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“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You look really happy,” Sadie replied. “Happier than I’ve ever seen you before.”
“You are so shady. You know that.” The latter part of her comment was a reference to Marcel. I knew my mother well enough to catch what she didn’t say, plus her facial expression was a dead giveaway.
“What did I do?” She asked coyly.
“Happier than I ever was with Marcel. That’s what you wanted to say.”
“Your words, but it’s true. I was a little worried when you said you were leaving, but Gianni kept his word. He’s taken good care of my baby.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do when you leave,” I admitted.
“You better answer the phone so that I can see my grandbaby. I know that.”
“If I don’t, you’ll just call Gianni anyway.”
“You damn right I will, but you’ll be fine, Hailo. Trust yourself and let your husband help you.”
“I do.” It was easier said than done, but I was working on it. The downside of being raised by such a strong, amazing woman was that I didn’t know how to submit to a man, but I was learning.
“Hmm, okay.”
“I’m going to check on Renni.” Sliding off the chair, I walked upstairs to the boho theme nursery pausing in the doorway at Gianni resting in the rocker with Serenity on his bare chest. A spot that used to be reserved for me, but I didn’t mind sharing with my baby girl.
“What are you doing?” Gianni placed his fingers to his lips and smiled. “This is why she’s spoiled.”
“It’s the only way I can get some time with my baby. Sadie and Xora have been hogging her,” His chin dipped, stroking the curls she inherited from him. “I’ll be back at work soon. I have to get my time when I can.”
Trudging across the room, I sat on the floor beside him, resting my forehead on his thigh. Watching Gianni obsess over our baby girl had become my favorite thing to do. He was so in love with her that it made me fall even harder for him. I hadn’t shared my feelings since he confessed at Mack’s party. The conversation got buried by Serenity’s arrival. I wanted to tell him I loved him too, but every time I built up the courage, I chickened out.
“What’s on your mind?” Gi asked.
“Nothing.”
“You’re still lying to me. That’s crazy.” I hated the way he could read me. He’d become so good at it in a short amount of time.
“Trent asked my mom and me to lunch.”
“He’s real persistent these days. He hit me up last week.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were emotional with all the breastfeeding shit. It didn’t seem like a good time,” he shrugged, causing Serenity to groan, drawing her legs closer to her body like she was still in the womb. “How do you feel about it?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you do. You don’t want to admit it.”
“Since you know me so well, you tell me how I feel about it.”
“You don’t want to care, but you do. It was easier to ignore before but knowing he’s in the same city and works with me makes you anxious because you know you're bound to see him and be reminded of everything he wasn’t to you.”
Sucking my teeth, he had done it again. “You think you know everything,” Was all I could conjure up because Gianni hit the nail on the head.
“It’s plenty of things I don’t know about Hailo Raye.”
“Like what?”
