Her stomach pushed up in one spot, tight and pointed, like she was stretchin’ out against me. I pressed my hand over it, rubbin’ slow circles over that spot until it eased back down, then slid my hand to the side when she moved again, feelin’ another push come right after it.
I let out a low, irritated breath through my nose while I leaned in and kissed right where My’Love pressed out, holdin’ it there for a second like I was really lockin’ in with her.
“Aye…” I whispered against Toni’s stomach, my hand stayin’ right there, movin’ with my daughter every time she shifted like she was followin’ my touch, and I was followin’ hers right back.
I kept rubbin’ over her slowly, my palm pressin’ just enough to feel her move, then easin’ up when she settled. Then followin’ her again when she kicked somewhere else, like we was really sittin’ here goin’ back and forth without sayin’ a word.
I stayed like that with her for a minute, just rubbin’ her little body like I already had her in my hands.
By the time I looked up again, Toni’s eyes was closed and her body had sunk back, her breathin’ slowin’ down until I realized she had fallen asleep on me.
I sat for a second, still rubbin’ her stomach and lookin’ at her like I was tryna take it in before I moved. Then I eased my hands away, readjusted her body, pulled the covers up over her, and kissed her forehead before I stood up.
The room felt different once Toni was knocked out. It was quieter in a way that let everything come back to me whether I wanted the shit to or not. When I stepped out into the hallway, my mind went right back to what was waitin’ on me outside this house.
Yeah, them bitches let me walk today, but that ain’t mean shit was done, and I already knew that.
It just meant I handled what needed to be handled for Toni, but now I had to deal with everything that was still sittin’ in front of me, and at the same time, make sure she ain’t put us in no position like this again. ’Cause I loved her, but I couldn’t fully trust her.
And I wasn’t about to let her keep movin’ reckless and think that shit ain’t come with consequences.
An hour or two passed, and me and Kelli was out back choppin’ it up, the night sittin’ quiet around us while the smoke from the blunt curled up slowly into the air.
I was leaned back in the chair with my glass sittin’ low in my hand, lettin’ the liquor settle while I listened to him talk. Every now and then, I brought the blunt to my lips and took a pull, lettin’ that shit sit in my chest for a second before I let it go.
“Real shit, though,” I said after a minute, glancin’ over at Kelli while I passed it his way, “I appreciate you pullin’ up like that. Niggas outside my family don’t be movin’ like that for real.”
Kelli caught the blunt from me and shook his head a lil’ like I had said somethin’ regular. “Man, that ain’t shit,” he replied,bringin’ it to his lips before he took a drag. “Ain’t like I had anything holding me in Candy County anyway.”
I turned my head a lil’ more toward him at that, my brows pullin’ together just enough while I took another sip of my drink. “What you mean by that?” I asked, watchin’ him closer.
He let the smoke fall out his mouth slow before he leaned back deeper into his chair with one arm restin’ along the side while he stared out into the yard like he was lookin’ past it.
“I caught my ex with my brother,” he said, like that shit ain’t carry no weight at all.
That made me pause mid sip, and I ended up coughin’, turnin’ my head to the side while I cleared my throat, tryna process what the hell I just heard. “Hold on,” I muttered, lookin’ back at him with my brows raised. “With yo’ brother?”
“Yeah,” he said, noddin’ once like it was just that simple.
I sat there for a second, shakin’ my head slow while I leaned back in my seat again, lettin’ that wild shit settle in my mind. “Sound like them some fraudulent muthafuckas right there,” I replied, my tone low but real. “Both of ’em.”
Kelli let out a dry laugh at that, like he already knew that part. “Yeah,” he replied. “That’s one way to put it.”
I took another sip from my glass and let it sit on my tongue for a second before I swallowed, then I glanced at him again.
“Look,” I said, keepin’ my voice even, “I know we don’t really know each other like that, but you good people. You need somewhere to crash. You need time to get yo’ shit together. Whatever it is, you straight. Stay as long as you need to.”
He looked at me for a second, then nodded like he felt that for real before he leaned forward and extended his hand toward me. “I got you,” he said. “I appreciate that.”
I reached out and clasped his hand, givin’ it a firm shake before I let it go. And then we fell back into the chairs like that, just talkin’. The conversation drifted from one thing to another,and after a while, it circled back around to my situation, to court, and everything I had comin’ up.
“Monday coming quick,” he said, glancin’ at me while he tapped the ash from his blunt.
“Too quick,” I replied, exhalin’ slow while I looked down at the drink in my hand. “But it is what it is. I’mma handle that shit.”
He nodded like he believed that, and for a minute, it went quiet again. It wasn’t awkward or no shit but just in that way where both of us was sittin’ in our own heads for a second.
My phone buzzed against the table beside me, and I reached over and picked it up.
