughter?—”
“Ourdaughter,” my sister interrupts.
“Our daughter,” he emphasizes. “To know her worth.”
Of course I am.
“That was a private conversation.”
Christian scoffs. “You put the security cameras in this place. You, more than anyone, know that there’s nothing private on these grounds. At least here.” He uses his hand to demonstrate the area.
I speak to Sophia. “Next time, I’ll sneak you out of here, and we can talk privately.” I emphasize the last word.
“I think not,” Ayla fusses.
“Like you could stop me.” I’m calling her bluff, but it’s with one of my own. I would never put Sophia on my bike. Well, not yet. And I don’t own a car seat for my Tahoe. Come to think of it, I need one of those. You know, just in case.
Christian takes a seat next to his wife and turns to me, leaning forward. “We want to talk with you about something.”
I’m on alert. “Is everything okay?” I look down and then to the two of them, swiveling to face their direction. Instinctively, I hold Sophia tighter to me.
They look between one another, small smiles playing on their faces. Christian takes Ayla’s hand. “We’d like you to be Sophia’s godfather.”
Oh. That’s it? The exhale of relief is instantaneous. “Sure.”
“In that ask,” he pauses. “We also want you to be her guardian if something were to happen to us.”
A nuclear bomb detonation wouldn’t have rocked me more. “But— We all know Cian has a more stable life.”
“We love Cian and Sariah. There’s no question they’d be wonderful parents to Sophia if we’d chosen to go that direction—” Christian is cut off by his wife.
“But we want you,” Ayla says quietly.
“The godfather bit is easy.” In my head, I see Marlon Brando and have a brief moment considering a horse head before I drag myself back to the present. “But guardian? Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent.” My sister clasps her free hand to theone holding Christian’s hand, covering it. “If something happens, we want her to know us, to know how much we loved her, to be protected and cherished. You’re that man, Li.”
Unmarried biker.
