“Ellie, baby, I get your mom wanting to keep the business in the house, but this is dangerous business that could get someone hurt. Would you rather your mother be mad at you but safe because you told your dad, or do you want to risk keeping it in the house and she get hurt? I know that’s a lot for you to think about, and I wish you didn’t have to.” My voice was soft but leveled.
She nodded slowly. “I don’t want my dad to get involved with my mama’s dumb stuff and get hurt or in trouble. That’s really the only reason I didn’t tell him.” She closed her eyes with a sigh,took a moment, then looked at me. “Can you be there with me when I tell him?”
I reached over and covered her hand with mine. “Of course I can. I will be there however you need me.”
A Very Short Time Later
Time To Open the House Door . . .
My eyes had been on my baby girl more than they ever had before. I thought boys would be my issue in her teenage years. A part of me wished that it was. More and more it seemed like Eloise’s relationship with her mother was the overarching issue that was there.
After Eloise found a bogus reason not to visit her mother the other weekend, I asked Hestia to talk to her. I knew that she wouldn’t talk to me as freely as she would Hestia. Melanie engrained in our daughter since she was old enough to understand that what went on in her house stayed there. Mydaughter stood ten toes down on that indoctrination, so I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get anything out of her.
Hestia was hesitant when I asked her to talk to Eloise, but I was happy that she did. Their conversation led to the conversation that we just had. My blood boiled past the eruption point, but I tried to remain calm as my daughter gave me an update about her mother’s situation. My baby girl had never seen me in any other light than her loving father, and I wanted to keep it that way.
I never had beef with Lawrence. What he and Melanie had going on in their household was truly their business. That was until it affected the well-being of my daughter. When my daughter told me that she had to step in between her mother and stepfather during a fight, that was when beef was officially put on the grill. Melanie wanted all their business to stay in the house. Well, she had better open the fucking door because I was coming in.
“So, that’s why I really don’t want to go down there anymore. She keeps saying that she’s gonna leave him because she knows he’s cheating on her. It doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen though,” Eloise said with a dejected tone.
Hestia sat next to Eloise with her arm wrapped around her shoulders. When I watched her with my daughter, I knew that one day she would be a great mother to the child that we would have together. I couldn’t wait to put a baby in her.
There were points in the conversation when Eloise became emotional. Hestia was right there to comfort her. “Did your mother tell you that she was going to leave her husband?”
“No. She tells him that all the time during their arguments that they have in the dead of the morning. I guess they think that I’m sleeping. She’s not going to leave him though,” she said matter-of-factly.
We were in Hestia’s living room. Ever since Eloise spent time in my baby’s LEGO room, it was like she forgot where home was. Last week, Hestia suggested that I use one of my extra rooms for Eloise’s LEGO room. I didn’t even know that I planned to give her a room until my baby suggested what room to use for it.
I offered my baby girl a warm smile. “I don’t want you to worry about that situation anymore. I’ll talk to your mother. You don’t have to go back there until we’ve all sat down to talk. It’s my job as your father to make sure that you’re safe, happy, and protected,” I assured her.
“I know, Daddy. I just want the same for my mama. Lawrence wasn’t always like he is now. It’s like something flipped, and he decided that he rather be a fuck boy.” Eloise slapped her hand over her mouth, and her eyes widened. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”
I tittered lowly. I knew all too well that my little girl cursed almost as much as me. I appreciated her respectfulness to not talk that way in my presence. “It’s alright, baby girl. Based on what you’ve told me today, your description is correct. How about you go get your things? Melissa and Jessica will be here soon to get you.”
Eloise would be with Jessica and her family this weekend in Florida. My baby girl smiled before she hugged me and Hestia, then left to go to the room that she slept in when we were here.
Hestia got up and moved to the seat next to me. She looped her arm into mine before she laid her head on my shoulder. “Tell me how you’re feeling or what you’re thinking.”
I kissed her forehead. “I’ll tell you both. I’m feeling hurt for my daughter, disappointment and pity for Melanie, and rage toward Lawrence. What I’m thinking about is how I will successfully have a calm conversation with Melanie about this situation that will not result in me cursing her the fuck out behind my daughter, or driving to Atlanta to fuck her nigga up.”
With her head still on my shoulder, she tilted her head back so that her eyes caught mine. Her cheeks rose after I kissed her forehead. “I know this is hard, but you know I’m here for whatever you need to support you.”
“I know you are. Thank you for being you. I love you.” I leaned my face down and placed my lips on hers for a quick, passionate kiss.
When I released her lips from mine, I tittered lowly. She had a tear in her eye. My woman was soft as hell when she was with me, but in the streets, you would see a brick wall. I loved that she felt safe enough to be soft with me. Eloise told me that I had put Hestia in her soft girl era.
This was the first time that I told her that I loved her verbally. I showed her daily in different ways, but now I needed her to hear the actual words. Some felt that as long as they showed a person love that the words didn’t matter. I was not one of those people.
Hestia smiled, lifted her head, then softly kissed my lips. Her lips were soft all the time. Even in the morning when her morning breath met me before her smile did. “I love you too.”
Sometimes You Just Have to Check a Bitch . . .
It was theKOKsandMt. Os’monthly, midweek kickback. From what I had been told, since Dindi came into the fold, the two clubs had tried to be more collaborative. Those efforts intensified after Aaron and Gracie married. The other clubs considered it a sort of merger between the two clubs, but no one fromKOKandMt. Osaw it that way.
Our clubs partnered a lot more on events and things that we did throughout the community. Our monthly, midweek kickback was one of those events that was established to provide a space and time for our members to network and just chill.
The location for our kickback was alwaysBasil Leaf Lounge. The entire lounge was shut down. What I thought was honorable of the Basils was that 60 percent of all proceeds made that night went to a local charity that both clubs jointly selected. They could have easily kept the profits in house, but they didn’t.
“Baby, um, can I eat my last lamb chop? I just want to make sure it was cool.” My brow tried to kiss my hairline while I asked for permission to eat my own damn food.
