Page 15

14

I nnvy

“Uh, no, ma’am!” I yelled through my laugh. I was having a very late lunch with Gabriella and had Innah with me. After she cried so hard yesterday when me and her daddy returned, there was no way I was sending her to my parents today. Bully helped me set up a little area for her in my office, and he’d been dropping in sporadically to check on us both throughout the day.

I didn’t realize how much Innah was paying attention to our conversation until she called me by my name. Well, tried to. After she heard Gabby call me Innvy, she said Inbee.

“Huh?” Innah said as she looked from me to her aunt as if she was confused.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Inbee!” she cheered, patting my shoulder.

“No, mama’s baby. My name is Mama not Innvy.”

“Inbee! Inbee! Inbee!”

“Oh God.”

Gabriella fell into a fit of laughter as I shook my head and groaned. “I can’t wait to tell my brother about this.”

“Chile, he’s going to be too tickled. I just hope she forgets by the end of the day.”

“Good luck with that.”

We cackled as I lifted Innah and set her on top of the table. Her chubby, tiny hands patted my cheeks as she gave me a slobbery smile. Her little nubs of teeth were slightly taller but they weren’t all the way in yet. She was honestly the cutest little thing ever.

“Mama loves you, baby girl.”

Her babbled response was exclaimed by her flailing arms and wiggling body.

With a wide smile, I pulled Innah into my chest and kissed her head. We were actively working on her words but also not expecting a lot since she was only six months old. Well, she’d be seven months next week. More than anything, Innah seemed to pick up on things through conversation and not intentional teaching. She was a little joker and got more enjoyment out of making us laugh when we were trying to teach her something. So a lot of the words she picked up on, she picked up on when we were speaking to her normally or someone else. I loved how curious she was and how she could focus long enough to say what she wanted.

“She’s so precious, sis. Seriously. My brother is so lucky to have the both of you. And I’m so sorry my past almost ruined that.”

“Girl, you have nothing to apologize for. I know your brother don’t play about you. I’m just glad you talked him out of taking care of it himself though. Between what he’s done for Rocco and the shit I saw him do to Moore… it’s giving he really don’t give a fuck and is about that life even to this day.”

We shared a soft laugh though there was nothing funny about the situation. I took pride in being with a man who had no problem setting it off about the people he loved, but I still prayed he could settle into calmness and never risk losing his freedom or life because of violence.

“Did he… now that he’s back… do you know if he’s going to be working with Karrington?”

My brows wrinkled as I considered her question. “Why haven’t you asked him that?”

Sadness covered her expression briefly. “We haven’t really been talking a lot lately. Guilt, you know? But after being with you today and knowing you two are in a much better place, I feel more comfortable squeezing my way back into his life.”

“Gabriella…”

“I know, I know, but still. I took a lot from him. His position with Karrington. Time with you. The birth of his baby. I know he doesn’t mind but there was still guilt over how everything played out.”

I knew there was no point in me telling her to release it. Gabriella was the most peaceful and least problematic person I knew, so I couldn’t imagine how this had been affecting her. I pulled her close by her neck and gave her a kiss. Innah followed suit, holding her face in place and saying, “Mm muah!” as she pressed her lips against her temple.

We laughed and cooed before loving on baby girl, then we finished our lunch so I could get back to work. I wasn’t sure what led me to ask her to have lunch with me at first, but I was glad I listened and did so. Hopefully now things would return to normal between her and her brother.