Page 20 of Royce (Atkins Family Saga #1)

“She saved you,” I said backing away. “I’ll be back. I got to holla at my mama right quick. Give me ten minutes, aight?” she nodded slowly, and I pecked her lips.

“Hey Royce!” CJ screamed as he ran to me. He threw his small arms around my leg, and I bent down to pick him up. Serinity brought him up here every day and today was the first day he showed so much excitement toward me.

“What’s up man? You behaving?”

“ Un huh ! TT Seri said we can have ice cream.”

“She did, huh? You know I got all that at my house. Mommy and baby sis’ was coming once we left here. What’s up? You trying to roll with us?” Nodding wildly with a gapped smile, he showed more of his excitement.

“Nah, they going home and I’m going with them. You done used all your visitation hours, buddy,” Serinity sassed.

“Who said my crib wasn’t home for them? See, you run yo’ m-f-n mouth too much. Aye, My Baby, she got one more time to say something slick.”

“Or what? Please tell me what’s gon’ happen to me,” Serenity shot back.

I gave Klarity a warning look and she stepped up to defuse the situation.

“Okay, okay. Damn. Why y’all always arguing?

You would think y’all were siblings or something the way y’all go at it.

Look Seri, we’re going to Royce’s for a little.

He’s been a huge help and unfortunately, if I say no, I think he legit might come after me.

” I smirked at Klarity’s response. At least she knew what was to come.

“And that’s all the more reason you need to take yo’ tail home.

At the end of the day cousin, y’all are strangers.

Who gives a fuck about him being here for your labor and delivery?

First off, that’s weird as fuck. Second, these ain’t his kids so who knows if he on some pedophile bullshit. If you were smart, you’d listen.”

“See how she talks when my kids around? She ain’t even got the common decency to change her vocabulary momentarily for them.

I think it’s best you come home with me and leave evil’s spawn where the heck she at,” I chimed.

I put CJ down and walked out the door. I wasn’t trying to hear shit Serinity was talking ‘bout.

My phone was removed from my pocket as I walked to the nurse’s station.

They’d shown My Baby nothing but kindness since she’d been here, and I wanted to treat them to lunch.

I was ordering for Klarity anyway. She was to stay put until Dr. Bloom returned this late afternoon.

She wanted to assess Klarity and Essence one final time before releasing them.

I was greeted by Klarity’s main nurse, Rebecca. “Mr. Atkins, I’m so glad you came this way. Can you and the wife fill out the birth certificate application? That would be great.”

“Yeah, I’ll handle it after this. What would you like for lunch? I’m ordering food for my wife and figured I’d treat you guys as well.”

“Oh, we’re fine. Thank you for the kind gesture, but we’re not allowed to take anything from the patients while on duty. Plus, Klarity and Essence are the sweetest. We love having them here,” she said wearing a smile.

“That’s good to hear. Let me make this call and on the way back to the room, I’ll stop for the forms.”

“Sounds good.” She took a seat and went back to pecking on her keyboard.

I walked to the end of the hall and called up Iris. I needed that shit handled like yesterday. She answered after a few rings as if she was annoyed already.

“Yes Junior?”

“Damn. What the hell I do?” I asked lowkey ready to laugh.

“You working my nerves. That fruit of the loom boy done came over here and did something that I disliked very much. I been stuck doing it myself for the past few days without the help of Senior or that damn niece of mine. I don’t know why I expect anybody to help me, anyway,” she voiced sighing into the phone deeply right after.

“Why you ain’t call me so I could’ve handled it? He ain’t the only interior decorator we know.”

“I was over it and if I want shit done right, I have to do it myself. When is she getting discharged, Junior?”

“Late this afternoon. As long as CJ room together, it’s cool.

Essence ain’t gon’ be in her shit no way.

Knowing me and her mama, she gon’ be in that bed with us.

I ain’t too fond of having them too far away from me.

And yeah, the next room too damn far,” I answered.

Call it possessive or anything else, I really didn’t give a fuck. I liked my shit to be in reach.

“It’ll be done by then. All I’m doing now is hanging up some pictures of her I got made. She has too much already and she ain’t even a week old. This is ridiculous,” she complained.

“You were the same way with me, so I don’t want to hear it. Pops baby proofed the house like I asked?”

“Yeah, and been worrying me to death about the gifts for CJ. I really don’t appreciate you springing your newfound family on me like this. A heads up would’ve been nice.”

“Nah, I like surprises. I’ll see you in a few. ‘Preciate it, Ma.”

“Whatever Junior.” She wasted no time in disconnecting the call. Shaking my head, I chuckled at how pissed off she was. She was going to complain the entire time but do everything I asked her to.

Walking back, I stopped and got the forms before heading to My Baby.

By the time I stepped back into the room, CJ was curled up with his mama while Essence laid in her bassinet.

Serinity was sitting beside the bed tapping on her screen.

She just came to get on somebody nerves.

She looked at me and rolled her eyes. I said many silent prayers for them muthafuckas to get stuck.

I stood on the other side and extended the papers from the nurse. Klarity took them and released a deep sigh. Shit, she was ‘bout to look at me crazy in a minute. My name was going right beside Essence’s. That was my goddamn baby.

“The fact that I have to give her his name is really irritating the crap out of me,” she mumbled.

I couldn’t help but laugh. I heard her clearly; it just tickled the fuck out of me. I mean, I couldn’t fault her for thinking I was ‘bout to allow that. Poor baby ain’t know she was in the lion’s den.

