“Your part is to continue looking pretty and being a passenger princess. You ain’t gotta fight or flight with me.”
What I said got to her because her eyes went dim. That spark was there, but she looked on the verge of crying. I didn’t want to make her emotional. I wanted to tell her what it was, so she knew how to move from now on with me.
“How much longer you got?” I asked her.
“The office is closed for another hour so, until then.”
Instead of getting in the front seat, we hopped in the back.
“What’re we doing back here?”
“Shit, we can watch something on Netflix and relax.”
“You don’t have to do all that. I can go back to the office.”
“E, stop with that dumb shit before you make me fuckin’ mad. Chill, aiight?”
She obliged, leaning into me, and laid her head on my shoulder. I went to my Netflix app and found us something, a quick series that we could pick back up together someday.
It got quiet.
I glanced to see her fading.
“If you wanna catch a nap, that’s cool. I’ll make sure you get back on time.”
“I’m good. It’s just, I’ve never done this before with a man. I would ride Levi around when he was a baby and playBubble Guppiesbecause he had a hard time sleeping at night,” she reminisced. Her eyes lit up when talking about her son. “I would pull over in our neighborhood, and we’d watch a few minutes of the show before he fell asleep.”
“I fuck with how you show up for lil’ man and your sister.”
“We’re all we got. I told you it’s been us for years. I refuse to let the world raise them instead of me. It kills me when works pulls me away, making me miss so much, but I know it won’t be like this always.”
I nodded, understanding her. Thinking about Maleek, I missed being active in his life. He’s been on my mind heavy sincehis birthday. We chop it up all the time. It wasn’t the same as seeing him.
It made me want to try to end this blood between mama and me.
“The kids asked about you by the way,” she said, breaking my thoughts. “Erin told the whole school I know you and blasted the pictures from dinner over her socials. You really made her day.”
“They know a real nigga when they see one.” I chuckled. “And shit, whenever you wanna chill, I’ll come through.”
“I already didn’t want you having my address the first time. You might be a stalker.”
“My dick too good to be stalking.” I smirked.
“Yeah, you’re crazy.”
“Probably.”
“After the movies I didn’t think I’d see you again, but you proved me wrong. We talk a lot.”
“Hell yeah. I gotta tie up that phone line so don’t no other nigga get through.”
“But you know I date.”
“But you not giving up that pussy to them niggas.”
“I’m single. Why not?”
“That’s some prize-winning pussy. You can’t be letting lame niggas get in.”
