Page 45 of A Kingpin’s Weakness

I looked at her sideways, whispering, “You sure? You been throwing up everything but air.”

She nodded confidently. “Yes.”

I didn’t say anything else. She looked like she meant it. I wasn’t about to argue with her about it not if she was trying.

“I gotta go, Daddy. Me and Mommy are making breakfast.”

“Okay. I love you, S3.”

“Love you too, Dad!”

I ended the call and set the phone on the nightstand, glancing over at Stormi who was back laying against the pillows, eyes calm but thoughtful.

“We can tell him at Disney,” she said after a beat.

“That’s what you wanna do?”

“Yeah. I already have the perfect gift for him too.”

I watched her, the way her face lit up just talking about it. It was wild how she could be sick and exhausted and still trying to make it special for him. For us.

“You sure you gon’ be good enough to walk all over that park with him?”

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I’ll bring snacks, rest when I need to. I just want him to feel included. And I want it to be a happy memory.”

I nodded, leaning over to kiss her forehead. “Then we’ll make it one.”

Stormi and I laid around the rest of the morning, wrapped up in silence and each other. We didn’t talk much, but the quiet didn’t feel empty. Just peaceful. Like we were finally breathing the same air.

Moms had made it back earlier than I expected.

Soon as she walked through the door, she was in full grandma mode, not even giving Stormi a chance to protest. She made that soup she always whipped up when me or S3 had stomach bugs.

Stormi barely ate a few spoonfuls, but it was something.

And she didn’t throw it up… not yet, at least. Progress.

Now we were in the car on the way to her appointment.

She sat in the passenger seat, scrolling her phone, one leg tucked under the other, oversized hoodie hiding most of her thick frame.

Her face was unreadable. Not sad. Not excited.

Just somewhere in the middle. She hadn’t said much, but I could tell she was nervous. I was too.

In the waiting room, she stayed glued to her phone. Probably just trying to keep her mind off things. I didn’t push her to talk. I just sat next to her and picked up a couple of magazines from the table in front of us.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting. I flipped through the pages like I wasn’t fully invested, but every word hit different now. I wasn’t just reading for curiosity, I was reading for us. For them.

Next to it was some magazine on baby names. I scanned the cover and smirked.

“What you over there smiling about?” Stormi asked, glancing over from her phone.

“Just reading through baby names. Thought I’d get a head start.”

She rolled her eyes, but I saw the corner of her mouth twitch.

“I’m not naming our baby after a rapper, Seth.”

“I wasn’t gonna suggest that.” I paused, flipping a page. “But Sethus got a nice ring to it.”

“Absolutely not.”

I laughed under my breath and nudged her with my elbow. “What if it’s a girl?”

“Then we’re definitely not naming her Seth nothing.”

She leaned back into the seat and put her phone down in her lap.

“I didn’t think we’d be here,” she said softly, eyes forward now. “Not like this.”

“Yeah, I didn’t either.”

She glanced over at me then. “But I’m glad it’s with you.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. My throat tightened. So, I just reached out and took her hand in mine. No words. Just held it.

“Stormi Knight.”

The nurse called her name, and we both stood. I didn’t say anything. I just reached for her hand and laced my fingers with hers. She gripped mine tight, like she needed it. And I needed to give it.

As we walked back, she was quiet. Not cold just in her head. The nurse handed her one of those thin tissue blankets for after she peed in the cup and pointed her to the bathroom.

"Remove your jeans and underwear, cover up, and hop on the table," the nurse said with a warm voice, but I could still feel Stormi stiffen.

When she came out, she sat on the edge of the table, feet swinging lightly, wrapped in that sorry excuse for a sheet. Her knee bounced one of her nervous habits.

“You nervous?” I asked, sitting down next to her.

“A little,” she whispered, eyes flicking to the medical equipment on the counter.

“Why?”

She hesitated, then let out a breath. “Because I’ve never been pregnant before.”

She didn’t have to say more than that. I could hear the rest in her voice. She was scared. Of what came next. Of being vulnerable. Of doing this wrong. I stood and wrapped my arms around her, holding her like I was trying to take all the fear out of her body and carry it myself.