“She an Atkins,” I said calmly.

“ Mmcht , nigga you wish,” Serinity commented.

I looked at her with my head cocked to the side. My expression was one of a mad man. She really did talk too fuckin’ much. Whatever the fuck me and Klarity had going on ain’t have shit to do with her ass. Always adding her two cents was gon’ leave her ass broke and alone.

“Royce, I already told you how appreciative I was for being here but that doesn’t mean I’m giving her your last name. Unfortunately, she’s going to have the same name as CJ,” Klarity voiced sitting up.

“As she should… except his name changing, too. Once we leave here, we putting in for adoption papers. I don’t like people, let alone claim them. That should tell you something, My Baby.”

“It’s not actually. In fact, it’s making me wonder how far your crazy goes. These are another man’s kids. You can’t just change their names to fit your world. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you things don’t work like that.”

“And I don’t know how many times I have to tell you in my world it does.

Plus, my mama told me I could be anything I wanted to be when I grew up.

I’m all man now and I want to be your husband so what we talking ‘bout for real. Them were my kids the second I walked through yo’ door.

You had to know that. Know this though, I’ll tear up every form you fill out until Essence Atkins is signed.

I hope you won’t test me in here.” I never raised my voice at Klarity or made my threats too much to bring fear.

I didn’t want her scared of me at all, but I did want her to understand this wasn’t a game to me.

“You’d be a damn fool to give her that nigga name. He got mentally unstable written all over him. At least with Cojak you dealt with selfishness. Hell, he ain’t the better choice either. Give her yours,” Serenity interrupted.

“I can be that, but the commas attached to my name outweighs that bs she spitting by a long shot. Don’t be a fool, My Baby, I’ll always be the better choice in any lineup,” I stated confidently.

Serenity rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time. Klarity looked unsure of what to do until she locked eyes with me. Taking care of them wasn’t a temporary thing. I’d already rearranged my life and included them in certain areas. She really ain’t have a choice.

“And if Cojak comes home and wants us back, then what?” she questioned. I was well aware of her testing me. It was cute.

I smirked and said, “You would be my wife by then and in a tax bracket he could never reach. My daughter got more money than him and she’s only three days old.

If you think I’m ’bout to let that bummy a-s-s even speak to y’all again, you’re sadly mistaken.

If I was you, I’d oblige and live a blissful life. ”

Picking up the pen off the table next to her, she started filling out the forms. I remained quiet and calm as she did so.

I spoke my peace and didn’t plan on repeating myself.

It was up to her to fall in line now or later.

When I say later, I meant within the time Dr. Bloom comes in to discharge her.

She could have those few hours to think things over. It was really no pressure.

She put the pen down and I snatched the form from her. Seeing that it said Essence Jackson, I tore it up and called the nurse for another form. She must’ve thought I was bluffing.

“Yes, Mrs. Atkins?”

“It’s Monroe. I need another birth certificate application please. The last one got torn,” Klarity voiced.

“You might as well tell her to bring a stack ‘cause if you put that bull again, I’m tearing that up, too,” I warned her.

“These are my kids, Royce. You are a stranger to us at the end of the day. Thank you for being here but that doesn’t make you their father.

Essence will have her brother’s name and that’s that.

We’ll be here all day, or I’ll go the fuck home and do the paperwork later!

” Her voice was elevated, and she no longer was allowing me to have control.

Serinity sat there with the expression I told you so etched across her face.

I hated that this bitch was even in here.

I would’ve convinced Klarity easier if her bald headed ass cousin wasn’t in here egging her on.

From the moment I got her here, Klarity let me do me running shit.

Now she had a voice. I ain’t like that shit.

I wasn’t a liar, so I hit her with the half-truth.

“You just had surgery, a private room, Chief Riggs on your service and all that. Her name gon’ have to be an Atkins for the insurance to cover the bills,” I said. That shit didn’t even sound convincing but that was all the advantage I had.

“I didn’t tell you to do any of that, Royce. You chose to do all that on your own. I’ve said thank you and expressed my gratitude. My daughter isn’t yours,” she argued.

“Don’t let him fool you, boo. He trifling, too, ‘cause why he trying to trap you?” Serinity called me out on my bullshit. She would never know it though.

“I’m telling you, them bills ain’t nothing slight.

You put Jackson down, and I promise I’m sending them your way.

” I watched her eyes drop as if she was in deep thought.

She didn’t have enough for the house bills let alone a hospital bill.

And that lil’ job she was supposed to take at the bank would’ve had her, but she refused it.

And let’s be real, she barely made tips at that waitress shit.

She needed me. “Riddle me this though. You got insurance? You can cover all this or is motormouth gon’ cover it for you? ”

She looked to Serinity for answers. However, her flat foot ass was back to giving her the wrong advice. “You’d be a damn clown ass bitch to let him fool you with that bogus ass lie.”

“I can always change it,” Klarity said softly. She was unsure of what to do.

“Or keep it?” I chimed wearing a smirk.

“Klarity, don’t do it,” Serinity sternly stated.

“I have to, Seri. I don’t have any money to cover these bills. I’ll change it, I promise.”

Good luck with that.

Serinity grabbed her shit and dipped out. I was ‘bout to tell her to get the fuck on anyway. She was making my ass itch. “That’s Atkins. A-t-k-i-n-s,” I said grinning from ear to ear.