Page 17

CHROME

“ Y ou gon’ be mad at Daddy, but I’m bored, Princess. You got to wake up and keep me company.” I was in my daughter’s room for the umpteenth time of the day waking her up.

I couldn’t leave her alone.

I fell in love with everything about her the second Fade pushed her out.

Picking her up, I put her to my shoulder and bounced her a lil’.

Yamari was just as live as I was.

It only took her a minute to get right and when she did, she was up for hours.

I loved how she always smiled at a nigga, too.

She made any rainy day seem like it was full of sunshine.

She was a nigga heart.

Her and her pretty ass mama.

She took after Fade, skin tone and all.

I wasn’t complaining either.

This was all a nigga wanted in life.

A woman that gave you all the love you could ask for and child that mirrored her mama.

I was in love two times over and it wasn’t shit a muthafucka could tell me.

“Baby, put her down and put her back to sleep. Why do you always come in here and wake her up in the middle of her naps?”

“’Cause her mama ain’t got time for me.”

“Really nigga? I just let you beat my back in for an hour and you talking ‘bout I ain’t got no time for you. Stop lying.”

I smirked at her response.

I did just climb out the pussy.

I had a muthafuckin ball in that bitch fa sho.

However, I just missed my baby.

When I wasn’t loving on Fade, I wanted to love on my daughter.

They had me going ‘round in circles for affection.

“Yeah, that wasn’t enough. I told you I’m a greedy nigga.”

“Then you should’ve stayed inside and got some more. Now, put her down, Chrasmere,” she ordered.

“Look, Mel supposed to be here soon. Go wash up and get dressed. I got her.”

“You and your nosy ass daughter are aggy. She just wakes right on up and start looking around like she missing something.”

“She is… me,” I said planting kisses on my baby face.

Fade walked out and let us be. Out of all the things I thought I wouldn’t be, this was the one that made it off the list.

I was a proud father that loved every single moment of it.

When she touched my face, I felt at home.

When she was in the middle of crying, giving her mama hell, all it took was her to hear my voice for her to settle.

I was her peace and she damn sure was mine.

I got her dressed and brought her to the bedroom.

She was placed in her bassinet as I went and joined my baby in the shower.

She was rinsing off when I stepped in.

I didn’t even bother getting back in the pussy since Yamari was up and waiting on one of us to get her.

I had thoughts of doing it though.

My body was washed and so was my hair.

It was a hot day in May, and I needed to stay cool.

Plus, I had a few surprises cooked up for my babies.

Fade’s push gift was coming with the help of Mel.

Her visiting home wasn’t just for her to see the baby and her mama.

I stepped out wrapping a towel around my waist.

When I walked in the room, Fade was showering Yamari with kisses of her own.

I felt like she was jealous when I got to her first which was why she was always asking me to put her down.

She wanted to keep her to herself and I wasn’t mad about it because the feelings were mutual.

I got dressed while they had their moment.

I loved seeing them interact because if it wasn’t for them two, I would probably still be fuckin’ on bitches that meant me no good.

My long-term goals presented themselves faster than any short terms ever could and I was cool with it.

I had my crew and my family by my side.

Running Eastlake had become nothing more than a cake walk.

Once I was satisfied with my ensemble, I headed checked my phone to see if Mel texted while I was in the shower, and she did.

New Aged Gems was located in the Heights and the ring I got made up was ready.

She was supposed to grab it for me since I couldn’t leave.

Mel: I’m outside but like, what do I do with the ring and stuff?

I hurried downstairs and found Mel in the living room.

She was so quiet I almost walked past her.

“Thank you, Mel. You’re a life saver.” I dug in my wallet and peeled off a few blues for her.

“I am not taking that. My mama would kill me. Where is she, anyway?” she inquired looking around.

“Upstairs. Where the ring?” She dug in her purse and handed over the gift bag.

“’Preciate it.”

“Mama!” Mel yelled with her impatient ass.

I could’ve rocked her shit ‘cause a nigga needed a second to breathe before proposing.

“Mel? Here I come, baby.” You could hear Fade’s loud steps moving closer and closer.

She practically ran downstairs, handing Yamari over so she could hug her oldest baby.

I was happy to see her and Mel on good terms.

When I met them, they were going through a rough patch.

“When did you get here?”

“Just now. I missed you, Ma. I didn’t think the semester would ever end. I missed my bed,” she complained.

“I bet. Well, we wanted to go eat out for dinner. You cool with that?” Fade asked still maintaining her smile.

I used the opportunity to get on one knee and pop open the velvet box while her attention was on Mel.

“Yeah. Let me see Yamari. I haven’t seen her since you had her.” Mel knew the assignment.

When Fade turned around and saw what was happening, she turned back in two-point-five seconds with her hands covering her mouth.

I knew she was surprised but she was it for me.

I told her that one too many times and now I was standing on it.

Mel took the baby allowing me to complete the mission.

Grabbing Fade’s waist, I gently assisted her in turning back around.

I wasn’t moving until she heard me out and gave me an answer.

Tears streamed as her hands shook still in the same position.

She was more nervous than she’d ever been.

I took her hand in mine and said, “You did it. You did something that was damn near impossible. I fell in love with you within the first few minutes of meeting you. I knew you would be mine. This family we made, I saw it from the moment a nigga couldn’t keep his mind off you. The way you let me be me and don’t ask me to change got you this. The way you let me protect, provide, love, and cherish y’all, got you this. A nigga smile because of y’all. If I met you yesterday or years ago, I promise the result would be the same. She got my name already, it’s time you have it too. So, Kosha Jordan, will you marry a young nigga?”

She was crying like a baby in front of me.

She was sensitive as fuck and I learned it wasn’t the pregnancy that made her that way.

She just wanted and needed somebody to match her energy and put her ass first.

I did that plus more.

All the joy she was basking in, came from me.

I took pride in that shit.

“Baby…”

“If you ain’t ready, say that. I can take it.” I was getting a lil’ nervous.

I knew how her bitch ass ex damaged her view on marriage, but I was hoping she took another chance on it for me.

The longer she stood there in silence crying, the more convinced I was that she wasn’t ready.

I went to get up and she pushed me back down.

“Promise me you won’t switch up on us and go find something new. Promise you won’t leave us and let us figure shit out on our own. Promise me… you will remain this man I fell in love with.”

“I ain’t never been that nigga, Mama. Anything I say, I mean. I wish I would let what’s mine be taken from me or give it to someone else. I promise you ain’t got to question shit when it comes to this. A nigga here and ain’t leaving. So, tell me what it is.”

Her head moved up and down slowly, but her mouth confirmed it.

“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

I placed the ring on her finger and cuffed her up so fast she didn’t have time to breathe or examine that muthafucka.

I said we was gon’ be a happy fuckin’ camper ‘round this bitch and dammit I meant it.

“We locked in Fade.”

“I know we are baby. Thank you for loving me.”

“Nah, thank you for making sure a nigga had something worth loving. Without you and my daughter, I would still be whooping niggas ass in alleys,” I jested.

“You stupid. Seriously though, thank you.”

“Congrats you two!” Mel sang. “Can we go eat now? I’m starving,” she asked walking to the door.

“Yeah man. Let’s go grub and shit. You good, Ma?” I wiped away her tears before letting her take a step away from me.

“I’m so fuckin’ good babe thanks to you.”

She kissed my lips and followed her daughters out the door. I took a minute and took all this shit in. When I met her, she was calling the police on a nigga. Now she was calling my name every time I made her cum. Oh how the fuckin’ tables had turned.

THE END