Page 73 of Senior

Shar ginned. “Make yourselves decent because here come the kids.”

I could hear them running through the house calling my name as Steph and I sat up. They pushed past their mothers and ran out the back door.

“Pop Pop!”

When Liam and Darlyn saw Steph, they screamed.

“Grandma!”

Charm and Marino were all smiles as well as the four of them ran full force toward us and jumped on us. I was glad I had this hammock reinforced to hold extra weight.

“Hey, my babies,” I said, kissing each of their foreheads. “Pop Pop missed you.”

“Can we stay with you tonight?” Darlyn asked me.

Salima scoffed. “Y’all just wanna leave me when daddy is gone?”

“We’re always with you, Mama. Pop Pop is all alone.”

Shar snickered. “No, he ain’t.”

I chuckled. “I appreciate you wanting to keep me company, Darlyn. You know I love when you guys spend the night.”

“See, Mama.” Darlyn looked at Stephane. “Grandma, what are you doing here?”

Salima and Shar stifled a laugh. Darlyn was eight, going on nine. Baby girl was smart and observant. Of course she would ask the first question. Steph looked at me, silently asking if we should tell the kids. I nodded.

“Well…” she said, looking around at the four faces staring back to her. “Grandpa and I went on a date last night.”

Darlyn’s eyes widened. “Like when Mommy and Daddy go on dates and you or Pop Pop babysit?”

“Yes.”

“Daddy is Mommy’s boyfriend,” Liam said, matter of factly.

“He’s her husband,” Darlyn corrected, rolling her eyes. She turned back to her grandma. “Is Pop Pop gonna be your boyfriend or your husband, Grandma?”

Stephanie giggled. “He’s my boyfriend.”

She looked at me. “Are you gonna marry her, Pop Pop?”

“Maybe y’all can help me get her to say yes this time,” I said, flicking her nose. “That way, she can be on the compound.”

“TiTi, you stay,” Charm said, grabbing Steph’s hands. “Pleeeease!”

I chuckled to myself because my other grandbabies knew her as TiTi Steph and she would eventually become their grandmother. Poor babies were gonna be confused as hell.

“You gotta get her a big ring, Pop Pop,” Darlyn said. “Like Mommy and Auntie Shar.”

“Nah, he’s gotta get a bigger one,” Salima said. “I hear the seventh time is the charm, Daddy.”

I discreetly showed her my middle finger, causing her to laugh. Inside, I was hoping that would prove to be true. I had it in me to propose one more time. Maybe this would be lucky number seven.

“Mmm mmm mmm,” my mama said as Steph and I strolled into the kitchen, hand in hand. “I should beat both of y’all’s ass.”

I chuckled. “What I do?”

“Got my grandson calling me in a damn uproar because he walked in on you and his mama.” She looked at Steph. “I knew your ass was about to be weak in the knees on Maceo’s birthday. I called it.”