Page 46 of Mia

“No need to worry. I always bounce back.”

She walked over and hugged me, belly all in the way. When she pulled back, I reached out to rub her stomach.

“Hey, man,” I said, placing a kiss to her bump. “You good in there?”

“I’m the one having my bladder crip walked on, and you’re asking him if he’s okay?”

I chuckled. “My godson can do no wrong.”

She laughed and mushed my head. “Don’t be that kind of godfather, Titan. Have my son thinking he can get away with anything.”

“And he can ‘cause I’ma be right there as his backup.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

“Jae?” I said, turning serious.

“What’s up?”

“You trust me with your kid if anything happened to you? I mean, after all this⁠—”

“Stop it.” She sat next to me and grabbed my hands. “I would trust you with my child because I know how much you love and respect his father. You would take care of him like your own, no questions asked and no excuses. You made a mistake and neither me nor Quaid will punish you for that. You are this baby’s godfather, and nothing will ever change that, you hear me?”

I nodded. “Thanks, Jae.”

“We love you. Always.”

“I love y’all too, man. Real nigga shit.”

She pulled me in for another hug, and I just held her for a minute. Jaeda had this soothing spirit. She wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. While she could be savage if pushed to that limit, she was just a genuinely good person. I could see her making a bunch of hard ass niggas soft as puddy around her.

The times I’d hung out with her and Quaid with the rest of my team, those niggas acted like they had all the sense in the world. They had manners, they offered to clean up if she cooked, and they were respectful as hell. All that cursing and vulgarity wasn’t present when Jaeda was around. I don’t know what it was about her, but she could have a nigga under a spell. I could see why Quaid was crazy about her.

“Bruh… you know you’re my boy and I love you, but get the fuck up off my wife.”

We looked up to see Quaid standing there with a smirk on his face. Jaeda giggled as she pulled away and stood to go over to him.

“You know I only have eyes for you,” she said, slipping her arms around his neck.

“I know.” Leaning in, he kissed her passionately while rubbing her stomach. “Food’s done. Go have a seat at the table. I fixed you a plate.”

“Thank you, baby.”

“You’re welcome, love.”

She pecked his lips several times before leaving the room. He stared after her for a minute before turning back to me.

“You got any sleep?” he asked, leaning against the door frame with his hands in his pockets.

“Not really.”

“Even after three blunts?”

“I guess I wasn’t high enough. It’ll catch up with me, eventually. I appreciate y’all letting me stay here.”

“It’s nothing. You’re my brother. You’d do the same for me.”

“In a heartbeat.”