Page 14 of Love Me Now: Baltimore & Madelyn
Her eyes dipped to conceal the answer in them. Taking the opportunity, I sat on the edge of her bed, just inches away from her thigh.
I placed the plate on the nightstand along with the drink and said, “Hit me.”
She chuckled. “You’re not a therapist, are you?”
“Not in the least. I listen well, though. If you want to offer my advice, I will.”
She blinked away some wetness from her eyes, and said, “A ton of memories are flooding me right now.” Her eyes focused on Genesis. “Having him here is making the memories of holding DJ resurface. Was there anything that could’ve been done to save him?”
Her whispered question deserved an answer. Even if she didn’t like what I had to say.
“I empathize wit’ you, Maddie. Not having my own children doesn’t make me immune to understanding that child loss is a difficult road to travel. With that being said, DJ made his own decisions. And they were costly. The code of family is never to be broken. He broke it and was given a choice. You and Heir. Or himself and his father.” She cringed at the memory. I reached over and smoothed my fingers down her cheek.
“Right,” she replied. “For some reason that part is both lodged in my brain and yet so distant at the same time.”
“Because ya mind doesn’t want to believe that ya child could betray you that way.” Not only did DJ choose Duval over his mother and sister. Duval stood there and briefly gloated about that shit.
Maddie giggled. “Maybe you are a therapist.”
Because touching her stirred my soul, I stood from her bed to put some space between us. Handing her the plate, I stated, “I’ll be one for you. Anytime, anywhere.”
She blinked up at me with a gentle smile on her face. There wasn’t absolutely anyone more beautiful than her. From the inside out, Maddie was perfect. I bet my soul on it.
She accepted the plate and said, “Thank you, Cooley. Something as simple as making us dinner isn’t unnoticed.”
“You know I got you.”
“I do,” she replied.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes, aight?”
“Okay.”
Leaving her room, I went down to Genesis’s room to retrieve a few things. Maddie wasn’t going to let him out of her sight for at least the next few nights. I grabbed everything I thought she would need, then took it back to her room so she wouldn’t have to run back and forth.
Every day after, I made breakfast, lunch, and even dinner for Maddie and Heir. Sometimes, Mrs. March would stand at the island and watch me. I ignored her, though, and handled business as if she wasn’t standing there. Her energy was horrible, but she was Maddie’s mother. It wasn’t my place to kick Mrs. March the fuck out.
Valentine’s Day, not only did I make them a special dinner, but I gifted them each diamond necklaces and a few dozen roses. Contrary to what Mrs. March thought, I’d been doing this shit for Maddie and Heir for over a decade. Not once had Maddie asked where the secret gifts and flowers came from. Not once had Duval ever questioned that another man was gifting flowers and trinkets to his lonely wife. He was so caught up in his own world that he didn’t see the demise happening inside his four walls.
In the days that passed, I handled house duty like a stay-at-home husband. Whenever I sensed that Maddie was overwhelmed, I gave her some reprieve. Whether that was taking Genesis for a walk or simply handling night duty while Maddie got some rest.
All in all, this was my fucking family—in every capacity.
WalkingintoCooley&Brown Real Estate Firm was never without its fanfare. Rarely did I show my face here, so when I did, folks acted like I was some damn celebrity. I was far from that. Playing the back had never been an issue for me. In fact, I preferred sticking to the shadows. Doing so allowed me to move how I wanted without all eyes on me.
Today was a little different though. I wasn’t alone when I walked into the firm my family built from the ground up. Genesis drew a lot of attention. So much that I had to start mugging people who thought pinching on Genesis’s cheeks was cool.
Dayton frowned as I walked into his office. “Whose damn baby is that?”
“Mine, now shut the hell up.”
His face frowned even harder. “Yo’ ass ain’t said nothing about a baby.” He threw his hands up. “Aw, bruh, don’t tell me that’s Dinky’s!” Dayton looked disappointed as if Genesis was his.
Chuckling, I shook my head. “Denisha could never.”
“I mean, I’m proud you a daddy and all, but what the hell? And why the fuck you been hiding him?” Dayton went from being concerned to being upset. “Lemme call Mama. She gon’ take a belt to yo’ ass ‘bout this shit.”
Laughing, I snatched the phone out of Dayton’s hand. “Would you calm the fuck down. This is Genesis Bell. Duval and his deceased side chick’s child. Maddie is going through the process of adopting him.”