Page 34 of Through Treacherous Weather
Esco walked over to the couch and sat down. He shook his head then tugged at his beard. “I know I have hella gray hair fucking with Sophie. I really can’t believe her ass. When you met her, did you know she used?”
“No. She told me she’d just left an abusive ex and that her and her daughter had to move in with her mother because her ex took everything. I guess she had to come up with a sob story to finesse money out of me because I’m not one of those men that tricks just because a woman looks good.”
Esco kissed his teeth with a disgusted look on his face. “Abusive ex, huh?” he chuckled. “The entire time we were together, I can count on one hand how many times I even raised my voice at her. I damn sure never put my hands on her. We were together up until the day she walked out and left me and Star. She doesn’t even have a relationship with her mother.”
“It didn’t take me long to catch on but by then, she was very pregnant. I didn’t want her to have the baby because I’d found out about the drug use, and I was scared something would be wrong. She was too far along to get an abortion, though. Thank God that Shai’Ann never had any delays or issues. She’s smart as hell and reaches most her of milestones early.”
Esco nodded as he stared at her. Even with Grey offering to help, what the hell was he going to do with two kids? He was going to have to take some time off work and get a routine or something going. A kid still in diapers. He wanted to scream, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the curly haired beauty. Two damnkids. He was going to have an extra daycare bill. Shit was about to get real. Women went through this shit every day, and he didn’t see how. Esco was beyond stressed and beyond pissed at Sophie for being weak as fuck and choosing drugs over her kids the way her mother chose alcohol and men over her. Esco would walk to the ends of the earth barefoot before he let any harm that he could prevent come to his kids.
“Does she ever come by?” Esco wasn’t sure why he dreaded the answer. If he found out that she visited Shai’Ann more than she visited Star, he’d feel some type of way for sure. He learned a long time ago to stop letting Sophie’s actions bother him, but Esco was human. He could accept any wrong she did to him, but the way she did Star would always leave a sour taste in his mouth.
Grey chuckled sarcastically. “Hell no. I don’t think she can take the guilt. She hasn’t seen Shai’Ann since she was like six months old. At this point fuck her. I always said my baby was good with me…” his voice trailed off, and Esco could see the man was hurting.
“I know you might miss having her here full-time but like I said, you’re always welcome to be in her life. I don’t know you, but your crib is nice, and she looks happy and healthy. I can tell she’s well taken care of. You stepped up for over a year when you didn’t have to. I respect you for that. As long as you’re willing to be around, I’m not mad at my shorty having two dads. Especially when she starts wanting to get hair and nails done and shit.”
Grey laughed, and Esco was glad they could be adults and come to an understanding. He found himself wondering how Star would react to the news of having a sister. Every time Esco thought about the fact that he had two kids, he couldn’t believe it. Life had a way of coming at him fast. He was going to try his best. That was all he could do. Be the best father that he could beand pray that his girls didn’t grow up with mommy issues that caused them to act out.
Esco picked Shai’Ann up off the floor, and he was relieved to see that she was friendly. He spoke to her in a soothing tone, and she studied his face. Making it a point to be very gentle with her, Esco made every effort to make his daughter feel secure. Grey schooled Esco on her routine, favorite foods, favorite songs, toys, etc. He also educated the man on little quirky facts about her such as the fact that she always tugged on her left earlobe when she was sleepy. She was also allergic to tree nuts. When Grey gave him that piece of information, Esco shook his head.
“Me and Star are allergic to tree nuts too. I guess if they don’t get shit else from me, they get this damn allergy.”
Grey was relived that Esco was going to let him continue to be in Shai’Ann’s life. He seemed like a stand-up guy, and Grey wasn’t worried that he’d go back on his word. But Esco was right. He would miss having Shai’Ann around full-time. When he first brought her home from the hospital, it took a lot of adjusting for him to get used to be the caretaker of a newborn. His other and sister helped him a lot, but it was still a lot to get used to. His social life suffered. Hell, it still suffered, but the thought of her leaving to live with Esco didn’t relieve him. It made him feel as if an elephant was standing on his chest.
That little girl had become his life, and one test result had snatched the air from his lungs. He wanted to hate Sophie, but it wasn’t all her fault. He knew what it was, and he made the choice to drag his feet with telling Esco.
When Esco left Grey’s house, his emotions were all over the place. He didn’t know how to feel. But that didn’t change the fact that he was now the father of two.
Fatima walked into her favorite bakery to order a three-pack of blueberry crumble cookies and a matcha. She hated the fact that she was nervous. Her father informed her that the situation with Orlando and Broskie had been handled. Therefore, she was free to walk the streets without having protection. Esco had hit her up, however, and made her aware that she dropped some lip gloss in his car. He could have thrown it away. If it was one thing she wasn’t pressed about it was lip gloss. She literally owned a good fifty.
It wasn’t about the lip gloss. She wanted to see him, and that was just the bottom line. She didn’t even know why. The bad note that they ended on shouldn’t have mattered to her, but it did. Fatima paid for her things and stood off to the side to wait for the order. She was gazing out of the window when she saw his Escalade pull up.
The feeling of butterflies in her belly aggravated her to no end. So what he was sexy? That didn’t excuse him for putting her life in danger and then yelling at her because of it. Fatima’s breath hitched in her throat as Esco opened the passenger door and pulled a little girl from a car seat. But she wasn’t the only one. There was another child in a booster seat.
“Okay, I know about one child. Maybe he’s babysitting,” she mumbled.
Fatima’s eyes stayed glued to Esco as he ambled toward the door with two beautiful little girls in tow. The simple white shirt he wore with a thick chain resting on it had her as mesmerized as if he had on a tux that was tailored perfectly for his frame.
Esco walked over to her and passed her a tube of lip gloss. “I’m kind of late, but I owe you an apology. What I did was madunprofessional. I appreciate you not telling your father. He’s a good client.”
“Who is this cutie?” she found herself asking. “I know about Ms. Star.” Star smiled bashfully shocked that the woman knew her name.
“This is Shai’Ann. I found out about her the day that we were at the boutique. Seems that my ex cheated on me with Grey, and he took her home from the hospital thinking she could be his. But surprise, she’s mine.”
Fatima’s eyes widened, and her brows hiked. “Oh wow. No wonder you were pissed that day. That’s a lot. The woman. That was your kids’ mother?”
“Yeah. And even though it was a lot, and it definitely caught me off guard, there was no excuse for me to be unprofessional. Your father paid me good money, and I had you in harm’s way.”
“It’s water under the bridge. I didn’t have a right to call her that.”
“That’s damn sure what she is. A lying, cheating one at that.”
He had two children. That was a lot, but it didn’t change how sexy he was to her. Esco was handsome, a provider, protector and great father. But he’d been scorned before. If he was like most men, one heartbreak would have them swearing off love for decades.
“What do you have planned for the day?”
“I’m easing Shai’Ann into the idea of being with me. I’m about to take them to the park and to my mom’s house. Then she’s going back to Grey for the night. He’s still going to be in her life.”
She couldn’t stop the smile from inching across her face. “You seem like a really good father. They’re really lucky to have you. Seems like she was lucky to have Grey too.”
