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“I’m not mad, baby. Me and your dad just wanted to make sure that everybody is comfortable with the situation. There are a lot of changes happening at one time, so it’s understandable that frustrations are high.”
“Can you and Theo come live with us? I asked my dad if you could. I think he will be happy again if you come.”
“That’s a conversation for me and your dad, but I appreciate the invitation,” I told him.
“Where is Theo?” he wondered.
“He’s having dinner. Are you hungry?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Come on while I figure out where your dad is.”
“So, are you going to take my dad back? I don’t like seeing him sad all the time.”
“Your dad and I are still good. I just need to find him to make sure he hasn’t had a heart attack thinking you’ve been kidnapped.”
“He’s at the barbershop. The name of it is Ralph’s Cuts.”
The familiar sound of Quinton’s ringtone reminded me that Victor had his phone. I had no idea how I would reach him outside of calling the barbershop.
“Somebody keeps calling my dad,” Victor mentioned.
“Let me see the phone,” I suggested.
Typically, I wouldn’t have answered Quinton’s phone, but this wasn’t a usual circumstance. I hoped that it was him calling to see where Victor was.
“Hello,” I answered the unsaved number.
“Shiloh?”
“Hey, baby. Apparently, Theo got tired of waiting for you to bring him over to talk to me and caught a ride here.”
“I know you’re fucking lying. Caught a ride with who?”
“He used your phone to book a rideshare.”
“You see what I mean about that gentle parenting shit? You tell him to sit his ass right there until I get there. I’m on the way. I’m so sorry, baby. I was ready to kill somebody thinking somebody snatched him, and his ass is out joyriding.”
“He wasn’t joyriding, baby. He came to ask me to take you back.”
Quinton burst out laughing. “Girl, between you and these kids of mine, if I don’t have gray hair by the end of the year, it’ll be a miracle.”
“You’ll be sexy with your gray hair.” I smiled.
“You better say that. ’Cause it’s your fault too. I’m on my way.”
“OK, I love you. See you when you get here,” I said, ending the call.
“See there, Ms. Shiloh. I told you my daddy loves you.”
“I love him too.”
“Am I in trouble for sneaking away?”
“You already know the answer to that, Victor. You scared your father.”
“Since you love Victor’s dad and he loves you, then we can all live together. I’ll take all of my games over there since they have more space,” Theo posed.
