Page 54 of Ony If It’s You

“ I don’t think he likes having those boxing gloves on, baby,” Kehlani said from behind me.

We were in the entertainment room of our house doing a photoshoot for Legend’s birthday. Legend was our one year old son. I told his mama that I only made real niggas.

“I don’t like wearing mine either, Mommy,” Jocey cried.

“Aww man, baby girl, come on, I need y’all just to get a couple more pictures for me,” I said with a playful pout on my face.

“These are for boys though.”

“What I tell you?” I asked her, referring to the conversation we had this morning when I first showed her the outfit that she had wear for the pictures.

The shoot was all three of the kids plus Lani and I dressed in boxing gear for our baby boy’s first birthday. It had started off good, but that was short lived.

“That I’m a real nigga.” She simpered.

“Aight then, just a couple more.”

“Javyous, stop talking to them like that.” Lani laughed. “Jocelyn, don’t say nigga.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Kehlani went over to get Legend situated again while I helped Jocey. Si was chilling like he always was. He was the easiest out of all three of them because his other two siblings were spoiled as hell.

“They look so cute,” my mother gushed when we stepped away so the photographer could get started again.

“I know, this was all my idea.”

“Tell another lie,” Lani joked, pinching my side.

“Chill, I did give input.”

“That’s about all you did,” she replied, rolling her eyes before addressing my mother. “Is everything set up in the kitchen?”

“Yeah, baby, and the entertainment is ready outside.”

Kehlani had gone all out for Legend’s first birthday with a circus theme. Anything that you could imagine to be at a circus, we had at our fucking house. Thank God we’d moved our asses to Chandler Heights because the townhouse wouldn’t stand a chance.

“The petting zoo is the cutest thing ever, Lani,” Celeste said when she joined us. “Aww look at my baby’s little boxing gloves, he is just too freaking cute.”

“He needs a playmate,” Lani suggested, nudging her best friend.

“Welp, you and your husband fuck like rabbits anyways, so y’all better get on it.”

“And that’s my cue,” my mama said as she walked away with her index finger in the air.

“Oh my God, I’m sorry, Ms. Phyllis,” Celeste shouted at her back.

My eyes were trained on my wife who was grinning hard as hell at her best friend.

“I ain’t opposed to that,” I said, grabbing her attention.

“Opposed to what?” Lani asked over her shoulder.

“Giving Legend a playmate,” I answered, pulling her back into my front and kissing her neck. “We made a cute ass kid.”

“We did and you better enjoy him because he was it.”

She was serious too, at least for another three years. She got that dumb ass birth control shit after she had him because she knew a nigga like me was going to be in the lab trying to make another mini me.

“Girl did you see that Brooke got a divorce?” Celeste dramatic ass asked.

“Who the fuck is Brooke?” I frowned.

“That hatin’ hoe they was there for when we met them in Vegas cuz.” Dominique answered.

“Oh, yuk mouth.” I said and we all laughed. Bitch teeth was doing fucking line dances and she had the nerve to be trying to pop shit.

Stupid bitch.

After we got the kids’ pictures and shit out of the way, we all headed outside where Pres and Dominique were already waiting. The girls took the kids to play while we stood off to the side to watch.

“You did good, nephew, I’m proud of you,” Pres said.

His eyes were locked on my mother. He was looking at her the same way that I looked at Kehlani.

They were doing their thing, I guess trying to make shit work and I was cool with it.

They were rocking long before I was even a thought and she seemed happy.

He was treating her the way that she deserved to be treated.

As far as me and her went, we just moved the same. I had been around her my entire life and she had always been like a mother figure to me before I found out she was my actual mother, so it was hard to turn that off.

“Facts. This crib dope as shit too,” Dominique added. “I need to step my shit up.”

Kehlani, the kids, and I had moved into our new house about six months ago. I had this shit built from the ground up and fully furnished for my family before we moved in. I wanted so badly to have everything together before Legend got here, but I didn’t quite make that timeline.

“I appreciate that.” I nodded as I looked around.

“So what now? You gon’ give Lani an official wedding?” Dominique asked me.

