Page 32 of Our Mother's Sons

“Gosh, she’s so beautiful. I have some beautiful grandchildren. You did well, son. You both did,” she smiled.

Her words took me by surprise. Just a few weeks ago she was screaming that blood test shit and how I needed to give the baby back to the authorities.

“Yeah, she is pretty, ain’t she? You see, I got her ear pierced?”

Melissa touched her ear gently, causing Girl to wince.

“They still healing.”

“Beautiful.”

Melissa’s eyes went from Girl to me and I could tell she was mentally processing some shit.

“Aye, Jeo.”

Reaching in my pocket, I retrieved my phone.

“Let me hit you back,” I disconnected before he could respond. Just incase Melissa said some shit that got her cursed out, I didn’t want his titty sucking ass to witness it.

“I know you won’t invite me in, so take a ride with me. Before you say no, I will only take a few minutes of your time.”

Sighing, I closed the door and stepped out on the porch, towering over her even in her high heels.

“Um, are you going to get her bag?”

“Nah, she already ate, and she has on a dry diaper. You said it will only take a few minutes, so she should be good.”

Melissa looked from me to her granddaughter, back to me.

“Okay, fair enough. What about her car seat?”

Pushing past Melissa who was wasting time on bullshit, I stalked down the paved walkway, trudging past my cars. These were my babies. I would have never thought I’d own this many cars. Voyage’s pussy seemed to get wetter every time I pulled up in a different whip. My baby was a car freak. I was going to have to upgrade her to something fast and sexy just like her little brown skinned pretty ass.

A big, bulky Italian dude hopped from the driver’s side of the Escalade truck that Melissa had pulled up in and opened the backseat door.

“Jovani,” Melissa’s heels echoed behind me.

“She has to ride in a car seat when she’s with you,” she insisted.

“Get in, Melissa. Girl is a real nigga. She don’t need no fucking car seat.”

Perching her lips, she climbed into the car with my help. I didn’t care for her, but she was still my mama, and I had manners. When she was inside, I climbed in with Girl still on my hip. Seeing a car seat resting on the leather, I frowned at Melissa.

“Why the hell you bitching at me about a car seat when you already had one?”

Melissa took Girl out of my hand, who happily went.

“Aye, I told your big hair ass about all that friendly shit.”

Melissa sat Girl in the car seat and strapped her in. She rested in the middle of us. When she was secured, Melissa tapped the partition for the driver to pull off.

“I was bitching at you because as a father you have to make sure she is protected. Nearly one hundred babies under the age of one die every year from car wrecks.”

“Well, that won’t be our story. I’m something like an F1 racer. I’m a driving expert.”

“Jovani, do not put her in a car without a car seat,” she stated with finality as she looked me in the eyes.

Rubbing my hand down my fresh braids, I nodded. Her and her son was talking to me about irrelevant shit while I was going through it. Looking at my screen, I went to my texts to see she still hadn’t replied, even though she’d read it.

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