Page 117 of Steel

Mr. Dillinger took my hand and kissed it. “Call me Senior.”

Dinah smirked as she looked back at him. “Hey, handsome. Look at you over here looking like a new daddy with that baby.”

Senior laughed. “This is my baby, right, Emmy?” he said, kissing her cheek.

“Baby!” Emmy yelled, pointing at herself.

“I appreciate y’all letting us tag along.”

Kerrion laughed as he looked to me. “He’s bored with retirement, so he’s got nothing better to do with his life than follow his kids around.”

Senior frowned. “Don’t act like I ain’t doing you a favor. I could have left you to deal with a baby and a toddler by your damn self. Ain’t that right, Emmy? At least you’re happy to be with your godfather.”

“I just have one question,” Dinah said. “How did you essentially end up with another baby by your baby mama?”

Kerrion burst out laughing. “I mean, she’s right.”

His father threw him a dirty look. “Like I keep telling y’all, we’re family. All my baby mamas love me.”

Kerrion smirked. “Except Stephanie.”

“You want me to beat your ass out here, Steel?”

“Ass!” Emmy yelled.

“Don’t say that, Emmy,” her godfather scolded. “See what you did, nigga? Anyway, ain’t no more babies for me. I can send this one back home.”

“Well, you did the Lord’s work with four of yours. They take after you.”

“Thank you, beautiful.”

Dinah blushed. “Don’t compliment me, sir. I’m willing to play stepmama.”

“How are you gonna play stepmama when you just went home with Kaylynn last night?” Kerrion asked.

Dinah gasped. “Oh, you messy as fuck for that. Don’t put my shit out there. Me being your stepmama is no more ghetto than your daddy being your sister’s godfather.”

Senior chuckled. “It’s a lot of ghetto shit going on around here, but yeah. We have a very healthy co-parenting relationship, even with the kids being grown. I’ve been around my kids’ other siblings since birth. They love me, and I love them.”

“Awwww!” I cooed. “That’s so sweet. It takes a village.”

“His village is just bigger than most,” Kerrion said, smirking.

His father glared at him. “Shut your ass up. It’s nice to see you ladies, again. If y’all will excuse us, me and Emmy are about to get in the kiddie pool.”

“And I’m about to finish my book before I get in the pool,” Dinah said.

“I guess it’s just you and me,” Kerrion said. “Lazy river?”

“Oooo, yes.”

Just then, his phone rang. He pulled it from his bag and answered it.

“Sup, Ms. Anita . . . He’s good. We’re at the water park with Neha and Nayelli . . . Uh, sure. Hold on.”

He turned to me as he muted the phone.

“You okay with Ms. Anita joining us?”