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"He cheated," Creed smirked.

"Uh-uh!" Gio shook his head, stomping his little foot. "No cheat! I do!"

I covered my mouth to keep from laughing.

"You did it all by yourself?" I asked, scooping him up into my arms as he giggled, his tiny hands clutching my dress.

"Mhm! ‘Mama Renity, see?"

"I didn’t see, baby, but I believe you," I said, pressing kisses to his cheeks.

"Me p’ayer wike Daddy," he mumbled against my shoulder.

"You’re gonna be a basketball player like Daddy?" I gasped.

Creed laughed, sitting beside me. "Nah, he lyin’. He told me five minutes ago he wanna be ‘Bwack Panther.’"

I looked down at Gio. "You wanna be Black Panther, baby?"

He grinned, big and bright. "Yup. Fwy! P’ow! Beat bad guys!"

"Ohhh, okay. So you wanna save the world?"

Gio clapped his hands, bouncing in my lap. "Me big! Stwong! Wike Daddy!"

Creed reached over, ruffling his curls. "That’s right, little man."

I smiled, hugging Gio tighter, feeling my heart swell. It took some time for me to come to terms that my boyfriend was having a baby with his ex-girlfriend, took time for me to accept Gio in my life. Not because I resented him, but because his mother was difficult every step of the way. I didn’t even get to meet him until he was nearly eight months and when I laid eyes on him, looking so much like his father, I fell in love with him too. Early on it was clear that I loved this kid. And he loved me too.

The bond Gio and I had wasn’t forced. It wasn’t something I tried to create. It was organic, something that just happened.

From the moment I came into his life, he just... gravitated toward me. At first, I was careful. I never wanted to step on Gianna’s toes as his mother. But it didn’t take long for Gio to attach himself to me—wanting me to tuck him in at night, wanting me to make his pancakes in the morning, wanting to sit in my lap when we watched movies.

And Gianna?

She hated it.

I found that out firsthand later that evening.

I had just walked into our bedroom, grabbing my silk bonnet off the nightstand, when I heard it. A low voice. Muffled. But clear enough. Gianna who was on the phone with Creed. Creed was in the bathroom with the door open.

I shouldn’t have listened. But I did.

"She’s trying to replace me, Creed!"

I froze.

"You’re being dramatic," Creed sighed, his tone already exasperated. "She’s not trying to replace you."

"Then why does Gio love her so much? Why is he calling her Mama Serenity?" Gianna snapped.

My heart clenched.

"Because she’s good to him," Creed said, his voice calm but firm. "Because she treats him like he matters. What do you want me to do? Tell him he can’t love her?"

"I just don’t think it’s right," Gianna bit out. "That’s my son. Not hers."

"Nobody said she was his mama, Gianna," Creed said, voice edged with irritation. "But she’s in his life. And that ain't changing."