Page 47 of For the Love of City

“I ain’t trying to get attached because with the way you acting we might be making an appointment at a clinic for a procedure instead of shopping for onesies and shit.

I can mentally detach by being technical.

Do I want that? Nah. But I also realize I ain’t the one that’s got to put anything on the line with this.

My body doesn’t change, my career doesn’t potentially stall and my life ain’t the one on the line.

Selfishly? I’m happy as fuck. Elated. Like my heart wants to jump out of my fucking chest and Bankhead bounce.

But the ball is in your court as always, baby girl. ”

“I’ve had an abortion before.” I started to tear up waiting for his judgment and of course it never came.

“Okay.”

I looked up and his face was as unmoved and filled with his normal calm. “You don’t have questions?”

“Nah.”

“Not even why I never told you?”

He moved closer to me again and took both of my hands in his before he kissed the backs of them.

“Porsha, what you did with somebody before me ain’t my business as long as it ain’t putting my life at risk.

We’ve shared all the pertinent health information with one another a while ago.

Clearly, one of the soldiers wanted to say hello to an egg up close.

That shit doesn’t have to be a permanent situation if that’s the route you feel the need to go. ”

“It almost killed me the first time but the ex I was with was…an ex for a reason.”

“This the one that tried to get you cased up to save himself?” He leaned back against the counter so he could watch my face.

“Yeah.”

He shook his head in disgust at Link’s actions. “I wouldn’t want to be tied to bullshit like that for eighteen years, either.”

“You’re not judging me.”

“You expected me to?” His offense at me even hinting that he would was clear.

“I…I mean men always have strong opinions about stuff like this.”

“Most men ain’t got the sense of a botfly. But be real, how you feel about all this?”

“I don’t want you to think I trapped you.”

He pulled me closer to him by my hips and his hands circled around me to give my ass a squeeze.

“You trapped me? Porsha, baby, you new here? I was waiting on you to speak up about us for a minute but you talking about trapping me? Clearly, my nuts were as desperate to keep you as my heart was because I locked you down.”

“I want to keep the baby.” I was fidgeting with my fingers but I spoke clearly. The words hung in the never-used kitchen as I waited for him to say something.

That bright white smile set against his deep coffee brown skin was all I could see. The worry over the last few hours disappeared as I watched him grin.

“You for real? You gone have my baby?”

I made him wait a few seconds before I responded.

“Yes.”

His smile grew even wider as he cupped my face and stroked both of my cheeks with his thumbs.

“Damn, Pretty P. I ain’t think there was a way I could love you more but you just proved me wrong.”

He squeezed me close and rocked me back and forth. I could almost feel his joy as we stood there. It warmed me from the inside out and I was so grateful to have a man in my life that wanted so much for me.

“Corey, we gone be some old ass parents.” I truly had to wonder what the hell I was getting myself into because I was geriatric as hell to be a first time mom.

“I can hear your mama right now talking shit, too. Gone run her mouth but will be the first one mad if she doesn’t get enough time with her grandbaby.” He was laughing like Toots wasn’t going to irritate the fuck out of everyone about her grandkid.

My skin got clammy and I went into the stainless steel fridge to grab a bottle of water for both of us. “Shit, I’m gonna have a baby.”

“No, we are. Don’t be doing that possession is nine-tenths of the law shit, Porsha.”

He looked at me like he was being so serious, despite how silly his words were. It was the type of look that told me not to fuck with him on this. He took the water from my hand and chugged it down as he watched me gauging my reaction.

“You know what I mean.” His easy possession of me and this baby had my heart skipping with joy in my chest.

He sat down his empty bottle before opening up mine for me since I’d just been toying around with it in my hand. “You finished panicking?”

“Seems like it. Why, you scared?”

“Nah, I’m trying to talk to my seed real quick before I thank my woman for the sacrifice she’s making for us.”

Well, fuck this water.

“Corey—”

“I’m bout to kiss you, Porsha. First the lips on your face and then the ones between your thighs.

I’m not gone do too much, just give you the physical praise for the physical journey you’re about to embark on for us.

If there’s anything you need from me, you don’t even have to ask.

Just demand it if I haven’t already done it and it’s yours.

” He was rubbing my sides before his hands crept up and began to rub gently on my chest. “I knew these shits had gotten bigger.”

