Page 134 of Mia

“No more ghetto than having a baby in your forties,” Senior retorted.

“And if me or my husband die, you get that baby.”

“I swear, y’all have the healthiest co-parenting relationship I’ve ever seen,” I commented. “I don’t know if I could do it with multiple women.”

“Son, when it’s all about the kids, it’s easy,” Senior said. “They had me and they don’t want my ass anymore.”

“Facts!” both Ms. Tavia and Ms. Stephanie said before breaking into laughter.

Senior glared at them. “It ain’t that damn funny.”

We ended up staying for another hour or so. Senior finally gave the baby up so his grandma and auntie could love on him. I watched my wife with Lil’ Stanley and she was in love. I hadn’t seen her with the other kids too much as newborns, so this was different for me. The entire time she held him, she spoke to him or stared at him lovingly.

A few times, she swiped tears from her eyes, and I knew she was thinking about our baby girl. She never got to hold her or smell her. She never got to see those little eyes open and stare back at her. When she started getting emotional, I knew it was time for us to head home.

We took the short walk back to our house hand in hand in silence. The moment we stepped over the threshold, she broke into tears. I caught her before she collapsed to the floor. Picking her up, I carried her over to the couch and sat with her in my lap.

I didn’t need to say anything because I knew where the tears were coming from. Instead, I held her in my arms and rocked her, planting kisses to her temple. After a while, her cries subsided into sniffles. When she was fully calm, she slid off my lap.

“Titan?” she said, her head down.

“Yeah, mamas?”

“I’m ready to try for a baby.”

My ears perked up. “You are?”

She nodded as she looked at me. “I am. Watching Jaeda become a mother only confirmed that I’m really ready this time.” She grabbed my hand and placed it on her stomach. “I want to feel my baby growing inside me. I want to love on it… sing to it… read to it. I want what I didn’t get to have with Eden. I’m ready.”

I stared at her for a moment before cupping her face. Leaning in, I pressed my lips to hers.

“Okay,” I agreed.

“Okay? We can try?”

I chuckled. “As much as I’ve been nutting in you lately, there might already be a seed planted.”

She blushed. “I thought about that. So much so that I bought a stockpile of pregnancy tests the other day.”

“Damn, really? You feeling any different?”

She shook her head. “No. I just wanted to be prepared. I haven’t gotten up the nerve to take one.”

“Shit, we can take one now.”

She stared at me for a moment before standing to her feet and grabbing my hand. We headed upstairs to the master bedroom, and she went into the closet. Returning to the bedroom, she produced a bag and dumped it on the bed. There had to be at least twenty pregnancy tests.

“Damn, baby.”

“I told you I was anxious!”

I picked up one and handed it to her. “Come in here.”

I followed her into the bathroom and sat on the tub while she took the test.

“What if it’s negative?” she asked, capping the stick.

“Whatever it says, we will deal with it and move accordingly. I’m right here with you, mamas.”