Page 78 of Honey's Special Roux

For a split second, jealousy coursed through my body. Had he given himself to other people since we’d split?That ain’t none of your business, Honey.

Without another word, I turned on my heels and made my way down to the kitchen. I placed each of our homemade pizzas on plates and set them at the table. I poured sparkling grape juice for Quis and wine for me and Marquise.

Family dinner.

Family dinner with the man I’d hid my child from for six years.

What were the damn odds?

Dinner flew by with good food and lots of laughter. Quis and Marquise had a lot in common. They talked about animals, sports, and their favorite cartoons. Despite his lack of a real childhood, Marquise still had moments where he could enjoy video games and TV shows.

“Let’s get you ready for bed,” I said after I cupped Quis’s cheeks in my hands and kissed his forehead.

“Mommy, can Mr. Marquise do bedtime with me, please?” Quis asked.

I looked into his hopeful eyes and couldn’t tell him no. “If it’s okay with?—”

“Fa shit sho—I mean, absolutely. What’s the routine?” Marquise asked as he stood up and stretched.

I listed off the order of our usual routine. Marquise nodded and lifted Quis up onto his shoulders. My baby’s smile made my heart stop at how happy he was. This was what he missed out on. He deserved to have a father in his life for moments like this. Thank God he had that now.

While the two of them did bedtime, I picked up the toys around the house, straightened up the dining room, and checked some emails. It had felt like I’d neglected my businesses, but my assistants were good at getting shit done in my absence.

“Hey.”

Marquise’s voice startled me as I looked up from my phone. I stood up as he closed the distance between us. “Hey. Did he fall asleep?”

“Barely made it through the first three pages of the book. I tucked him in and tossed his dirty clothes into the bin. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

My lips stretched into a smile. “No. You’ve done a great job.”

“Thanks. I really want to do this father shit right. That’s actually what I want to talk to you about. I want to tell Quis I’m his dad.”

I nodded. “I knew the time would come eventually. The two of you have a really nice bond. I think we could do that soon.”

Marquise pulled me into a hug. “Thank you.”

His arms felt like home. He felt like home. I didn’t want the embrace to ever end. When he pulled back, his hands remained on my back. He peered down at my lips.

“Can I?” he asked softly.

I nodded.

My eyes drifted shut as he pressed his lips against mine. His beard tickled my face as I parted my lips to grant his tongue access. A soft moan filled the air.

When his hands slid under my shirt, I came to my senses and pulled away.

“We can’t…”

He licked his lips. “A’ight.”

“It might be time for you to go.”

“Okay. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“No, you’re good. I’m just not ready to cross that line with you.”

“Understood.”

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