Page 99 of Senior

“Oh my gosh, Papa!” Nayelli exclaimed covering her eyes as she came into the kitchen. “I don’t want to see this.”

“Well look away.”

She smirked. “You and Titi Grandma are out of control.”

Steph tossed a dishrag at her. “Don’t follow Juri up with that name, little girl.”

“Well, she’s right. We know you as our auntie and now you and Papa are boyfriend and girlfriend⁠—”

“This is my wife, Yelli,” I reminded her.

“Uncle Deuce said she’s not your wife until you put a ring on it.”

Steph laughed. “Ooop! And guess who doesn’t have a ring on their finger.”

“Guess who better say yes when I ask.”

Nayelli clicked her thumb and middle nail together. “Clock it, Auntie.”

She slapped Steph high five.

“Go sit down,” I said, playfully mushing her head.

Steph mushed me in return. “You go sit down too and grab those boys from outside.”

“Yes ma’am.”

I slapped her ass and headed for the back door.

“Neha! Get off that man’s lap and come on here!” Steph yelled.

It sounded like something hit the floor.

“Yes— yes ma’am!” Neha called back in a strained voice.

Steph tossed me a look that ended in an eye roll. “Like father, like son.”

I grinned as I opened that back door.

What could I say to that?

Dinner was over and Steph and I were back at the house.

After eating a stomach full, giving the boys a bath and putting them to bed so their parents could have some alone time, I was more than ready to be alone with my lady my damn self. When we got back to the house, she headed for the shower while I smoked a little. We’d had a long day and learned some upsetting news, so I needed this shit.

By the time I made it upstairs, she was out of the shower, but not in the bedroom. I assumed she was in the loft area at the other end of the house. I had two, one where the kids’ toys were upstairs, the other was just a chill space. Mostly Korri and Nayelli hung out there when they wanted to be away from the little ones.

I slipped into a pair of pajama bottoms and left the bedroom in search of her. As I bypassed the guest room down the hall, I noticed it the door was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, I stepped inside to find Steph sitting in the rocker next to the window, scrolling on her phone.

“You good, love?” I asked.

She looked up at me with a soft smile. “I’m okay. Seeing if I can picture Sevyn in this room. Those babies are heavy on my mind.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I was scrolling through Pinterest for ideas for teenaged girl rooms and I realized I don’t even know what she likes. We have a lot to learn about them.”

“We do.” I walked over and pulled the chair from the desk to sit in front of her. “But we got this.”