“I got you,” I murmured into her ear, my voice rough. “For life.”

She melted into me, like she needed that more than anything else. I kissed her lips gently then again, deeper this time, like I could speak through my mouth what I couldn’t say with words. A knock broke us apart just in time. The door opened.

“Hi, Mommy and Daddy!” the doctor said cheerfully.

Stormi laughed nervously. “Hi.”

“I’m Dr. Simpkins. Well, we’ve got a confirmed pregnancy. Congratulations.”

Stormi gave a soft smile. “Thank you.”

“And you said your last period was maybe around three months ago?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Your bloodwork puts you at about 10 weeks along. Still early, but baby is cookin’. We’ll do an ultrasound today to get images and measurements.”

Stormi nodded. I could see her jaw tighten.

“How you been feeling?” the doc asked, moving around.

“I can’t keep anything down,” Stormi admitted. “Everything makes me nauseous. And I’m just tired. Like bone-tired.”

“That’s totally normal,” Dr. Simpkins said, warm and calm. “You’re growing a human from scratch. Your body’s doing a lot right now. I’ll prescribe something for the nausea, and give you a few natural remedies you can try too.”

“That’d be great.”

“Any prenatal vitamins?”

“No.”

“I’ll prescribe some gummies then. No pills, don’t want to make the nausea worse.”

“Thank you.”

Then she looked at both of us. “Any questions?”

“Can we find out what we’re having today?” I asked, way too fast. I was praying for another boy. I needed one more little man I could raise right. A daughter who looked like Stormi? I’d be a mess. Couldn’t have no little motherfuckers sniffin’ around.

“Still too early,” she said with a chuckle. “But between 16–20 weeks we’ll be able to.”

I nodded and looked at Stormi, who gave me a sideways smirk like she knew I was already planning matching fits and football camps.

“Is this your first?” the doc asked.

“No,” Stormi said, and the way she said it without even glancing at me hit different. “We have a son.”

“How old?”

“Six.”

“Is he excited?”

“We’re gonna tell him at Disney next week.”

“Oh, fun!” the doc smiled. “Make sure Mommy stays off the wild rides, stays hydrated, and keeps her feet up when she can.”

“I got her,” I said. She’s mine. I got all of her. All thought to myself

Dr. Simpkins rolled the ultrasound machine over and lifted Stormi’s hoodie. She squirted cold gel across her stomach and pressed the wand down.

“So,” she said casually, “what are we hoping for this time?”

“A boy,” I said quickly.

“A girl,” Stormi said at the same exact moment.

We both looked at each other and laughed. I shook my head. “I’m not ready for no baby Stormi runnin’ around, eye rollin’ and slammin’ doors.”

Dr. Simpkins chuckled. “Daddies never are.”

And then there it was . The image popped up on the screen.

Tiny, perfect, real. Our baby. I couldn’t breathe for a second.

My whole body just froze. I pulled out my phone and started recording.

Not just for memories but because I wanted proof that this moment existed.

That I wasn’t dreaming. And of course, I had to send it to Rich.

“That’s baby right there,” the doctor said softly.

Stormi gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth. And then the tears came.

Big, quiet ones. I didn’t say nothing. Just leaned over and kissed her tears, one by one. Her skin was warm, and trembling just a little.

“I love you,” I whispered, for maybe the hundredth time.

And then, for the first time, she said it back. “I love you too.”

I almost forgot where I was. My heart skipped so loud I swore the monitor picked it up. Stormi never said that before, not once. Not even when I tried to drag it out of her.

It took this moment, this life we were creating, for her to finally open up and let me in.

My phone buzzed again from Rich reacting to the video. I checked it while Stormi wiped her face.

Me: Time to head to the jeweler.

Rich: I already know.

Me: Catch up with you tonight.

Rich: Knew my 2nd godson was made in Greece. That nigga better know English when he come out.

I smirked. Yeah, this was it. She was it. No more games. No more doubt. I was about to lock her in. Forever.