“Yeah, Rye said something about them today and it got me thinking that I hadn’t seen my period in a minute.

I have no idea how I’m going to tell them what’s going on.

” I was biting my lip thinking about how I was going to tell anyone this news.

I could hear Toots now being over the top for no reason.

“You might as well get on the phone with your home girl and tell her you about to be her big sister. Step mama or whatever.” He was chuckling at the thought and it only sent me back into a mild panic.

I took a step back and shook my head like that Danny Devito meme. “Oh, hell nah.”

“Hell nah? What you mean, P? One thing you not finna do is try to hide my gotdamn baby like you been hiding me for the last umpteen number of years. That’s some shit I ain’t gone let slide at all.”

For the first time, Corey looked at me angrily, arms folded like he wanted City to come out and teach me a lesson. All that talk of gentle kisses was fleeing and he looked like he wanted to fuck some sense into me.

“ Umpteen ? How old are you?”

“You can play about anything but my seed and my money.” He was watching me like he was waiting on me to apologize or something.

I sucked my teeth sitting there waiting on him to add me to the list but he didn’t. “Damn, just leave me out of it.”

He snickered his agreement like I was right. “I got to until you get your mind right.”

“Nobody trying to hide anything. With my history, I just want to make sure I’m fine. That they’re fine. It ain’t like I’m young my damn self.”

I hated to give voice to anything that was negative but I had to be honest about how I was feeling. Doubting us wasn’t what kept me from being all in. I didn’t want to get my hopes up and then life come back and take away my joy.

“I feel you on that. But we not jinxing shit. We being positive. And we not doing that southern shit and waiting until the kid almost here to start buying shit. Kid be ready to fall out of the pussy and ain’t got but a pack of pampers and a fucking t-shirt.

Kid could be born with eight legs and we’ll call him Octarion and keep it moving.

Ain’t no need to worry the baby gone be fine.

And even if they not perfect in the eyes of anyone else, they will be perfect to us.

So enjoy this shit, Porsha. I know I already am and you just told me the shit.

” His voice was raspier, the emotion seeming to make it scratchier than normal.

“But Octarion?”

“I ain’t about to call his lil ass Squidward in this muthafucka. Octarion goes hard. I fuck wit’ it.” The way he nodded his head like he had it all sorted out in his mind had me cracking up.

I laughed through the tears thankful that he wouldn’t let me rest in the sadness and his silliness was something that would make this situation much easier.

“My baby daddy is a plum fool.”

He wagged his finger at me disapprovingly.

“Ain’t none of that ‘round here. I’m your fucking man, I’m this child’s father.

You might as well get ready to find some houses and shit, Porsha.

I ain’t doing no visitation bullshit. Not with my baby or my pussy.

Shit is done.” He drug the side of his hand across his neck in a slashing motion to emphasize how dead that baby daddy notion really was.

“A visitation schedule for my pussy. You really been thinking too hard about this shit.”

“I got a whole list of houses ready for you to view. I’ve been making plans but I put it on pause because one thing I never wanted you to feel was like you didn’t have choices with me.”

“But you ain’t have no problem teasing me about telling Lyric about us.”

“Wasn’t gone play me like I was mixed with a whole lot of ugly.

You ain’t gotta put a paper bag over my head when you riding this dick so it don’t make sense for you to keep my ass locked in the bell tower, P.

” He again sounded so calm about it like he really had been thinking about this the whole time.

“I don’t even know what the hell you’re talking about right now and somehow I think it’s for the best. Besides, we are all out in the open now. I’m much happier about it.”

He eyed me and could only shake his head. “You sure?”

“You are everything I ever wanted Corey. Can’t be mad at that.”

He grinned again and I joined him this time. “See, you just trying to get some dick, stop thinking I’m easy.”

My head cocked to the side playfully. “Aren’t you though?”

He squinted one eye like he was thinking before he nodded happily.

“For you? I’m a good little whore. You walk in the room and I’m on my knees ready to dive headfirst into your pussy.

Shit, I can’t wait ‘til you get a big ole belly. I can start calling you big mama and singing that damn silly ass song.” He started swaying his hips in beat to the viral song and mouthing the words.

“You are too crazy, Corey.”

He looked mischievous as he licked his lips and sniffed the side of my neck.

“Mmm hmmm, I am. But right now, I want you to put this pussy on my face. How long you think it’ll take you to cum for City, baby?”