“Easy like Sunday morning,” he retorted, making me smile at him. “Who you got there wit' you’?” He pointed towards Brooklyn. My parents didn't come to my last game, and they definitely weren’t showing up to a party so this is the first time they were meeting him.
“Daddy, this is my boyfriend, Brooklyn.” Brooklyn stood up and walked over to my dad with his hand stretched out to him. I can’t even lie, it felt good to call Brooklyn my boyfriend without having any worry behind it. It’s like I already knew that he was going to treat me right because that uneasy feeling didn’t come over me.
“Mr. Kincade, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Call me Bryson. Mr. Kincade is my father, and I know I ain’t old as he is.”
“Yes, Sir.” After shaking his hand, he went back to take his seat on the couch and I did the same right next to him.
“You happy, Bri?” my dad asked. I wasn’t expecting these types of questions but oh well.
Before replying, Brooklyn and I looked at each other. “I am.” Smiling, Brooklyn tweaked my chin then winked at me.
“Keep it that way, young man. My daughter doesn’t have any bruises, bumps, or scratches on her, so keep it just like that. I’m old but I promise I’ll fuck you up behind her.”
“Bronx is safe. You’ll never have to worry about that with me.”
“Bronx, huh? I guess she does really like you. She hates her middle name. If she allows you to call her that, that must mean something.”
Brooklyn looked over at me, ‘causing me to shrug my shoulders. “What can I say, I didn’t look like a Bronx. I looked like a Brianna Patrice or Nicole, but not Bronx.”
“Don’t let cho mama hear you say that. You know she’ll have a hissy fit.” My dad laughed so hard that he started coughing, prompting me to go into the kitchen to grab him a water bottle. After helping him, I took my seat.
“Where’s Mama anyway? She had me come over here and she’s still in the room.”
“That’s because she’s not here. Before you came, she got a call from one of the girls BJ used to talk to. He came to her house but her new man was there and they started fighting. The boy pulled a gun out on Bryson but didn’t shoot it. They started tussling and the girl couldn’t get them apart so instead of her dumb ass calling the police, she called yo’ mama.”
“Lord, Bryson. What does he have going on now, Daddy?”
“You know yo’ brother, he’s always into something and trying to come up on a quick dolla. Someone told me he was selling that reefa now and he knows if it's true, I’m going to hurt him. That’s one thing I do not tolerate. I don’t do jail visits nor do I put money on books. I didn’t raise any of you like that, but for some reason, he got one too many stupid genes from ya mama side of the family.”
“Daddy!” I laughed out. “Don’t say that. Your side isn’t all that bright either.”
“A shiiid, you can’t name not one family ‘memba that’s not smart,” my dad countered.
“Ugh, yea I can. Tony.”
“He don’t count.”
Brooklyn chuckled when my dad came back with a quick reply.
“If you say so, Daddy. We are about to go. Tell Mama we came by and tell Bryson to call me later. He’s out here doing the most over a chick that ain’t even his.”
“Ok, Baby. It was nice to meet you ,Brooklyn. Remember what I said. Keep her happy.”
“I promise you, I’ll always do that,” Brooklyn reassured him.
“Love you, Daddy.” Reaching down, I hugged him before calling out my sister's name. “Brixie, I’m gone!”
“Good, you are leaving him here.”
“No, I’m not, girl, and get cho hands off him.”
“You said ‘I’m gon as if you were the only one leaving.”
Smirking and rolling my eyes, I then changed up my sentence to make it clear for her.
“Brix, we are gone. See you later, and I love you.”
