Page 41 of Rounds
I swore, this man didn’t let up. “Naw, not this time. I know I been all up in that without a care, so it’s very possible.”
Delaney turned red as hell. She shouldn’t have been surprised. My dad and I talked like we were bruhs. Technically, he was the only friend I had. I kept to myself because I worked so much. I didn’t have time to make friends. Even when I was getting established in my field, I was always at work. The only thing I’d made time for was fucking.
“Well, damn. I was gonna ask for some fried chicken.”
Delaney giggled. It was the same shit every time I came here, but it seemed he clowned around more when Delaney was with me. He enjoyed every moment of this, and I honestly couldn’t wait to give him the grandkids he asked for. Had it not been for the accident, he and Mom would have spoiled theirgrandchildren rotten. They would have been in their late fifties, enjoying life together. I hated this. She suffered with her life and Dad was suffering here on Earth, wishing he could enjoy all the things he used to enjoy.
I had to be thankful that he was still here though. He could have been killed right along with Mom. I knew he was wishing he would have been. Hopefully, he was still grateful to be here, giving me a hard time. Delaney stood from her seat and said, “Dad where’s your brush? They got you in here looking like you ain’t got it together.”
He smiled big. “It’s in that drawer over there,” he said as he pointed to it.
He winked at me, like Delaney was going to be doing this for him all the time. I knew that was what that wink meant. She came back with his brush and began brushing his naturally wavy hair.
“Dad, you have really nice hair. This is where Glover gets his hair from.”
“He gets everything from his dad. Looks and temperament. He only got his complexion from his mama. He’s my chocolate mini me.”
She giggled as I smiled. He was right. I looked just like him and found myself acting like him in certain situations as well. I didn’t grow up with just him telling me how to be a man. I watched himbea man. He treated my mother like a queen. They argued at times, but he was always the first to squash it. He didn’t believe in letting things fester or linger for more than a couple of days. He always did something to get her attention and show her how much he loved her, despite their differences.
My pettiness definitely came from my mom. She was the one who would cut a nigga off quick. She didn’t take no shit. My dad was more mild-mannered. They matched perfectly. They balanced each other out. Delaney and I were more alike thanthey were. I wanted to believe my temper was worse than hers until last Sunday at her mother’s house. She was about to fuck Charleigh up.
We had another dinner date with her parents at her mom’s house next weekend. Ms. Maxine assured Delaney that it would only be her and Mr. Cedric. Delaney decided that she would talk to them about what happened last weekend when we got there, since it would only be the four of us. I was happy that her parents were making changes in how they treated their daughter. She needed a stronger connection to them, especially since they weren’t damaging or toxic to her.
“Okay. All done. That looks so much better, Dad. Let me know if any of these nurses in here flirting with you. We can’t have that.”
He chuckled, and I knew the bullshit was coming. “They flirt all the time. Glover may find out he has a sister or brother on the way soon.”
I rolled my eyes as Delaney covered her open mouth. He played too much. He could barely get an erection. It wasn’t impossible, but nobody was trying to think about him getting fucked on.
“Let me find out. Somebody gon’ be fired.”
He chuckled again. I wouldn’t be surprised though. I supposed he had needs, but he could probably only get an erection when he jacked it off. For most paraplegics, erections only happened from physical stimulation. If a nurse was in here fucking on my dad, I was gonna come un-fucking-glued.
Delaney finally closed her mouth and sat next to me. I looked over at her red face and chuckled. “He play too much. You’ll get used to his foolery.”
My dad chuckled again, and said, “I’m sorry, Delaney. I was just playing, baby.”
“I mean, you aren’t too old to make a baby, so I mean?—”
“Hell naw,” I said, cutting her off as my dad laughed loudly.
“That’s why I like you, daughter-in-law.”
I slowly shook my head. The man gave me the blues some days, but I wouldn’t change a thing. He kept things lively around here. Before Delaney came around, he was the one keeping my spirits up. I had a hard time accepting that he wouldn’t be able to walk again. I was researching all kinds of shit to try to “cure” him of paralysis. I had him in all sorts of rehabilitation sessions. I still did. I knew it could help with blood flow and things of that nature, but I had to come to the realization that he would never walk again.
I grabbed the cookie tote and gave it to him as he smiled big. “I knew you loved me, son.”
Delaney smiled as big as he did, then kissed my cheek. This was definitely my new normal, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Itook a deep breath as I walked through the store, looking for the type of wine Mama liked. I had Glover looking on the other aisle. I was nervous about talking to them today. We never had discussions like this, and I didn’t even know how I would start the conversation.
“I got it,” Glover said as he approached me.
I watched his gaze shift to someone behind me. When I turned around, I saw Jaunté getting a case of beer. I rolled my eyes and turned my head just as I saw him looking our way. He had better not be on no bullshit. Today wasn’t the day. No day was the day, but today, my nerves were already on edge. I would unleash on his ass in this store full of people and handle the embarrassment of it all later.
When he got close, he gave Glover a head nod and said, “Hello, Delaney.”
“Hey.”
