“I know,” I smirked, as she released me.
“Umm hmm.” She placed her hand on her hip, as her eyes landed on Babi, who was sitting at the kitchen island, now clad in my Nike muscle shirt with the sides that sat just below her sports bra. “Who is this, Chrisitan?”
Shi giggled, as she sat right next to Babi. “Daddy’s slave.” My mama frowned in confusion. “Say what now?”
Aspen tittered, while holding her mouth. Since she sat on the opposite side of Babi, she glanced at her. “What are you laughing at?” She tickled my baby girl. “But yeah.” She eventually lifted her head and focused on my mama. “I’m Babi. And I’m here, becauseChristianclaims that I owe him for damages to his car. So, he had me cleaning up andslavingto pay of my debt.”
I stared at her. “And if that’s the case, you still got a ways to go to pay of that debt. Especially since you had meslaving, helping you clean and shit.”
Looking at my mama, I saw her eyes pig-ponging back and forth between me and Babi. “So, you’re my son’s girlfriend?”
“No,” Babi cringed like she was offended. “He likes her, granny,” Shi snickered.
Furrowing my brows, I glanced at my daughter. “Did I tell you that?”
“You didn’t have to tell me,” she responded. “I just know.” “Well, either way, I’m Chrisitan’s mama.” My mama extended
her hand. “Lulu.”
Smiling, Babi shook her hand “Babi.” Mymamanodded.“You’regorgeous.”
Babi beamed, as that dimple indented her cheek. “And you are too.”
Pulling her hand back, my mama sighed. “Did you help cook anything?”
“I made the cornbread,” Babi responded. Mama arched a brow. “That’s it?”
“Well, it’s not just regular cornbread. It’s Mexican cornbread. With ground meat, onions bell peppers, corn, cheese, and jalapenos.”
“Oh, that’s different. Guess I gotta see what it’s like,” Mama commented.
“Where the drinks at?” My loud-mouth sister, Mattie questioned, as she waltzed into the kitchen.
Mattie was a twenty-five-year-old muthafuckin’ problem. She was beautiful, just like our mama. Had a naturally nice shape. I’d gotten her teeth done as a birthday gift some years back, and now she was a professional girlfriend. She only dealt with niggas with money, and their fool asses kept her laced in designer, and sponsored her entire lifestyle. And witnessing how she’d use those insecure niggas, she’d unintentionally taught me that taking care of some women didn’t make you a man. Just that woman’s simp. And everything with certain women, after being introduced to this life-style, would always be transactional.
“Wait a minute.” Mattie paused, as she laid eyes on Babi. “Face, you got a new friend?”
“Yeah,” I spoke up, before anybody else could.
“Oh, okay.” Mattie poked out her bottom lip. “I’m his sister, Mattie,” she introduced herself.
“I’mBabi.”
Mattie nodded. “Okay, okay.”
Before long, we’d done that same song and dance eight more times. My mama had five kids, including myself, and we all met up
every Sunday. So, did my aunt and her three kids. That’s why my house was always the meeting grounds. I had an extended dining table to accommodate my family, and they all preferred hanging at my crib, because it was the nicest.
Living the life I lived, Sundays was one of the only days that I felt normalcy. I didn’t hustle, and rarely went out. I would just kick it with my family, eat good, and get fucked up. It was my time to decompress, so I never had romantic interests around. That was why everybody was so intrigued with Babi’s presence. They were basically interrogating her, and she handled the questions well.
“So, Babi, where are you from?” My sister Dani questioned, as we all sat at the dinner table eating.
I was the oldest, and Dani was the second oldest, as we were three years apart. She was about my color, super thick, and had four kids, which was the most out of all the siblings. She was married to her high school sweetheart. He worked at a chemical plant, while Dani did taxes, and had a whole slew of girls working under her.
Compared to most of us, Dani was a square. Although she was hood, just like the rest of us, her man had a legit job, and they’d legally earned the home they’d created out in Humble. This meant that she was the most judgmental and swore that she could spot ill intentions a mile away.
“I’m from Acres Homes,” Babi answered, before taking a sip of the Lipton lemon iced tea that I’d personally made.
