Page 162 of Steel

His brows furrowed, then his eyes widened. “We’re having a baby?”

I nodded. “We’re having a baby. Surprise!”

I felt my feet lifting from the concrete as he picked me up and spun me around. When he put me down, he stooped and lifted my shirt, kissing my belly.

“We’re having a baby,” he whispered.

I smiled as I rubbed his head as he shed a few tears. I silently thanked the Lord that we were in a much better space this time around. This child, while unplanned, was conceived in love. This time, there would be no part of this pregnancy or this child’s life that he would miss. I made that mistake one time before, and as long as I lived, I’d never make another one like that.

THREE MONTHS LATER

I satbeachside watching Neha and our kids running along the shore. A smile played on my face as KJ’s little legs carried him as fast as they could away from the waves. Neha laughed as she scooped him up and kissed his cheeks. He pointed at the water and shook his head. A small wave had already knocked him down, and he just wasn’t feeling that shit. Nayelli, on the other hand, was loving it. She was on her little bodyboard, trying to catch every wave.

This was officially our first family vacation.

After the year we had, a getaway was much needed. As soon as school let out, we were looking for a place to get out of the city. The last couple of months, things had been great. The kids were growing and thriving. Business was going great for me. Nehafinished out her contract with the state and was now actively diving into planning for Mind and Motion, her wellness center.

I was so damn proud of her.

Her excitement was radiant. Every time she spoke about her vision, it made me happy. Once the center opened, I was moving my after-school self-defense class there. Many of my kids came from single parent households, and the services she was offering could greatly benefit them. I just wanted them to win in every season of life.

Of course, the family was super supportive of her.

Since Shar was working with the charity, she’d come up with an initiative to sponsor the center with a food and clothes pantry for those in need. Senior and my brothers gave five hundred thousand each for Neha to do with as she pleased for the center. When they presented her with the checks, my baby almost passed out. She cried for thirty minutes after that, only stopping when Smoke jokingly told her she had to wrap that shit up.

It was safe to say that things were moving in positive directions, and I was ready to keep up the momentum. My girls were officially moved in with me and KJ on a full-time basis. Dinah had moved in with Kaylynn. Their parents had relocated and were now living in their old house. It was nice having them around.

They fit in well with both sides of my family, and I could see just how crazy both the kids were about them. Just like Neha, they had taken to KJ. In their eyes, he was just as much their grandson as Nayelli was their granddaughter. They didn’t replace the grandparents he lost, but they were an amazing addition.

Speaking of additions, we were currently five months pregnant with a baby boy. Jaeda was also expecting a boy, while Shar was expecting a girl. In a not so surprising turn of events, Romi was also expecting again. The way my brother was tryingto slide up in her every chance he got, we knew it was coming. He’d put us out of his house on more than one occasion so he could have alone time with his wife. That nigga was slowly but surely trying to outdo his daddy with all these damn kids.

“Daddy!”

The sound of KJ screaming my name as he ran full force toward me broke me from my thoughts. When he slammed into my chest, I pretended to fall back from the blow.

“Dang, Fat Man! Just knock me over.”

He grinned as he climbed into my arms and gave me the sign for drink. I smiled as I handed him a juice box. Quaid and Jaeda had taught my boy so much. He could easily communicate with his hands what he couldn’t with his words.

Neha and Nayelli came over to join us under the tent.

“Did you see me riding those waves, Daddy?” Nayelli asked, grinning.

“You were tearing them up, baby girl. We gotta get you a surfboard next.”

“Uh, absolutely not!” Neha exclaimed. “My baby is not getting on one of those things to give me a heart attack.”

“Mommy, surfing would be fun!” Nayelli gasped with wide eyes. “Daddy, if I learn to surf, will you take me to Hawaii?”

“Of course I will.”

Neha shook her head. “This is why she’s spoiled now.”

“And you aren’t?” I countered, rubbing her stomach.

She scoffed. “We aren’t talking about me.”

I kissed my teeth. “So you don’t wanna be in Hawaii shaking what your mama gave you in a grass skirt and coconut bra? We can have a lot of fun with that.”