Noble smirked at them. “We ain't talking about my baby right now. We talking about Kenji.”
“Come here, Ladybug. Let’s go see your cake,” Irish cooed, grabbing her from his arms.
“I want cake,” Isley cheered. “Can I have ice cream, too?”
“It’s your birthday, baby. You can have whatever you want.”
Irish led her into the home with Ivory right behind her. She watched as Isley’s eyes glowed when she noticed her cake. Everything about motherhood excited Irish. As soon as Isley was placed in her arms, she knew it was her biggest purpose. Being that Ivory was Irish’s practice baby; Irish adapted to motherhood seamlessly.
“Do you like it, Ladybug?”
Isley bobbed her head. “Yes, can I have some?”
“As soon as we eat, then you can have your cake.”
Irish kissed her cheek and thanked God for allowing her to be her mother. She wished Jovanis could’ve been there to witness her role as a mom, but she knew his spirit dwelled among them.
Noble sighted Zayd talking with Nuke and Vic over in the corner. Heading over, he caught a ball from Amare before throwing it back to him. When he arrived at the table, Noble requested for Zayd to come talk to him. They walked to the other side of the backyard where the pool was.
“You good?” Zayd asked.
Chuckling, Noble answered, “Yeah, why you ask me that?”
“Because I gotta make sure.”
“I just wanted to holla at you…” Noble paused for a moment. “I think it’s time for you to step up.”
Zayd’s thick brows hiked on his face. “You serious?”
Noble nodded with confidence. Zayd had been a constant reliable lieutenant in TLM. He had the respect from the soldiers and carried himself in a way that mirrored Noble. He hadn’t been mixy. He didn’t do crowds, and he wasn’t a person everyone could get in contact with. Noble had taught his brother well and was ready to put what he’d learned to the test.
“The time has come, Zayd. I’m done with this shit. I actually stuck around longer than I should have. I got my companies now and I’m making bank. I wanna be with my family and be present for them. I talked to Rio and he agrees that you're ready. Even Wilde said he respect my decision.”
Zayd narrowed his eyes. “You sure that nigga ain't telling you what he think you wanna hear?”
“No.” Noble laughed. “He been on his shit. I think he understands that you're the better man for the role.”
Zayd nodded. “A’ight. I’m with it.”
“You sure? ‘Cause this shit ain't no joke. I know I make it look easy but it ain't. It’s always something that needs to be handled. Sometimes, you gotta make hard decisions that won’t be beneficial to you. Being the general ain't fun.”
“Yeah, I know, bro. I can handle it.”
Noble felt good about passing his role over to Zayd. He was smart, made moves with intellect, and didn’t like attention. He would be a good successor.
“I believe in you.”
They shook hands then embraced with a brotherly hug.
“You know if you ever need me, I’m here.”
Zayd bobbed his head. “You always got me bro, which is why I’ll always have your back.”
Irish, Ivory, and Isley were in the kitchen when Cali, Rio, and Cairo made their entrance. They were coordinated in red, looking like a stunning unit.
“Is that TT baby!” Cali yelled just as Isley ran into her arms. “You know I got you some good gifts.”
Isley grinned. “I want crayons. Is it crayons?”
