Page 31 of Our Mother's Sons

“Just tell me what the fuck I gotta do?”

“Shit, try calling her for starters.”

“Fuck I’m calling her for and I done professed my love? I ain’t trying to seem like I’m a creep ass nigga,” I prattled.

“How is it that you want her to move in with you and you haven’t even let her meet Girl? You make me ride with you damn near everyday so that I can sit in the car with you while you get your dick wet.”

“Nigga do you want me to lay low with my daughter or not? You keep saying I don’t need to be flaunting her around. Plus, she doesn’t really do kids like that. Her ex left her because she wouldn’t let him get her pregnant, and now he got Snow pregnant. It’s complicated.”

“So, you was about to catch a body in my establishment over a woman that doesn’t like kids?”

“I never said she didn’t like them. It’s just a sensitive subject for her right now. We working through all that though. She gone come out strong.”

“Jovani,” Jeo exasperated.

“You and Voyage will not work if she can’t stand to be around children, and you have a whole daughter. What the fuck you think ima do? Keep holding Girl while y’all jump each other’s bones for life? I got my own woman and kids that I just got in good with. I can’t be disappearing during the day to do this song and dance with y’all knowing my schedule already tight as fuck.”

“You act like my schedule isn’t as tight. What you don’t fuck with my baby, nigga? You don’t want to spend time with her?”

“See, you just like a sprung muhfucka. How you got all this base for me when it comes to being around girl but with Voyage it’s complicated? Make that shit make sense. You know I fuck with my niece. I’m just saying, as a father pursuing a woman, she has to be cool with you having a Jit. Make the introduction before professing your love for her.”

Jeo was getting on my fucking nerves. That nigga was forever making sense and I hated the shit. I notice how Voyage cringes at the mention of my daughter and how she changes the subject. I’ve seen her scary ass ex, to me it wasn’t that serious. She should have been glad not to have that nigga’s kid with his funny looking ass. Baby was probably going to come out facially challenged anyway.

“Ain’t that right. She should be glad to not have that niggas baby. Cuz I know for a fact the baby wouldn’t fuck with a picture of you,” I tugged on Girl’s cheek voicing my inner thoughts.

“What the hell are you talking about, Von?”

Shaking my head I chuckled, “Nothing. Thinking out loud. But on the real. I just need you a little while longer. Grams acting funny about babysitting. I’m trying to see why, when she told us she didn’t want to rebuild the pool hall.I just want to sit on this porch and watch my grandbabies from time to time,” I mimicked Joanna Mitchell. “Ain’t that what she told you?”

“Key words, fromtime to time. She not trying to be stuck being your daycare every damn day. She barely even at home now that Ida Mae done moved into Rainah’s old condo. I wouldn’t be surprised if she finally lets us buy her a house now.”

“Yeah well you gone be buying that shit on your own if she keep picking favorites in our kids. She should be glad to watch Girl. She not walking so she don’t even get into shit unlike Jason and Jordan’s hyper asses.”

Ding Dong.

“Who the fuck is that?”

“Wait,” Removing the phone from my ear, I went to the camera app and saw long black hair blowing in the wind.

“It’s Malicifent.”

“Nigga who?”

“Malicifent. The Disney villain. Nigga you got kids so you better brush the fuck up on that shit.

“You mean Maleficent?”

“Yeah, her,” I grumbled. Picking Girl up from the dresser, we made our way through the house. Girl’s toys were scattered even though the cleaners had just left two days ago. I’d grown so tired of constantly cleaning the shit that I just stepped over it. It was what the fuck it was. A fucking baby had taken over my home entirely. I didn’t mind, though.

Adjusting Girl on my waist, I pulled the door open. I had the phone on speaker, but I’d slid it in the pocket of my baller shorts. I could hear Jeovanni breathing with his nosey ass.

“My handsome son. How are you doing this evening?”

Just like every other day, Melissa was dressed to the nines today. Instead of wearing jeans, though, she was in some flared shorts, high heels, and a wrapped blouse tucked in the shorts. The lady could dress her ass off I give her that. That was all I was giving her ass. She needed to lay off the Botox, though.

“Melissa. I’m aggravated. I really don’t have time to be playing with you today.”

Her smile didn’t waver. However, when she looked at Girl, I could see some sadness in her eyes. She tugged at her hand and brushed her thumb over her index and middle fingers.

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