“And I’mma go get my baby from Sha’Nelle,” he added.
I swallowed and nodded. “Okay…”
He walked toward the door, and I stopped him.
“I love you,” I said, my voice softer.
He looked back at me. “I love you too, baby.”
Then he walked out.
Trill-Land, ’LoLux Estate
It was late as hell but as I moved down the hall, I heard my baby cryin’ all the way from Sha’Nelle’s room like she could feel me comin’. The sound of it pulled somethin’ outta me before I even made it to the door.
It wasn’t no soft cry either. She was in there really fussin’, the type of fuss that came from her bein’ uncomfortable and tired at the same time. I could hear Sha’Nelle’s voice with it, low and gentle, tryna calm her down.
I got closer and heard her talkin’ to her. “It’s okay, baby girl… it’s okay… I got you,” she kept sayin’, but My’Love wasn’t hearin’ none of that shit. She was cryin’ hard, gaspin’ between them lil’ sounds, and that shit made me knock on the door quicker than I meant to.
A second later the door opened, and Sha’Nelle stood there with my baby in her arms.
“She literally just woke up,” she said, already knowin’ why I was at the door. “I was about to wait until she calmed down so I could change her and feed her.”
My’Love heard my voice the second I said, “Aye… come here,” and her cry dropped down into a whimper, her lil’ face scrunchin’ up while she looked in my direction like she knew exactly who was here for her.
“Yeah… that’s all you needed, huh?” I murmured, reachin’ for her.
The moment I took her from Sha’Nelle, she settled right into me, still tearin’ up but not cryin’ the same, her body relaxin’ against my chest while I kissed at the corners of her mouth.
“Ain’t nobody botherin’ you while I’m here,” I whispered, kissin’ her face again, then catchin’ them lil’ tears with my lips. “You good… Daddy got you.”
She let out a soft sound, almost like she was answerin’ me, and I rubbed her back slow while she blinked up at me, them eyes still wet but calm now.
Sha’Nelle shook her head, leanin’ on the door. “It’s a damn shame how spoiled you got her, ’Lo.”
I smirked without lookin’ up from my baby. “She ain’t spoiled. She just know who she belong to.”
In my head, I couldn’t help but think about how she was almost eight weeks now, and how that attachment was settin’ in deeper every day. It wasn’t just her cryin’ no more. She knew my voice, knew my touch, and she reacted to it in a way that felt different every time.
“Let me get her stuff,” I said, lookin’ at Sha’Nelle.
She nodded and grabbed the pamper and wipes, handin’ them to me while I walked further into the room and laid My’Love down careful.
“A’ight baby… we finna get you right,” I murmured, talkin’ to her the whole time while I changed her.
She moved her legs a lil’, fussin’ under her breath but nowhere near how she was cryin’ before, and I kept talkin’ to her, lettin’ her hear me while I handled her.
“See… you just needed me, huh… that’s all that was.”
By the time I got her cleaned up, Sha’Nelle handed me the bottle from the warmer.
“Here,” she said.
I took it, then grabbed the diaper I had just pulled off and stood up with My’Love in my arm.
“Appreciate you,” I told her.
“I wasn’t doin’ nothin’ but gettin’ bossed around,” she said, laughin’.
