“Hell, I was eight when I got my period.”
Iskyiah cringed. She was nine when she got hers, but she wanted Brooke to hold on to her youthfulness for as long as possible. Plus, she wasn’t ready for the attitude that came with puberty. Brooke was a good kid, but Iskyiah had a feeling she would have to check her a time or two once she hit those pre-teen and teen years.
“Like I said, don’t put that on my baby. She ain’t going through puberty. She’s just being a pain,” Iskyiah said, but she stuck her tongue out in the rearview mirror at Brooke to show her she was joking.
If Iskyiah had it her way, she would spend all her time with Brooke, but she had to make money. That was exactly why today was so important. She had been a flight attendant for the past fifteen years. The first time she got on a flight when she was eighteen years old, she knew she needed to be in the sky as much as possible. And she eventually made that happen. She loved her job, and it allowed her and her daughter to travel as much as they wanted.
She hit the jackpot when she landed a job for a private jet company. Not only did it up the pay, but it would also allow her to use a private jet for the same price as a commercial flight. To say Iskyiah was in heaven was an understatement, but she wouldbe lying if she said Brooke wasn’t bringing her mood down just a little. She loved that her daughter wanted to be around her, but this newfound clinginess made her feel bad. It was no secret that her job made it so she would be gone for a few days at a time sometimes. That never used to bother Brooke, but today, for some reason, it did.
“Girl, boo. Brookie ain’t ever a pain. How about I come get you for some girl time once I get off this flight, baby girl?” Sophie asked, directing the conversation to Brooke.
Brooke’s entire face lit up, and she let go of Iskyiah’s hand. “Can we get our nails done and go to Cheesecake Factory?”
“Whatever you want,” Sophie replied.
Iskyiah did roll her eyes this time as she made a left turn onto her brother’s street. “That’s all it took, Brooke? Really?” Brooke shrugged, and Iskyiah laughed. “You are spoiled.”
“And whose fault is that?” Sophie asked.
Iskyiah chose to ignore that question because the answer was definitely Iskyiah Nathans.
“How long is your shift?” she asked instead. She and Sophie met ten years ago just before Iskyiah went on maternity leave with Brooke. They worked for the same airline and happened to be on the same flight, and the rest was history. Iskyiah had never clicked so well with another woman, which was why she held Sophie so close to her heart. Their friendship meant a lot to her and had gotten her through some tough shit.
Sophie hummed knowingly at Iskyiah’s change of subject before she responded. “Just a quick flight. Five hours round trip.”
“Okay, hit Hassan up when you’re coming to get her. I’ll only be gone until tomorrow morning,” Iskyiah informed her.
“Okay, I got you. I’m about to get on this flight. Hit me when you land. I miss you already,” Sophie whined dramatically. She had been going on and on about how happy for Iskyiah she wasfor upgrading her job, but she also made sure to point out how they were no longer coworkers every chance she got. Iskyiah was sad about that, too, but hell, when money called . . .
“I miss you, too, crazy. Love you.”
“Love you. Love you, Brookie. I’ll see you later, and try not to give your mama a hard time. Think about the private jets we’ll get to fly on like we’re some bougie bit?—”
“Bye, Sophie,” Iskyiah said before she hung up the phone.
Brooke giggled as Iskyiah pulled into the parking lot at her brother’s apartment complex. After she parked, she turned in her seat and looked at her daughter. Her curly hair was pulled back into a puff, and her Hello Kitty earrings were on full display, along with the clear gloss on her lips. Brooke was definitely a diva in the making.
“You okay, baby?” Brook looked down at her pink leggings and mumbled something. Iskyiah frowned and leaned in. “I didn’t hear you. Look at me.” Brooke looked at her, and there were tears in her big brown eyes. Alarmed, Iskyiah unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car. When she opened Brooke’s door, she crouched down and pulled her daughter in for a hug. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
“Why don’t I have a daddy?”
Iskyiah stilled. She’d had this conversation with Brooke before, but she was so young. Brooke always seemed so happy, so Iskyiah never brought her father up. Besides, in Iskyiah’s opinion, Brooke was so much better off without him. She would never tell her that, though.
Iskyiah rubbed Brooke’s back and kept her in a tight embrace as she spoke. “Because he died when you were just a baby, Brooke. You know that.”
“Yeah, but Jainey has a daddy, even though her real one is in jail. Her mom just got married last week to a new guy.”
Iskyiah shook her head. It would be freezing in hell before she got into another relationship. Her high school sweetheart, Charles, turned out to be a nightmare on wheels, and it had been impossible to get rid of him. Literally only his death allowed her some peace. Not only was he physically abusive, but he had also gotten heavy into drugs. His impulsive behavior made her pregnancy and Brooke’s first year of life the worst time for her. Whenever she tried to leave, he would manipulate her or beat her into submission. It was a vicious cycle that started when she was nineteen. At least when she was in high school, he was tolerable. He wasn’t the best boyfriend, but he wasn’t like that. She had dealt with him for over a decade, and when he finally overdosed, she didn’t cry. She could only feel relief that her daughter wouldn’t have to grow up with that kind of dark presence.
Charles made it hard for Iskyiah to take dating seriously. He died nine years ago, and she still had yet to take a man seriously. If she got horny enough, she might fuck on a man a time or two, but that was the extent of it. Her heart ached now that she realized Brooke thought that was an option for them. That Iskyiah could somehow magically appear with a man good enough to be Brooke’s daddy. It simply didn’t work like that.
Unable to find the words to address that specifically, Iskyiah pulled away and wiped her daughter’s tears. “You know Mommy loves you, right?”
“Bigger than the sky?”
Iskyiah smiled sadly. “Bigger than the universe. Nobody can love you more than me. You hear me?”
Brooke nodded with tears still in her eyes. “Can you at least try?”
