Dakoda nodded like that explanation made perfect sense.
“Now, let’s get you to this kindergarten social before we’re late.” I rested my hand against his back and guided him toward the elevator. My eyes drifted to Lyrius, who was too quiet beside us. The look on her face told me she was deep in thought. I wanted to say something to her, but I didn’t know what to say around Dakoda. For the first time since moving into that apartment, I realized being Dakoda’s father wasn’t the complicated part. Figuring out what the hell I was supposed to do about Lyrius was.
Of course, he was sleeping with his damn publicist, and of course, she’d popped up at my house the day after we’d slept together, talking loud enough for me to hear her from the hallway. It was as if the universe wanted to make sure I understood my place in KO’s life. A week ago, we were completely in each other’s pasts, and now we were co-parenting and proving every person who swore baby mamas and baby daddies couldn’t stay out of each other’s beds wrong, right? That last part probably would have been funny if this weren’t my real life. But last night had complicated everything. Now here I was, standing in the middle of the Shoreline Aquarium, feeling stupid for allowing myself to get my damn heart broken by my son’s father.
“Mama, look at that fish!” I looked up to find Dakoda halfway across the aquarium, waving both arms in front of the shark tank.
“That’s not a fish, baby. That’s a stingray.”
“It got a tail.”
“Most things got tails, baby. That doesn’t make them a fish,” I replied.
“Well, he thinks he’s a fish.” Dakoda dramatically took off toward the shark tank, causing KO to laugh. “I swear that boy got your mouth,” he said, and I kept my eyes on Dakoda, pretending not to hear him. I hadn’t really spoken to him all day, and I wasn’t about to start now. KO stared at me for a second, his jaw tight before nodding his head and looking away.
“Mama! Come on!”
“I’m coming,” I replied. His excitement had somehow doubled since we’d walked inside the aquarium. One minute, we were meeting and greeting some of the school staff, and the next minute, he was dragging KO and me from exhibit to exhibit with KO matching his excitement with every step.
“Mama! Come on! You’re going to miss the shark!”
“Dakoda, stop yelling. I’m coming.”
“Dakoda?” a soft voice called from behind me, and I turned to find a tall, older woman with box braids wearing a Shoreline Elementary polo approaching us. I’d seen and spoken to her a few times since enrolling Dakoda in school, and I was hoping she’d be his teacher this year.
“Hi. I’m Ms. Reynolds. We met at the kindergarten screening. I’ll be Dakoda’s teacher this year.”
“I’m Dakoda.” Dakoda immediately puffed his chest out.
“I figured that part out,” she replied, and he grinned. “And is this your mom and dad?”
“This my mama,” he announced proudly, pointing at me first. Then he pointed at KO. “And this is my daddy.”
Something warm settled in my chest at how naturally the words came out of his mouth, like he’d been waiting his whole life to introduce both of us at the same time.
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Ms. Reynolds said, smiling at KO.
“You too.” KO shook her hand.
“I was wondering if we’d get to meet Dad before school started.”
“Yeah,” KO said. “I finally made it.”
The smile Dakoda gave him after that made my chest tight. Seeing Dakoda this happy to have his dad really did something to me. I loved watching KO fall into fatherhood so naturally.
“Can I go play with the other kids?”
“Stay where we can see you,” I told him.
“Okay!” He took off again, and Ms. Reynolds laughed.
“That is a cool kid,” she said. “Looking forward to getting to know him this year. Y’all have fun tonight. I’m going to keep tracking down my class.”
“Thank you,” KO and I replied at the same time as she walked away. As soon as Dakoda’s teacher was gone, I immediately moved to put distance between KO and me. There was a group of parents on the other side talking, so I headed in that direction, but clearly not getting the memo, KO fell in step beside me.
“You been ignoring me all day,” he said.
“I haven’t.”
