Page 128 of Mia

“What were you two doing when her water broke?” I asked curiously.

“You in grown folks business,” Quaid said with a grin.

I stifled a laugh. “Okay, grown folks. Being grown is how we got here.”

The nurses came rushing out to grab Jaeda to take her to labor and delivery on the fourth floor. They let us know we could come up and they would come get us when she was checked out and settled in a room. Quaid and I went back to the waiting area where everyone was.

“They’re taking her to labor and delivery on the fourth floor,” Quaid said. “We can go up and wait.”

After several elevator trips, we were all finally together in the waiting room upstairs. Quaid was nervously pacing the floor and rubbing his hands together while his mother and Mama Tavia tried to comfort him.

“Bruh, you gotta calm down,” Smoke said. “Jae and baby boy are gonna be okay. Come sit down before you walk a hole in these people’s floor.”

“Leave that man alone,” Daddy said. “It’s his first baby. He’s allowed to be nervous. Shit, it’s normal to be nervous with every birth.”

Deuce smirked. “So you were nervous five outta six times? That’s finna you be you, Smoke.”

“At least all my nerves are about one woman,” Smoke retorted, throwing a grin at our father. His gaze shifted to Mama Tavia. “Ain’t that right, baby mama number three?”

She paused in speaking to Quaid and looked at him with a frown.

“You ain’t too big for me to beat your ass, Devin. Keep it up.”

He shook his head. “It’s always a threat. Never any love. Why you hate me, Auntie Mama?”

Deuce laughed. “Ghetto shit. And you went and made that man your baby’s godfather.”

It was funny because Emelie was currently in his lap, pulling the barrettes from her hair and putting them in his beard. He was just sitting there so nonchalantly.

Mama Tavia pinched the bridge of her nose. “Stanley, get your sons.”

Daddy glared at them. “You know, sometimes I wish I’d just pulled out.”

Deuce playfully pushed Daddy’s shoulder. “Pull out game weak as hell.”

“Ask your mama. She knows.”

That wiped the smile off his face. “See, you always gotta take shit too far, Senior.”

Daddy shrugged. “You go low, I’ma take it to hell.”

“No cussing, Daddy,” Darlyn said, wagging a finger at her father. “No cussing, Pop Pop.”

Deuce picked her up and kissed her cheek. “Daddy’s sorry, princess. Pop Pop made me mad.”

She looked at her grandfather. “Say sorry, Pop Pop.”

Senior ran his tongue over his teeth as Deuce stared at him with a smirk.

“Sorry, Deuce.”

As soon as Darlyn looked away, he mouthed, “Fuck you. I ain’t sorry about shit.”

A low rumble of laughter filled the space. Juri looked around the room, probably looking for a target. When her eyes landed on Titan, she smiled and hopped down from her mother’s lap to make her way over to him.

“Pick me up,” she said, raising her arms. She flashed him a smile and added, “Pleeease.”

Titan shook his head as he scooped her up. “You better be nice.”