“I can’t wait to meet her little pretty self.”
“I must warn you, she’s already a handful.”
“So are my other kids, and they are not as cute as she is. Handsome, beautiful, but not like little mama.”
I took a napkin up to my mouth.
“Now, is it okay for me to grab my phone and handle a little business?”
I asked Ari.
“Of course it’s okay. Do you. I’m just enjoying the view while I can. Ari pinched my cheek, making a nigga feel like a little fuckin boy in that moment.
When I went inside and grabbed my phone, I saw five missed calls and a few text messages. When I saw the message from Tania, I opened it immediately because the word police was at the beginning.
Hey, the police just questioned me. Call me Asap.
After reading it, I muttered a silent “fuck.” and peeked around the corner to make sure Ari wasn’t coming. I went into the bathroom and closed the door behind me, turning on the sink water to drown out the conversation.
“Hello, about time you called,” Tania answered the phone on the second ring.
“I've been busy. You said the police came to you?”
“Yeah, asking me about being with you, and I told them what I thought I should, but I’m fucking scared.”
“Don’t be scared. You have nothing to be scared of as long as you keep your mouth shut about the truth. Where are you at now?”
“At Hawk and Cyn’s place, of course. I don’t leave for D.C. for another two days.”
“Oh, well, in the meantime, if they reach back out, don’t talk to them anymore.”
“Hawk already told me that. Are you with Ari?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Nothing, just wondering where my friend was, but okay, I’ll be here.”
She hung up.
I took advantage of the sink being on and splashed water on my face. This wasn’t the time to panic, and I knew how cops loved to make two plus two equal five, but I wasn’t letting them get to me.
When I went back outside, I saw Ari taking a photo of the view from the patio. I could tell she was at peace right now, and I never want to take that feeling from her, no matter what I am going through. Peace looks so damn good on her.
“Hey, you back already? Everything must be good with the business?” she smiled.
“Yeah, it is. I need to visit my son sometime today to go over some shit. We can head over there together in a minute.”
Ari had a hesitant, scared look on her face.
“What’s that expression for?”
“I guess, I’m just not ready to face the music, or the people that might judge me for sleeping over here tonight.”
“What does it matter what people think? I know you're not embarrassed of a nigga?”
“Of course not, Proctor. It’s just things going on with me internally, but it has nothing to do with you.”
“Well, I am here to help you get over it. You have to stop letting other people dictate what you do with your life because of what they might say. Let people talk. People who talked about me my whole life don’t have half as much as I do, so what does that tell you?”