“Shit, I want to, I damn near been begging to, but she ain’t with it.

She said that she didn’t want to taint our memory.

The way we met, the way that shit happened with us was unorthodox like a mothafucka, but it was the best decision that each of us made.

She’s right too. Marrying her was literally the only thing that I for sure knew that I did right. ”

“This soft ass nigga,” my cousin joked and pushed my shoulder.

“Fuck you, nigga,” I playfully spat. “I’m soft as fuck for my girl, no lie.”

“I feel it, I feel it.”

He agreed because his ass was pillow soft for Celeste too. She wasn’t hearing that baby talk his ass was on, but they had moved in together and shit though.

“I upgraded her ring though and hell she barely let me do that.”

I fucked with that about my girl though. She loved simplicity. I definitely spoiled the shit out of her and went all out and shit, but I loved the fact that if I didn’t, nothing about her would change.

“I peeped, that shit nice as a mothafucka.” Nique added. “Ay, you see that ol’ boy got beat last night again?”

“Who?”

“The Levi nigga.”

“Oh, yeah.” I smirked. “I saw it.”

He had been real quiet since our impromptu fight. He had a fat ass mouth until I made that phrase literal. I busted all his shit up in front of everybody. The nigga talked too much for me and instead of mouth battling with him him I let my hands do the talking.

“Baby, here. He hates the animals.” My fine ass wife pouted as she handed me our son.

“I bet he do, them shits stank.” I playfully frowned. “Ain’t that right, champ, them shits stink, especially them fucking goats. They better clean up after them shits too.”

“They will, babe,” she replied and laughed as she snuggled into my side.

The doorbell sounded not too long after that and she stayed planted.

She’d watched some weird ass movie on Netflix called The Strangers and now she was scared to answer the door.

Laughing, I eased her small hand into mine and pulled her along with me through the house to the door.

She was talking shit and hiding behind my arm until she finally noticed who it was.

When she realized that it was her father, she damn near tossed me and Legend to the side to get to his ass.

“Daddy!”

“Hey, baby.” Her father was barely able to maintain his balance when her crazy ass jumped into his arms.

“Damn, Kehlani.” I frowned.

Looking behind her, she chuckled and wiped the tears that had escaped her eyes.

“I’m sorry, baby.” She stretched her hand for me to take. “Daddy, how? When did you come home.”

“It’s been a few months.”

“Months?” she shouted. “You’ve been home for months and haven’t called me or Granny.”

“I talked to Mama. I just wanted to surprise you after I got myself together. I got a place and a job.”

“Oh my gosh, that is so good, Daddy! Wow, I-I just can’t believe this.” She sniffled.

“Believe it, baby girl. We have a lot of catching up to do, but first let me see these grands of mine.” He was all smiles as he took Legend from my arms.

My son typically didn’t fuck with people that he didn’t know which was why he gave the photographer such a hard time, but I had been taking him around Lani’s pops since I was trying to help him get on his feet and shit.

After getting Legend settled in his arms, he made his way out to the party, leaving just me and my wife alone. She watched him until he disappeared around the corner then gave her attention to me.

“Baby, I don’t know how I could ever thank you for this.” She simpered.

Backing her body into the wall behind her, I leaned in to kiss her face and neck before gently sucking the place on her neck that I had bitten.

“I can think of a few ways.”

“No, babe.” She pushed me off. “I’m serious.”

“Shit me too.” I frowned playfully. “Naw, that was all you and the lawyers. I just put the bug in their ear, it was ultimately your statement that got him home.”

“Still.” She sniffled as I wiped her tears. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you.”

“I feel so complete, so happy,” she admitted as she tossed her arms around my neck.

“Good. I got to think now though.”

“About what?”

“How to make you happier tomorrow,” I answered. “For the rest of my life I’m going to find ways to make you happier than I did the day before.”

She didn’t even reply to me verbally. She just pressed her lips into mine. I knew she was satisfied with what a nigga said though because she loved that sappy shit. I lowkey did too because it made her happy and a nigga was all for doing that for her.

The End!!!