Police and everybody else started rushin’ toward us. People had phones out and the police was yellin’ for everybody to back up while one of ‘em reached for Pressure.
Before he could grab him though, Auntie Abeni stepped forward. Her voice was calm but sharp enough to freeze the whole hallway. “I would strongly advise you not to touch my son.”
The officer stopped, and Auntie Abeni looked him straight in the eye. “If you lay a finger on my son,” she said calm, “I will make certain you never work in law enforcement again.”
The hallway went completely quiet. A man in a dark suit hurried over from down the hall, and Auntie Abeni looked at him like she had been expectin’ him. “Daniel. “Tell your men to relax before this becomes something unpleasant.”
He looked between both families while the woman dropped to her knees beside her son, screamin’ for help.
That’s when I heard more noise comin’ from the courtroom behind the officers.
Roderick finally rushed out after hearin’ the commotion in the hallway, and the second he saw his wife on the floor and his son laid out, his whole face twisted up with rage.
He started movin’ toward us like he was ready to get knocked the fuck out, but the police stepped in quick and grabbed him before he could even get close, holdin’ him back while the rest of ‘em tried to keep everybody separated.
It was too late for all that though. The damage was already done.
Auntie Abeni glanced down at the woman for a second before lookin’ back at the officers.
“That is the person you should be concerned about.”
I felt another small smirk pull at my mouth.
A minute later we turned and walked out that courthouse together like we always did.
Untouched…
Today was a long ass day and a nigga was glad to be back at home with my wife.
The whole courthouse scene had been sittin’ on my mind for hours and even though I had smoked and drunk a lil’, the weight of it was still on me. It wasn’t just the case itself, even though that alone was enough to wear any man down. It was havin’ to sit across from that nigga Roderick knowin’ damn well he wanted to bury me alive. It was knowin’ he was gon’ twist every word and every second of footage to make me look like some cold-blooded murderer when his fuckin’ daughter knew exactly why his sons came in my shop that day. It was feelin’ Toni’s hand in mine when we walked out the courtroom and realizin’ how close I came to losin’ everything if shit had gone any different.
I was sittin’ on our sectional now, leanin’ back into the cushions while the TV played some show I wasn’t even payin’ attention to. I had on some black silk pajama pants and nothin’ else, and the ice in my glass kept clinkin’ against the sides while I took another slow sip of dark liquor. The blunt between my fingers burned soft and smooth and I exhaled a cloud thatdrifted up toward the ceilin’ while I tried to let the tension roll out my body.
This was the only place where I could breathe right.
I heard soft footsteps and when I looked over, Toni was walkin’ toward me wrapped up in that big ass blanket from our bed with some pillows tucked under her arm and a couple snacks in her hands. Her belly was sittin’ in front of her now, almost round and perfect, and she looked so damn beautiful movin’ through the dim light of the livin’ room that I felt somethin’ warm hit the center of my chest.
I leaned forward a lil’ while I put the blunt out, and I shook my head slow as hell.
“Girl, why you carryin’ all that shit by yourself?” I asked, watchin’ her. “You bet not fall with my baby.”
She let out a laugh while she set the snacks down on the table. “I ain’t fallin’, and she’s not just yo’ baby, Kay’Lo. I’m good. I wanted to bring everything myself.”
I looked her up and down, takin’ my time, and I bit my bottom lip. I couldn’t help it. She was five months pregnant now and her belly was sittin’ pretty and soft, and her thighs was a lil’ thicker, and that silk gown she had on wasn’t helpin’ me at all. The straps was thin as hell and the sides had those high slits in ‘em, so the shit barely covered her thighs. The glow she had on her skin made me wanna grab her up and kiss all over her.
“You somethin’ else,” I murmured, my eyes draggin’ over her while she opened the blanket wide and eased her body right up against mine. She got close the way she always do, pressin’ her belly soft into me while we both shifted around until we was layin’ on our sides facin’ each other, our legs tangled up under the blanket. I slid my hand around her waist and down to her ass, grabbin’ a handful of her cheek the way I liked to. She let out a soft breath and pressed even closer, and I started rubbin’ small circles there ‘cause touchin’ her always calmed me down.
She leaned in and pressed her lips to mine, slow and sweet, then pulled back just a lil’ before kissin’ me again. Our mouths kept meetin’ like that, deep pecks that felt like they was tryna say more than either of us could put into words. Every time she pulled back, I felt her lips linger, then I leaned in for another and another. Her lips was juicy and soft, and every time she kissed me I felt her love in it.
When she pulled back again, I stared right into her eyes and bit my lip again ‘cause the way she was lookin’ at me had a nigga feelin’ everything at once. Her eyes always softened when she looked at me like that and it made me feel stead— no, it made me feel grounded in a way nothin’ else did.
I slid my other hand down to her belly ‘cause that was the part of her I been obsessed with lately. My’Love was sittin’ right in there growin’, and I couldn’t get enough of feelin’ her. I moved my thumb in small circles over Toni’s skin and kissed her again before whisperin’, “She should be kickin’ by now.”
Toni nodded, her voice low. “Yo’ mama said she should start movin’ soon. This my first pregnancy, so maybe the kicks don’t come strong right away, I guess. Sometimes I think I feel lil’ flutters, but I can’t really tell yet.”
I rested my forehead against hers, lettin’ my hand slide across her belly again. “She better start movin’ soon or it’s gon’ be a problem,” I said, and she rolled her eyes ‘cause she already knew I was serious as a heart attack.
“Kay’Lo,” she whispered with a lil’ smile.
